Yesterday, Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved critical tax levies, 54-46, proving that progressive populism is alive and well in the electorate, even in a recession, and the first time since 1930 that a voter-approved income tax has passed, and the first time since 1931 that busienss taxes have been raised.
The situation was dire for Oregon, facing the very real possibility that they'd have to shorten the school week to just four days, and make even deeper cuts to public safety. Oregon, as Meteor Blades wrote in his pre-election diary, was facing a $4.2 billion revenue shortfall.
On the "Yes" side, Oregon's progressive community rallied with strong backing from labor, the state's Democratic office-holders, and a huge range of activist groups, including The Bus Project, which mobilized young voters. Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain praised the coalition, "I've never seen a field effort like the one the campaign is running." That voter education and GOTV effort played out, and they beat goliath Phil Knight--Nike CEO--and his team of anti-tax activists calling themselves "Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes." Put that in your pipe and smoke, Frank Luntz.
They were so well organized and their message resonated so well, they had the upper hand even in financing the campaign, raising at least $2 million more than the anti-tax group. As Bus Project booster, and Montana organizer extraordinaire, Matt Singer tweeted last night: "Bus Project engaged youth. Progressives campaigned as populists. This is how we win."
That is how we win, by not letting the Teabaggers claim the populist mantle and not assuming that populism = anti-government or anti-tax. We win by fighting hard for progressive values, including a belief in basic fairness and income equality. The other Singer, Jonathon, sums it up well:
After the Beltway elite read the results of the special Senate election in Massachusetts last week as an indication of conservatism on the rise, Oregon voters clarified the message: It's not conservatism, but rather populism that is on the rise....
The message out of Oregon, like the message out of Massachusetts, is resonating: Voters are in a populist mood right now -- not an anti-government one, necessarily, but a populist one nevertheless. The progressive brand of populism that resonated with Oregonians this month is slightly different than the one that rang true in Massachusetts. Yet the message is just as clear.
The real question now is whether DC will listen, or if instead it will continue to cling to its common wisdom.
Oregon has been hit particularly hard in this recession, with an unemployment rate that's stayed above 10 percent throughout. Oregon voters are as frustrated and frightened by the economy as the voters in Massachusetts, but they want the same thing. Smart, fair solutions.
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