Letters and comments for March 16, 2011

Donate to political party

To the Editor:

Tax time is coming. We might dread this time of year, but there can be a silver lining.

Some of us may find that we are due a refund when we file our Oregon tax return. If that includes you this year, please consider dedicating a portion of your refund to promote people-powered political campaigns in Oregon. For the second year in a row, Oregon’s political party $3 check-off is back on the Oregon tax form.

When you file your 2010 taxes using Form 40, write in the code of the political party of your choice on Line 70. When you do, the state of Oregon will send $3 of your tax refund to that party. If you are filing jointly, you can add another $3 for your spouse or domestic partner. It’s a (mostly) pain-free way to reduce the influence of special interest money in our elections.

I urge you to write in 501 for the Democratic Party of Oregon. Of course, our democracy demands that everyone’s voice is heard, so here is the complete list of codes: 500, Constitution Party of Oregon; 501, Democratic Party of Oregon; 502, Independent Party of Oregon; 503, Libertarian Party of Oregon; 504, Oregon Republican Party; 505, Pacific Green Party of Oregon; 506, Progressive Party; 507, Working Families Party of Oregon.

So please, if you receive a refund this year, consider putting $3 of it to use supporting the political party of your choice. I urge you to choose the Democratic Party of Oregon!

Glen Scheele

Cove