As a single mom, I know we’re all feeling the pinch of rising costs. Gas prices, groceries, and rent are eating into our paychecks. Meanwhile, the largest corporations — those making over $25,000,000 in Oregon — are making it worse through price-gouging and barely paying any taxes back into the community they use to make their record profits.

Measure 118 seeks to change that by implementing a modest tax on these corporations and rebating the new revenue directly to residents who’ve lived in the state for more than 200 days. The math is simple: a family of four would receive $6,400 every year — $1,600 per person, including children. That would mean a combined rebate in Bend will be about $167,291,200 (population 104,557) and in Deschutes County $333,620,800 (population 208,513).

What would this money mean for regular families? I’ve asked people directly, and their answers aren’t surprising: paying down credit card debt, student loans, or handling car repairs. They’d buy groceries to feed their families, making ends meet just a little easier. Here is a direct quote.

“For years, we’ve had to put off essential home repairs and opportunities for our kids because we couldn’t afford them. I love my work but the constant financial strain has kept me working nonstop. It takes a toll on my health. $6,400 every year would relieve a lot of pressure, enabling me to be more present with my family and more effective for the caregivers I support in the ABC Dementia Course & Community.” — Laura Herman of Jacksonville

But here’s where the corporate giants come in. They’re spending millions to convince us that this tax will hurt us, claiming they’ll pass the cost on to consumers. Don’t be fooled. The tax increase for these billion-dollar corporations will be marginal: for every dollar over $25 million, they will have to pay three more pennies. These are the same corporations that already make record profits while outsourcing jobs and cutting wages. The idea that this tax will somehow break their business model is absurd.

In fact, just 1.8% of all corporations would be impacted by Measure 118. And yet, the result would be huge. If passed, it would cut childhood poverty by a quarter or more. And it would pour nearly $7 billion back into the state’s economy. That’s money that will support small, local businesses, like restaurants, child care providers, or tailors.

Measure 118 holds greedy corporations accountable while allowing hard-working families to catch their breath. Every year, $6,400 could be the difference between barely getting by and actually getting ahead. And let’s not forget, this rebate goes to everyone — including kids. That means real, tangible relief for every household.

The corporations backing ads against this measure want us to stay scared and cynical, but we know better. Measure 118 is a step toward a fairer economy where those who profit most from our state give back, and Oregon families can finally catch a break. Let’s vote for fairness and put money back where it belongs — into the hands of the people.