Rural Organizing Project

The 2009 Oregon Legislative Session concludes with some notable victories – passage of safe schools legislation that protects kids from harassment, a budget that funds schools and increases veterans benefits, improvements to tax fairness on the revenue front, and the failure of all anti-immigrant legislation to name a few.  These successes were supported by more than 50 ROP members who consistently wrote letters, made calls, sent emails and faxes, and wrote letters to the editor to keep our priorities clear and present.  Thank you, ROPers! 

Afghanistan has never been off the table. It has always been a part of the war on terror, though for the past few years it has been overshadowed by the clearly despicable Iraq Occupation. And in some ways, this might very well have been to our anti-war advantage now.

On July 1st, 285 families and individuals in the Northwest part of Oregon will be turned out of their homes.

Columbia County, where most of those evictions will take place, has an unemployment rate of 15.4%. As the economic crisis deepens, it becomes clear that what we need is more support for our neighbors that have been hardest hit, not less. We need a way to ensure a basic standard of living for everybody in our community, and that includes the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.

I was one of the lucky ones to take part in the Reform Immigration for America Campaign Summit in Washington, DC last week on behalf of the Rural Organizing Project.  Ten of us from Oregon joined with delegates from 36 states.  The strongest message I came home with is this: 

We (everyone of us) have to exercise our power, turn up the heat, get organized and put the pressure on!  Our elected officials can only act boldly if they believe their constituents are demanding it.   

One of my most meaningful experiences happened before I got there - on my flight between Denver and DC.  I found myself sitting next to a 60-something gentleman who was quite interested in my reason for visiting his home base.  When I mentioned immigration reform, he immediately began presenting his views about the “illegals.”  I could feel my stomach begin to churn. 

Yesterday more than 700 advocates descended on Capitol Hill to tell Congress: "We cannot wait any longer.  America needs to reform immigration now." 

Among those hundreds was ROP's very own newly elected board chair, Kathy Paterno from member group Human Dignity Advocates in Crook County.  Kathy is representing ROP as a member of the delegation from Oregon that includes CAUSA, PCUN, and Mujeres Luchadores Progresistas who are in Washington D.C for four days to attend the largest convening of immigration reform advocates and allies of the year.

This month's Kitchen Table Activity is all about understanding how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it as a stronger community. We need to smarten ourselves up around the economy & how to fix it; this is your chance to dig in with ROP to be a smart, savvy & rambunctious in confronting the economic crisis, with justice in mind and people in your heart.

If you're feeling confused about all the different provisions of the economic stimulus and how you might benefit from them, you're not the only one.  ROP member group Blackberry Pie Society out of Cottage Grove in Lane County decided to sort through the details and figure out which parts of the stimulus regular community members might be interested in knowing about.

They write, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which President Obama signed on February 17th, contains provisions designed to help you and your community."