About Keep Oregon Working

Keep Oregon Working is coalition of organizations and individuals who are committed to strengthening Oregon’s economy and protecting its people. We stand united in our belief that in order to weather the current economic crisis, Oregon must preserve jobs, protect the vulnerable and invest in the future.

The economic crisis has victimized hundreds of thousands of Oregonians. Rising unemployment, loss of wages, and the foreclosure meltdown have left Oregonians more vulnerable than at any time in recent history. The job losses–and the fact that corporations have been able to pay as little as $10 in income taxes since the 1930s–mean that the state doesn’t have enough money to pay for vital services like education, human services, healthcare and public safety. At the same time, demand for these services is at a record high.

But while so many Oregon families face the double whammy of being victimized by the economy and facing a lack of services when they need them most, corporations and the state’s wealthiest continue to get off the hook. Many large, profitable corporations only pay the $10 minimum income tax, and the wealthiest Oregonians pay a lower effective tax rate than people who make $20,000 per year.

Drastic cuts to the budget could lead to teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, shorter school years, seniors and people with disabilities being denied crucial healthcare and prison closures. State agencies have developed a plan to balance the budget that would require layoffs of 7,000 state workers, 9,000 care providers for the elderly and disabled, and more than 1,000 teachers and local government employees. These measures will only cost us more in the long run.

Instead, we need to lay the foundations for long-term growth and prosperity in Oregon with a solution that protects the state’s most vulnerable and doesn’t shift the burden to middle-class families. Our elected officials are fighting for a better plan to create jobs, limit the damage to the economy, and ensure that everyone shares the responsibility of moving the state forward with the goal of keeping Oregon working now and in the future.

We need your help. Sign up here to help protect Oregon’s future.