cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/11365407

People are collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would require all new tolls on state highways to go to a public vote before being implemented. They need 200,000 signatures to get this on the ballot. From there, people can vote as to whether they want this new rule or not. Polls are a regressive tax, like sales tax, that impacts low-income and working class people the most.

General info: https://votebeforetolls.org/ To add your name (requires a printer and mailing a letter) https://votebeforetolls.org/ip4-esheet-packet-2023-08.pdf

All of this spending is since 2020.

In the last election for Governor, they gave $10,000 to Friends of Tina Kotek but also gave a combined $85,000 to Betsy Johnson (widely acknowledged as a spoiler to help Christine Drazan) and Christine Drazan.

Here's that breakdown:

• Friends of Christine Drazan (R Governor Candidate last election who ran against Tina Kotek) $7,500
• Run Betsy Run $75,000 + $2,500 to another Betsy PAC.

In fact, if you look at any local R race, Tillamook likely donated to them. Their donation list is basically a "who's who" of OR republican candidates. Here's a few more donations:

• Friends of Boomer Wright PAC (OR House of Reps): $2,000
• The Leadership Fund (for supporting R candidates) $27,500
• Evergreen Oregon PAC (for supporting house R candidates) $20,000
• Friends of Suzanne Weber $5,000 (R OR Senate)
• Committee to Elect Daniel Bonham $3,000 (R OR Senate)
• Tim Knopp for State Senate $25,00 (R OR Senate)
• Denyc Boyles $2,500 (R OR Senate)

One of their biggest expenditures was to "Stop the Metro Wage Tax" which they spent over $250,000 on. I don't know enough about the measure's history to say one way or the other where it lands on the political spectrum.

All this is public info you can find on Oregon's ORESTAR system https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/gotoPublicTransactionSearchResults.do?cneSearchButtonName=prev&cneSearchContributorTxtSearchType=C&cneSearchTranType=C&cneSearchTranSubType=CA&cneSearchFilerCommitteeTxtSearchType=C&cneSearchTranSubTypeName=Cash+Contribution%2CIn-Kind+Contribution&cneSearchTranTypeName=Contribution&cneSearchTranStartDate=09%2F01%2F2020&cneSearchTranEndDate=09%2F15%2F2023&cneSearchContributorTxt=Tillamook&srtOrder=asc&by=FILER&cneSearchPageIdx=1