Empowering Oregon Citizens
Investing in Oregon for generations to come.
Future Skills = Economic Opportunities for Oregon Citizens starting K-12
Wen advocates for the reimplementing of quality educational programs into Oregon's schools. Teaching skills that last a lifetime, and creating environments that forge friendships, trust and security within Oregon's Schools are top on my list of priorities. 'We need to ensure that every child and family feel prepared, with a strong foundation, in this constantly, changing environment'.-Wen Waddell. To build a stronger Oregon and economy, students need skills for a global future. Adjusting our budget for education, is a smart idea. My education has taught and shown me, first hand our, 'school to prison pipeline' becoming more prevelant in Oregon. Bringing opportunities in language immersion courses, teaching trades courses can build better confidence in our students early. Having these skills will even the hiring field, helps our students compete for employment, close gaps, all, while promoting more open communication, learning and growth together as a community. This initiative aims to support Oregonian families and enhance our educational landscapes to align with our beautiful state and it's inevitable growth. Oregonians need support, I believe that this starts with families, and with our schools.
Teacher / Instructor Support and Resources
Recognizing that teachers are fundamental to our education systems, Wen proposes funding and hiring more teachers to better support our students. Teaching Language immersion courses K-12th to prepare students for college and their futures. Students have said they want to learn, Spanish, German, Italian and French fluently, some even want to learn languages like Farsi. Trades and Arts Programs in Oregon's Public Schools should be taught again. By investing in our teachers, and our students skills, we invest in our student's success. Bringing back opportunities in sports and various after school and summer programs, without additonal costs to parents or families, will also encourage healthy activities. Having worked for a School District in Oregon at a point in my career, I learned about the large numbers of homeless students that we have and how tactful we need to be for them to feel part of their school fairly and completely.
Building 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments again, pricing them right & losening regulations.
There are possibilities in Oregon, from Medford to Bend, Prineville to Portland, for us to purchse and acquire land, build immediatly, and to build with real families needs in mind. Families need 1, -3 bedroom apartments priced at $500, $600 & $700. They need 800-990 square ft, and immenities that encourage renting for a time, specifically like central air, pools, spas, & gyms. After all, these poorer citizens who have been displaced to living in their cars are or were the working class. We provide no housing that one single Oregonian can afford on any PT or FT salary. We need vouchers available for single citizens, poor credit or not, so obtaining a 1 bedroom apartment, at $500, costs only 15% of their income. Many single citizens in Oregon recieve very small monthly checks of $200-1000 a month or none at all, so this is realistic. We additonally make credit history and 3x the rent the focus unfairly. New legislature and sit downs are needed. Change is needed, the buildings I will construct, should be owned by the state, so that, all rents are paid directly back into Oregon's State housing. So cleaning and quality maintenance ar easy to administer. I would allow fixed rents of 10years, inspections every 6 months. Common sense comes with comprimises. This will fund Section 8 Voucher Programs again for all families, keeping a needed cycle going and our citizens thriving. - below are ideas for layouts-20,000sq. ft per building, 2 stories tall and 25 units a floor. There are plenty of individuals who need homes, and spreading out affordable apartments all over the state, owned by the state but not monitored like the State, helps them.
Healthcare In Oregon (OHP)
Ensuring every Oregonian has access to better healthcare, finally.
Redefining State Healthcare & Dental Care for Oregon Citizens
-Oregonians are aware, if recipients of O.H.P., that there are some small benefits within it, that keep it appealing, however more features make it nearly unbearable and unrealistic for the average American and Oregon citizen. I plan to expand Oregon Health Care coverage, and its oversight. As someone who knows, first hand, what single citizens recieving its services want and need, it is easy for me to get right into fixing the things that would improve OHP for all Oregonians. Kinder reception, Perscriptions costs lowered and/or vacated for those making under a certain amount. I would ensure day one that higher end healthcare is a right, not a privilege. By expanding what our Doctors can do, particularly the services they can provide if/when accepting Oregon Health Plan, better care can be provided to citizens. Many doctors will not accept this insurance, due to its limitations, and desire to give quality care. Making changes will also encourage new Doctors and Physicians to move to Oregon not from Oregon, applying their skills to the growing number of citizens in need.
-Simple changes in how we give dental services to these insurance recipients, providing better front teeth repair at no cost , could finally reverse damage, broadening the hiring field for many Oregonians who have previously, had no choice but to have front teeth pulled due to unfair insurance restrictions. Our smile gets us hired, and the lack thereof judged. Implants and other issues should not be an Oregonians only option for teeth. Treatments such as crowns, bonding, vaneers, bridges, and front ten teeth preservation are being called 'vanity' treatments. One current policy is 'OHP says that you Oregonians do not need your front ten teeth to chew'- Dentist at Lents Office, Portland. This discriminates 46% of our citizens. The same citizens we spend much of our budget on around health and social services. Its time we spent money more wisely, and brought new legislature to build stronger state health care, that demonstrates Oregon's genuine care for eachother.
Mental Health Resources
Recognizing the growing mental health crisis, Wen is committed to increasing funding for mental health services and resources. This takes the constant oversight and work. Wen will push for meetings, funding, travel to Washington D.C. to discuss our states current affairs. Finding private donors, grants and people who want to be apart of building something that helps large numbers of people, indefinetely. Oregonians need support for community clinics and programs that provide essential care for those in need, temporarily and for the long term. We need to allow our Police Officers to pick up these troubled citizens and check them into a hospital for their own good if they cannot agree to check themselves in for the sake of the communities safety. We are going to prioritize mental health, and thats when we begin creating more compassionate, supportive and enouraging environments for all Oregonians.
More Affordable Elderly Housing and Care
Wen advocates for policies that make aging in dignity, with ammenities, affordable for all residents. This includes workers, visits, volunteers and paid activities in cleaner atmospheres. We need to have a State Standard of Elderly Care and stick to it statewide. When we come together and find the right individuals for each individual task that Oregon citizens need, we find lasting solutions and not empty promises. Supplying homecare to our loved ones should also be easier, and making sure things are healthy and safe should be done. By ensuring that payments are fair, housing is affordable, and quality of life is existent, for our seniors and elderly, we ensure they are living their best years. It seems that too many homes drain the last funds from so many seniors before they pass away, they deserve to feel valued still, and these retired hard working Oregonians deserve loads of our attention. 'I see all people as equal, all ages, all people, are also equally important to me' -Wen Waddell
Traveling Together - TriMet - Highways
Better Public Transportation Systems for all Oregonians.
Support for our commuters
Wen would like reward those citizens, in various ways, who do the hard work of walking, biking, driving and riding any of our public transportation systems as a way to get to work, or school. Watching violence and chaos unfold on public buses, trains, freeways near our children, citizens and seniors is no way to live. We need to hire more Public Safety Officers, trained more in trauma informed care, to help defuse possibly dangerous situations on or around our public transit systems. This can be done tactfully and without feeling like their presence is an invasion. If you want to break laws, you won't take the Trimet. I feel that when hiring new Police officers, that having them in their usual night shifts, as well as riding withand surveying public transportation, could give them valuable exposure and a learning platform to grow better with their community.
'In California, we had people shoot each other in traffice, over traffic, assaulting each other on the trains to L.A., and, its only a matter of time before this arrives in Portland, lets prevent it before it starts.' -Wen Waddell
Small Business & Infastructure
Wen believe the importance of modernizing Oregon's infrastructure to support economic growth, but starting where theres most need. This may not mean building costly freeways but fixing and expanding the right ones safety. This also includes investing in small and new businesses, making it easier for these business owners to enhance or expand their business' without rising costs. I believe in fair trade, capitalism, free markets, economic growth, small business support, innovation, some of America's best things, but lets enhance the quality of life around owning business' in Oregon again. Let us bring access back for funds needed and low interest loans for expand or sustain operations. We are losing people because their are no rewards in some major cities for paying the fees and toughing it out.
'I would try to start a food cart, I need the money but, its too expensive. It feels like my state wants money for my idea, and, it feels like my leaders want me to barely get by'. -A concerned citizen
Fishing & The Outdoor Activities in Oregon
Free Fishing licenses for 12-18yr old children whose parents or legal guardians recieve DHS benefits, SSI or Disability. This is one idea for Oregon minors who love to fish. Some cities can have volunteer run, free fishing courses taught at Boys & Girls Clubs or Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts of America meetings to ensure quality animal care and treatement while learning how to fish. If we make more activities available for our students, they pick these activities instead of video games and residing indoors. I would work with our communities to form more group excercise, painting and activities course for young people in Oregon as proactive way to motivate our youth to stay productive and remember to enjoy our scenic state. How about passes to the local pools in summer? Ways to get funding for week long and two week long adventure camps fully paid for. Our Zoo and other activities are still a bit too expensive, even with discounts, for our poorest citizens. I would like to work on making permanent price adjustments so that everyone in Oregon can enjoy the same things consistently.
'I like fishing... but my dad says we can't afford to do
it' - Juvenile
Preserving Oregon
Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Oregon's Environment and its Citizens
Cleaning Up. Better Trash Disposal Options for Oregonians
Oregonians enjoy preserving our homes and properites. We all, on some scale, want to help keep our State clean. To reduce our carbon footprint, we as leaders need to show that we are also willing to make efforts, providing the best for our cities. This means providing weekly trash services, more inexpensive fees for these services, and, dumping. So many people cannot afford one trip to a dump to drop off a dishwasher properly or otherwise. Lowering fees for these services and temporary dumpsters will help citizens better manage the ongoing trash accumulating. We need to find ways control our waste before it is too late for Oregon. Dumping trash should not be a priviledge, it should be a basic thing that anyone can do, up to certain weight for a small fee, and, its for the greater health of our State. I will work with my districts to make Leglislation for this need.
Conservation our Natural Resources
Wen believes in the importance of conserving Oregon's natural resources for future generations. This includes protecting our forests, rivers, hatcheries, wildlife habitats and conservancy zones through effective management and conservation programs. By limiting building close to these zones, prioritizing sustainability, we can ensure that Oregon remains a beautiful and vibrant place to live. We can teach our public school students again, to maintain our forests, and, learn about marine biology. They can learn how to preserve and protect our coasts and wildlife, taking overnight trips, or camping in the Deschutes woods, learning about forest restoration. I believe that spreading around options, ideas and opportunities for our students and state citizens who want to help, only benefits Oregon's future. Oregonians can keep Oregon beautiful, and want to, themselves, with a few better options.
Civilian Safety, Growing Better Together
Whether you are shopping, eating, walking, camping, working your small business, at Blazer's game, a park, lake or a mall, Oregon citizens want to feel safe. Oregonians would like their leaders getting into better habits, not rewarding crimes against small business' or releasing people quickly who repeatedly harm others. You would prefer to call the Police Dept. or '911', in any emergency, and see the police arrive between 10 to 30 minutes of your call, and regardless of your assumed appearance get treated with dignity. That is not much to ask for. I want to give you a chance to survive in Oregon longer than you thought you were going to. I would like to give you motivation to stay and enjoy the natural beauty of this state again. You want your stores and people to feel safe and that is fair. I appreciate you, your ideas, and your innovations. Any citizen causing damage will face the courts and anyone apprehended is the States responsibility, so making sure every citizen is treated fairly and justly, will be my concern, no matter the agencies involved. You as citizens want more transparency.
Taxes and Tax Credits
Less taxes arriving at doorsteps, that you do not understand, ( Art tax, Raised property taxes...). Also I will fight to bring tax credits back for common families. Leaders in our Federal Government need to understand that due a lack of dual language courses, jobs being unavailable, less employers wanting to train employees in skills, many young adults struggle to find the basic things in life: a job, home and savings. Many young adults aged 18-40 live with their parents as dependants due to a lack of jobs and housing, now, and for decades. Families should be able to claim tax credits longer for their children at home. I will work hard to help you to receive addtional tax credits for taking care of parents, your children, and your properties large amounts of garbage, giving motivation to my citizens to get up and care again for what is theirs. I will put in place, state workers to check on the elderly being cared for by family, on a consistent basis, until benefits are no longer needed, to avoid fraud. This additonally supplies new and more jobs to citizens in Oregon who want to train in social services, helping families manage their options and needs.
