Much like the “Bill of Rights” is designed to protect the People from the government, the “Bill of Responsibilities” is designed to protect the government from corruption, despotism, and tyranny. This is the first article because generally, each section applies to all three branches of government. Specific duties and responsibilities are covered within each Branch. The Goal of Article 1 is to define actions and prevent increasing size of government because of the lack of clear definitions of duties or responsibilities.

Section 1: Revenue Control; There shall be three separate and distinct levels of sources for revenues for the State of Oregon.

Money is at the center of the problems facing our future and is a crucial part of the long term health and welfare of the State. This is why Revenues and subsequently Budgets are number 1 as they are both a source of corruption and a foundation for the future.

  1. Level 1 shall be revenues designated as “General Funds”.
    1. The Treasurer shall report the General Funds on the first and seventh month if each calendar year.
    2. The Legislature shall have full control of how and where all general Funds are used.
    3. No law shall be created that allocates General Funds to the control of non-government-entities.
    4. Income tax shall be limited to a maximum of 8%
      1. Income Tax shall not be collected on Federal tax collected.
    5. The Legislature shall not create any form of “Sales Tax” outside of “Dedicated Revenues”.
  2. Level 2 shall be revenues designated as “Dedicated Revenues”.
    1. The Treasurer shall report the Dedicated Revenues the ninth month of each calendar year.
    2. Dedicated Revenues shall be defined as funds used on activities and services that have no end date such as the following:
      1. Education
        1. Vouchers
      2. Transportation, Roads and Bridges
        1. All funds are sent out to Counties
        2. The State shall be entitled to a maximum of 7.5% of the revenues collected for the simple fact that the State collected and distributed the funds. Any funding required beyond the 7.5% shall be paid from the General Fund.
    3. Dedicated Revenues shall not be considered as collateral for bonds, loans, or investment.
    4. The State shall be entitled to a maximum of 10% of the revenues collected for the simple fact that the State collected and distributed the funds. Any funding required beyond the 7.5% shall be paid from the General Fund.
  3. Level 3 shall be funding from “Property Tax Revenues” and shall be dedicated to Police, Fire, and Property protection as defined by law such as city functions related to property archives and ownership.
    1. The Treasurer shall report Property Tax Revenues every third month of each calendar year.
    2. The Treasurer’s report shall be considered fiduciary.
      1. The Treasurer’s report shall reflect actual costs and shall be considered fiduciary.
    3. Under no circumstances will Property tax revenue be used to fund anything outside of property related Constitutional duties or those defined by law. The Legislature shall make no laws using property tax revenues for any other reason.
    4. The “Secretary of Property Tax Revenue” shall be responsible for collecting information ever two years as to the actual costs related to the operations of Police, Fire, and property protection as defined by law and shall publish a public report every the sixth month of even numbered years. The report shall also be broken down by counties.
    5. There shall be a “Secretary of Property Tax Revenue” under the Treasurer as described later in Article # Section X.

Section 2: Revenues

Every time that a new source of revenue is proposed, a new section of government is opened up to collect the revenue. This section is designed to prevent the creation of taxes by bureaucratic entities that may be created by legislative action.

  1. Revenues shall be limited to the following sources:
    1. Income taxes
      1. The legislature shall not create taxes on Federal taxes paid.
      2. An absolute maximum of 7.5% tax shall be collected from any one person.
      3. An absolute maximum of un-taxed income shall be set by Law.
      4. All people shall be taxed as individuals
        1. The legislature shall not create any special conditions or deduction for any person or business.
        2. There shall not be any special considerations for married couples.
    2. Property taxes
      1. The Legislature shall not establish any funding outside of Dedicated revenues as spelled out in Article 1, Section 1.
      2. All City, County, State or any government owned facilities shall not pay property taxes.
      3. The Legislature shall not establish property taxes beyond Real property.
      4. As all healthcare is a necessary part of Life and Liberty for all People, Hospitals, health clinics, and Doctor owned offices, healthcare developers such and pharmaceuticals or healthcare research shall not pay property taxes as prescribed by Law.
        1. Healthcare shall be virtually the only exception to paying property taxes.
    3. Use taxes
      1. The Legislature shall not create tolls for usage of the roads.
      2. The Legislature shall not create any form of exemptions or subsidies.
    4. Sales taxes
      1. The legislature shall not create any kind of sales taxes based on a percent or flat fee for any given article or service unless that tax is “dedicated” to an article or service by law. 
      2. Dedicated Taxes or revenues as spelled out in Article 1, section 1, shall be the only tax considered as Sales Tax for a dedicated purpose.
      3. The legislature shall not create law that establishes a sales tax on any item or freedoms as listed in the United State Constitution.
        1. The Legislature shall not tax firearms or ammunition as defined by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
      4. Fuel tax revenues shall be a percentage established by laws and collected  at the point of sale. Fuel tax revenues can’t be collected in advance of sales.
    5. Business income taxes
      1. The Legislature shall not create any form of exemptions to taxation of business.
      2. No exemptions by any City, County, or State will be allowed as incentives to attract business. Every business shall have the same opportunity.

Section 3: All elected and appointed office holders (They) shall be defined as “Independence Contractors” representing the People of the State of Oregon.

It has become clear that our Elected and Appointed Representatives have been converted from Representing the People to representing the government through the use of benefits such as retirement income for life, complete coverage of healthcare costs and insurance, or many other benefits too numerous to list. Of the list of benefits that has been the most corrupt is the retirement benefits that are going to be paid out by our grandchildren.

  1. They shall not have access to any form of retirement benefits (Public Employee Retirement System) or matching funds for retirement.
  2. They shall not be granted any form Health Care or Insurance covered by State funds.
  3. The Legislature shall not grant any form of compensation beyond the Salaries of the elected and appointed officials.
    1. No special benefit beyond a parking location and office space shall be granted or paid for by any Law.
  4. All elected and appointed office holders are completely responsible for paying their own taxes. Any elected or appointed office holder that is criminally indicted for tax evasion on the Federal or State level shall be removed from office at the moment of indictment.
  5. Salaries or compensation shall begin thirty days prior to taking an elected office and shall continue for 60 days after leaving an elected or appointed office whether by resignation, death, or removal.
  6. Time in office shall not be applicable for future employment in any government benefits applicable to government employees.
  7. No form of unemployment compensation shall be granted after leaving office.
  8. Compensation for all offices elected and appointed shall be set by the Legislative Assembly. Any changes in compensation will not apply until after the next biennial election. Any changes in compensation to appointed officials that require specialized training or professional degrees take effect immediately.
    1. Compensation shall be set by the Secretary of Compensation under the Treasurers control.
    2. Six year term of office shall allow for changes is compensation three years into their term.
  9. There shall be a ten year window to pay out to retirement accounts under Federally allowed account such as 401K’s for all elected and appointed office holders and a 14 year window to pay out all government employees to 401K’s.

Section 4: The Executive Branch of Government shall not have the ability to selectively enforce the Laws of the Land.

  1. City, County, and State elected and appointed officials shall have authority to hire as required for safety and wellbeing of the People.
  2. No City, County, or State elected or appointed official shall selectively chose laws to enforce or ignore and shall be considered a violation of the Oath of office.
    1. Professional People that require a license to operate shall not have their license revoked for any reason other than actual crimes they are found guilty of in a Court of Law.

Section 5:  Electoral College of the Counties

  1. All State wide elections shall be done by the Counties.
    1. Each County shall have one vote per 40,000 residents towards each State wide election to a maximum of 5 votes per County.
    2. In the case of a tie within the Counties votes, the popular vote will be considered the tie breaker.

Section 6: Separation of Powers

  1. The powers of the Government shall be divided into three separate branches, the Legislative, the Executive, including the administrative, and the Judicial; and no person charged with official duties under one of these branches, shall exercise any of the functions of another, except as in this Constitution expressly provided.
  2. The Legislative branch shall not create, authorize, or make law that transfers, abrogate, or give authority outside the Legislature on matters of taxation, spending, or acquisition.

Section 6: Sponsorship

  1. No Bill of any kind shall be released from the Legislature to be signed into Law by the Governor without two Sponsors from the Senate and four sponsors from the House of Representatives.
  2. A Sponsor shall be an Elected office holder of the Senate or House and shall not be an appointed replacement due to death, retirement, or removal from office.
  3. Failure to have all of the necessary Sponsors will render the Bill null and void and unenforceable even if the Governor signs the bill into Law.
    1. Any and all damage done, personal, property, or physical, shall make the State liable if an unsponsored bill is signed into law.
  4. Sponsorship may be removed by any Sponsor up to when the Governor signs the Bill into Law and may not be withdrawn after the Bill becomes Law.
  5. The State shall be held accountable for any and all actions for enforcing a null and void law that does not have the required Sponsors.

Section 7: Regulations

  1. A “Regulation” shall be defined as a tool necessary to enforce a law.
  2. All Law requiring regulation shall define the scope of regulations needed to enforce the laws they pertain to.
    1. Any regulation shall be null and void and shall not be enforceable without a clear definition of the Law that regulation was designed to enforce.
    2. No Regulation may exist without an existing law to support.   
  3. All regulations shall be reviewed at the next Legislative session.
    1. Failure to review and incorporate the regulation into the original law renders the regulation null and void.
    2. Incorporating a regulation into the law it was intended to enforce requires the same conditions of sponsorship as Article 1, Section 6.
  4. No Regulation may be applied to a different law than intended.
    1. The State shall be held accountable for enforcing regulations that do not pertain to a law enforcement.

Section 8: Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)

  1. The State shall NOT establish a retirement fund under the control of the State, as a promissory note, or pension to be paid by future tax payers in any way-shape-or-form.
  2. Government employees shall be required to establish their own retirement fund location of their choice. The Government shall fund to a maximum of 6% to the employee’s retirement as define by Federal Law and shall not offer or collect any form of insurance against loss of funds or guarantee retirement funds from loss.
  3. Transition from the current system to complete funding in the hands of employee chosen location shall not take longer than 10 years from the time of establishing this Constitution in the State of Oregon.

Section 9: Impeachment

  1. The House of Representatives and the People via referendum shall have to sole right to Impeach.
  2. In the case of the Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State;
    1. Only actual crimes that are considered to be at the level of Felonies and are punishable by fines or imprisonment may be considered by the House of Representatives.
    2. Referendum to impeach the Governor, Treasurer, or Secretary of State by a Vote of the People shall require;
      1. 50% +1 votes refers the Governor to trial by the Senate. 50%+1 votes removes the Treasurer or Secretary of State from the moment of certification.
      2. A conviction requires of 2/3rds of the Senate vote to convict and the Governor and is removed from office from that moment.
      3. 66% +1 vote of the People removes the governor from office at the moment the vote is certified.
      4. The Governor shall not have the Power of the Pardon from the time the People successfully file a petition for a vote of the People and his or her removal from office.
  3. In the case of a Legislator;
    1. Only actual crimes that are considered to be at the level of Felonies and are punishable by fines or imprisonment may be considered by the House of Representatives.
    2. Referendum to impeach a member of the Senate or House of Representatives by a Vote of the People will require;
      1. 50% +1 votes removes a Legislator from office.
    3. Removal from Office within the House of Representatives by the House of Representatives shall be defined as Impeachment.
      1. “Conduct Unbecoming” shall not be considered for removal within the House of Representatives.
      2. Removal from office require 2/3rd majority for removal.
    4. Removal from Office within the Senate by the Senate shall be defined as Impeachment.
      1. “Conduct Unbecoming” shall not be considered for removal within the Senate.
      2. Removal from office require 2/3rd majority for removal.
  4. In the case of a Judge or any appointed office holder within the Judicial Branch;
    1. Only actual crimes that are considered to be at the level of Felonies and are punishable by fines or imprisonment may be considered by the House of Representatives.
    2. Referendum to impeach a Judge at any level within the Judicial Branch by a Vote of the People will require;
      1. 50% +1 votes removes a Judge from office.
    3. The Governor shall have the sole responsibly to remove from office any Judge that demonstrates “bad behavior” in Office. The House of Representatives by a simple majority signature vote my reinstate a Judge. Reinstatement of a Judge is grounds for a Special Session of the Legislature that may be called by Senate President or Speaker of the House for the sole purpose of addressing the removal from Office. Failure to call a Special Session within 45 working days or getting 50%+1 votes within the House shall support the removal from office.

      Selective Denial of Constitutional rights of an individual is grounds for the governor to remove from office any Judge without impeachment. Failure to protect a Judge’s personal integrity by not following the Law, twisting the Law for political gain, or denying Constitutionally guaranteed rights are grounds for the Governor to remove any judge from office. 

  1. In the case of an Appointed Official in any branch of government;
    1. Only actual crimes that are considered to be at the level of Felonies and are punishable by fines or imprisonment may be considered by the House of Representatives.
    2. Referendum to impeach any appointed office holder will require;
      1. 50% +1 votes removes the appointed office holder.
  2. In the case of all other State-Wide elected office holders. Congressional District Representatives and US Senators are State-Wide Office holders:
    1. Only actual crimes that are considered to be at the level of Felonies and are punishable fines or
    2. imprisonment may be considered by the House of Representatives.
    3. Referendum to impeach the State-Wide office holders by a Vote of the People will require;
      1. 50% +1 votes refers the State-Wide office holders to trial by the Senate
      2. A conviction requires of 2/3rds of the Senate vote to convict and the State-wide office holder is removed from office from that moment.
      3. 66% +1 vote of the People removes the State-Wide office holder from office.
  3. In all cases:
    1. Campaign contributions found to be from sources outside the United States or from corporations that conduct business that solely handles money shall be grounds for impeachment from the House and Referendum.
    2. Dissatisfaction, excessive loss of life, incompetence, or any other action not covered by law shall not be a consideration for impeachment.
    3. Impeachment shall not be considered as punishment for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. “Double Jeopardy” does not apply due to the only action that can be taken is removal from office.
    4. Selective enforcement, Selective Ignorance, and Selective denial of Constitutional rights shall be grounds for impeachment.

Section 10: Transportation

  1. All revenues collected for transportation shall be “Dedicated Revenues” and as such:
    1. No revenues or future revenue may be used for collateral on any kind of bonds or loans.
    2. The State shall be the only entity allowed to collect fuel tax and use fees.
    3. The State treasurer shall collect and protect any revenues. The revenues may not be used to invest in any form of retirement, pension funds, or long term investments greater than 5 years. No investments are allowed in PERS.
  2. Revenues collected from fuel taxes and use fees must be held by the Treasurer.
    1. 1% for the State general fund.
    2. 9% goes to savings over which the Legislature has no access and can NOT be collateralized for bonds or any other form of loans.
    3. The Treasurer can only release those funds to State transportation projects that do not include busses or rail lines.
    4. The Treasurer releases the remaining funds to the Counties where the fuel was consumed.
    5. The State shall collect any local fuel taxes above the State fuel tax.
    6. The Treasurer shall distribute directly to any fuel taxes revenues collected for City bussing. The Cities are restricted from using the funds on anything else.
  3. The County Treasurer shall be in charge of bidding and contracts. (not Salem)
    1. The County Treasurer shall release the funds for transportation projects as needed.
    2. The County Treasurer shall place in savings accounts, not under control of the State, 10% of what is given to the County for projects that may need higher funds to cross County boundaries or natural boundaries such as rivers or valleys.
  4. Counties are subject to audits every third year by the Treasurer.
  5. Any form of corruption such as kickbacks, failing to use the funds on the project, or excessive waste shall be punishable by lifetime removal from  office and filing criminal charges as defined by Law.

Section 11  Education

  1. All funding for Education shall come from General Funds.
    1. No other State funding from any revenue source shall be allowed.
    2. All separately funded schools, charter schools, or special education schools shall not be any consideration for the value of the Vouchers
  2. The Secretary of Education shall determine the total number of children eligible for Education Vouchers.
    1. Vouchers shall apply to Kindergarten through 12 grade only.
    2. Only Citizens of the United States of America shall be eligible for Education Vouchers.
    3. Only residents of Oregon shall be eligible for Oregon Education Vouchers.
  3. All students shall be subject to standardized testing that shall be administered at the end of the first and second term and 15 days before the end of the third term.
  4. Bussing shall be provided to Public Schools only and shall be separately from the General Fund
  5. Curriculum and curriculum goals shall be public knowledge and shall be available for review at all times.

Topics to address:

      1. Pulling charters for low performance
      2. Providing medical advice of any kind
      3. Lunches only or food all day
      4. Emergency training for Charter Schools
      5. Cell phone issue
      6. Helicopter Mom issues

Section X: List of Other concepts and ideas:

  1. Complete removal of any kind of “Emergency” powers.
    1. OR; A clear definition of what an emergency actually is.
      1. Natural disaster like the “Big One” finally happening.
    2. And-Or; A clear definition of emergencies to exclude.
      1. i.e. Declaring and emergency because “we have got to get more money for schools” is no an emergency.
  2. Reduce the Supreme Court of Oregon to 3 judges.
    1. Not sure how we got to seven.

Section LAST:  Responsibilities not detailed in the Bill of responsibilities are reserved to the People.

  1. Any and All services, actions, or activities shat be referred to a Vote of the People to decide if the People want the proposed service.