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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1978)
Measure 4 backers to counter ‘false ads’ By CATHERINE SIEGNER Of the Emerald Supporters of Ballot Measure 4 are disgusted with their oppo nents advertising tactics, W.C. Harris, Oregon Grangemaster, said Monday in Eugene. Harris, Ken Fitzgerald, editor of the Farmer's Union and Grange newsletters and Dwyte Wilson, executive vice-president of the Oregon-Washington Farmer s Union appeared at a Harris Hall AND LOOK AT THE BARGAINS WE DISCOVERED IN OUR WAREHOUSE! We've discovered some clearance, discontinued, and overstock items that must go! All prices are slashed to move them too! But hurry! Many items are one-of-a-kind and must be on a first come first serve basis! ULTRAPHASE 2001 Loudspeaker (Includes stand) REG. S220 NOW *149 SPEAKERS! Item Quantity Celestion UL6 2* Celestion UL8 6 ■ Sonab OA12 4 RTR100D 12 Ultraphase 2501 2** Ultraphase 3001 4** Yamaha NS 500 2* Yamaha NS1000M 2* SALE $129 ea. $159 ea. $189 ea. $199.95 ea. $199 ea. $259 ea. $252 ea. $51 8 ea. RECEIVERS, AMPS, & TUNERS! NOW AM/FM stereo receiver REG S215 TURNTABLES & TAPEDECKS! Item Yamaha CT7000 tuner Phase 700B amp Yamaha B2 amp Yamaha C2 pre-amp Sony TA2650 int amp Sony ST2950 tuner Sony TA4650 int amp Sony TAE5450 pre-amp GAS Ampzilla Quantity 1 ★ ★ SALE $500 $699 $823 $629 $169 $159 $249 $299 $699 DON'T DELAY! USE OUR INSTANT CREDIT! If you have a major credit card you may qualify for instant credit up to $750! Or ask about our revolving charge plan OPEN T»l 9PM fRlDATSt EUGENE 150 W BROADWAY 485 1262 CORVALLIS 922 NW KINGS 752 5601 Item Advent 201A cass. deck Nakamichi 600 cass. dk Yamaha TC51 IS. cass. dk Teac 2300SX open reel Philips GA406 turntable Philips GA437 turntable Nakamichi 250 cass. dk. Quantity SALE $359 $550 $245 $531.25] $128.75 $109 $280 HURRY! ALL PRICES LIMITED TO STOCK ON HAND! * Corvallis store only * * Eugene store only press conference to discuss the measure. Ballot Measure 4, placed on the November ballot by the Portland based Public Power Coalition — of which all three are members — would amend state law to make people's utility districts (PUDs) easier to form. PUDs are locally owned and controlled, and have an elected board of directors. Under the 1937 Bonneville Act, public bodies and cooperatives such as EWEB have first right to preference for federal hydropower. This power, gener ated at Columbia River dams, is the cheapest form of electricity. The current law, termed “un workable' by supporters of Meas ure 4, requires two petitions to be circulated and two elections to be passed before the fledgling utility may be operated. Ballot Measure 4 would reduce the requirements to one petition and one election. Opponents of the measure, who number chiefly private, investor-owned utilities, say it would cost too much for local resi dents to buy out existing utility sys tems and operate a new PUD. Billboards appearing recently in Portland read, “It will put you in debt without your consent-Vote No on 4.” At Monday's press conference, Harris had some strong words about these signs. “This kind of advertising is de plorable,’’ he said. “I believe Measure 4 couldn't be defeated if they (the opponents) told the truth about it. The only thing you can do about ’false advertising,' if you will, is to file a civil suit. We’re hav ing someone look at that possibil ity riaht now.” To counteract the anti-Measure campaign, the coalition intends to buy television and radio time and canvass neighborhoods to get its view across to the voters. The measure's supporters ex pect to be outspent by the private utilities 10-1. “They have admitted they will spend five times as much, but it's probably closer to 10 times," he said. Fitzgerald criticized the measure's opponents for being hypocritical. “Everything they charge us of doing with Measure 4 is exactly what they do,” he said. “PP&L (Pacific Power & Light, - a private utility) just had an enormous stock sale. How many stockholders got ♦o vote on that?” Fitzgerald was referring to the charge made by opponents that Measure 4 would dip into property tax payers' wallets without their permission, an accusation the co alition vehemently denies. "There is no basis for the charge that this measure gives the directors (of a PUD) a blank check,” Harris said. “There are built-in safeguards to protect the people of a district." Passage of Measure 4 could have far-reaching effects on Oregon’s energy future. Histori cally, Oregon has established far fewer PUDs than other states, including Washington where 80 percent of residents are served by public utilities. Approximately 20 percent of Oregon’s population recieves power from the utilities, and the rest are served by private utilities. A major argument surrounding Measure 4 concerns availability of Bonneville power at a cheap rate. Supporters of Measure 4 claim new PUDs would be able to re ceive such power and therefore provide service at a lower rate to customers than the private utilities, who not only must buy more expensive power, but must operate at a profit. PUDs are non-profit entities.
