Ron WydenRon WydenA Democrat running for Senate

By Linda Lee & Michelle Coblens

Period 6

Wyden has experience and dedication.

• After graduating from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1974, Wyden taught gerontology at several Oregon universities. During that time he also co-founded the Oregon chapter of the Grey Panthers, an advocacy group for the elderly, and led that organization from 1974 to 1980.

• From 1977 to 1979, Wyden was the director of Oregon Legal Services for the Elderly and a member of the Oregon State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators.

• Starting in 1981, Wyden served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 15 years.

• He has been a part of the U.S. Senate since 1996.

As a Democrat, Wyden supports....

Health Care Reform

• In 2007, Wyden proposed the Health Americans Act.

Americans would be able to receive the same health care Congress receives.

Americans would be able to choose from a variety of private health care plans.

Health care would be portable from job to job.

Insurance companies would have to accept every customer who signs up and not choose their customers based on their health.

Health care costs would be brought under control because the act would save $1.48 trillion during the next 10 years.

Energy Independence• 86% of the man-made greenhouse gases are produced by

burning fossil fuels.• All of that is released into the environment and is harming our health.

Wyden’s plan: reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels

• One third of America’s oil is from the OPEC oil cartel. Wyden’s plan: have legislation that would allow low-carbon fuels

from renewable energy sources to become motor fuels.

• Renewable energy, like energy efficient vehicles, is very expensive

Wyden’s plan: have legislation to provide tax credits for the production of energy from renewable sources and to Americans who purchase fuel efficient vehicles.

Clean Energy and Jobs in Oregon

• Wyden knows of the vast wind resources in Eastern Oregon and is using them to construct the world’s largest wind farm.

• Wyden has worked hard to build Oregon’s biofuels industry

He won amendments to the 2008 Farm Bill that protected vulnerable lands and forests by creating biofuels from forest and farm wastes.

In June 2010, it was decided that a new biorefinery would be opened in Boardman. They would use wood, grasses, and other inedible parts of plants to create more cleaner and sustainable biofuels.

Constructing the biorefinery and operating the plant will create hundreds of more local jobs.

• Wyden has focused on preparing students and workers at community colleges to receive good-paying jobs in the emerging clean energy economy.

$5 million has been secured to train over 1,600 Oregon workers for jobs in the green economy.

Tax Reform• Wyden proposed The Bipartisan Tax Fairness and

Simplification Act of 2010. The tax process would be simplified to a one-page form.

Middle class and low-income taxpayers would have tripled tax deductions.

The tax rate would never be higher than 35 percent for any taxpayer.

Retirement savings and savings would increase because of more tax-free saving opportunities.

Specialized tax breaks that favor certain businesses would be eliminated.

Small businesses would be able to grow when they expense all equipment and inventory costs in a single tax year.

Taking care of our soldiers• This past summer, nearly 3,000 member of the Oregon

National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team returned home from an eight-month deployment in Iraq. More than 50% of these soldiers did not have a job to come home to.

• Wyden’s plan: sponsor a series of job fairs across the state.

• Wyden worked with Raymond Rees, adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard, to spread awareness to employers and urge them to attend and meet the soldiers face to face.

• The response was great! Employers were eager to support these heroes.

• Wyden has also been fighting for his “soft landing” package that would allow the soldiers to remain on active duty for 90 days, to collect pay and access more basic services.

Bringing our soldiers home

• In October 2002, Wyden had voted against President Bush’s resolution use force against Iraq.

Wyden has opposed spending the billions of dollars on the Iraq war.

Wyden supported President Obama’s plan to withdraw troops our of Iraq by August 2010.

Wyden believes that Iraqis must be responsible for their country and should no longer depend on our American troops for security.

Education• Wyden has been a strong supporter of strengthening

America’s education system. Wyden has worked to increase funding for Head Start, which is a

program that helps low-income preschool children receive education without any problems.

The Bush administration failed to fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the authorization expired in 2008.

o Wyden has been working with other members of the Congress to reauthorize and improve the legislation. He is going to ensure that NCLB school assessments are fairer and that the challenges faced by rural communities are recognized.

Wyden has supported and voted for many laws that make college more affordable for Americans.

Wyden is supported by....

• The national tax payers union• Citizens against government

waste• National Family planning and

reproductive health association• Defenders of wildlife action

fund• League of Women voters

Who funds Wyden’s

campaign?

Top Contributors that support Wyden

• ActBlue $59,350• Nike Inc $40,200• Foxkiser $33,600• Berkshire Hathaway $29,125• Ospraie Management $24,000• Blue Cross/Blue Shield $23,650• McKool Smith PC $22,500• Mary Kay Holding Corp $21,600• Platt Electric $21,400• Steptoe & Johnson $19,645

Top Sectors that support Wyden

• Health $405,582• Finance, Insurance & Real Estate $168,000• Labor $105,500• Communications/ Electronics $101,500• Transportation $91,999• Lawyers & Lobbyists $89,559• Agribusiness $82,500• Energy & Natural Resources $70,250• Misc Business $139,735

Top Industries that support Wyden• Lawyers/ Law Firms $453,601• Securities & Investment $354,189• Health Professionals $350,340• Real Estate $257,390• Hospitals/ Nursing Homes $202,450• Pro-Israel $192,031• Retired $189,835• Misc Finance $175,315• Insurance $171,549

• Wyden has experience and the results of his efforts are very effective.

• Wyden will make health care and education fair for all Americans.

• Wyden is specifically working to build Oregon’s biofuels industry in order to have more clean energy and jobs.

• Wyden will make the tax process less complicated and more simple.

• The tax rate would never exceed 35% for any taxpayer.

• Wyden cares about our soldiers and has a plan for them when they return home.

So why is Wyden

worth voting for?

If you believe in moderate views that

will help improve Oregon as well as the entire country, then…VOTE FOR WYDEN!