Summary
Creates a state commission to regulate home care workers for the elderly/disabled (effectively unionizing them).
Biblical Reasoning
The State’s purpose of restraining sin through punishing those that do evil ( Romans 13) has nothing to do with forcing unions and higher costs on the most vulnerable of our citizens—the elderly and disabled.
Election Results
Voters approved the home care commission (63% Yes).
Full PEAPAC Analysis
PEAPAC Explanation: If passed, Measure 99 would amend the Oregon Constitution and create a new state bureaucracy to oversee home care services for the elderly and disabled.
How would you go about getting more money for the job you are currently performing? Well, you could set up a state agency, work through that agency to eliminate many of your competitors, and then raise your prices. Its simple supply and demand economics at work. Low wages for home care services are a result of an abundant supply of people performing these services. Cut the supply of those allowed by the government to perform the service, and you guarantee higher wages for the eligible providers.
This isn’t a guess on our part. The promoters of this Measure have made it quite clear that higher pay is a big part of their reason for this Measure. When we contacted the chief petitioner for this Measure (Mr. Eugene Organ) he directed us to the Oregon Public Employees Union for reasons to support the measure. The OPEU website urges support for Measure 99 as a way to unionize home health care providers and get them higher wages.
The intrusion of the State into this arena of our private economy is wrong. The State’s purpose of restraining sin through punishing those that do evil ( Romans 13) has nothing to do with forcing unions and higher costs on the most vulnerable of our citizens—the elderly and disabled. We strongly urge you to vote NO on Measure 99.
Dennis Tuuri 
Leave a comment