Six bid for labor, school positions
By LESLIE RATLEY
Of the Emerald
Every four years the governor’s race receives much
attention in Oregon, but voters are also asked to decide
on two other state-wide races — superintendent of public
instruction and labor commissioner.
Three people have currently filed to run for superin
tendent of public instruction, which is a non-partisan of
' State Sen. Fred Heard of Klamath Falls and Ruth
McFarland, a biological sciences instructor at
Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, are challeng
ing incumbent Verne Duncan, Milwaukie, for the
position that supervises educational decisions from kin
dergarten to community colleges.
According to reports all three candidates stressed
the need for more emphasis on learning basic skills in the
primary levels so people will be prepared for a vocation or
higher education.
Heard criticized the incumbent for not providing
enough coordination between districts and letting the
communities “drift."
He cited the controversial minimum graduation re
quirements for high schools, saying "The state mandate
is in a shambles, there is no effort to find programs that
are good and spread the ideas around to other schools.'
In response Duncan felt "the state shouldn t be die
tatorial. I think the districts should run their own show. We
just hand down general rules, but we do make an effort to
coordinate the programs, and I think the coordination is
fantastic. Oregon is way ahead of other states.
Duncan felt the charges leveled at him were just
“political rhetoric."
Duncan said neitner ot nis two up^nems wuu.u Hua,
ify for a position as a principal — an experience he feels is
vital for properly fulfilling the duties of the office. He em
phasized that everyday he deals with situations where he
draws on his experiences as a principal, as well as service
in various other county positions.
However, Heard feels uniquely qualified for the posi
tion due to his “vast experience in all levels of committee
work in the Legislature.”
McFarland was not available for comment.
In the race for labor commissioner, two Republicans
and a Democrat have currently filed.
Democrat W.R. Shuck and Republican Emery Hun
toon were unavailable for comment, but Republican John
Smets expressed great concern the State Accident In
surance Fund (SAIF, workman’s compensation). He said
the fund is not managed properly adding the attitude
taken is one of "Well, the money’s there, so why not use
it?”
Smets emphasized the need to protect manufactur
ers from “rip-offs” from SAIF. He said every time a claim is
made the insurance rates increase, affecting business by
either putting them out of business or driving their prices
up — causing higher consumer costs.
He also stressed the importance of developing summer
jobs for city and farm children. He said “Kids ought to be
allowed to work in the fields during the summer to
keep them out of mischief.”
Incumbent to seek District 39 re-election
By TOM JACKSON
‘ , Of the Emerald
State Rep. Grattan Kerans,
D-Eugene, Tuesday announced
he will seek re-election to the
Oregon House District 39 seat,
and he also announced a plan to
ease Oregon taxpayer’s burden
by about $75 million annually.
Kerans, 37, revealed a plan to
allow taxpayers to deduct up to
$400 from their taxable income to
n=
combat the effects of inflation.
Citing a legislative surplus in
general fund money that was used
during the 1977 legislative ses
sion for increases in the state’s
Homeowner-Renter Relief Pro
gram and a new elderly weatheriza
tion tax credit, Kerans said the
surplus is obtained by the state
taxing people for more money be
cause of cost of living pay in
creases.
The plan, which would allow up
to $40 in reduced taxes would be
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“We’ve been getting tax re
venue in this way for years,” Ke
rans said, “and it’s nice to have.
But it just isn't fair.”
Kerens’ plan would make the
tax deduction dependent on the
Portland Consumer Price Index
(CPI). According to Kerens, the
proposal would add two lines to
the state tax form allowing voters
to subtract their total taxable in
come by whatever is the increase
in the Portland CPI.
“Each of us in the labor force
gets increases to keep up with in
lation," Kerans said. “That in
crease leaves you exactly even as
ar as purchasing power is con
cerned.”
Because the state taxes the in
crease in pay, the taxpayer can't
<eep up with inflation Kerans, a
two-term legislator, added.
“It’s doubley bad when you’re
not quite keeping up with inflation
and still being taxed," he said.
Kerans said a Republican plan
to use the budget surpluses
caused by inflation to fund school
finance plans is “a rank piece of
political chicanery and is the most
transparent sham I’ve ever seen.”
Kerans, the owner ot a tugene
publishing company, said his
proposal would force the legisla
ture to “have a tighter budget.''
Citing his legislative record in
property tax relief, school support,
energy conservation, criminal jus
tice, senior citizen legislation and
government accountability, Ke
rans said, “I believe an examina
tion of my record and the ap
proach I will be taking on the is
sues recommend me for re
election.
Kerans is the only democrat
who has yet filed for the office.
‘Public utility’ threatens PP&L
By KATHLEEN MONJE
Of the Emerald
County residents started a
campaign to replace Pacific
Power and Light (PP&L) with a
publicly owned utility company
Tuesday.
The Committee for an Emerald
People’s Utility District (CEPUD)
hopes to collect enough petition
signatures to get a citizens’ initia
tive on the November 1978 gen
eral election ballot.
They plan to circulate petitions
in eight separate areas of the
county now served by PP&L —
Cottage Grove, Creswell, Veneta,
Coburg, Junction City, Lowell and
Dexter, and two rural areas.
“We know we’ll have tremend
ous opposition from PP&L," says
Douglas Still, Cottage Grove
CEPUD member. “We expect
quite a fight from them, but we
think we can win.”
Still says a recent Supreme
Court ruling that no industry or pri
vate utility has preferential rights
over a public utility to cheaper
federal power encouraged the
committee to make its petition
drive.
Richard Eymann, CEPUD co
chairer says “Reallocation of the
cheap federal hydropower is the
top priority of the U.S. government
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should have the same priority, be
cause if we are going to have pub
lic power in Oregon, the time is
now or never.”
A CEPUD statement said the
Oregon Department of Energy
concluded that an Emerald public
utility district was feasible after
hearings held in 1976. The de
partment also said power for such
a district would be available from
the federal hydroelectric system
by 1983, if not before.
“PP&L rates are already 50
percent higher than public utility
rates, and they will continue to rise
as more thermal power is used,”
Still says.
Petitions are available in the
University Survival Center, which
is supporting the effort.
“Public utilities are definitely the
way we have to go in this state,”
says Janet Gillaspie, Survival
Center director.
“The large corporate com
panies don’t have the best in
terests of their customers at
heart,” Gillaspie says. “Public
utilities put decisions back in the
people’s hands.”
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PO Box 10154
Eugene, Oregon 97401
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342 2210 484 2441
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