Oregon daily emerald., March 10, 1978, Page 9, Image 9

University student goes for state rep
By DINA MILES
Of the Emerald
Citing several objections to the
.voting record of the incumbent, a
University student has entered the
democratic race for state rep
resentative in District 36.
Gill Thomas, a 25-year-old
senior in political science who
worked as an intern at a Salem
legislative office and as a staff
member during the 1975 legisla
tive session, has filed to run
against Rep. Mae Yih of Albany.
Thomas, who lives in Albany
and commutes twice a week to the
University for classes, says a
major objection to Yih's policies is
“the way she handles her office
and her voting record.”
Specifically, he cited her two
time rejection of HB 2702, a bill
which proposed to make student
evaluation of faculty members
open to the public. He says he
believes the evaluation should
mandatorily become accessible to
students, which differs from the
current policy of allowing univer
sity and college presidents to de
cide if the Evaluations are to be
made public.
He says students who examine
the evaluations can make better
decisions about which courses
and instructors would seem most
beneficial to them. He believes the
investment students make in
higher education would be better
served if they were allowed to re
view the evaluations.
Thomas says he also objects to
Yih’s rejection of HB 2227, a bill
which would limit excess profits of
utilities, as well as her vote to
eliminate the budget of the state
Department of Environmental
Quality after it began an investiga
tion of the worker health and
safety conditions of Teledyne
Wah Chang, an Albany mineral re
finery.
“Mrs. Yih is not an effective
voice — but a negative voice —
representing that district’s consti
tuency,” he says. “That consti
tuency may have been better off
without that representative.”
Thomas says he wants to return
the state government to the form
of “advise and consent,” in which
the elected officials are more ac
countable to their constituents
and they listen to citizen sugges
tions.
People in Oregon, he explains,
have come to expect elected offi
cials to be accessible to them, but
he says many officials have
moved away from that expecta
tion.
“You ought not to be afraid of
people’s ideas," he says. “It’s a
partnership.”
Thomas says Yih’s own record
of accessiblity was particularly
disturbing to him as a constituent.
"Most of the time I didn’t know
where she was coming from. Most
other people didn’t know where
she was coming from. I believe it's
abosolutely esssential to have a
person you can count on.”
Thomas also harbors a strong
belief in accountability in state
government and he would like
every bill presented during legisla
tive session to be accountable for
hearing and testimony in commit
tees. Many bills do not reach
committee discussion he says,
especially at the end of the ses
sion when the workload is espe
cially heavy.
Thomas was a member of the
University Democrats and worked
with the ASUO on legislative mat
ters.
For three years he assumed
various volunteer community ser
vice duties as a conscientious ob
jector when he was chosen for
selective service. He served an in
ternship last fall in Albany for the
Linn County commissioners.
Thomas said his campaign is
“low budget,” and he will conduct
it primarily on a door-to-door
basis. Persons interested in the
campaign may write to Thomas at
Route 1, Box 258, Albany. 97321,
or call 928-8708.
City Council
(Continued from Page 8)
Williams, is sought by Gretchen
Miller and Jade Douglas McKay.
Miller, a Eugene attorney, has
lived in Eugene since 1971 and
graduated from the University’s
Law School. She has been active
in the Laurel Hill Neighborhood,
serving on the Transportation
Network Committee and the Ex
ecutive Committee.
“I am running," she says, "be
cause I want to help preserve that
congenial environment that
makes Eugene unique."
She believes city government
should emphasize a strong, well
balanced economy and encour
age regional industries, while re
maining responsive to individuals
and their neighborhoods.
McKay is a partner in McKay
Investment Co., among whose
assets is the Oakway Mall. He is
running because, “Eugene has
been good to me and I'd like to
return the favor." He sees the
need to change some people's at
titudes" so job opportunities,
especially for youth, are readily
available.
Bill Hamel, incumbent Ward 5
and Eric Haws, incumbent Ward
6, are lone bidders for those two
positions.
Hamel, manager of outside
sales for Farwest Steel Corp., is
president of the present city coun
cil and is running for reelection.
“The first time around, you’re just
getting your feet on the ground,"
he said. He wants to see con
tinued downtown development
further his involvement in the bat
tle against Lane regional air pollu
>\
PSYCHIC
Advises on business.
love & personal direction
Jamil
P O Box 10154
Eugene. Oregon 97401
Phone anytime:
342 2210 484 2441
tion. He stresses he is not in favor
of a third term and is not a politi
cian, but just wants to “see some
good things done for the people of
Eugene.”
Haws, a local attorney, is run
ning again and sees the council as
“becoming more and more con
servative and less and less con
cerned with civil rights.” Citing this
as “deplorable,” he feels he
needs to stay on to maintain a
"balance” on the council. He also
says he would like some student
involvement in his ward and in his
campaign.
Two Eugene Water and Electric
Board (EWEB) seats will also be
determined by the May primary. At
press time, only two persons have
filed — John Bartels for the seat
encompassing Wards 4 and 5 and
Calvin Schmidt for the At-Large
position.
Bartels, a researcher and jour
nalist in the fields of electric
energy, utilities, economics and
environment, has worked in the
local, state and congressional
arenas as a reporter, administra
tive assistant and consumer and
environmental advocate.
I
* HOT SPECIALS EVERY DAY!
4*
4*
4*
4*
*
4*
4*
*
4*
*
*
4*
*
from
THE FACULTY CLUB
A New Choice For Lunch
Fast
Service!
V
Soup de jour and
half sandwich
$1.65
Open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday of Finals Week
Students, Faculty, Public Welcome
Across from the E.M.U.
*►
*
*
*»
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Come celebrate St. Patricks Day Early
IRISH
BEERFEST
presented by
EMU Program Office and EMU Food Service
Complete
with
Music by
THE IRISH
MUSIC
WORKSHOP
Irish Stew
Soda Bread
, Baked
Potatos
, and Beer
Extended Hours for this Extravaganza
„ March 10 4-7:30 pm
EMC Patio r ID REQCIRED