To: The Oregon State House, The Oregon State Senate, and Governor Kate Brown
We can not pay for services for all, by robbing the PERs Retirement system.
In order to quickly look for Constitutional and Just funding mechanisms for public, K-12 education in the State of Oregon; Oregon's House, Oregon's Senate and our Governor must reject 'violating the contract clause once again', and pursue responsible 'long-term funding mechanisms' for our children and our grandchildren.
Please join me in the cause of long-term, responsible education funding, for ALL our children, once and for all! The people of the great State of Oregon, understand it is the responsibility of All The People to pay for services already rendered. The Governors budget plan must change. No more raiding of the pension plans. Only making, and/or adding newly "negotiated provisions" are legal, NOT unilateral, unconstitutional changes.
Please join me in the cause of long-term, responsible education funding, for ALL our children, once and for all! The people of the great State of Oregon, understand it is the responsibility of All The People to pay for services already rendered. The Governors budget plan must change. No more raiding of the pension plans. Only making, and/or adding newly "negotiated provisions" are legal, NOT unilateral, unconstitutional changes.
Why is this important?
Paying for our childrens education is the responsibility of ALL taxpayers. Robbing the teachers retirement fund, like was done in 2003, is not a "constitutional funding mechanism for Oregon's future" as was stated by the Speaker of the House, Tina Kotek. For the first 25 years of teaching, my wife and I planned our retirement, which was reflected to us by the State of Oregon's annual PERS statments. As stated in the "Contract Clause" and the 2005 Oregon Supreme Court decision stating that "decades long pension contributions are considered a labor contract." Therfore all economic working conditions MUST BE BARGAINED. They can not be unilaterally changed, and then be construed to be Constitutional.