Author: Team BerniePDX

Join the picket line at 1250 NW Swigert Way in Troutdale!

“All health care systems require administration, which costs money, but a private multipayer system requires massively more than other approaches, especially the single-payer system favored by the American left.

To get your head around why this is, think for a second about what happens to every $100 you give to a private insurance company. According to the most exhaustive study on this question in the United States — the Congressional Budget Office single-payer study from 2020 — the first thing that happens is that $16 of those dollars are taken by the insurance company. From there, the insurer gives the remaining $84 to a hospital to reimburse them for services. That hospital then takes another $15.96 (19 percent of its revenue) for administration, meaning that only $68.04 of the original $100 actually goes to providing care.

In a single-payer system, the path of that $100 looks a lot different. Rather than take $16 for insurance administration, the public insurer would only take $1.60. And rather than take $15.96 of the remaining money for hospital administration, the hospital would only take $11.80 (12 percent of its revenue), meaning that $86.60 of the original $100 actually goes to providing care.” Read more here.

Please click here to send a message to all the Metro Councilors urging them Say No to Cutting $17.5 million for building affordable housing and ending homelessness and housing insecurity!

Metro Council is poised to vote on a ballot measure to adjust the Supportive Services Measure passed in 2020 to assist households experiencing homelessness or severe rent burdens.

We support changes improving cross-county alignment of strategies for alleviating our affordable housing crisis; investing a portion of funds to expand permanently affordable housing; and extending revenue collection beyond 10 years.

However, these changes will not succeed in alleviating our crisis if Metro follows through on a 10% tax cut on earnings above 125 K for single households and above 200K for joint filing households in 2026, followed by a 25% cut in 2031.It is predicted that such a deep tax cut will lead to a $17.5 million annual loss in revenue!

Learn more about this issue on Welcome Home’s website.

The New Seasons Labor Union is calling for a customer boycott of all locations for the rest of the holiday season. Please uphold the boycott to support their contract negotiation efforts!

Jamie Dunphy’s win for Portland City Council, District 1 hasn’t been called yet because the margins are so close, and some ballot signatures in D1 don’t match up. That means the campaign has to contact thousands of voters over the next few days to get them to fix their ballots!

Please sign up to canvass, text, or make calls, and donate here, to help the campaign reach these critical voters.

Not only was Jamie endorsed by Bernie PDX, he was also one of the few candidates who signed Portland DSA’s Renters Bill of Rights pledge!

Jamie’s win will solidify the most progressive City Council in Portland history – let’s ensure he reaches the finish line!

ACTION ITEM #1: Fill out this short survey with your name, email, and click the “support” button for putting big corporations on the hook for their negligence through this ordinance. 

Then cut and paste this comment, or something like it, into the survey’s space for feedback:
I support a strong, enforceable risk bond ordinance that includes a penalty of $25,000/day for non-compliance, applicable to all facilities regulated by the DEQ Fuel Tank Seismic Stability program and going into effect within 2 years.

ACTION ITEM #2: Show up in red at 11:00am on Thursday, Nov. 21 to watch the Multnomah County Commissioners discuss the ordinance at the County building on 501 SE Hawthorne!

Background: Time to demand that polluters pay up front for damages, clean up and putting our lives & environment in danger!  Zenith and cronies must take steps to prevent huge oil spills, fires and deadly toxic fumes from fossil fuels and other toxic chemicals being released from old tanks on the riverfront – given the odds of a big earthquake, forest fire or train derailment.

Please email the County Commissioners to say: I support the immediate passage of the proposed ordinance to require that risk bonds be paid by companies putting us all at risk by storing dangerous chemicals on unstable soils on the lower Willamette. These should be sufficient to pay for all damages including loss of life, as well as cleanup and restoration.

Send your email to: mult.chair@multco.us, district1@multco.us, district2@multco.us, district3@multco.us, district4@multco.us

Background:

Time to demand that polluters pay up front for damages, clean up and putting our lives & environment at risk! A big earthquake, forest fire or train derailment, will mean huge oil spills, fires and deadly toxic fumes with millions of gallons of fossil fuels and other toxic chemicals likely to be released from trains and old tanks on the unstable landfill making up the lower Willamette River banks. The Multnomah County Board will next discuss a proposed ordinance on Thurs, Nov 21st – postponed a week from the original schedule. We’ll keep you posted about critical times to show up, wearing red, for the Board meeting in the County building on 501 SE Hawthorne!

Congratulations BerniePDX candidates Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo, and Mitch Green on being elected to Portland City Council!! What a MASSIVE WIN for our city!!!

Hi all,

Although the national election results are devastating, it appears we’ll have some good news locally very soon: As of today, BerniePDX candidates Candace Avalos, Jamie Dunphy, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo, and Mitch Green are on track to win seats on Portland City Council! It’s too early to officially call these races, but their leads are very promising. You can follow the Multnomah County election results here.

Come January, it will be more important than ever to have people-powered elected officials at the local level.

Thank you all for your persistent dedication to fighting for what’s right and just. We’re in this together.

In solidarity,

The BerniePDX Leadership Team

Join us from the comfort of your home for a virtual evening of grassroots activism with the Oregon Working Families Party!

We’re rallying support for our endorsed District 1 Portland City Council candidates – Steph Routh, Timur Ender, Candace Avalos, and Jamie Dunphy – and we need your help to make their voices heard!

Together, we’ll be reaching out to District 1 residents, sharing our vision for a more equitable Portland, and mobilizing support for our progressive candidates.