Economy
- Gordon Smith voted against the minimum wage six times, but voted against repealing tax incentives for corporations that outsource jobs. That means Smith doesn’t support a living wage for waiters, store clerks, assisted living workers and other folks trying to make a living, but will fight to make it easier for major corporations to move jobs overseas.
- Pass out these flyers highlighting Smith's anti-worker record.
More Pranks From Smith?
It’s April Fools’ Day. Do you know what jokes your Republican U.S. Senator is telling?
Gordon Smith’s Jokes:
Joke: He Understands And Fights For Working Families.
The Unfunny Truth:
Smith earns failing grades from the TheMiddleClass.org Congressional Scorecard and spent $1.25 million (easily the cost of four middle class homes in Oregon) on golf clubs.
Joke: He Votes With Ron Wyden And Against The Special Interests.
The Unfunny Truth:
Smith voted against Ron Wyden more than 1,600 times.
Smith cashes millions in special interest checks and appeases the special interest lobbyists with his votes. Big Oil checks paid for his opposition to tackling climate change and raising fuel standards. Pharmaceutical industry dollars bought his votes to raise seniors’ prescription drug prices.
Joke: He’s A Moderate.
The Unfunny Truth:
Oregon’s most prominent, non-partisan political pundit says Smith publicly claims to be a moderate but has a conservative voting record.
Joke: He Stands Up To President Bush.
The Unfunny Truth:
Smith stands with President Bush. He votes with him, has campaigned for him and raised money for him.
"Gordon Smith's loyalty to the special interests and opposition to Ron Wyden is no laughing matter to Oregonians," DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith said. "While Smith swings away with his million dollar golf clubs he leaves Oregon's working families, seniors and our environment swinging in the wind."
Discuss: More Pranks From Smith?
Posted April 1, 2008 in Economy - 0 comments
Smith Double Bogeys On The Middle Class
Yesterday, we wrote about Gordon Smith’s penchant for million dollar golf clubs and exotic golfing locations.
Today, we learn about how he has whiffed on helping the middle class.
Smith received a D on TheMiddleClass.org 2007 Congressional Scorecard released today. The scorecard, a service from The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, also gave Smith an F in 2005 and an F in 2004. So, that’s two Fs and a D for the middle class.
Oregon’s other U.S. Senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, received an A for his 2007 work.
“Do we need any more evidence that Gordon Smith votes for the special interests, not working families?” DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith asked. “Do Oregon’s working families have to schedule a tee time with Gordon Smith to get his attention? Gordon Smith may be a golf fanatic, but when it comes to working families, he can’t find the fairway. Once again we see how Ron Wyden scores birdies for working families while Gordon Smith bogeys on their interests.”
According to TheMiddleClass.org the scorecard analyzes the impact of domestic legislation on America’s current and aspiring middle class.
What Is The Middle Class?
The middle class is more than an income bracket. Over the past fifty years, a middle-class standard of living in the United States has come to mean having a secure job, the opportunity to own a home, access to health care, retirement security, time off for vacation, illness and the birth or adoption of a child, opportunities to save for the future and the ability to provide a good education, including a college education, for one’s children. When these middle-class fundamentals are within the reach of most Americans, the nation is stronger economically, culturally and democratically.
Most Americans identify themselves as middle class. Yet DMI is concerned not only with those who currently enjoy a middle-class standard of living, but also with expanding the middle class by increasing the ability and opportunities of poor people to enter the middle class. The middle class is strengthened when more poor people are able to work their way into its ranks. In a nation that is increasingly polarized between the very wealthy and everyone else, DMI sees the poor and middle class as sharing many of the same interests. Simply put: what strengthens and expands the middle class is good for America.
Discuss: Smith Double Bogeys On The Middle Class
Posted March 12, 2008 in Economy - 0 comments
Birdies For Special Interests. Bogeys For Working Families.
Now we understand why Gordon Smith supports President Bush’s failed fiscal policies and votes with the special interests rather than with Oregon’s working families.
He has a skewed economic perspective from too much time in the country club, not enough time with Oregon’s working families.
So much time, in fact, he thinks golf clubs are a good deal at $300,000 each.
Yes, $300,000 per club, or more than the cost of many homes in Oregon.
“Smith has always been a true golf fanatic. He once paid $1.25 million for four really vintage golf clubs - including a putter owned by King James IV in 1504 - and can speak at passionate length about golfing in Scotland, having done so several times.
In 2005, Golf Digest reported that Smith's handicap was 8.2 - good enough to put him at 41st on their list of D.C. movers and shakers who play the game.”
(Way West Of The Beltway, The Oregonian, 3-7-08)
“If Gordon Smith thinks paying the cost of four homes for four golf clubs is a good deal, no wonder he’s blindly supported tax windfalls for big oil, policies to keep big pharma raking it in and reckless tax cuts for the wealthy. Smith has no concept of the economic challenges facing Oregon families. When it comes to working families, he can’t find the fairway," DPO Communications Director Marc Siegel said. "The special interests have spent millions and millions buying Gordon Smith’s negligence on climate change, his opposition to reducing the cost of prescription drugs and his out of step positions on other issues. It turns out they could have just sent him a set of clubs.”
Discuss: Birdies For Special Interests. Bogeys For Working Families.
Posted March 11, 2008 in Economy, Who Loves Gordon? - 0 comments
Flyers on Smith's Labor Record
Read about Smith's anti-worker record, then print out some flyers and help spread the word!
Discuss: Flyers on Smith's Labor Record
Posted January 25, 2008 in Economy, Grassroots Resources, static - 0 comments
Tax Incentives For Offshore Industries - Low Wages For Workers
As Gordon Smith discusses economic development today at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, here is the part of his record you won’t hear about.
As the Stop Gordon Smith campaign noted two months ago, he’s repeatedly voted against the minimum wage, and he voted against an amendment that would repeal tax incentives for companies that move their manufacturing plants offshore.
So, Smith doesn’t support a living wage for waiters, store clerks, assisted living workers and other folks trying to make a living, but will fight for tax incentives for major corporations that move jobs overseas.
But, don’t expect Smith to highlight that anti-worker part of his record today.
Discuss: Tax Incentives For Offshore Industries - Low Wages For Workers
Posted October 26, 2007 in Economy - 2 comments
