U.S. Senate candidates
Boe: nuclear power
necessary in interim
Inflation is the worst problem in the
country today according to State Senator
Jason Boe. The 46-year-old Reedsport
Democrat says inflation hurts middle in
come people and people on fixed incomes
the most.
After almost six years in the State House
of Representatives and four in the State
Senate, Boe has entered the race for
United States senator.
He points to his legislative experience in
the Oregon Legislature, especially his
membership on the Ways and Means
Committee, as his primary qualification.
Inflation should be the main concern of
Congress, he says, and one way to stop
inflation is to eliminate the oil depletion
allowance.
And Boe says there is enough evidence to
bring articles of impeachment against
President Nixon. But he adds, "Any in
cumbent senator or senatorial candidate is
irresponsible whan he says that President
Nixon should be impeached or that he is
guilty.”
Boe does not advocate a drastic reduction
in military spending, but he does feel that
Congress should exercise more control
over the Pentagon. "Cost overruns cannot
be tolerated any longer.” he savs.
And though he prefers geothermal and
solar power, Boe says nuclear power plants
are necessary in the "interim” until those
resources are developed. He favors the
proposed nuclear plant near Boardman on
the Columbia River.
He does not favor logging French Pete. He
wants certain areas of Oregon's forests set
aside for commercial purposes and other
areas set aside for recreational purposes.
Boe supports the national health care plan
recently announced by Senators Wilbur
Mills and Edward Kennedy, and he opposes
the Nixon plan.
But he does not "like the looks" of the tax
cuts advocated by Kennedy and Senator
Walter Mondale.
Jason Boe
Boe's main opponent in the primary is the
73-year-old Wayne Morse.
"Morse has made age an issue in the
campaign," he says.
Boe points to his ability to get along with
others in the Oregon Legislature, and
although Morse has been right on many
issues, Boe says, Morse was not effective
as a senator because he was not able to
coordinate Ns efforts with other senators.
Boe claims he has a better chance to win
the general election. "The biggest factor
against Packwood is that it will take a
physical campaign to beat him," he adds
Boe would like the Senate to end deficil
spending, to lower bank interest rates and
to work more closely with the House ol
Representatives in appropriating money.
Another way to control inflation, Boe
says, is to reorganize Congress.
"Nobody in Congress knows how much
they are spending," he says, "because too
many people have the authority to spend
money."
"We need a strong defense," Boe says.
Vet he explains that Congress cannot
continue "to spend money on planes thai
do not fly."
Boe also favors increased spending on
education. He says that middle income
people are caught in a squeeze. The
children of the wealthy are able to go to
school, and many scholarship programs are
available for the children of the poor.
Mike Dolan
No shows
We were not able to contact the
incumbent. Robert Packwood is
running unopposed in the
Republican primary.
-State Senate candidates
Win gardeducation•,
environment priorities
With the right kind of legislation, Oregon
could enjoy both economic growth and a
clean environment, says Republican
George Winaard inrumhom r-anriidate for
state senator from district 20.
He calls the claims that Oregonians must
choose between growth and environment a
"strawman issue,” pointing out that
Oregon already has the strongest en
vironmental protection laws of any state.
Now the Legislature must work to enforse
those laws and to cooperate with other
states in meeting the Environmental
Protection Agency's standards, he said.
"One example of a good law that Oregon
has but doesn't enforce is the Permit to
Emit law,” Wingard said. "We don't have
the money to enforce it." Lack of funding
plagues many of the would be effective
statutes in Oregon, he said.
He said the legislature has received
pressure from big industry in Oregon to
lessen the severity of some anti-pollution
legislation. "I say 'no' to that," said
Wingard, who, during his one term as state
senator and his one term as a state
representative, has been a strong supporter
of environmental-protection legislation.
Wingard said he would like to see more
money go into higher education in Oregon,
but he doesn't know where it would come
from. He explained the Legislature has two
ways of raising money for a program—it
can create a new source of revenue or it
can take the money from some other
program's funding. "I would tend to
support giving more money to higher
education if the funding came from a new
source," Wingard commented.
One new source of revenue the
Legislature may have in the future is the
Timber-Harvest tax, a tax on log ex
portation. Instead of coming out of the
pockets of Oregonians, that tax money
would come from the out-of-state buyers
of Oregon timber. "And that's the best kind
of tax — the kind the other fella has to pay,"
Wingard said. He added that he would give
higher education a high priority as a
recipient of that tax revenue.
"My priorities for receiving funding are
higher education, environment and primary
and secondary education," said Wingard.
"But not necessarily in that order."
Wingard opposed lowering the legal
drinking age in Oregon to 19. He voted
George Wingard
against both the bill to lower the age limit
and against the referendum. He
acknowledged that most people between
the ages of 18 and 21 probably do drink
Gurjfatbln TheJQng
even though it's illegal, but he said he does
not think that reason enough to make
drinking legal for them.
"Alcoholism is one of the biggest health
problems in the United States today," he
explained. "By keeping the drinking age at
21, society is trying to emphasize that it is a
health problem and young people should
be careful about drinking."
Wingard also opposed legislation to
decriminalize the use and possession of
small amounts of marijuana. He explained
that the Legislature "went far enough"
when it changed possession of the drug
from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Although he is a landlord himself,
Wingard supported the tenant rights
legislation that was passed in the past
session. He said the landlords who are
grouping together to lobby against that
legislation in the next session are making
amistake, adding that they should give the
new legislation a chance to work before the
make judgements about it.
Garrett: aid for mothers
for a shift in the burden
dim (jarrett, a Democratic candidate for
House district 20, promises to work for "a
shift in the burden of taxation" and for
strict limitations on financing of public
campaigns.
Garrett says he supports a McCall-type tax
plan, which would call for an end to
William Garrett
property-tax financing of education. He
also believes that redistribution of the tax
burden would take the load off of middle
income people and "plug up the
loopholes."
Garrett also supports strict limitations on
the amount of money spent in political
campaigns. His specific plan calls for fixing
a certain dollar value to each signature on a
petition to make candidates eligible for the
primary. This would then be given to the
candidate for campaign expenses, with
private contributions deducted from state
funds. This way, $10,000 in contributions
would be $10,000 less from the govern
ment.
Concerning local issues, Garret says he
opposes nuclear power plants because they
are 'inherently dangerous.” He would push
for formation of an energy commission
independent of the power producers, who
Garrett says should be developing present
means of power or safer alternatives such
as geo-thermal or solar power.
Garrett is also concerned about
population growth. He supports
"redoubled efforts" in Planned Paren
thood, and more clinics for this purpose. He
says growth in this area can be slowed
down by "attracting only environmentally
sound industries," and by giving "high
priority" to planning for overall land use.
A Eugene resident. Garret graduated from
the University with a degree in philosophy.
He was on the first OSPIRG board of
directors, helped found the Oregon chapter
of Americans for Democratic Action, was a
1972 campaign administrator for Wayne
Morse and co-chairer of the fourth district
Coalition for Impeachment. Garrett is the
only candidate in his race to be endorsed by
the Women's Political Caucus.