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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Burglars ransack east Medford home, steal possessions worth $30,000 Actor Jim Belushi joins in Holly Theatre drive in Medford, will appear in parade SOU student's play heads to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Klamath Falls father and son implicated in cockfighting training operation Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Burglars ransack east Medford home, steal possessions worth $30,000 Klamath Falls father and son implicated in cockfighting training operation Suspect sought in weekend stabbing at Minute Market in southwest Medford Emergency Services, April 7 Two I-5 traffic stops net 29 pounds of meth Politics and Elections Former state Senate President Brady Adams dies Arthur I. 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Medford School Board OKs disputed AP U.S. history textbook Nike grant money will help faltering students prepare for college Graduation rates among special ed students in Jackson County improve but fall short of 67 percent target New SOU board hikes tuition 5 percent Environment A place to play Rare Brewer spruce joins heritage list A sea-foam change Rogue Valley lions on their way to California Corps hopes to clear Lost Creek Lake of debris State News Log dwelling may be Oregon's oldest known structure Oregon committee advances bill expanding gun-sale background checks Emergency Services, April 6 High-tech mapping flags old Willamette Valley mines Port of Portland's future looks bleak as second carrier shuns terminal Nation - World Obituaries Lawrence R. 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Community blog: Give Easter ham the egg treatment in sandwiches Your Mental Health: My husband denies he has PTSD Food for Thought: Go gluten-free for brunch Dr. Elaine Heffner: Fluid futures Food Community blog: Give Easter ham the egg treatment in sandwiches Food for Thought: Go gluten-free for brunch Prudence Hilburn: Balance key to successful use of fresh herbs Kitchen Call: Food fads and phases of the moon Community blog: Light lemon souffles are an easy Easter treat Home and Garden Paul Rogers: Yard damage may not be as bad as it looks Home Help: 3 things to avoid when renovating your kitchen Carol Link: Pruning rose plants, step by step How often should you paint the outside of your house? Carol Link: It’s time to get into shape for spring yard work Health Your Mental Health: My husband denies he has PTSD Health Watch: Work out like a pro athlete Brent St. Germain: Feeling the burn again HealthStyle: Normal anxiety or anxiety disorder? Community blog: How to Get Rid of a Tension Headache Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Religion briefs: Friday, March 27 Religion briefs Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories OCT stages 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Gene Burnett tonight at Liquid Assets in Ashland Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Here's Tempo's 5 picks for entertainment this week Theater OCT stages 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' Auditions for youth musical set at Camelot Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' ‘A Dream of Red Pavilions’ at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Review: Education and its discontents Music Gene Burnett tonight at Liquid Assets in Ashland The Farr Side: No Zayn Malik? One Direction stays the course Elias String Quartet plays at Southern Oregon University Bluegrass band Siskiyou Summit plays Bell Fiore Winery Oregon Old-Time Fiddlers at the Ashland Community Center Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces 2015 lineup Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival MailTribune.com rolls out new calendar Easter egg hunts are a long-standing tradition in the Rogue Valley Get Up & Go: Friday, April 3 Dining RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Sunday, April 5 The Laughing Clam in Grants Pass offers seafood-heavy menu Standing Stone owners to open Medford brewpub and restaurant Restaurant Inspections: March 29 Basque-inspired cuisine at Eleven in Ashland Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Burglars ransack east Medford home, steal possessions worth $30,000 ... Actor Jim Belushi joins in Holly Theatre drive in Medford, will appear in parade ... SOU student's play heads to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ... Burglars ransack east Medford home, steal possessions worth $30,000 ... Actor Jim Belushi joins in Holly Theatre drive in Medford, will appear in parade ... SOU student's play heads to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: If Courtney kills bill, $15 minimum wage will go to the ballot Comment By Kristi Wright MailTribune.com By Kristi Wright Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Kristi Wright Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News In his March 26 article “$15 minimum wage bill dead in Oregon Senate,” Greg Stiles reports on what 15 Now Oregon has known all session. Since we first contacted Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, in December 2014, he has said he won’t allow SB 610 to come to the floor for a vote. As over half a million hardworking Oregonians struggle to get by on poverty wages, the fight for $15 will continue despite Courtney’s obstructionism. Courtney says that raising the minimum wage to $15 over three years will harm our small-business economy. This fear is common throughout modern history, but it is not grounded in the facts. The Oregon Center for Public Policy reports that there is precedent for a wage increase of this size in Oregon, and that our state economy did well. That’s because when working families have more money to spend, they spend more money at local businesses. 15 Now Oregon had this bill drafted and submitted knowing that the chances of it passing through the Legislature were slim to none. We sought to inspire a serious conversation about a minimum wage high enough to get hardworking Oregonians out of poverty and off public assistance, and in that we succeeded. Our campaign for a $15 minimum wage has captured the public imagination, and started discussions at dinner tables from La Grande to Coos Bay. We see this enthusiasm because working families have fallen behind as wages have failed to keep up with the cost of living. It is not because our economy is “slowly recovering,” as Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce CEO Brad Hicks claims: in fact, the Oregon Center for Public Policy says that our state economy is growing at three times the national rate. Business is better than ever, and it’s time for Oregonians to collect the living wage they have earned. Hicks repeats the discredited claim that Seattle’s phased-in minimum wage increase is costing the city small businesses and jobs. In an article titled “Local facts no match for national fiction on $15 minimum wage issue,” the Seattle Times called this claim “bogus” and quoted the owners of the businesses in question, who denied that the minimum wage caused or was at all associated with the closures. Hicks’ statements may fit his ideology, but they are inconsistent with the evidence. Democrats like Courtney act as if paid sick leave and raising the minimum wage are mutually exclusive propositions. This shows how out of touch they are with working families. In a state where half of new jobs pay less than a living wage, and where there are nine job-seekers for every available living-wage job, hard work is no longer enough to get ahead. Oregonians deserve paid sick leave and a living wage, because no one who works should live in poverty. The fight for $15 is alive and stronger than ever. 15 Now Oregon is organizing communities in Medford, Portland, and elsewhere throughout the state. Hundreds will attend the hearing in Salem on April 13 and demand a floor vote on a $15 minimum wage. If Peter Courtney will not provide real leadership on this important issue, then 15 Now Oregon will take it to the ballot in 2016. SB 610 may be doomed, but the fight for $15 will continue until we win. Kristi Wright of Ashland is Southern Oregon regional organizer for 15 Now Oregon.   By Kristi Wright MailTribune.com By Kristi Wright Posted Apr. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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