The wealth gap in society continues to widen. Big corporations continue to grow, leaving the little guy behind. The middle class that once comprised the majority of Americans is ever shrinking. According to Pew Research Center, the downsizing of middle-income households has been steady since the 1970s.
The cost of living seems to be outpacing the chance at a living wage as well. So what can we, the people, do to get money back in our pockets? Sign the OPR initiative petition for the 2022 election. The Oregon People’s Rebate (OPR) is a state ballot initiative petition that would give every Oregonian, including children in households, $750 annually. That’s $3,000 yearly for a four-person household.
How does it work? Large corporations like Comcast generate millions in profit in Oregon and often pay less than 1 percent in taxes. The Oregon People’s Rebate would increase the minimum corporate tax after $25 million of Oregon revenue to 3 percent. It’s that simple.
How would it help Oregon? The UBI Center estimates that the Oregon People’s Rebate will reduce overall poverty in Oregon by about 15 percent and child poverty by about 26 percent.
To sign the petition and find out more, you can check out OPR2022.org.
Whitney Randall
Springfield
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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