    
  |
|
|
|
District
41: Ex-mayor Jeff Miller Challenges incumbent Vicki Walker.
News
Briefs: Glownia vs. Torrey | Nader
Town | The 2000 Symposium | R-G Avoids
Hearings | Slick Tactics
Happening
People: Ellen Schlesinger, writer.
District 41
Ex-mayor Jeff Miller
challenges
incumbent Vicki Walker.
By Aria Seligmann
It had looked like a shoe-in for Vicki Walker, the Democratic first-term representative
to the state Legislature. Walker, a court reporter who has made her mark during her
freshman term with groundbreaking legislation on teen suicide prevention and pesticide
reporting, is now facing challenger Jeff Miller in her bid for re-election.
Miller, a Republican and a 58-year-old insurance agent who works with employee benefit
programs, is a former Eugene mayor and city councilor. He was placed on the ballot
through the efforts of an organized write-in campaign, and hopes to promote what
he calls a "bipartisan" mission in Salem to get things accomplished.
To date, Miller says he has raised more than $120,000 ($104,109 was reported Oct.
9), compared to Walker's last reported $49, 766. Although Miller says most of his
contributions have come from "individuals who've given $2 to $25," his
contributions have also included larger donations: $12,100 from the House Republican
Leadership; $10,000 from Oregon Forest Industries PAC and locally, $1,000 from each
of the following: Carolyn Chambers of Chambers Communications Corp., Alan Yordy (head
of Sacred Heart Medical Center), Wildish Sand and Gravel, the Pape Group and Seneca
Jones and Timber Co.
Walker's major contributions include $12,468 from the Oregon Education Association,
$4,000 from the Oregon Public Employee's Union and $6,000 from the campaign fund
of House Democratic leader Dan Gardner.
Despite a few similarities, Walker and Miller differ on some key issues. Walker is
for campaign finance reform, Miller is against it. Walker is for Measure 94, which
would repeal Measure 11, the "first-strike-and-you're-out law" that imposes
harsh sentences on youth who are first-time offenders. Miller is against it, saying,
"Mandatory sentencing has helped."
Miller and Walker both agree that education is Oregon's top priority. "A child
should be reading at grade level or at their ability level and if not we need to
give resources so they will. If kids can read they can learn," says Miller.
Walker says "education is far and away the top issue" in the district as
well as the state.
In addition to agreeing on education, both say they are against Measure 9, the OCA-sponsored
measure that would restrict discussion of homosexuality in public schools.
Walker says "definitely no on Measure 9" and Miller says he is very much
opposed to it. "I don't believe in discrimination against anyone," he says.
"We need to make sure we're a welcoming community for everybody."
Yet, when questioned by the Oregon Family Council in a recent survey, Miller's answers
were: "Yes" (with qualifications) that he is pro-life opposed to legalize
abortion; "Yes" (with qualifications) that he favors parental notification
for teen abortion; "Yes" that he is opposed to gay rights legislation;
no answer on whether or not he's opposed to gay marriages; "No" to favoring
education vouchers and "Yes," on favoring taxpayers keeping the refund
"kicker." Walker, who declined to answer the survey, has a note by her
name saying she is "endorsed by Basic Rights (a homosexual rights organization)
and NARAL."
"My opponent talks like a Democrat, but he's a Republican," says Walker.
Miller believes being a Republican could help with bipartisan support for education
and he believes he has consensus building experience from serving as mayor of Eugene.
"I'm not enamored with what I see in the state Legislature on either side of
the aisle. Things could get done if we would stop trying to embarrass or upstage
one another."
But Walker says that's a pipe dream. "When he gets to Salem they're going to
tell him what to think," she says. "I watched them strip down Lynn Lundquist
because he asked for money for education. Republicans get knocked down for education.
Now they're all out there campaigning on education as if they were the saviors. Well
they're not. Take a look at their voting record."
Walker doesn't believe another Republican is needed in the Legislature. "Last
session they were responsible for underfunding education and now all the school districts
have to pass local option measures. It's a patchwork across the state of underfunded
districts."
Walker also says the Republicans "haven't been there" on healthcare. "They
wanted to sunset the Oregon Health Plan. It's very clear they're not doing what's
in the best interest of Oregonians," she says.
But Miller says he's a strong proponent for looking at the state's healthcare industry
and not "just to prop up my own business" but to ensure adequate coverage
for all. Walker is
dubious. "My opponent is not going to be the messiah for the Republican Party,"
she says.
Last session, Walker was the chief sponsor for HB 3602, the Pesticide Use Reporting
Act. That bill was only the third of its kind in the country (New York and California
have such bills). Walker says the bill was "highly contentious" and says
it was probably her "finest achievement" last session.
Walker is also responsible for passing the bill making suicide prevention a priority.
"It's the second leading cause of death for young people in our state,"
she says. She is currently working on a transportation bill that would potentially
cut down on the number of automobile accidents, the first leading cause of deaths
among youth in Oregon.
Walker is also working on bills involving the aeronautics industry and administrative
rules. "People didn't elect me to sit down and do nothing. There's no reason
to change horses now," she says.
Back to Top
 |
|
Michael Glownia
. |
|
Glownia vs. Torrey
Michael Glownia, who came in a distant second for mayor in last May's primary, hasn't
given up. He's launched an energetic write-in campaign in the hopes of beating incumbent
Mayor Jim Torrey.
In last May's primary, Torrey received 26, 992 votes, or 37 percent of registered
voters. He's listed as the only candidate on the November ballot. Because he's running
unopposed, he only needs to get one vote to win, unless, of course, a write-in candidate
should get more votes. Michael Glownia hopes to be that person.
Torrey's showing in the May primary was "not a landslide, not a mandate,"
says Glownia.
Glownia says that Torrey is backed by big business and is out of touch with what
most Eugeneans want. Glownia, who is a single father of two, a poet who volunteers
at Station 7 homeless shelter and a board member of Planned Parenthood, wants to
be the voice of the people. He favors encouraging, supporting and subsidizing sustainable
businesses, campaign finance reform and the city of Eugene moving to an in-house
legal staff. He also would like to do something about the high cost of housing by
looking at rent control measures. Police issues and youth programs are also high
on Glownia's list of priorities.
Before, many questioned Glownia's ability to be mayor as a full-time working single
parent. But just after Labor Day, he was laid off from his sales position at Office
Max. Not only did that free up his time, but he says it raised his consciousness
about the role of corporations and the dependency they create in people's lives.
Glownia has been endorsed by three of the other candidates from the May primary:
Lazar Makyadath, Alexa Doty and Uria Murray. In the May primary, he was endorsed
by The Sierra Club, The Oregon League of Conservation Voters and Eugene Weekly.
In order for a candidate to be official counted as a write-in vote: the ballot must
read specifically: "City of Eugene. Mayor. Michael Glownia." -- AS
Nader
Town
Eugene is a Ralph Nader stronghold.
While Nader polled about 1 percent nationwide when he stood for president in 1996,
he won 8 percent of the vote in Eugene. In six precincts in the Whiteaker neighborhood
and near the UO, the Nader vote topped 20 percent. In 11 of the city's 57 precincts,
Nader polled better than 16 percent. In 32 of the precincts he did better than 5
percent.
This year, local Nader campaigners predict an even bigger turnout for the anti-corporate
crusader. Nader is now running actively for president rather than just "standing"
as the Green Party nominee.
Richard Alevizor of the local Nader campaign predicts the Nader vote will top 50
percent in the six strong 1996 Nader precincts. People recognize Nader stands for
integrity while Gore "will say anything to get elected," he says. In some
Eugene neighborhoods there's far more Nader lawn signs than Gore signs. "Maybe
they're afraid to put them [Gore signs] out because it's so embarrassing," Alevizor
says.
Oregon in general is a strong Nader state. Nader won 4 percent of the state vote
in 1996. Lane County narrowly trailed Multnomah County with a 6 percent Nader vote.
-- AP
The
2000 Symposium
Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet, will join B.J. Harris
and other nationally noted speakers at the Fourth Annual Sustainable Business Symposium
at UO Nov. 3— 5.
The SBS has grown to become the West Coast's largest sustainable business confab
covering environmentally and socially responsible business practices.
Harris, co-founder of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, will arrive early for the
conference and give a free talk at 7 pm Wednesday, Nov. 1, at McNail Riley House,
13th and Jefferson. She joins a panel discussion at SBS Saturday morning.
Friday evening's opening address will focus on sustainability in Oregon, with Tom
Kelly speaking on the Oregon Business Association and his company's business practices.
His company has integrated The Natural Step principles into its new headquarters
so that it requires just 50 percent of the energy costs of a comparable structure.
The framing lumber is from forests certified as sustainable, the flooring is biodegradable,
and the landscaping uses native plants. Kelly will be followed by Jennifer Allen,
Oregon Economic and Community Development Department's sustainable business liaison
speaking on Gov. Kitzhaber's executive order for sustainability.
Saturday afternoon features presentations by Lappé; Sanford Lewis, strategic
counsel for corporate accountability; and John Haugland, a regional economist for
the EPA. Sunday afternoon will conclude with Michael Ableman speaking about sustainable
agriculture and urban farming, in tandem with a locally produced lunch catered by
the Lane County Food Coalition.
Panel discussions will follow three general tracks: business, agriculture/forestry,
and education. Specifics can be found at www.uoregon.edu/~sbs
or by requesting a program schedule at 346-0670.
For the third year, the Willamette Valley Business Alliance and the Institute for
Sustainable Ethics and Economics will offer a full-day workshop Friday based on The
Natural Step. The workshop is designed to assist government, business, communities
and individuals in thinking and planning strategies for a sustainable future. For
costs and other information contact the ISEE at 431-0773 or visit www.naturalstep.org
Register-Guard
Avoids Hearings
The Eugene Newspaper Guild and The Register-Guard settled four unfair labor
practice charges just before the matter was to go to public hearings Oct. 24.
"Under this agreement, the Guild retained the right of workers to be represented
by the Guild, as well as our freedom of speech in the workplace," says Suzi
Prozanski, Eugene Newspaper Guild president. "The Guild was prepared to go to
trial. The NLRB had a good case against the company. We only dropped the charges
in exchange for major movement on very important contract issues."
The R-G did not issue a public statement and declined an EW invitation
to comment.
Under the agreement, the Guild retains jurisdiction, which is the right to represent
workers, and the Guild has agreed to share joint jurisdiction with the Eugene Typographical
Union in some areas. The company also agreed to continue paying part-timers equivalent
wages for the same work as full-timers.
On the solicitation policy, the Guild agreed to stop handing out literature in mailboxes
and in-boxes in exchange for bigger bulletin boards with slots available for literature
distribution. The R-G gave up its proposal to remove the lunchroom bulletin board
and its proposal that would give the publisher the right to remove materials from
bulletin boards.
The settlement also included agreement on major portions of the Guild contract that
are related to the charges.
"We still have a long way to go in bargaining," says Prozanski. "There
are a lot company proposals still on the table. We hope that this signals a shift
in the way the company is bargaining with the Guild."
The R-G is still proposing to freeze or cut wages for nearly one-third of
Guild employees. Details of sales incentive plans are also on the table. Some health
care issues still need to be resolved, including the Guild's proposal to extend benefits
to domestic partners.
The Guild has been working without a contract for about 550 days.
Slick
Tactics
CA glossy 16-page voters' guide called "26 Ballot Measures Made Simple"
has arrived in Eugene area mailboxes, supposedly brought to us by previously unknown
groups called the "Oregon Homeowners Association, Oregon Family Farm Association,
and The Association of Oregon Small Businesses."
The guide, bulk mailed from Portland, has no return address, no contact information
for the groups listed and is simply signed "Executive Committee, 2000 Voter
Guide."
The guide takes conservative (some would say "extreme") positions in favor
of Measures 88, 91, 92, 93 and 98, 2 and 7. The source of the information is being
debated widely on radio talk shows.
"Who are these groups that no one has ever heard of, groups that aren't registered
as PACs with the secretary of state's office?" asks Evan Manvel of 1000 Friends
of Oregon in an alert to members.
Manvels says radio station KPAM (860-AM) "reported Larry George, the director
of Oregonians In Action, is behind this sham report. George and his 'Oregon Family
Farm PAC' may have created these other two front groups to deceive the voters."
-- TJT
Back to Top
 
Ellen Schlesinger
Trained as a painter in her native New York and in Paris, Ellen Schlesinger
became a writer in 1970, the moment she hit the West Coast. "I wrote a piece
about coming to California -- the culture shock," she says. "It was published
as an op-ed in The New York Times." Schlesinger wrote art criticism for
Bay Area publications until 1994, when she and her journalist husband retired to
Eugene's Whiteaker neighborhood. "I love Eugene -- it's the perfect place to
be a gardener," she says. "We have the best nurseries in the state."
Besides her own gardening, Schlesinger writes for Fine Gardening and other green-thumb
journals. She came up with the idea for a neighborhood plant sale in 1998 -- sale
proceeds brought public tai chi lessons to Scobert Gardens park the following summer.
This year's sale, with donations from 11 nurseries, made $1,000 to sponsor neighborhood
activities. "Ellen is an incredibly knowledgable writer," says Chris Donahue
of Down to Earth. "She has a real commitment to people and community."
Look for an updated third edition of Schlesinger's popular Gaga Gardener's Guide
to Nearby Nurseries in April 2001.
-- Paul Neevel
Happenin' People Archives
Nominate A Happenin' Person
Table of Contents
| News
& Views
| Arts
& Entertainment
Classifieds | Personals
| EW
Archive
|