A citizens group in Oregon is collecting signatures to get an Alaska-style dividend (essentially a small Basic Income) on the ballot in Oregon during the 2024 elections. Here’s how the group describes its effort:
In Oregon, a ballot initiative is making progress towards establishing a statewide Universal Basic Income.
Portland, OR — The Oregon Rebate (IP 2024-017) ballot initiative campaign has announced early success in collecting the necessary signatures to qualify for the November 2024 General Election.
The Oregon Rebate will establish a statewide Basic Income in the form of yearly rebates valued at approximately $750. Every Oregonian, regardless of age, income, or status will be eligible to receive a yearly rebate. For example, a 4-person household will receive four rebates, or about $3,000, tax free.
The rebates are funded by increasing the minimum tax rate of the largest corporations doing business in Oregon. Currently, the minimum corporate tax rate for corporations with more than $25 million of annual Oregon sales is less than 1% and the Oregon Rebate proposes to increase this minimum corporate tax rate to 3%, still well below the 5-10% of personal tax rate Oregonians pay.
“Oregonians know that the biggest corporations are not paying their fair share, and that yearly cash rebates will help them make ends meet.” said Antonio Gisbert, chief petitioner of the Oregon Rebate.
The scope of the Oregon Rebate is noteworthy: Every year, approximately $3.0 billion of new revenue will be rebated among the approximately 4 million Oregonians. Using the UBI Center’s Basic Income Builder, the campaign estimates an overall reduction in poverty of approximately 15% and, specifically, a reduction in child poverty of approximately 26%.
“Cash is care, cash reduces poverty and provides opportunity, and cash stimulates our local economies and communities,” said Antonio Gisbert.
The campaign has until July 2024 to collect the statutorily required 120,413 signatures to qualify for the 2024 General Election. Those interested in reading the full text of the petition, learn more, and getting involved or contributing to the Oregon Rebate campaign may do so at https://oregonrebate.org/.
If you’d like to donate to the campaign go to https://www.oregonrebate.org/donate.
Hello. I am not sure if I am leaving a direct comment to Karl himself or generally to the community or a Oregon government entity however, this is under Karl’s name. I believe Oregons effort to develop a type of UBI program is appreciated however, don’t we already have several similar ways that help those who have jobs, families, housing, vehicles through annual tax benefits, excess tax kickers and already extra boost stimulus funds that were only for families who qualified? Being a person that could benefit 1000% from a standard UBI monthly program with mental health PTSS aka PTSD, anxiety and depression disorders or syndroms who has tried to work even with an medical accommodation while not being at the level of insane the Federal government requires to receive SS disability in order to improve my life and get back to living instead of the hole and neverending falling or being kicked off the ladder climbing out of such disparity in a world that is way grossly for those who fit and have no stigmatisms labeled. My whole life has been helping others even to my despair that is who I am. I climbed far and too fast due to always having to prove my self to my family and my work employer, I have a college degree MBA which I am $50,000 in debt and in default I don’t qualify as of yet to be bailed out even though the organization or university I attended was one that had defrauded promises via Marketing campaigns. I feel the Oregon 750 annual rebate is not what or why the UBI has improved lives for those it is geared to help and has been successful. What Oregon fears is something we voted for which was measure 110 which turned out not fully understood, supported and possible outcomes explained or defined. ie. Preventing everyone and anyone in the Nation with a drug addiction of any sorts to be allowed to flock to Oregon that includes all sorts of groups of chaos promoting violence which wouldn’t be a wise choice to add fuel (standard ubi program) to the defunct measure 110 outcomes. Oregon is in the process of recalling or fixing this which will hopefully drive away all the people who wanted to come camp here for the benefits and reduce the target population to those who have lived here all their lives who need that hand up and out with a monthly standard UBI program. Thank you for listening and for your time.
Curtis Heffler