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2020 ELECTION INDEPENDENT VOTERS GUIDE Oregon Independent FREE TAKE ONE NOVEMBER 2020 ELECTION ISSUE STATE OF OREGON LOOK FOR INDEPENDENT ON YOUR OREGON BALLOT Independent Party candidates put Oregon first Support for working families at the core of Brad Witt s public service Brad Witt has been a State Representative since 2005 His district includes Columbia County and portions of Multnomah and Washington counties What initially drew you to public service I began working in sawmills when I was a teenager At that time many of the mills in the area were unsafe The men and women I worked with were often exposed to questionable working conditions and had very little rights in the event of an injury or a conflict with the management Workers didn t have much of a voice and seeing some of the really egregious cases motivated me to finish my education I earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and then a master s in Labor Relations at U of O I went on to work as a research director for the Lumber Production Industrial Workers I have spent my career advocating for jobs living wages and improved working Alex is one of the most exceptional people I have met in 20 years of public service said Independent Party co founder Sal Peralta It is rare to have someone with his strong background in financial planning and economic development who is also so compassionate and focused on serving the people of his community See People s commissioner Page 2 Continued on page 3 Jeff Merkley brings emergency relief trusted leadership amid fires pandemic Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley D I has a long record of leadership in service to the people of Oregon As Speaker of the Oregon House he helped to usher in a number of reforms to protect consumers from predatory lending practices a trend he has continued since being elected to the US Senate But while those kinds of public interest issues never go away the Senator has shined in recent months As both the pandemic and recent unprecedented fires have ripped through the state within hours Senator Merkley helped to secure emergency federal disaster status that will bring millions in relief to impacted communities and immediately set to work gathering information from first responders local leaders busi Re elect Alex Tardif to Columbia County Commission Independents take lead on collaboration major issues Collaboration problem solving take center stage at first meeting ness owners and other people key to the recovery effort This kind of leadership is not new from the Senator Continued on page 2 State Representatives Cheri Helt Bend R I Marty Wilde Springfield D I and Jeff Reardon Happy Valley D I have led meetings of a non partisan independent caucus to address pressing is sues of concern to Oregonians As part of the Independent Party s 2020 nomination process all 29 of the party s legislative nominees agrees to participate in an Continued on page 3 Collaboration problem solving Independent Party seeks to bridge partisan urban rural divides for the good of all page 3

People s Commissioner Tardif brings local roots strong accounting background to job Continued from page 1 Tardif a life long Columbia county resident and fourth generation Oregonian was first elected to the Columbia County Commission 4 years ago He immediately stepped in as chief budget officer for the county and brought people together for long neglected strategic planning to leverage the county s strengths We have the assets we need to thrive in Columbia County even during difficult times said Tardif The groundwork we have done toward strengthening rural broadband and leveraging the county s agriculture natural resources and recreational opportunities provide a solid foundation for growth Port commissioner Nancy Ward agrees Alex is a true champion of a balanced approach His reason for strengthening the regional economy is based in support for people families and the livability that makes our county attractive Never have we needed smart stable and experienced leadership more than we do at this precarious time of COVID 19 and the financial and social insecurity that has resulted We will all benefit from supporting his continued service What I appreciate about Alex is his respect for public safety and understanding that our law en forcement needs help to deal more effectively with mental health and addiction issues that devastate families said Rob Harris a Hillsboro attorney who works on criminal justice public policies Alex also has support from colleagues in county government As treasurer of the Oregon Association of Counties Alex has a lot of influence with state policymakers said Coos Bay Commissioner Melissa Cribbins I have a lot of projects we have started that will do a lot of good for this community I intend to see them through Tardif said Oregon voters should reject extremist running against Senator Merkley Continued from page 1 Merkley has a proven track records of public service both during times of testing and with regard to holding powerful special interests accountable His work for the people of Oregon has earned the Senator the animosity of internet extremist group QAnon which is backing his opponent QAnon has promulgated many false conspiracies ranging from outlandish such as allegations of a sex slave operation run by Hillary Clinton from the basement of a Pizza Restaurant to extremely dangerous such as conspiracies about the fires we have been experiencing in Oregon As his opponent continues to spread divisive rhetoric and conspiracies Senator Merkley is doing what he has always done Working to leverage the resources needed to help get Oregon communities get back on their feet In addition to addressing these immediate emergencies the Senator is also working to protect vital services like Medicare Medicaid and the Postal Service that we all rely on Senator Merkley deserves re election in 2020 It s Your Tax Credit Use it or Lose it Building a political party and helping with campaigns is expensive It s one of the reasons special interests dominate today The interests writing big checks also help to draft and lobby on public policies that put their interests first The way to counter that is with direct democracy Fortunately thanks to Oregon s political tax credit you can support our efforts at no cost to you If you are an Oregonian who earns less than 100 000 per person or 200 000 per couple you can subtract donations to political campaigns from your state taxes up to 50 for individuals or 100 for cou ples filing jointly If you owe taxes you can subtract your contribution from what you owe If the state owes you a refund they will add it to your refund check This is a tax credit not a deduction so every dollar comes back to you You can t use this credit for charities It can be used only when you contribute to a candidate political committee or political party like the Independent Party of Oregon Use this form to make a contribution to the Independent Party of Oregon I have enclosed a check payable to the Independent Party of Oregon 10 25 50 Please send checks to 100 ___________Other INDEPENDENT PARTY 925 SE Davis St McMinnville OR 97128 Note Credit Card Payments can be made at www indparty com donate First Name ___________________________Last Name ____________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________________State _______ Zip _______________ Phone __________________________________ Email ___________________________________ Occupation can be retired or none ___________________________________________________ Employer _________________________________________________________________________ Employer City _________________________________________________State _______________ required for state campaign finance reporting

Witt the clear choice for House District 31 Continued from page 1 conditions for folks in my community and across Oregon Sal Peralta co founder of the Independent Party of Oregon agreed For as long as I have known Brad he has taken the side of protecting and strengthening the economy of his district and Oregon in general What is rare about him is that Brad is an independent thinker and he votes for his district not his party I think he makes a really effective complement to Senator Betsy Johnson What concerns do you have for the state First and foremost is our health and economy A lot of people were struggling before COVID19 hit How that affects people and communities in terms of both public health and economic survival is profound It puts a huge strain on both families and our basic institutions like schools Second is our social fabric I have never seen our communities so polarized You have heard that a house divided cannot stand I think that s true for Oregon and our nation especially now that we have been hit hard by the social and economic impacts of COVID19 and the wildfires What are your priorities if elected My top priority is to get Oregon and Oregonians on solid footing That means more help for our local small businesses especially restaurants and retail We need to do more to help families that were already struggling manage work and their kids education We need to make sure that workers who have been displaced by COVID19 have access to the job training they need and that state agencies are accountable for their failings in delivering the benefits Oregonians have earned Independents focus on problem solving Continued from page 1 Independent Party caucus to help find common ground on pressing issues of concern to Oregonians The group held their first meetings in September and tackled some vexing issues Fifteen incumbent legislators participated in the group s first meeting via Zoom in early September to discuss rural internet access for students and workers needing broadband ensuring Oregonians can receive their ballots in the event of postal problems and youth service opportunities to help young people develop marketable skills doing public service while the jobs market is tight The group s second meeting included policy discussions about fire recovery and resiliency rural connectivity and police reform Each issue was led by subject matter experts including former chief of police Ron Noble R I We expect that after the elections some additional Independent nominees will join this transpartisan problem solvers caucus CONTACT THE INDEPENDENT PARTY Web www indparty com Email info indparty com Phone 503 437 2833 www facebook com IndependentPartyOR www twitter com ORIndependent Independents seek to restore balance bridge urban rural divide The Democrats have a Donkey The Republicans an elephant In 2007 when the Independent Party was founded the officers adopted the elk as its logo Our decision to use the Elk was inspired by the famed Bronze Elk Statue gifted to the City of Portland in 1900 that commemorates the herds of elk that once roamed the entire state and grazed in and around what is now downtown Portland To us the statue captured what the party s founders have sought to accomplish with the Independent Party The Elk is native Its regal stature recalls the wild bounty of Oregon while its presence in our state s financial and commercial center reminds us that our economic cultural and social futures are inextricably linked to each other and what happens in one place whether it be fires in the Coast range and western slopes of the cascades or massive protests in Portland affects us all In these times of testing this kind of symbolism is important But what is more important is that we elect leaders who will put the broad interests of the pub than shrill shouting We expect disagreements that can t be easily bridged We believe they can be lic ahead of those who shower candidates with money and then lobby them on public policy The Independent Party its candidates and our leaders to support policies that benefit all of Oregon Whether our nominee is from Coos Bay Scappoose Redmond or Portland they will value reasonable conversation listening and discussion rather done without being disagreeable so that our elected officials continue to work constructively together We believe the best solutions are based on reason facts and fairness We view public issues as problems to be solved in a way that benefits all of us not with a political lens of how different solutions impact some well fund ed donor or an extremist with uncompromising views The Independent Party backs community supported candidates for local office We support the problem solvers for public office We will continue to provide ballot access to Independent candidates who run positive idea oriented campaigns based on common sense good information and the facts When you see the Independent Nomination on the ballot or in the voters pamphlet or you see the Independent endorsement on campaign literature it means something If you see the Independent elk logo it means that the candidate can be trusted to do what s best for all Oregonians

N O G E R O E V LO Brad Witt D I for Oregon House District 31 www votebradwitt com Alex Tardif I for Columbia County Commissioner www alexforcolumbiacounty com Y L R A E E T VO VOTE www indparty com