Jeff Merkley Announces New Grow Oregon Plan For Rural Economic Development

Creating Good-Paying Jobs, Cutting Taxes, Improving Life in Rural Oregon

House Speaker Jeff Merkley is announcing a new Grow Oregon plan for rural economic development. Merkley's plan will create new jobs, cut taxes, and improve the quality of life in rural communities across the state. Merkley will be traveling through central Oregon this week on his 100 Towns for Change tour. For more information on Merkley's tour, go to www.jeffmerkley.com.

Merkley's Grow Oregon plan will work to ensure that young people have opportunities to remain in their communities, raise a family, and enjoy a good quality life in rural Oregon.

Jeff Merkley's Grow Oregon Plan will:

• Provide Real Leadership to Secure County Timber Payments
• Support Oregon's Natural Resource Industries, Ending Unfair Trade Agreements
• Provide Tax Relief for Farmers, Ranchers, Loggers, and Fishermen
• Invest in New Roads, Bridges, Airports, and Water Treatment Systems
• Spur Investment in Biofuels and Renewable Energy, Creating Good-Paying Jobs
• Ensure Access to Technology and Foster Entrepreneurship
• Crack Down on the Meth Epidemic that Drains Rural Economies
• Make Health Care More Affordable and Accessible for Families and Businesses

Gordon Smith has been a failure for rural Oregon:

• Failing to recruit Republican support for the county timber payments
• Supporting unfair trade agreements that have cost Oregon nearly 70,000 jobs
• Opposing targeted tax relief for farmers, ranchers, loggers, fishermen, and family-owned businesses
• Opposing "Country of Origin Labeling" laws that will help rural economies
• Slashing critical funding for local law enforcement to fight the growing meth problem
• Favoring tax breaks for oil companies over investments to create green-collar jobs in rural Oregon
• Supporting the agenda of insurance companies and drug companies, driving up the cost of health care for rural families and businesses

Senator Gordon Smith and the Bush Administration have been a disaster for rural Oregon, denying emergency disaster relief to coastal communities, refusing to reauthorize the federal county payments program, and failing to invest in rural economies and infrastructure.

While Senator Ron Wyden and the rest of Oregon's Democratic delegation have fought hard, Smith has been ineffective at recruiting support within his own party for Oregon's priorities and righting the wrongs of the Bush Administration.

Support Oregon's Natural Resources Industries and End Unfair Trade Agreements

The son of a timber mill worker, Jeff Merkley grew up in a home supported by Oregon's natural resources. As a lawmaker, Merkley has protected Oregon's traditional industries by holding the line on taxes, streamlining regulation, and making health care more affordable.

On the other hand, Gordon Smith votes against the interests of Oregon's farmers, ranchers, loggers, and fishermen, opposing country of origin labeling and supporting unfair trade agreements that ship Oregon jobs overseas. [The Oregonian, 10/21/01, Vote #170, 6/30/05; Vote #209, 7/28/05]

Jeff Merkley will fight to reform unfair trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA. Merkley will only support fair trade agreements for Oregon industries with enforceable labor, environmental, and health and safety standards.

Merkley will also invest in America's export competitiveness, directing more resources to research and development that will help Oregon natural resource industries grow and maintain their edge in a competitive world market. Merkley will also broaden export promotion programs to help Oregon natural resource industries grow.

Merkley will work to immediately implement the "Country of Origin Labeling" law that Smith has opposed. Implementation of this law has been delayed multiple times. Merkley believes that American producers should be able to distinguish their products from imported ones and that consumers deserve the right to know the origin of their food.

As Speaker, Merkley established the first "Farm to School" program in Oregon. In the U.S. Senate Merkley will continue to foster relationships between local buyers and local producers by protecting regulations at the USDA that allow states to build regional preferences for local growers.

Oregon farmers, ranchers, loggers, and fishermen are vulnerable to natural disasters. Gordon Smith's failure to secure emergency aid to Oregon coastal communities has had real consequences for families struggling to make ends meet. Jeff Merkley will fight to expedite disaster relief and make the disaster program permanent for our fishermen so that Oregon's coastal communities do not have to rely on the whims of Congress to get assistance.

Merkley will work to eliminate the current Federal Aviation Administration moratorium on new kit evaluations, a policy that is hurting Oregon entrepreneurs. Oregon's growing aerospace industry, which provides 200 jobs in Deschutes County alone, is important to our economy and the new rules which would require inexperienced purchasers of kits to assemble more of their experimental aircraft without the help and expertise of the manufacturers puts those manufacturers and purchasers at greater risk. Should the new rules go into effect, it could result in the loss of hundreds of jobs, not just in Deschutes County, but throughout Oregon.

Merkley also supports Wyden's forest plan that calls for major investments in new restoration projects to create jobs and protect natural resources.

Provide Tax Relief for Farmers, Ranchers, Loggers, and Fishermen

Jeff Merkley helped lead a bipartisan effort in Oregon to eliminate the estate tax on family farms, ranches, and forests. Merkley will fight for a similar exemption at the federal level. [Oregon House Bill 3201, 2007]

In contrast, Gordon Smith has demanded tax cuts for billionaires, while opposing efforts to exempt family businesses from the estate tax. Smith opposed an amendment to repeal the estate tax for qualified family farms and family-owned businesses that would have maintained the estate tax on the largest, most valuable estates worth billions. [Vote #124, 5/21/01]

Merkley also supports targeted tax cuts to give Oregon's farmers, ranchers, and loggers relief for higher energy costs. Gordon Smith voted against tax cuts for farmers, ranchers, and loggers that were feeling squeezed by sky high energy prices. [Vote #345, 11/17/05]

While Gordon Smith favors George Bush's tax giveaways to the ultra-rich and corporations that ship jobs overseas, Merkley is proposing a middle class tax cut plan that will lower taxes for 95% of America's workers and families.

Invest in New Infrastructure for Rural Oregon

Rural Oregon economies need significant investment in transportation and water infrastructure. Many county road and transportation programs will be decimated by the sharp loss in rev­enue when the county timber payments expire.

The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 25% of Oregon's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete; 38% of Oregon's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition; Oregon's drinking water infrastructure needs $2.7 billion over the next 20 years; and Oregon has almost $1.48 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs. [2005 ASCE Report Card]

In the U.S. Senate Jeff Merkley will champion efforts to invest in rural transportation infrastructure, including roads, bus services, and airports, and help communities invest in new forms of water assistance and improve efficiency of existing water sources for drinking and irrigation.

Merkley will support Wyden's bipartisan Build America Bonds proposal, which will provide states with $50 billion in federal transportation funding over six years, helping rural Oregon address critical infrastructure needs and creating thousands of new jobs.

Despite support from other Republican Senators, Gordon Smith has failed to support this important effort, which has the support of the Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, and others. Wyden's bill includes a 1% minimum per state to ensure rural Oregon gets its fair share.

Support an Emerging Bioeconomy

Rural Oregon has the potential to thrive in a new bioeconomy, creating thousands of good-paying jobs for Oregon families. While Gordon Smith was giving tax breaks to oil companies and opposing efforts to invest in renewable energy, Jeff Merkley:

• Worked to require Oregon to obtain 25% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and bioenergy by 2025
• Established a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 75 percent below 1990 levels by 2050
• Created and expanded renewable energy tax credits for consumers and businesses that encourage investment in bioenergy and other renewables.

Merkley will help lead efforts in the U.S. Senate to develop cellulosic ethanol production in rural Oregon by establishing tax credits, grants, and low-interest loans. These funds will foster new research to explore the latest renewable-energy technology and support companies that are developing commercial applications for renewable-energy technologies. Merkley will target public dollars to leverage private investment in rural areas. Merkley will also establish a renewable energy national standard of 25 percent by 2025 to spur private investment in rural Oregon.

Foster Entrepreneurship and Ensure Access to Technology

As the first in his family to go to college, Merkley understands the importance of education to growing our economy. Community colleges across rural Oregon provide a gateway for many new business owners and workers looking to succeed in a changing economy. These institutions also serve as the most critical economic engines in many rural communities. Merkley will double federal funding for community colleges to support small business development centers and train workers for good-paying jobs of tomorrow.

Merkley will also encourage new economic growth in rural Oregon by attracting and supporting entrepreneurs who are growing businesses and creating jobs. Merkley will work to provide training and technical assistance for rural small businesses, and provide a 20 percent tax credit on up to $50,000 of investment in small owner-operated businesses.

Under Gordon Smith the federal government has failed to expand critical broadband access to rural communities. In the U.S. Senate, Merkley will advocate for a complete overhaul of the Universal Service Program at the FCC to expand the focus from only voice communications to include broadband. Merkley will also work to ensure that funds from the Rural Broadband Loan Program at the Department of Agriculture are being directed to rural areas in all 50 states. Merkley will explore new incentives to encourage all telecommunications providers to promote affordable broadband in rural areas.

Crack Down on the Meth Epidemic that Drains Rural Economies

Jeff Merkley understands that the meth epidemic has ravaged our communities, draining Oregon's rural economies. Recognizing this serious problem, in the Legislature Merkley created stiffer penalties for meth producers and restricted the availability of key meth ingredients by making certain cold medicines available only with a prescription.

In the U.S. Senate, Merkley will work to launch a national crackdown on meth use by adding more federal prosecutors in Oregon and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, to ensure that Oregon and other states in the region get their fair share of federal anti-drug funding.

The nation's drug treatment system is failing to deal with meth, fueling property crime, identity theft, and violent crime. As a Senator, Merkley will help lead a major overhaul of how drug treatment programs are conducted - investing in proven, successful meth programs at the local, state and federal levels.

To stop meth addicts who commit crimes to fund their drug use, Merkley will support tough, mandatory sentences for persons who violate federal drug trafficking laws.

Make Health Care More Affordable

More than 575,000 Oregonians, 15.6% of the population, do not have health insurance.

One of Merkley's first acts as U.S. Senator will be to co-sponsor Wyden's Healthy Americans Act to guarantee every American universal, affordable, comprehensive, portable, high-quality health coverage that is as good as the coverage members of Congress have today.

Merkley will also work to provide financial incentives, such as tax credits and loan forgiveness opportunities, to recruit and retain doctors, nurses and health professionals in rural areas.

Posted July 24, 2008
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