Neighborhood Partnerships

Please Join Us!
Oregon Thrives General Meeting

Please join us on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem Church at 5090 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97317 from 2 – 4 pm for the Oregon Thrives General Meeting.

Oregon Thrives is a coalition of organizations and agencies working together to create healthy and prosperous communities where everyone has access to jobs, education, nutritious food, stable homes and services that protect and promote health and wellness.  We all have a stake in addressing the challenges our communities and neighbors are facing as a result of the recession.

Oregon Thrives, along with many of our partners are pleased to bring Patrick Bresette of Demos to Oregon.  Please join us as we hear more about the work of Demos and learn from their research about communications.   We will talk specifically about the budget and what advocates have done in other states to move forward in these tough times, and what messages, values and themes resonate with voters and Legislators. We’ll even send you out with talking points about the budget and protecting those most impacted by the economic downturn.

We will also hear an update on the Oregon Thrives legislative agenda and hear updates on the political landscape.  We’ll have time for discussion, so please come prepared to share more about your work this legislative session.

On the agenda:

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of Oregon Thrives and Update on the Oregon Thrives Legislative Agenda

Oregon Legislature & Budget Update

Wisdom and Sources of Optimism, Patrick Bresette of Demos

Questions and Discussion

RSVP today to Gail!  gail@caporegon.org or 503-316-3951

How long has it been since you’ve written a Letter to the Editor?  Now is a great time to write a letter to the editor—last weekend saw two great editorials, one by the Oregonian Editorial Board, and the other by the Co-Chairs of the Human Services Coalition of Oregon about Oregon’s budget and our need to protect families and children during this recession.

We here at Neighborhood Partnerships were pleased to read these two editorials, and are working on our letters to the editor in support of these ideas.  In our letters, we will be calling on the Legislature to do more to protect our neighbors and Oregon’s families.  If you’d like to write a letter, here are some tips:

• Reference the article you’re responding to in the first sentence.

• Talk about the Oregon we want to have!  Perhaps you want to live in an Oregon where we protect those most affected by the economic recession; or an Oregon where we offer opportunity for all of our residents; or an Oregon where families are supported in times of crisis and given opportunities to contribute.

• Call on decision makers to solve the problem!  We can protect families and children and other critical safety net programs.  We have stability funds and rainy-day accounts for moments like this—is leaving an ending balance in these times acceptable?  Should any increases in the revenue forecast be dedicated to protecting the social safety net?  What do you think the solutions are?

• If you think the safety net is important, don’t forget to mention why!  If we want an Oregon that offers opportunity for all its citizens, we must come together to create that future now; cuts to the safety net will only lead to further and more damaging costs down the road, including increased foster care placements and more families falling into homelessness.

The week before also saw two other editorials, one by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Executive Director David Leslie and Dave Brauer-Rieke, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and one by the Reverend Chuck Currie on the cuts to TANF.

Here are the nuts and bolts:

• For the Oregonian, Letters to the Editor need to be 150 words or less.  They may be edited for clarity/brevity.

• Include your name and address.

• Send them to: letters@oregonian.com

Questions? We can help! Email us.

Tax credits are a popular topic these days.  Many people are concerned about the amount of foregone revenue to the state as a result of tax credits, and ask whether the state could better spend these funds on basic services. Tax credits and deductions cost us almost as much as direct spending does. Given the size and scope of the current budget deficit, many believe that it would be wise to allow some or all tax credits to expire to increase revenue to the state in 2011-2013.

The story surrounding tax credits, state budgets and expenditures is complicated. Many tax credits serve a specific public purpose, and were designed to create incentives for a certain outcome or behavior.  There are many types of tax credits – some are purchased by individuals or corporations who have a tax liability with the state – i.e., they owe money to the state.  Others are tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is a refundable credit available to low income families with children.  Some are both state and federal deductions, such as the home mortgage interest deduction, and some are state credits, such as the $50 credit for contributions to political causes.

In 2009, the Legislature created a process by which all state tax credits would sunset. Sunset will force review of credits before credits are renewed the Legislature.  This process calls for all tax credits to be reviewed by a policy committee, and then by a Joint Tax Credit Committee.  The committees are being asked to answer questions about each of the tax credits, such as “what is the public policy purpose of this credit?”; “Who benefits from this credit?”; and “Is this tax credit an effective and efficient way to achieve this policy goal?”.

Neighborhood Partnerships has more than a passing interest in this discussion.  NP serves as the agent of Oregon Housing and Community Services for the Oregon Individual Development Account Initiative, which is funded through a state tax credit.  Those with tax liability can reduce that liability by making a donation to NP.  These donations are pooled, and then used to provide matching funds to Oregonians with low incomes and limited assets who have taken financial education classes and have saved money to purchase an asset such as a first home, a small business or an education. The Oregon IDA Tax Credit is set to sunset on January 1, 2016 and will be reviewed by the Legislature during the 2015 session. This tax credit helps build the assets of Oregonians while also changing financial behaviors.  Assets help families get ahead, save for emergencies and create a better future for their families.

NP also convenes the Housing Alliance, which is advocating for three tax credits this session. Two help to build affordable housing, providing direct benefit to low income renters.  The first is the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit, or OAHTC.  This tax credit can be used to build new housing for low income Oregonians, to preserve existing affordable housing, or to help manufactured home park residents purchase their parks.  The second is the Farmworker Housing Tax Credit.  This tax credit helps build safe, stable and affordable housing for farm workers and their families to ensure they can live close to where they work.  The Housing Alliance is also supporting efforts to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, which puts money directly back into the hands of low income Oregon families with children.

Neighborhood Partnerships supports the new, systematic look at tax expenditures and tax credits.  We welcome the opportunity to answer questions about the effectiveness, benefit and impact of the credits that we care about, and we expect anyone advocating for any credit to answer these questions as well.   We hope and believe that the Legislature will determine which tax credits provide a public benefit and advance policy goals, and forgo the revenue accordingly.

We know that the decisions we make today – about tax credits or tax expenditures, about raising taxes and about cutting budgets – will shape our state for years to come.  Taxes are part of our common responsibility, and also help to create our community well-being.  They support the public structures that ensure all Oregonians have access to opportunity, and they keep the public structures we all depend on sound and working well. The state budget must build our future, create jobs and provide opportunities while ensuring that benefits reach every community in Oregon, starting with those most affected by the economic downturn. There is no simple answer – everything must be on the table and discussed.  We all have a stake, and we’re all part of the solution.  If we want an Oregon that offers opportunity for all its residents, we need to come together to create that future now.

Here at Neighborhood Partnerships we’re very focused on the legislative session.  (See our previous recap here.)  The State Legislature is in full swing in Salem, and unfortunately, with the budget shortfall predicted for the next biennium, many programs are anticipating cuts.  This includes a program we are very concerned about, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.  It’s time to tell Legislators how devastating these cuts could be.

In good times and bad, Oregon has worked together to create strong communities, and we’ve pulled together to overcome hardship.  Oregonians believe in protecting those most affected by the economic downturn.  We need to act to protect families and children, and give children an opportunity to succeed in life.

The economic downturn has already hurt too many families.  All families have critical moments of needing assistance, but too many Oregon families are now left without personal safety nets to protect them during these times.  The Governor’s budget included a proposal to create a life-time 18 month time limit for families receiving TANF.  While many families who access TANF need only an average of two years of assistance, some will need support again in the future or for longer periods.  This time limit will make these families even more vulnerable to homelessness and other problems.

Protecting funding for the TANF program will keep Oregon families safe and stable during times of economic crisis and will prepare parents and children for a better future.  It will also protect our state from additional costs in homeless services, child welfare and foster care services.

On Tuesday, April 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Salem, the Joint Ways & Means Subcommittee on Human Services will hold a hearing and hear public testimony on the budget which includes TANF.  Please consider coming to this hearing.  If you work with families that receive TANF or are currently receiving TANF, we would love to have you.  It really does make an impression on Legislators to see packed hearing rooms – we need to show them that we care about what happens to all Oregon families!

If you or someone you know has benefited from TANF or any of the other related programs such as post-TANF or pre-SSI, please contact Alison and consider either coming to testify in person or submitting written testimony.

We hope to see you on Tuesday, but this is not the end!  There will be more to do! The Ways & Means Co-Chairs have now released their budget, and the next step in this process will likely be for the Ways & Means Committee members to travel around the state conducting public hearings.  This is a great way get involved and to tell the Joint Ways & Means Committee how budget cuts will hurt your community.  Stay tuned to the Neighborhood Partnerships blog or sign up for e-mail alerts from the Housing Alliance to hear as these are announced.

If you have questions about what’s happening in Salem or want to know more about what’s proposed for TANF, let Alison know.  You can also find out more about the proposed cuts here.

On Monday, February 14, one hundred and fifty advocates and partners from all parts of the state gathered in Salem at the State Capitol to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the State’s Birthday.  Oregon Thrives and its partners joined together to thank legislators for their service to Oregonians and delivered valentines.  We met individually with nearly three quarters of our State Legislators, and shared our vision of Oregon.

Oregon Thrives’ main message was that a variety of issues impact our communities, and these issues are interconnected and interwoven. This message in particular seemed to resonate with legislators who are grappling with a budget shortfall of over $3.5 Billion for this biennium.  We spread the message that Oregon Thrives envisions an Oregon with healthy and prosperous communities in which everyone has access to family wage jobs, quality education, nutritious food, stable homes and services that promote health and wellness.  Oregon Thrives believes that in the coming legislative session, we must deal with the state budget in a way that protects those most affected by the economic downturn while building jobs and pathways out of poverty to help families that are struggling. By thinking strategically about critical public investments that can be made to help families meet their basic expenses and build opportunities for their future, Oregon Thrives believes that we can improve economic stability for our families, our communities and our state.

Over lunch, attendees were joined by Senators Diane Rosenbaum and Frank Morse and by Representatives Dennis Richardson and Peter Buckley.  Senators Rosenbaum and Morse spoke about human services funding in this biennium. Representatives Buckley and Richardson talked about budget realities.

Have a Heart Day was a huge success, and we were so happy to partner with Oregon Thrives for this great event.  To learn more, you can listen to a radio show about the day, or check out the Oregon Thrives agenda.  The agenda is broad and includes a wide variety of items which are critical to the future of our state.  Agenda items range from issues impacting housing and homeownership to education to food security to community accountability.  Oregon Thrives members include Community Action Partnership of Oregon, Neighborhood Partnerships, the Oregon Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon, and others.

Oregon Thrives is a coalition of organizations and agencies working together to create healthy and prosperous communities where everyone has access to jobs, education, nutritious food, stable homes and services that protect and promote health and wellness.

We all have a stake in addressing the challenges our communities and neighbors are facing as a result of the recession.  Oregon Thrives’ 2011 Legislative Agenda includes strategies to help Oregonians access opportunity: housing and home ownership, financial assets and income, food access and security, business and jobs, education, health care, and community accountability.

The Oregon Thrives 2011 Legislative Agenda envisions an Oregon with healthy and prosperous communities where everyone has access to family wage jobs, quality education, nutritious food, stable homes and services that promote health and wellness.  Specifically the agenda includes:

Housing and Homeownership: We all need a place to call home in order to succeed in life.

Food Access and Security: Good nutrition helps families learn, work more productively, stay healthier and focus on opportunities to thrive.

Businesses and Jobs: Earned income is the first step towards a better future.

Financial Assets and Income: To enable Oregonians to weather unexpected financial storms, and to rebuild our middle class, Oregon families must be able to earn a living, save for the future, and protect those savings.

Education/Early Education: Education promotes civic responsibility, advances economic competitiveness and expands economic opportunity.

Health Care: We can improve community health, lower health care delivery costs and strengthen schools, businesses and homes.

Community Investment & Accountability Policies: Oregon’s revenues must be adequate to fund essential investments in our collective future.

Download the full agenda to learn more about the specific policies and proposals we’ve included on our agenda to help all Oregonians thrive.

Please join Oregon Thrives for our Lobby Day on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Salem at our State Capitol.  Join us as we thank legislators for their service and talk about ways to pull together to overcome hardship and build a better future for Oregon.  RSVP today, or read more about it here.

Some people call me a message maven, some a message enthusiast.  Either way you get the message that I’m passionate about the framing and strategic communications work that Neighborhood Partnerships has been engaged in for the past several years—first through the Housing Alliance and then more broadly through our Strategic Communications Initiative and the Advocacy College and Leadership Salon that began last September.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to get this message out.  I’m excited about the possibility of working with more groups and coalitions.  If you are interested in an introductory session on framing and messaging, give me a call.  Learning that different ways of communicating are more effective has transformed the way I approach legislative meetings, fact sheets and brochures, in fact almost everything I write and speak about.  Why?  Because I’ve experienced that it works, when other strategies haven’t.

And frankly, the stakes are higher this year after the lingering Oregon recession has left too many of our families, communities and businesses struggling at the same time that it has decimated our state’s revenue sources.

In the coming legislative session, we must deal with the state budget in a way that protects our future, builds jobs and opportunities and protects those hardest hit by the economic downturn here in Oregon.  These are the principles that will help us uphold the values that many Oregonians hold dear.  Communicating that effectively and in a way that it can be heard is critical to our shared future.  So if you want to be heard, if you want to influence others, this messaging training is fundamental for effective advocacy.  I want to help get us there. Call me at 503.226.3001 x103 (and leave me your message) or you can email me your message.

February 14, 2011 is Valentine’s Day and Oregon’s birthday! Demonstrate your love for Oregon by joining the Oregon Housing Alliance and Oregon Thrives for “Have a Heart Day” in Salem.  We all have a stake in addressing the problems our communities and neighbors are facing as a result of the recession. Please join us to speak to our legislators about the problems we face and how the prolonged recession has left our neighbors at risk of foreclosure or even homelessness.

We’re joining with Oregon Thrives and will meet in Salem at the State Capitol to thank and support our legislators for continuing to “Have a Heart.”  We all understand that housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives and this is our chance to talk to those who represent us in Salem that share these values, but may need a little encouragement.

We’ll convene at 8 am for coffee and rolls, pick up legislative materials, and fill out valentines. We’ll begin promptly at 8:30 for a brief welcome, and a review of legislative materials for meetings. Then we’ll receive expert advice on how to express ourselves effectively in the meetings, and we’ll practice our message of the day to make sure we’re heard loud and clear.

For the rest of the morning and the afternoon, we’ll be sharing our values and vision for Oregon with our state legislators.  We’ll have a room open during the visits for check-in, reports, filling out thank you cards, or to just catch your breath.

Come join the Oregon Housing Alliance and Oregon Thrives for Have a Heart Day on February 14, 2011.

RSVP today to Alison, amcintosh@neighborhoodpartnerships.org, or 503.226.3001 x107.  Need a ride to Salem? Let us know.

Neighborhood Partnerships continued the Advocacy College in December with a visit from a nationally renowned expert on messaging and framing.  Dr. Frank Gilliam, Dean of UCLA’s School of Public Affairs, came to Portland earlier this month for a whirlwind of speaking engagements about effectively framing and messaging policy advancements for greater racial and cultural equity.    Dr. Gilliam addressed over a hundred local leaders from higher education, communities of color, philanthropy, government and non-profits in a packed two day visit, which included a session of the Advocacy College.

During his presentation, Dr. Gilliam spelled out the challenges of framing and messaging about racial equity.  He documented responses to various “popular” frames and helped audiences understand that instead of advancing support for equity, they in fact, do the opposite.

In addition to conducting research to determine which frames do not work well, Dr. Gilliam’s research also attempted to document effective ways to discuss racial disparities and racism.  Dr. Gilliam believes that how you talk about race and especially in what order matters very much.     For those who are interested in garnering more public support for policies that result in racial and cultural equality in health, education, criminal justice, early childhood and a host of other social and economic issues, take a look at Dr. Gilliam’s findings at the FrameWorks Institute: “The Illogic of Literalness:  Narrative Lessons in the Presentation of Race Policies” or “The Architecture of a New Racial Discourse”.

Neighborhood Partnerships was very grateful to Dr. Gilliam for his time and expertise.  We are looking forward to continue to discuss this issue during the Advocacy College. Stay tuned for more news about the Advocacy College in the future!

Earlier this month, Neighborhood Partnerships held the third session of the Advocacy College with Patrick Bresette of Demos and Larry Wallack of Portland State University. Thirty-five advocates joined the Advocacy College in September. We’ve learned some of the basics of framing and messaging, we’ve begun to digest Demos’ research on government and the economy, we’ve learned to use social math, and we now know that frames trump facts.

In the most recent session, in November, we talked about developing and using message boxes—a tool to help create, deliver and stay on message when talking to legislators, the media, and other audiences. During this conversation, our attention kept turning back to the looming state budget deficit, now projected at over $3.2 billion for 2011–2013. We assume that budget issues will dominate the conversation over the next several years. At the Advocacy College, we realized that our view of what Oregon needs isn’t being heard as part of the budget conversation. We want that to change.

We here at Neighborhood Partnerships have a vision of Oregon as a place which offers its diversity of residents opportunities to thrive, pathways out of poverty and disenfranchisement, and adequately supported public systems and structures as shared tools for these goals. We also believe that we are all in this together, and we all have a stake and a role in addressing the problems we’re facing. We’re not on our own and we will either succeed or fail at solving this budget crisis together. The good news is that we know how to solve these problems—we’ve had tough times before, and we’ve gotten through them. We also know that how we make decisions will impact how we recover from this recession. Now is the time to have the conversation about the state we want to live in.

We live in the wealthiest country in the world. We don’t need to ground our discourse in a false sense of scarcity and fear. Scarcity limits our ability to be creative and make choices about our future. Fear keeps us from seeing that we really are all in this together—that none of us is truly independent. We rely on each other every day, and we depend on the community systems and structures put in place by past generations to go about our lives and work and contribute to Oregon’s vitality.

Our government and each of us have a critical role to play as we work to solve the problems we’re facing. It will take hard work and good ideas to start solving these problems, and it’s time to start talking about the choices we need to make and the steps we need to take to be the kind of state we want to be. The decisions we make now, in this time and this recession and this budget year will impact how we recover from this recession and what kind of state we leave for our children. I believe that we want to leave them a state where there is enough to go around. A state that makes sure the least among us can have opportunities for a better future. The budget is a tool for building the future that we want—not an obstacle between us and our collective vision.

First things first—let’s agree that we’re all in this together, and start there. Next let’s understand that in this time when the state budget deficit is significant and real and looming, we need to put all of our options on the table—cutting the budget while protecting those hardest hit by the economic downturn, implementing new or raising existing taxes, and examining tax-side spending. So let’s start talking to our elected officials, and tell them that we want to have a conversation about our priorities and our future as a state.