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| Campaign Finance Reform: Why We Need It and How To Do It |
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| Download PowerPoint File |
| Download PowerPoint Show |
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| FairElections Oregon |
| P.O. Box 8488 |
| Portland, OR 97207 |
| 503-246-2906 |
| or use our Contact Form |
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BIG MONEY RUNS OREGON!
Oregon has no limits on campaign contributions for any state or local election. None!
The result is that corporations dominate politics in Oregon. They outspend labor unions by 5-1 and massively outspend all other groups and causes, including those for better health care, environmental protection, human and civil rights, decent and living wage jobs for all, consumer protection, fair taxes on corporations, less promotion of gambling, and sufficient funding for education and other needs.
Corporations pushed up the total reported spending on political races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to $42 million in 2002 - a factor of 10 in 6 years. Candidates for seats in the Oregon Legislature in 1996 spent $3.5 million. By 2004, they spent $18 million. 75% of the money came from only 1% of the contributors. Only 3% of the contributions were in amounts of $50 or less. It now typically costs over $500,000 to win a contested seat in the State Senate and over $250,000 to win such a seat in the State House of Representatives.
Big political spenders get what they want from Oregon government. Examples abound:
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Corporations paid 18% of state income taxes in 1975. It's now 4%. 80% of them pay only $10 annually. |
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Drug companies defeated bills that would allow the State to negotiate lower prices for drugs. They could do that, thanks to the $3 million contributed by drug and medical equipment companies in the past 3 election cycles. |
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Video Poker outlets receive over $100 million in excess commissions every year. Why? The Oregon Restaurant Association has contributed over $1,200,000 to Oregon politicians in the past 5 years. |
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Utilities have charged us over $1.5 billion for “income taxes” they never paid. |
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Enron/Portland General Electric gave over $500,000 to candidate campaigns, got a $400 million annual rate increase, and since 1997 has charged Oregon ratepayers over $800 million for "income taxes" it never paid. |
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Oregon's beer and wine lobby has showered lawmakers with contributions and luxury trips. Click here to find out what they got for their money. |
Many more examples are in the Powerpoint Show available in the left column of this page.
[Click to Learn more] |
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Oregon Legislative candidates who spent the most money won 91% of the time. Corporate contributions are so huge in Oregon that Tom Delay would not even be noticed here.
Delay was indicted for moving $190,000 of corporate money into races for the Texas Legislature. Doing that would be legal in Oregon and insignificant, since the corporations have pumped over $20 million into races for the Oregon Legislature in the last two election cycles. |
What Tom Delay did in Texas is perfectly legal in Oregon. |
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"Their big spending on the little city council election, however, will surely add fuel to a grass-roots movement now under way for campaign finance reform in Oregon."
—The Oregonian Editorial Board |
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| FAST FACTS / WHY WE NEED REFORMS |
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Oregon is one of only four states with no limits on political contributions. |
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Corporations outspend labor unions by 5-1 and massively outspend all other groups and causes. |
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Corporations pushed up the total reported spending on political races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to $42 million in 2002 - a factor of 10 in 6 years. |
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 In 2004 legislative races, 75% of money came from 1% of contributors. Only 2% of total contributions were $50 or less. |
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The typical cost to win a contested state senate race is $500,000 and a state house race $250,000. Yet the job pays $15,396 a year (plus diem). |
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The difficulty in raising the large sums of money required for campaigns discourages many capable Oregonians from running for office. |
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