O'Conner:
—U.S. Senate candidates—
going to spy for the American people
Running for U.S. Senator, Robert
O'Conner would like to give states a cut of
federal income taxes, slow down the
country's trend toward socialism and
control wage increases.
O'Conner, a 51-year-old Democrat, is a
utility construction lineman for Portland
General Electric in Salem. He is financing
his own campaign.
"I'm for decentralizing this government.
There's too much waste, there's too much
lost contact with people," O'Conner says.
"I'm going to Washington D.C. to de
legisiate. I'm going to be a spy for the
American people."
Although he says he does not know how
to introduce a bill, O'Conner believes he
should run for office because he feels he
represents some important sentiments.
Returning a certain percentage of federal
income taxes to states is the tax scheme
O'Connor favors. He thinks this will be a
trend in upcoming years, and wants to help
put tax revenues back in the hands of local
government, rather than Congress. "The
less they (Congress) have, maybe the
better they'd do with what they have,"
O'Connor says.
O'Connor would also like to cut the
defense budget, and redistribute those tax
dollars to state governments. He supports
NATO, however, saying, "I’d keep
Americans in Germany as long as there was
an American or a German." He would also
like to maintain the capacity for an airstrike
anywhere in the world, because "I don't
trust the Communists, and I don't trust the
Japanese."
Returning to a strong free enterprise
economy, rather than continuing toward
socialism, would be another of O'Connor's
goals in office. "I think we're practically a
socialist country right now. Private industry
is well qualified to take care of our needs
for energy and food," he says.
Fruitful cooperation between en
vironmentalists and industry, rather than
competition, is one thing O'Connor would
like to develop. Although he doesn't want
to regulate industry too much, he thinks
industries such as the oil industry must be
regulated to keep from hurting smaller
businesses.
O'Connor would like to see a multiple-use
policy in using public lands, "but I don't
want the cattlemen to be pushed out."
To fight inflation, O'Conner would like to
limit wage increases. Families with an
income below $10,000 and other low or
fixed income groups should be exempt
from these regulations, however, he says.
The economy is seriously ill, O'Connor
thinks. He is afraid that bread riots may
happen in America this summer, if food
stamps aren't distributed more freely and if
disturbances aren't dealt with "quickly and
severely.” When he heard of increased
police powers in President Nixon's
proposed revision of the Federal Criminal
Code, he said, "Maybe they also see
something like this coming and want to
repress it."
O'Connor says he would not call for the
impeachment or resignation of President
Nixon. "I think President Nixon is guilty
only of what he says he is." He thinks the
impeachment proceedings are being done
to gain political advantage.
Speaking about his chances of winning
the seat, O'Connor says, "I can't lose, even
if I only get 500 votes. Because of my
attitude. I think this campaign has helped
me grow."
Peter Mead
State Senate candidates
Craig: state action on fluoridation
Jack Craig
In his campaign for the state senate district 20
position, Jack Craig points to his previous service as
a legislator in 1971-72. He represented all of Lane
under the old legislative apportionment plan.
Craig feels that as a "working legislator" he has
better understanding of legislative functions than
those who have never been in the Legislature.
"District 20 will need a working Democrat with
working experience," Craig said.
Recently Craig has worked as an assistant to the
Speaker of the House, Richard Eymann.
The growing clamor for a moratorium on the
building of nuclear power plants is supported by
Craig. He wants more testing done on
the long range effects of nuclear power and the
inherent safety hazards. He also pointed to a study
which showed that the power was financially un
" feasible. "In almost every way it seems to cost more
than it is worth," he said.
Craig is also an advocate of a lower drinking age
"As the father of three teenage boys, I can't really
see the sense in imposing this artificial prohibition,
especially when it still doesn't stop them from
drinking."
The problem of taxation, adequate and just
taxation, is an ever present issue. Craig sees two
possible solutions; an increase in bustness property
taxes and a raise in the corporate income tax.
"Oregon's corporate tax is one of the smallest in
the country. Washington is proposing a 12 per cent
tax while Oregon's is only about six per cent," Craig
said.
He said McCall's tax plan lost because people did
not understand it and because industry mounted a
heavy campaign against it. "The public didn't realize
what a good plan it was until after they had voted it
down."
Fluoridation has again surfaced to the forefront of
public interest. Craig believes that the floridation
issue is being handled exactly opposite to what it
should be "Before any kind of statewide com
pliance, the Legislature should act on it." He con
tinued,"Fluoridation is a too emotion charged issue
for the agency to handle."
As a representative and assistant to the speaker,
Craig has heard many campaign promises. He can
also recall many soon forgotten after the election. He
is not running "to satisfy my ego" but vows to carry
out his promises or not make them.
Dan Sheahon
Whitehead: aid for mothers
The lack of women, especially
Republican women, in the Senate is one
of the reasons Shirley Whitehead is making
her bid for the district 20 Senate seat.
Whitehead, wife of State Rep. Wayne
Whitehead, claims that women have asked
for responsibilities but haven't taken their
share.
She would like to see some legislation to
aid women in their attempt at a new life
style.
One thing she would like to see, is some
kind of assistance for mothers who have
dropped out of the working world to raise
their children. Mothers, she thinks, like
veterans, are often obliged to drop out in
order to serve society; and they deserve
some kind of aid in getting back into the
working world. She envisions something
along the lines of the G.l. bill.
Whitehead thinks the Legislature should
pressure the schools to revise their text
books. Her children bring home textbooks
showing the mother in the home while the
father is in the shop, the girl standing
around with her hands folded while the boy
Shirley Whitehead
does the important chores. She says she
has "one daughter who will come out with
an inferiority complex unless they do
something about it now.”
She says that the schools say the
publishers don't have any other kind of
books but that this isn't a viable excuse.
Whitehead says that there are probably a
lot of students at the University who could
write texts. The Legislature would be in a
position to influence school policy, since 35
per cent of the schools' funding comes
from state levels.
Whitehead is also concerned about en
vironmental issues. She says rivers can be,
cleaned up now with existing laws if the,
laws were enforced. But there have been,
problems, she says. The agencies there
to enforce the laws claim to be un
derstaffed. Whitehead reports that Boise
Cascade in Albany was closed down
because it lacked pollution-control devices.
She says that Oregon is one of the
cleanest states, but that we cannot dump
the full load on the consumer.
With respect to nuclear power plants,
Whitehead says the studies haven't proven
that they do much damage and we are in
need of additional energy. But she thinks
that the Willamette valley is no place to put
nuclear power plants.
She believes we should encourage the
development of solar energy driven cars.
"We've got to diversify now," she says.
She says that she is starting to recycle at
home, but that recycling should be started
at the county level.
As far as abortion goe6, Whitehead
generally favors liberalization of the laws,
but with some reservations. "The only
thing I see that's really sad about abortion,"
she says, "is that it is being used as a birth
control method."
With respect to the gay liberation issue,
she says that if you keep it at home it's fine
but it isn't the kind of thing you should
flaunt.
Whitehead, a native of Brookings,
Oregon, attended school at the University
and in San Francisco. She has been a
precinct committee woman for two
precincts; an alternate to the 1972
Republican convention; legislative assistant
and campaign manager for her husband.
State Rep. Wayne Whitehead; publicity
chairer for the P.Y.A.; treasurer of the
Emerald Home and Garden Club, and a
member of the school advisory board.
Gale Rohde