Update: April 8, 2011

Ryan Budget Plan: More Prosperity for the Rich, More Pain for the Poor

If enacted, the budget plan unveiled this week by U.S. House Republicans would cut deeply into programs that serve low-income Americans. Referred to as the Ryan plan, after its author House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the plan would cut more than $4 trillion from the federal budget over the next ten years. About two-thirds of that money would come from programs that serve low-income Americans, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

Among the programs taking the biggest hits would be Medicaid, which enables states to provide health coverage to low-income people. The Democratic Policy and Communications Center estimates (PDF) that the Ryan plan would rip more than $15.9 billion out of Oregon's Medicaid programs over that 10 year period.

Fortunately, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber spoke out (PDF) this week against block granting Medicaid.

For all the pain inflicted on low-income Americans, the Ryan plan would do fairly little to reduce the nation's deficit.

Who would win under the Ryan Plan?

As Heather Boushey, Senior Economist at the Center for American Progress, explains, the Ryan plan is for the rich, not the rest of us. As it cuts programs that serve low-income and middle class Americans, the Ryan plan would keep Bush-era tax cuts in place and further reduce top tax rates for high-end taxpayers and corporations.

"The supply-side mantra of tax cuts for the wealthy --that core conservative (but deeply mistaken) belief that lower taxes for the top 1 percent of Americans will inevitably trickle down to the rest of us -- has left our nation indebted in ways that profoundly harmed our economy," Boushey writes. "Rep. Ryan's plan is supply-side economics on steroids."

Welcome Ray Caballero, OCPP's Newest Board Member

We are pleased to announce that Raymond Caballero has joined OCPP's board of directors. Ray had an active career in Texas as a trial lawyer. Since coming to Oregon, he has been active in community affairs. He has a longtime interest in equity issues. He looks forward to working with OCPP and the broader Oregon community we serve.

Learn more about OCPP's board of directors.

Thank you, Bob Stoll, for Your Years of Leadership

We are sad to announce that Robert Stoll has stepped down from OCPP's board. Bob served on our board for six years, providing us great insight, leadership and support over that time. We have no doubt that Bob, an accomplished attorney and prominent civic leader, will continue his efforts to create economic opportunity for all Oregonians.

Good luck, Bob. We'll miss you.