School Board Races...

See below for a list of some very good candidates for school board in the upcoming May15th election.

Beaverton School Board Candidates

Lisa Shultz

Candidate for Beaverton School Board, Zone # 7

More Information and a Full List of Endorsements at: http://www.beavertonschoolboard.infoEmail: lisa4schools@gmail.com    Experienced Problem Solver ·   I will use the problem solving and customer service skills that I have gained over the past 25 years to investigate and RESPOND effectively to student and District issues.

Open Communication and Dialogue

·   I am committed to communication that encourages the thoughtful consideration of DIVERSE ideas and opinions.   ·   We CAN work together to ensure that our children receive the best education possible.  ·   A TRANSPARENT budget process and wise use of taxpayer dollars will strengthen voter and community support.  Advocate for the Needs of ALL Students ·   Committed to an educational program that will help each child become a responsible, informed and caring citizen. ·   I am bilingual (Spanish) and can help build understanding among our diverse communities. ·   It is important to choose programs and curricula that support the talents, gifts, and abilities of ALL our students. Equity among district schools is essential for our long term success.

Hillsboro School Board Candidates

• Marcello Napolitano - longtime PCP and active democrat
• Beth Graser
• Sam Heiney (see statement below)

Sam Heiney wants your support.  He is locked in a tight race for Position Five on the the Hillsboro School Board.  Our children deserve a world-class education.  Sam is a Democrat committed to decreasing classroom sizes, increasing community involvement in public policy, protecting the arts and athletics, increasing teacher retention, emphasizing fiscal responsibility, expanding vocational training, and lobbying in Salem to protect school funding.  With more than a decade of management experience—including the supervision of multi-million dollar budgets—Sam will be an effective leader for the district.  Please consider getting involved in the campaign as a volunteer or make a contribution to help Sam connect with voters through direct mail.  Visit his Web site at http://www.samheiney.com and make a difference for Hillsboro Schools.

Beaverton Voters Pamphlet

Hillsboro Voter Pamphlet

Grassroots Calendar

A summary of upcoming events is shown below, Click here for our event calendar which shows more details. 

• Hillsboro School District is breaking ground on three new elementary schools in May. A new middle school and another elementary are also in the pipeline. As part of bond projects, almost every school in the district will be receiving needed repairs and updating. The successful passage of a 169 million dollar bond levy has brought new vigor and enthusiasm to education in the Hillsboro area. The public is invited to following groundbreaking ceremonies: Elementary #25 at the Thomas site, 2:00pm on May 10^th; Elementary #24 in Cornelius, 9:00am May 11^th; and Elementary #26, 9:00am on May 16^th.  
• On Thursday, April 26 Sen. Deckert & Avakian + Reps, Barker, Bonimicci, Read, & Greenlick will have a Town Hall :
  

  7:00pm Beaverton City Library Auditorium (map)

  12375 SW 5^th Street

• Rep Riley Town Hall meetings will take place on April 26, 6:30pm. Health Care : Forest Grove Community Auditorium  1915 Main St. Forest Grove
• Democratic Party of Oregon Regional Trainings   The training topics are congruent with the DNC & DPO’s 6 Key Components for the State Partnership Program: 1)     Precinct Organizing Program 2)     Technology 3)     Communications Infrastructure 4)     Election Protection 5)     Training
  

  6)     Constituency Outreach

  Washington County Training date: June 2nd

  Beginning Thursday, April 26 please visit http://www.oregondemocrats.org/trainings for additional details and to register your attendance.  

If you have any events to add please send them to:
webmaster@washcodems.org

Contact your Legislators

We shouldn't have to go into debt to buy groceries. Payday loans are sold as a quick solution to a financial crisis. However, triple-digit interest does not solve a family's problems; it creates more. Why do families take out high-cost loans? The top reasons: to pay bills, buy groceries, and to cover medical costs.

The Good News. Last year, due to support from people like you, Oregon lawmakers passed the Payday Loan Reform Act. When it goes into effect in July 2007, it will cap "short-term loan" interest rates at 36 percent

The fight's not over. Payday lending businesses have found a loophole. By simply switching licenses, lenders are able to continue charging 500 percent interest. That's because Oregon has no usury law meaning lenders are free to charge any interest rate.

Contact your Legislators via their webforms (or goto our issues page for more info):

• Sen Wyden's webform
• Sen Smith's webform
• Rep David Wu's webform
• Webform for your State Representative/Senator
• Webform for sending Letter to the Editor (via Oregon Food Bank)

If you dont know who your legislator is, just click this link , enter your address and it will show you all your federal and state representatives!

Stop Gordon Smith...

“A people-powered movement fighting for progressive leadership for Oregon in the US Senate.”

Oregon needs a U.S. Senator who will represent its interests, not the White House’s interests. So last Tuesday the Democratic Party of Oregon launched the campaign to replace Smith, when it unveiled www.StopGordonSmith.com 

This website is a resource for people to learn more about U.S. Senator Smith’s record and get involved in replacing him with a senator who will serve Oregon.

-Oregon deserve a U.S. Senator who serves our state, not President Bush

-Smith has become President Bush’s personal U.S. Senator -Smith votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time -Smith tries to hide it, but he has a right wing voting record -Smith has worked to limit a woman’s right to choose, to reduce environmental protections, called on former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to override Oregon’s “Death with Dignity” law and voted for legislation that would gut Oregon’s minimum wage ordinance

– The Democratic Party of Oregon launched www.StopGordonSmith.com  to hold President Bush’s personal U.S. Senator accountable for his right wing record

-Smith will try to run from his support for President Bush, but his record won’t let him

-Smith has consistently raised money for President Bush’s campaigns, proudly campaigned with the President and chaired his 2004 campaign in Oregon -Oregon deserves better -To help get U.S. Senator Smith out of office, click into www.StopGordonSmith.com

VISIT OUR NEW WEB SITE - Coming Soon

Check our website for the latest updates.

Our New Website!!!

During the next month we will be switching over to a new website (same address: www.washcodems.org). This new website will be easier to maintain and allow PCPs to participate in online forums and blogs. Stay tuned for more information.:

Blue Oregon Blog Articles

• Wyden's Health Plan Getting Attention
• Fix Measure 37 - Time is Running Out 
• Landmark Anti-Discrimination Bills Clear the House

Local Groups

• The Oregon Center for Public Policy
• Our Oregon Coalition (state budget group)
• Citizens for Oregon's Future (state budget group)
• Oregon Bus Project
• NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon
• Oregon AFL-CIO
• Oregon League Of Women Voters
• Onward Oregon
• Democracy for Oregon
• Blog for Oregon
• Blue Oregon
• Oregon Center for Christian Values
• Planned Parenthood - Columbia/Willamette

Volunteer Opportunities

Please join us by filling out our online volunteer form.   Or fill out the paper form and send it to us. We highly value our volunteers and recognize special contributions each month.