Scott Moore

By Scott Moore
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February Revenue Forecast: A sigh of relief, but Legislators need to choose the right priorities

Today’s revenue forecast will give Oregon’s legislators the information they need to make decisions about how to protect our schools and the critical services that low-income seniors and struggling families depend on.

With budgets already slashed to the bare minimum, the relatively good news from the forecast will make it easier for legislators to protect the priorities that Oregonians share. The existing budget framework was written to accommodate a bigger drop in the forecast than the one we saw today.

By Scott Moore
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Two Years Ago, We Made History

Two years ago today, Oregonians stood up and chose to protect our local schools, seniors, and the safety of our communities, all while making sure that large corporations and the rich paid more of their fair share.

In the two years since, the corporate lobbyists who opposed Measures 66 and 67 have unfortunately continued waging a fight they lost, making many false claims about the measures and damaging Oregon’s business reputation in the process.

So, as we’ve done before, we wanted to bring you the actual facts that disprove the constant negative chatter coming from the very lobbyists who SHOULD be selling Oregon to the rest of the world:

By Scott Moore
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A Day of Action

You're invited to a DAY OF ACTION: February 20, 2012!

Don’t miss this exciting rally to fight for a strong middle class! Join thousands of educators, parents, health care advocates, and other community members at the State Capitol for a day to stand up against harmful budget cuts that threaten Oregon’s way of life. We believe there’s a better way to fix Oregon’s problems.

By Scott Moore
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Thanks for Signing the Petition!

Thank you for signing our petition. When we all speak in one voice, those in power can't ignore us.

Now, can you help spread the word by telling your friends? Use these easy buttons to share the petition on Facebook and Twitter:

By Scott Moore
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As Rare as Unicorns?

Late last week, responding to well-worn Republican talking points, NPR set out to find millionaires who objected to a proposed surtax on high incomes. Given the outpouring of claims from the GOP that a marginal tax increase would harm so-called “job creators,” you’d think a reporter would be able locate even a single millionaire willing to go on record opposing the idea.

By Scott Moore
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A Tough--But Smart--Decision From Basic Rights Oregon

After engaging in smart political research and community outreach, our allies at Basic Rights have come to a very tough decision about not going to the ballot with marriage equality in 2012.

Based on all of the factors that need to be in place to win, BRO has made the right political calculation to keep moving forward by building public support. To reach their decision, they relied on input from members of the community and a board of advisors made up of some of the most respected political minds in the state. The decision was a tough one, but the right one to make.

By Scott Moore
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What Should Arne Duncan Know About Oregon Classrooms?

Tonight, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is in Portland for a fund-raiser with the Oregon Business Association, as well as a town hall with educators.

We hope that while he was in Oregon, he was able to see firsthand the daunting challenges that are facing our local schools—overcrowded classrooms, outdated materials, rising poverty rates among students, and too few educational opportunities for all students.

By Scott Moore
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It’s hard to learn when you haven’t eaten and don’t have a home

One of the biggest challenges facing Oregon students today can't be measured by standardized tests, and won't be fixed by the latest experimental fad coming from the corporate education “reform” cabal. The truth is that the surest thing we can do to improve education for all Oregon students is this: Eliminate poverty.

Because of the recession—caused by Wall Street greed—an unacceptably high number of Oregon students are coming to school hungry, homeless, and/or without access to health care. Their families are sleeping in cars or on couches, and their parents are working multiple minimum-wage jobs, so they aren’t available to help prepare their kids for the school day.

The numbers are staggering. This year, Oregon counted 20,545 students who are experiencing homelessness—that’s double the number of homeless kids since the 2003-2004 school year. Oregon’s poverty rate is more than 14%, but for children under the age of 6, the poverty rate is closer to 25%.

By Scott Moore
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Read Before You Head to Occupy Portland: Straight From the Wall Street Speculators’ Mouths

As the heat turns up on the Occupy Wall Street movement—including the Occupy Portland kickoff today—there’ve been a few opportunities in the last couple of weeks to peek inside the minds of the Wall Street investors who tanked our economy and then profited from the crisis.

As it turns out, they see the economic crisis as another opportunity to make money, and they’re not going to be helping to create any jobs any time soon, no matter how many tax breaks we give them.

You may have seen a video circulating recently of a Wall Street trader named Alessio Rastani giving an eye-opening interview to the BBC. The BBC hosts were asking Rastani about efforts by European governments to fix the Euro economy. His bold, direct answers left the newsroom (and everyone else who’s seen the video) speechless. Here's the video, with partial transcript below:

By Scott Moore
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Statesman Journal Ed Board: Still Ignoring Facts on 66 and 67

The last two years have been littered with terrible editorial writing about Measures 66 and 67. The Oregonian—under the direction of publisher N. Christian Anderson III—has taken the cake, but they’re getting some competition today from the Salem Statesman Journal.

The SSJ’s editorial board published an opinion today critical of Measures 66 and 67, arguing against national efforts to increase the marginal taxes on millionaires.

They were wrong on all the facts a year and a half ago when they endorsed a No vote, and they’re wrong on all the facts today. It’s disappointing that 21 months after the measures passed, opponents are still ignoring the facts in order to score political points with the corporate lobby.

So, without spending too much time knocking down every one of the SSJ’s tired, inaccurate claims and straw men arguments, here are the basic reasons why they’re wrong:

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