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Chris Telfer has lived, worked and raised her family in Deschutes County for the last 30 years. During that time, she has been deeply involved in the community, sitting on a multitude of boards, serving two terms on the Bend City Council, and currently serving her first term in the State Senate. Chris prides herself in taking innovative approaches to challenge our region's issues and provide real solutions.
Over the years, Chris has tirelessly worked for better land use laws, improved transportation, affordable health care, fiscal conservatism, great schools and a sustainable quality of life in Deschutes County. Chris is known for tackling tough issues and utilizes strong, collaborative leadership in the state senate to continually improve our community.
Controlling Taxes
On January 26, 2010, Oregonians will be faced with tough decisions about personal and corporate tax increases that will affect all of us in Oregon. Measures 66 and 67 will cost Oregon nearly 80,000 jobs and will destroy the Oregon business community because of unfair and unreasonable taxes on their gross receipts. Employees will be at risk of losing their benefits and their jobs. This is a truly important issue and Chris encourages you to get informed. Visit www.stopjobkillingtaxes.com and join Chris in defeating the taxes.
Oregon's High Unemployment
Our state is at the top of the list for unemployment in the U.S. Oregonians are ready and willing to get back to work. Chris firmly believes that the only way for Oregon to start repairing its economy is to get people working again. She will continue to support legislation that creates jobs, controls spending, and allows businesses to thrive in Oregon.
Transparency in Government
Government spending had gone unaccounted for for too long. Chris has teamed up with fellow legislators to provide accessibility to information for Oregonians about where their tax dollars and fees are going and how they are being spent. Chris believes that a government should be required to operate just as a business would. Measures have been taken to ensure that accounting and reporting practices are being followed.
The State of the State Budget
While Oregon business are in a recession, the Oregon Government continues to grow. The state's budget is in disarray. Income taxes fuel the state's budget and with a decrease in income for Oregonians, the state needs to find funding alternatives without raising taxes. Chris has been working with fellow legislators on the Back to Basics Budget which proposes redistributing excess dollars collected by state agencies for fees, into the state's General Fund. The estimated surplus of fungible dollars would make raising taxes completely unnecessary in balancing Oregon's budget.
Healthcare
Chris has worked with local physicians, hospitals, employers, insurers, and fellow legislators to control health care costs and provide basic healthcare for uninsured and under-insured families in Oregon. In the 2009 regular legislative session, Chris sponsored and unanimously passed a bill that brings affordable healthcare to Oregonians. Central Oregon's own Health Matters, a non-profit health care collaborative organization, is up and running and will be ready to launch in March of 2010, as a result of the "Telfer Bill".
Transportation
The roadways and airways that we rely on for travel and trade have been under-funded and poorly maintained in the past. In 2009, Chris worked diligently to ensure that rural airports would receive the funding they needed for critical improvements. She will continue to work with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to insure that Oregon tax dollars are being put to good use. |
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