NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GOMBERG: Arts and the Economy

EDITOR’S NOTE: When we started sharing Representative Gomberg’s News Updates, he represented a portion of south Tillamook County. Due to redistricting, Representative Gomberg no longer represents Tillamook County; the representative for District 32 (Tillamook and Clatsop countiesu is Cyrus Javadi. We have continued to post Rep. Gomberg’s Updates since he is part of the Legislature’s Coastal Caucus, and provides an excellent overview of the happenings at the Oregon State Capitol with a “coastal view.” And as he has said, “I may not represent Tillamook County any longer, but the issues and concerns of Tillamook County citizens are often the same or similar to those in Lincoln County, and I’m proud to continue to represent anyone from the Coast.”

By Representative David Gomberg, State House District 10

11/13/2023
Dear Neighbors and Friends,

Readers know that I’m a huge supporter of local arts and culture.

On our large stages, school auditoriums, and smaller venues, we offer music and theater that rivals anything you can pay more to see in the big cities. Dozens of galleries and farmers markets in each community offer fine art and local crafts. Our museums, rodeos, heritage centers and cultural centers remind us who we are, what we have done, and who we aspire to be. In total, from one end of the district to the other, we are enriched by our arts, culture, and creativity and our lives are better for it.

But have you stopped to consider that every time you buy a ticket, flip a fiver into a tip jar, or invest in a painting or sculpture for your home, you are creating local jobs?

As part of a nationwide survey it does every five years, Americans for the Arts conducted an economic impact study of 29 Lincoln County nonprofit groups in 2022-23. Results were unveiled at the PAC Center in Newport last Tuesday. And the big news was that arts and culture are the fourth largest employer in the County.
Even as most climbed out of the doldrums following two years of pandemic-related shutdowns, the research showed that the 29 Lincoln County arts and culture organizations:

Generated $50 million of spending in the community, including $15.9 million themselves and $34.2 million by their audiences;
Accounted for 610 jobs, including 221 in their organizations and 389 attributed to their audience’s spending;
Had attendance totaling 667,000 people – 67 percent of whom lived in the county; and
Had audiences spend an average of $50.47 per event — $19 for local residents and $115 for out-of-county visitors.

Lincoln County economic impact of arts organizations. See the full research report here.

Almost every arts organization in the county, in Oregon and across the country closed for all or most of the pandemic. Many folded during that time and most are still struggling to recover. The last legislative session funneled about $7 million to support local arts venues hurt by the pandemic. As a member of the legislative Arts and Culture Caucus, I chief sponsored that bill. But it was a fraction of the amount being requested.

The Arts and Culture Caucus was formed in recognition of the vital role arts and culture play in the livability and prosperity of Oregon communities – and in enriching the lives of Oregonians.

While our tax dollars are spread thin over a number of critical needs, the state needs to do more. The latest state budget largely overlooked the arts, and Oregon’s per-person arts funding is ranked 41st in the nation, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. That’s not good enough. The arts need and deserve a bigger share of the budget.

Private foundations and donors can also help fill in the gap. Individual Oregonians can be part of the solution as well. Show up as audiences. Make a contribution to a local non-profit. And remember that when you do contribute, you can make a matching contribution to the Oregon Cultural Trust and receive a full tax credit.

Learn more about Oregon’s unique Art and Culture Tax Credit.

I’ll say that again. If you donated to any arts, heritage or humanities nonprofits in Oregon this year, you are eligible to direct a greater portion of your taxes—taxes you’re going to pay anyway— to support cultural projects in the state with the Cultural Tax Credit. Oregon is the only state in the country that offers a tax credit for cultural giving. You can receive up to $500 per person.

And add your voices to ours. Because Oregon’s artists deserve a standing ovation.

To read an excellent overview of the Lincoln County presentation, go here.
To read the Lincoln County arts research report, go here.
To read a summary of the Lincoln County findings, go here.

In 2017, I sponsored legislation to help complete the Oregon Coast Trail.

The Trail stretches along the state’s entire 362-mile coastline from Washington to California. And unlike the wilderness experience of the Pacific Crest Trail, coastal hikers trek from hotel to hotel and restaurant to restaurant, supporting beach economies the entire journey. But there are some gaps along the way — disconnected sections of trail that pose safety concerns for hikers.

For example at the Heceta Head tunnel on the central coast, instead of making hikers and bikers navigate the tunnel on Highway 101, the plan sends them inland to walk through the forest then return to the beach.

The view of the coast from a section of the Oregon Coast Trail south of Yachats. Read more in this OPB story.

A plan to better connect pieces of the trail has just been released. The Oregon Coast Trail Action Plan was years in the making. It includes an assessment of current trail conditions and recommendations for improvements, including connecting gaps that exist in the trail.

The Plan says in part,

Traversing Oregon’s dramatic coastline from border to border, the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) travels roughly 400 miles across beaches, forests, and rivers. Much of the trail is on the beach or on hiking trails. However, a significant portion of the OCT follows the shoulders of roads and highways, such as U.S. 101. These gaps in the OCT can feel uncomfortable or unsafe and detract from the hiking experience. Some sections of the trail lack adequate supportive services and facilities, such as camping opportunities and potable water. This Oregon Coast Trail Action Plan (Action Plan) describes how to remedy these gaps in the trail. This plan also addresses ways to improve trail amenities and services along the trail, including mapping and wayfinding, camping, restrooms, water crossing services, and a centralized trail information system.

What we have for hikers along the coast is already a treasure and I look forward to seeing all parts of the trail safely connected.

This Plan is a culmination of over three years of work between the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon Solutions, and FHWA Western Federal Lands. It was guided by the insight of staff from Oregon DOT, the Department of Land Conservation and Development, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tribal governments, coastal cities and counties, Oregon Coast Visitors Association, private businesses, and many dedicated recreation users and advocates who know these trails inside and out.

Oregonians can get 2024 health coverage through January 16, 2024.

If you don’t qualify for the Oregon Health Plan and don’t get health insurance through your job, now through Tuesday, January 16, 2024, is an important time. It’s the only time of year most people can sign up for an individual or family plan to have coverage in 2024.

I understand that health insurance options are often limited in our district.

Get started by visiting the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace Window shopping tool. The tool will allow you to preview programs, plans, and savings available to you; what plans will cover your current doctor; and how much your anticipated costs will be, including refilling your prescriptions.

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace helps connect Oregonians to health coverage and financial help through its federal partners at HealthCare.gov. It’s the only place where you can get financial help on monthly premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. Nearly 80 percent of Oregonians enrolled through the Marketplace in 2023 qualified for financial help. That could be you, too!

Health insurance sold through the Marketplace is coverage offered by trusted insurance companies: Bridgespan, Kaiser Permanente, Moda, PacificSource, Providence, and Regence. Not every company is available in every part the state, but at least five insurance companies and at least 37 plan choices are available everywhere in Oregon.

If you are not currently enrolled through the Marketplace, you must sign up by December 15, 2023 for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2024.

Want help? A health insurance expert can help you, at no cost, apply for financial help and enroll in coverage. You can find an expert near you at OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp.

For more information, visit OregonHealthCare.gov or call 855-268-3767 (toll-free).

The month of November marks the observation of Native Heritage Month. What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose.

This month encourages recognition, celebration, and honoring of the diverse cultures, traditions, histories, contributions, and present-day experiences of Indigenous peoples. The land now known as Oregon is home to Indigenous communities of 70,000 people, descended from more than 380 Tribes, of which 9 are federally recognized.

As settlers on this land, we continue to learn and listen, to better understand and act on our shared responsibility towards restoration and reparations to the oppression endured by Indigenous communities historically and through ongoing impacts of colonization including health inequities and cultural erasure.

Join us this month (and year-round) in learning and taking tangible, material steps in support of Indigenous communities throughout Oregon.

Learn more at:

Oregon is home to nine federally recognized tribes with rich and diverse cultural identities, histories, and connections to this land:

the Burns Paiute Tribe;
the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw;
the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation;
the Coquille Indian Tribe;
the Klamath Tribes;
the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians;
the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation;
the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; and
the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

You can learn more about each of Oregon’s nine tribes by visiting their websites above.

Like every other part of the state, our district needs more housing. People who want to work here cannot find a place to live here. Building more housing, and more affordable housing is a key part of addressing the crisis. And the State has stepped up with more than a billion dollars for housing production, loans to replace aging manufactured homes, and homelessness support.

I talked about these investments Thursday morning when I met with the Lincoln County realtors and I’ll discuss them again Monday (today) at the grand opening of the Helping Hands Outreach Center in Lincoln City which will provide 80 emergency shelter beds and transitional housing.

Our progress on creating more housing needs to continue. But when I talk about building more homes and apartments and shelters, I also talk about the need to expand our drinking water and sewer infrastructure to support it.

In the most simple terms, if clean water isn’t coming out of the tap or dirty water down the drain, you don’t have a livable home. But across our district and the State, water systems in small towns are aging or unprepared to support significant growth. And with the price tag for these projects in the millions, small towns simply can’t afford to pay for them without help.

Tuesday I’ll be hosting the legislative Water Caucus in our district. Roughly 30 legislators and legislative staff will visit some of our success stories and also some of our challenges. The connection between water and housing and local livability is clear. The intent of this tour is to explore solutions. And with the deadline last week for preparing legislation for the 2024 session, I’ll be sponsoring two bills to subsidize local water and sewer in twenty projects across the State with three located here in HD 10.

Speaking at the Arts & Economic Prosperity event Tuesday.

The coming week will be a busy one! I’ll be talking about Veterans at Taft High on Monday, before the Helping Hands opening. Tuesday is the water tour. I’ll join the Lincoln County Economic Resilience Team monthly meeting Wednesday and attend a meeting of Lincoln County Democrats. (Happy to meet with Republicans any time as well!)

Thursday I pour coffee at the Thanksgiving Senior Luncheon in Lincoln City, and then drive to Newport for a Chamber reception. Then I’ll meet with Benton County Democrats. (Still happy to Happy to meet with Republicans any time!)

Friday I’ll be honored to attend the Siletz Tribal Restoration dinner. Saturday I’ll drop in on the Pow Wow before making remarks at the Cultural Center Plaza Activation and then scoot to Yachats for the Cape Perpetua Collaborative Land-Sea Symposium.

Sunday I’ll pour more coffee, this time for the Newport Senior Center Thanksgiving and attend a Chili Cookoff at the Visual Arts Center. Then next Monday I’ll provide a legislative update for Oceanview Senior Living and enjoy lunch with some good folks who bid on a meal with me to support the Newport Symphony.

Being out in the community, talking, and more important, listening, is a critical part of being a representative of that community. I take that responsibility seriously and look forward to listening to you.