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Westlund Highlights Oregon Cultural Trust

BEND, Ore. (July 31, 2008) - Oregon Senator and Democratic nominee for State Treasurer Ben Westlund (D-Tumalo), one of the architects of the Oregon Cultural Trust, has launched a new web page on his campaign site (www.benwestlund.com) dedicated to its creation and accomplishments. The Oregon Cultural Trust is a unique public/private partnership designed to increase investment in Oregon's arts, humanities and heritage.

As a member of the 1999 Cultural Task Force, Westlund listened to the input of 20,000 Oregonians while laying the groundwork for the Trust. In the 2001 session, Ben Westlund brought together diverse and often competing interests and sponsored HB 2923, to create the Cultural Trust which now provides over $1 million a year for arts and culture in Oregon. The Oregonian heralded the Trust legislation as the “best accomplishment” of the 2001 Legislature.  Westlund currently sits on the Trust's Board and helps administer the grants.

"Throughout Oregon, the Cultural Trust has helped diversify our communities both culturally and economically,” said Westlund. “It has helped build and protect Oregon’s legacy for generations to come."

The Oregon Cultural Trust is funded by generous tax-deductible contributions from individuals and businesses that also make a matching contribution to one of over 1,000 qualifying non-profit arts and culture organizations. Additional funds for the Trust come from the sale of the Oregon "cultural" license plate. The State Treasurer manages the Trust’s funds.

Grants are distributed to local communities to support their cultural priorities, through a competitive process and through grants to Oregon's statewide cultural agencies to support their ongoing efforts.  On Friday, Governor Kulongoski will be announcing the 2009 Cultural Trust grants. 

The Trust has four goals:

> Increase public and private support for culture.
> Advance, preserve, or stabilize cultural resources.
> Build public participation across cultural disciplines.
> Increase understanding of the value of cultural development.

“Every day, Oregonians seek education, entertainment and a sense of identity from the thousands of cultural activities offered in their communities. I have watched Ben Westlund walk his talk by leading the fight to protect the arts in Oregon,” said Mike Lindberg, Former Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission.

If you would like to find out what the Oregon Cultural Trust is doing in your community, or to make a tax deductible donation, visit their website at www.culturaltrust.org

A retired successful business owner, Senator Ben Westlund now works with Northwest Professional Management to develop effective, affordable health care delivery systems.  He and his wife Libby, who serves on the Mount Bachelor National Ski Patrol, have two children: a son B.J. (20) and a daughter Taylor (15). They live in Tumalo, just outside Bend.

Westlund asks Oregonians to Declare Our Energy Independence

Treasurer Candidate Launches Cascade Initiative
to Promote Renewable Energy & Conservation

BEND – State Senator and Democratic nominee for Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund (D-Tumalo) is proposing a comprehensive plan to promote renewable energy and conservation strategies for Oregon called the Cascade Initiative.  Information is available on his website at www.benwestlund.com/cascade.

The Cascade Initiative is founded on common sense strategies to improve Oregon’s economy and brand us as a national leader.  The goals of the initiative are to educate Oregonians on financial impacts of climate change, encourage investments in clean technology and renewable energy companies, and champion infrastructure investments such as energy conservation efforts in public buildings.

“Oregon is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the emerging green economy,” said Westlund.  “With the right investments, Oregon can position itself as a national leader to create jobs and promote a sustainable economy.”

Westlund has a long record in the Legislature of promoting renewable energy and conservation.  He was instrumental in expanding the solar energy tax credit during the 2005 session and worked to pass legislation creating the Oregon Innovation Council.  In 2007, Westlund advocated for the Bio-Economy and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) Center and the Renewable Portfolio Standard.

“The challenges and risks that climate change presents are enormous, but where there is challenge, there is the potential for growth,” said Westlund.  “For states prepared to be leaders in this new economy, reacting to climate change becomes an offensive, not a defensive, strategy, and an opportunity for rich new growth.”

As Oregon’s next State Treasurer, Westlund will continue the work begun by the current Oregon State Treasurer Randall Edwards, and other State Treasurers, to discover unknown risks in Oregon's investments by calling on the Security Exchange Commission to require that publicly traded companies disclose emerging risks they face from global climate change. 

"Expanding market opportunities and raising awareness of investor risk is a critical role of the State Treasurer," said Treasurer Edwards.  “Ben Westlund’s leadership on climate change and making critical investments in the green economy will greatly benefit Oregon.”

Goals of the Cascade Initiative:

•    Educate Oregonians on the financial impacts of global climate change and find workable solutions for our future.

•    Promote investments in renewable energy and clean technology to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and create Oregon jobs.

•    Champion infrastructure investments to create jobs and increase our productivity including transportation, environmentally sound water-supply and conservation projects, energy transmission projects and energy conservation efforts in public and private buildings.

To learn more about the Cascade Initiative please visit www.benwestlund.com/cascade

Westlund spotlights Public Safety Memorial Fund

To commemorate the anniversary of the creation of the Oregon Public Safety Memorial Fund, State Senator and Oregon State Treasurer candidate Ben Westlund (D-Bend), who sponsored House Bill 2391 in 1999, has created a new page on his website for Oregonians to learn about and donate to the Fund. The new link can be found at www.benwestlund.com/memorialfund or by visiting www.benwestlund.com.

“Our public safety officers are there for us when we need help and Oregon should be there in their time of crisis,” said Westlund. “It was nine years ago this very week I carried this bill on the House floor and watched it pass unanimously. By working with legislators from both sides of the aisle, we accomplished something meaningful.”

The fund, managed by the office of the State Treasurer and administered by Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, provides financial assistance to public safety officers who are permanently and totally disabled as a result of a line of duty injury, and to family members of the public safety officers who have been killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty.

Senator Westlund’s new webpage has a brief background about the fund, explaining exactly how the fund helps fallen public safety officers and how Oregonians can help support the fund.

The Public Safety Memorial Fund applies to family members of police officers (including reserves), corrections officers, fire service professionals (paid & volunteer), parole and probation officers, and youth correction officers. The 1999 law outlines potential benefits from the Memorial Fund to eligible family members, as follows: death benefits, health and dental insurance benefits, educational scholarships, and mortgage benefits.

“This fund would never have been created without the leadership of Ben Westlund,” said Kelly Bach, President of the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council. “This law has helped members of the public safety community and given us the piece of mind that Oregon will be there if one us fall in the line of duty.”

Successes of the Public Safety Memorial Fund:

• Over $1 million dollars in aid has been given out in benefits to fallen and permanently injured public safety officers

• The fund has been well managed by the State Treasurer, maintaining a positive balance for nearly a decade without the use of public tax dollars

• Oregon’s Public Safety Memorial Fund has helped 48 public officers or their families

“I am proud of the successes of the Memorial Fund, but I believe we need to make it easier for Oregonians to play a more active roll in this vital program,” said Westlund. “As Oregon’s next State Treasurer I will push to modernize the fund by making it possible to give online donations and will send e-mail updates about the fund to the public, press, and public safety officers”

To donate to the Public Safety Memorial Fund make your check out to “Public Safety Memorial Fund” and send it to “Public Safety Memorial Fund, 4190 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem OR 97317.” All donations to the Oregon Public Safety Memorial Fund are tax deductible.