I'd be curious to see how many of the corporate donors would still contribute if doing so prohibited them from receiving contracts for the construction work if the bond passes.

I hope that the individual donations are indicative of whether the bond will pass.  I'm not hearing voter support for it and I'll be a no vote.   

Public Utilities PGE & NW Natural Now POLITICAL Utilities - Ratepayers Invited To Protest

Formerly known as Public Utilities, Portland General Electric and NW Natural have become POLITICAL Utilities by contributing a total of $50,000 to raise property taxes and rates on their own customers, that's you and me. This should NOT be a legal activity of Public Utilities. The currently in session Oregon legislature should take immediate action to stop all Public Utilities from contributing to any group advocating for tax increases of any kind.*

Go get your property tax bill right now. .... OK. Now divide the assessed value by 1000 then multiply the result by $2.65. That figure is the increase in the amount of PPS tax you will be paying if the PPS tax measure passes in May. If you are an an average Portlander your house is assessed at $170,600. Renters pay attention, this includes you too. That means you will pay an additional 170,600/1,000 = 170.6 x $2.65 = $452.09 per year in property taxes.

But wait - there's more.

Add the recently passed $.14/1000 scam fire bureau tax and you have $475 in ADDITIONAL property taxes on an average home in Portland. When your lease expires renters, you can expect your landlords to pass down $25-45 monthly increases in your rent.

The PPS Tax Hike Is NOT About Kids. It Is About ADULT MISMANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

This is about treating taxpayers with the respect we deserve by including the true and accurate costs of maintenance, capital improvements and unfunded liabilities in the PPS annual budgets instead of hiding them off budget so that monies that should be allocated to these funds are instead diverted to other expenditures (PERS? Health Insurance? Salaries? Football uniforms? Landscaping? Other?). This is called cheating. When management did this at Enron it was called criminal activity and some of those responsible went to jail.

This is about recognizing that families and businesses must live within economic limits and prioritize their expenditures and so MUST the Portland Public Schools.

If you think PPS should start treating taxpayers with respect then join me at Portland City Hall Wednesday February 16th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

If you think PPS should start making budgets that include the true cost of maintenance, capital improvements and unfunded liabilities then join me at Portland City Hall Wednesday February 16th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

If you think NW Natural and PGE should NOT be allowed to spend money collected from customers, you and me, to support increasing taxes on us, their customers, then join me at Portland City Hall Wednesday February 16th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM and contact you legislators, NOW.*

If you don't want to spend an average of $452 per year in additional property taxes because of Adult Mismanagement of Public Funds by the Portland Public Schools Board and staff then spend a hour or so with me at Portland City Hall Wednesday February 16th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

The establishment enablers will raise a quarter of a million dollars to promote and coverup PPS fiscal irresponsibility of public funds. We can't match their dollars but we can take our lunch time to say we want PPS, PGE and NW Natural to be accountable with our money.

Please email me at stopppstax@goodgrowthnw.org . Just say, "I'm In" as the subject. Include contact information and, if you like, a short note. Tell your friends, relatives and neighbors to contact me too. Use whatever social media you like to spread the word. Join me on Wednesday February 16th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM in front of Portland city hall to object to the behavior of NW Natural and PGE executives and encourage a NO vote on the PPS tax increase on the May ballot.

Bring a sign. Bring your lunch. Bring a friend. Bring your sense of humor. Satisfy your need to do something to stop those who have mismanaged our public funds and now want us to pay for it - again.

Richard Ellmyer

Thirty-Five years of political activism. Leader of two successful efforts in 1999-2000 to stop proposed neighborhood destroying outdoor amphitheaters at PIR and the Expo Center.

Former progressive, socially liberal, fiscally conservative candidate for the North Portland House seat in the May 2010 primary. Defeated by establishment Democrat Tina Kotek, who supports the status quo which allows Public Utilities to become POLITICAL Utilities by advocating for tax increases and the related rate hikes on their customers as well as the huge PPS property tax increases as she has every other tax bill in Salem. 

**********************************************

* From:  Richard Ellmyer

 Subject:  Ratepayer Funded Public Utilities Cross The Line Into POLITICAL Utilities

 Date:  February 10, 2011 12:20:31 PM PST

 To:  John Kitzhaber <campaign@johnkitzhaber.com>, Curtis Robinhold <curtis.robinhold@state.or.us>, Brian Shipley <brian.shipley@state.or.us>, puc.commission@state.or.us, Peter Courtney <sen.petercourtney@state.or.us>, Dave Hunt <rep.davehunt@state.or.us>, Diane Rosenbaum <sen.dianerosenbaum@state.or.us>, Ted Ferrioli <sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us>, Bruce Hanna <rep.brucehanna@state.or.us>, Arnie Roblan <rep.arnieroblan@state.or.us>, Kevin Cameron <rep.kevincameron@state.or.us>

 Cc:  Tim Raphael <tim.raphael@state.or.us>, Greg Wolf <greg.wolf@state.or.us>, Dennis Richardson <rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us>, Interested Parties <interested@macsolve.com>

Hi Oregon Legislators, Governor Kitzhaber, Oregon Public Utilities Commission Et. Al.:

Public utilities NW Natural and Portland General Electric have just contributed a total of $50,000 to Portlanders for Schools, the group running the campaign to increase Portland property tax rates by $2.65/$1,000 of assessed value. This tax is motivated by the need to coverup the consequences of the adult mismanagement of public funds by the Portland Public Schools board and staff that have for decades failed to provide true and accurate budgets to taxpayers regarding the actual costs of maintenance, capital improvements and unfunded liabilities. While NW Natural and PGE claim that the $50,000 comes from the "shareholder" side of the ledger they neglect to mention that the PGE and NW Natural funds that feed the "shareholder" side are derived via revenues that come from a captured customer base that will eventually be charged the $100,000 in additional property taxes that PGE and NW Natural could pay as increased property taxes.

So the question arises: Does it continue to be the intent of the Oregon legislature that Public Utilities should be permitted to contribute to individuals and groups that advocate for or against tax measures of any kind upon their own customers?

If the answer is NO then I urge the legislature to take swift, immediate and emergency action by passing a bill that prohibits, retroactively for the last six months, any contributions by any Public Utility in Oregon to any individual or group that advocates for or against tax measures of any kind upon their own customers.

Time Is Of The Essence 

Richard Ellmyer

North Portland