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3 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 Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Since You Asked: Bobby Seale's Ashland visit covered by BSU, Office of Diversity Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Missing teen possibly seen in Florida Emergency services, Feb. 22 Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Logos to receive a slice of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Brown says she'll preserve Oregon death penalty moratorium Tentative deal reached in West Coast port labor dispute State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Economists project 'kicker' rebates Nation - World Obituaries Lois Gunsolus Wilson Donald Max Long Betty E. Schmidt Anne Brown Stewart Richard Nudelman, 70 years Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Challengers, Crusaders rake in SCL awards Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Bubble Breaker? Wood sets franchise points record in win Varsity 541 College Sports Bubble Breaker? Beavers Pac-12 champs with win LOCAL REPORT Beavers wrap up road trip with win SOU lays claim to another regional title Pro Sports Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Wood sets franchise points record in win Gordon, Pelicans down Heat Singler starts in debut with Thunder Community Sports Business Latest Stories Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Learn about Oregon's local crowdfunding options Blog: Random Acts of Kindness Dockworkers dispute hits home Medford pharmacy sees steady growth Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Independent Party focuses on the public interest Editorials Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Letters to the Editor Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Columns Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work 'Big' government is not so big after all Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Day Trippin': Mill Creek Falls easy to miss Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Organizing can wait for winter Food Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Fire and Smoke Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Community blog: Citrus fruits shine in foods fresh and preserved Season Stepp: Cooking Chinese food should not intimidate you Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Car crashes into new south Medford home ... Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Car crashes into new south Medford home ... ANOTHER VIEW Independent Party focuses on the public interest By Sal Peralta MailTribune.com By Sal Peralta Posted Feb. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Sal Peralta Posted Feb. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Thanks to the Mail Tribune for its well wishes toward the Independent Party and for its thoughtful analysis of the challenges that we face. The MT editorial (2/17) described our party's platform as “brief, sensible and relentlessly uncontroversial." That is absolutely correct. So why were we not seeing movement on those issues under the two party system? Shouldn't government be implementing policies that most of us agree with? Obviously, it is not. The public overwhelmingly favors placing reasonable limits on campaign contributions, yet Oregon is one of only four states with no limits on campaign contributions. The public overwhelmingly favors transparency in government contracts and tax breaks for large corporations, so why has the Oregon Legislature gone so many sessions without passing a bill to ensure greater transparency in those processes? A question we should be asking is, why are so many voters leaving the major parties to register as not affiliated or as members of the Independent Party? Could it be because the major parties have abandoned the simple and sensible in favor of being led by the interests of their campaign funders and folks on the partisan extremes? I think so. Fifty-eight percent of Americans do not feel well represented by either major party, and I believe it's because our current two party system is set up to reward the most partisan candidates in “safe districts” and the candidates who cater to the interests of the powerful in the handful of contested districts. Neither of those things is good for the rest of us. Seventeen out of 20 Oregonians live in legislative districts that are dominated by one side or the other. The economic models of the two major parties are dependent on this gerrymandering. Essentially, our state is split up so that in most legislative districts there is no meaningful choice on the November ballot. If you are a conservative Republican in Ashland or a liberal Democrat in Central Point, you know that you are going to be out of luck. The tiny handful of competitive districts remaining in Oregon are among the most expensive legislative races anywhere in the country. Spending on those races is dominated by a tiny handful of individuals, groups, and corporations. This, coupled with the strong caucus model that the Oregon Legislature operates under allows entrenched special interests to have undue influence over the legislature, often to the detriment of common sense policy choices that are overwhelmingly favored by Oregonians. Our party turns that system on its head by focusing on things that most of us agree about while encouraging our candidates to follow their own consciences on social matters. What the MT editorial called a weakness actually gives our candidates an opportunity to more effectively challenge the dominant party in gerrymandered districts by allowing us to recruit candidates whose views on other issues reflect the priorities of a majority in their district. Which brings me to another point, the platform. When our members established the party's platform, they also passed our legislative agenda and while the platform is broad, the agenda is more specific. More than 1,700 members participated in establishing the party’s agenda, which follows. (The percentages indicate the level of member support for each of the priority items.) Requiring that political advertisements identify their main sources of funding, 83.7 percent.  Increasing vocational training opportunities for students in high school and community college, 79.0 percent.  Ensuring that tax dollars spent to encourage economic development return more benefits to the public than they cost, 74.4 percent.  Establishing limits on political campaign contributions, 73.4 percent.  Reforming the state primary election so that more voters can participate, 66.5 percent. Again, these measures are reasonable and uncontroversial among the general public from the left to the right. So why are they not being acted on with strong bipartisan support? The Mail Tribune was correct about the challenges that we face. We are in desperate need of help with organizing in  the Medford and Ashland areas. I would like to encourage your readers to visit our web site at www.indparty.com/platform. Join us, if you like what you see. If you are a community leader who has considered running for public office but live in "the wrong district," please get in touch. "Urgent! Common sense and moderation needed!" is not a catchy slogan, but maybe it's what we need. Sal Peralta is secretary of the Independent Party of Oregon. He lives in McMinnville.   By Sal Peralta MailTribune.com By Sal Peralta Posted Feb. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » 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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