Oct. 20, 2020
Our opinion: This election, vote for healthy communities
Last week in Oregon, ballots were mailed to our homes, providing registered voters with an opportunity to have their voices heard on many important issues.
St. Charles Health System is endorsing two of those issues that we think are in alignment with our vision of “creating America’s healthiest community, together,” and I would like to share with you our reasons why.
Measure 108: Tobacco and e-cigarette tax increase for health programs
We support Measure 108 because research has shown us that the single best way to reduce vaping and smoking is to increase the cost. If vapes and tobacco products are taxed more and thus cost more, we expect fewer people will use them, saving lives.
As it stands now, Oregon doesn’t tax nicotine vapes one penny and has some of the lowest tobacco taxes in the country. We find this concerning since youth vaping in our state has increased 80 percent in the past two years alone. Tobacco companies are targeting kids with candy-flavored vapes that taste like gummy bears or cotton candy and are selling them for as little as 99 cents. According to the Journal of American Medicine, young people who vape are nearly three times more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
Measure 108 was also written so that the dollars raised can only be used for tobacco cessation and prevention programs and to fund the Oregon Health Plan, which serves one in four Oregonians (including more than 400,000 children in our state), and nearly 56,000 people in Central Oregon. Measure 108 will protect this vital coverage, ensuring people continue getting the care they need, when they need it.
Measure 9-135: Bonds for traffic flow, east-west connections, neighborhood safety improvements
As a health care organization, we recognize that the path to good health starts outside of the walls of our hospitals and clinics. It involves not just the work of St. Charles, but also our cities, our schools, our nonprofit partners and our many wonderful local businesses coming together to ensure people who live here are safe and well-supported.
We support Measure 9-135 because it would allow the city of Bend to issue $190 million in bonds and invest that money in an increasingly stressed infrastructure. Passing the measure would help create safer street crossings and build a new network of sidewalks, bike lanes and bus pull-outs. These improvements would make it safer for our kids to get to school, for pedestrians and cyclists to get around and make navigating town easier for drivers.
Passing Measure 9-135 would also help fix dozens of intersections to reduce bottlenecks, build a bridge at Reed Market and upgrade traffic signals to improve traffic flow. It would improve east-west connectivity by building new links between existing roads, ensuring we can all get across town safely and smoothly however we travel.
As Bend grows, we think it’s important to protect our quality of life and our burgeoning economy. We need to preserve the vitality of our neighborhoods, improve the safety of our streets and help our local businesses thrive. For all of these reasons, we’d like to see this measure pass.
Make your voice heard
Whatever your opinion on these and other issues, I encourage you to vote and make your voice heard. As Americans, it’s one of our great privileges and responsibilities.
Remember, the last day to safely return your ballot by mail is Oct. 27.
Be well,
Joe
