Poverty Reduction
Interfaith Campaign to Overcome Poverty
Join EMO and other communities of faith in a campaign to unite Oregonians against poverty in our state. Together we will raise our voices and call upon the spirit of compassion and justice within all of us. We will appeal to those we entrust with the power to make economic and policy decisions, asking them to do the most to help the least among us. Unless we confront the root causes and social systems that cause poverty, we can only treat the symptoms.

In order to participate in the campaign, just fill out the registration form, choosing only the events in which you or your congregation/faith community want to participate. Each activity is intentionally designed to highlight one of three ways of addressing poverty: (1) education, (2) prayer/reflection and (3) action. We encourage you and your congregation/faith community to choose one of each.

For more information about the campaign, call EMO at (503) 221-1054.

Keeping the Faith in Social Security: Celebrating 70 years of a promise kept
To many Americans, the Social Security program represents the safety net. Social Security was created during the Great Depression as a promise Americans made to themselves that no one's livelihood should ever be placed in jeopardy by the volatility of the stock market. The program is celebrating its 70th birthday in 2005.

The continuation of the promise is important to many people of faith. This promise is symbolic of the social contract and the interconnectedness that all people share with each other. EMO has joined with other religious bodies on principles for Social Security as our nation debates the program's future. EMO encourages people of faith and congregations to learn and understand the spiritual symbolism of the program for our society. The National Council of Churches has created a bulletin insert that informs people of the principles and the impact of the privatization of Social Security.

Social Security Resources
Bulletin Inserts on Social Security
Religion and Social Security
Social Security Letter Writing Kit
Social Security Statement
Social Security Toolkit
To Preserve and Strengthen Social Security: Curriculum for Congregational Study Groups

Fighting Hunger in Oregon
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is committed to relieving hunger in Oregon through advocacy, ministry and collaboration. As a founding member of the Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger, EMO will continue to advocate for policy changes that address the root causes of hunger. Partnering with other religious organizations and service agencies, the roundtable is a resource for developing best practices in ministry, community food security and public policy advocacy. The roundtable is open to any religious organization committed to fighting hunger in Oregon.

Resources:
Facts for Oregon
National Hunger Statistics
Religious Texts on Hunger: Statements on and about Poverty, Hunger, Helping and Charity from The Tanakh

Tax Justice
The economic recession of the past three years has shown the instability and unfairness of Oregon’s tax system. Taxes are a social investment used for the common good. Over the past decade, the tax burden has shifted from wealthier individuals and large businesses to working people and small businesses. More and more, we are taxing income from work, making it much more difficult for working people to get ahead. Further, Oregon’s unbalanced tax system causes government services to be unreliable due to over-dependence on the income tax. We need to reform the tax system so that it is fair to working Oregonians and small businesses, and it reliably funds important public services.

Read EMO's article on Tax Reform in Oregon. Download EMO's Tax Reform Bulletin Insert or Tax Reform Study Guide.

Federal Resources:
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Citizens for Tax Justice
• Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)
• The Tax Policy Center
• United for a Fair Economy
• Gates, William H. Sr. and Chuck Collins. Wealth and Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes. Beacon Press, 2002.
• Brunori, David, editor. The Future of State Taxation. Urban Institute Press, 1998.
• Slemrod, Joel and Jon Bakija. Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen’s Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform. MIT Press, 2000.

Oregon Resources:
• Oregon Center for Public Policy — Produces studies, reports and analysis on the economic factors and policies that affect low-income Oregonians.
• City Club of Portland — Produced report entitled, “Tax Reform in Oregon” in 2002. Report available online.
• Citizens for Oregon’s Future — Educates the public on the role taxes play in Oregon through free workshops and materials.

Further Readings on Alabama’s Tax Reform Efforts

Hamill, Susan Pace. The Least of These: Fair Taxes and the Moral Duty of Christians. (Sweetwater Press: 2003). Contains Law Professor Susan Pace Hamill’s master's thesis in theological studies at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School. The thesis, entitled “An Argument for Tax Reform Based Judeo-Christian Ethics,” inspired Alabama Governor Bob Riley to propose restructuring the tax structure to help the poor. Despite being a Bible Belt state, Alabama voters resoundingly defeated the proposal in the Fall of 2003.