Oregon daily emerald., January 20, 1981, Page 6, Image 6

Reagan cabinet goes to work
California lawyer assumes attorney general post
By JEFF BAKER
Of Ihe Emerald
Who is William Smith and
what will he do as the nation’s
Attorney General?
The first question is ans
wered with quizzical shrugs,
and the second is met with a
variety of speculation that
boils down to a gloomy "wait
and see.”
Little is known about Smith.
His biographical sketch shows
a quintessional California cor
porate lawyer, a charter
member of Reagan's "kitchen
cabinet’’ who coaxed the
reluctant actor into politics
and shepherded him into the
governor’s seat, and a
member of the California
Board of Regents during the
strife-torn 1960s.
The most salient fact about
Smith is that he is Reagan’s
personal attorney Presumably
he shares Reagan’s views and
would defer major policy deci
sions to the president.
New York Times columnist
William Satire recently raked
Smith over the conservative
coals for attending Frank Sin
atra’s birthday party. Satire
questioned the propriety of the
nation’s chief law enforcement
officer hobnobbing with a man
with Mafia friends.
Sinatra is in charge of
Reagan's inaugural entertain
ment, a job he performed for
John Kennedy in 1961.
"Reagan comes into office
as a Law and Order man,"
says journalism Prof. Jack
Hart. "So did Richard Nixon,
and look what happened to
him.”
Smith’s appointments will
be more important than anyth
ing else he does, Hart predicts.
The justice department has
scores of courts, judges, and
attorneys working from Wa
shington, D C. "right down to
the grass roots,” who in
fluence public policy in myriad
ways.
When a new administration
takes over, there is a huge
turnover in the justice depart
ment bureaucracy in Wa
shington and around the
country. The 100-odd U S. At
torneys around the country
hand in their resignations and
wait for reappointments. But
"traditionally, they all resign
and are replaced," Hart says.
The most notable exception
to that tradition is the U S.
Attorney for Oregon, Sidney
Lezak. Lezak was appointed
by President Kennedy in 1961
and has weathered numerous
political storms. He is the long
est serving U S. Attorney in
the country.
This year, Lane County Dis
trict Attorney Pat Horton is
being considered for the post.
Eugene lumberman and
Reagan crony Peter Murphy
tossed Horton’s name into the
transition pot, where it has yet
to surface.
"Lezak obviously has poli
tical connections. He’d have
to, to remain in office as long
as he has," says Josh Markee
of the Lane County district at
torney’s office.
"Horton would be honored
to be chosen, but he’s defini
tely not running for it.”
It’s not Reagan’s possible
execution of the law, but his
philosophical slant that has
given liberals the chills.
“I think we’ll retreat from the
drive toward open
government,” Hart says.
“Republican philosophy is
that government agencies
ought not to be harrassed by
records requests.
"We may see a tightening of
access to information under
the Freedom of Information
Act.”
Still, Hart is not ready to
condemn Reagan before he
gets a chance to act.
“Conservatives are some
times freer to enact liberal
policy than liberals. Protection
of press accessibility and res
triction of subpeonas came
under (Nixon Attorney General
John) Mitchell.”
Energy secretary evokes fear, cautious optimism
By LESLIE FARRIS
Of the Emerald
Reactions to Pres.-elect Ronald Reagan’s choice
for energy secretary range from fear to cautious
optimism among members of local energy groups.
Much of the energy activists’ fear stems from
energy secretary-designate James Edwards’ advoca
tion of a pro-nuclear, free enterprise approach to the
energy shortage. Additionally, many say they question
the former South Carolina governor and dentist’s
qualifications for a post in the cabinet.
"I fear a dentist in the energy department is
grossly inappropriate when what we need is a true
scientist — a person who's trained, qualified and
competent in energy," says Brian Niemeyer, energy
coordinator for the Survival Center
"His lack of knowledge is reflective of Reagan’s
overall position on the environment and his
(Reagan’s) interest for big bucks with no concern
whatever for future generations.”
R. Lance Spinks, executive director of the Oregon
Alliance for Adequate Energy, says his group is
cautiously optimistic about Edwards’ nomination.
Edwards' two-year term in the South Carolina Senate,
his four-year term as governor and his experience as a
dentist should work to the advantage of consumers,
he says.
Spinks says his group also is encouraged by
Edward’s establishment of the South Carolina Energy
Research Institute, a privately funded organization
that studies alternative energy sources.
"It is yet to be seen, however, if Edwards will be
able to adjust to the intricate operation of government
on the federal level,” Spinks says. "We hope that
Edwards will rely more on technocrats than merely on
bureaucrats."
During last week’s confirmation hearings, Ed
wards said he would recommend that Reagan de
regulate oil and gasoline prices "as soon as it is
feasible." He told members of the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee, which voted in favor of
confirmation, that deregulation would ease the energy
shortage by encouraging greater production of
domestic oil.
When asked about profits flowing to the oil com
Graphic by Sioux Anderson
Pro-energy group pledges rational policy
A “pro-energy" non-profit citizen’s action group
recently announced its formation in Eugene.
The Oregon Alliance for Adequate Energy aims to
educate the public about Oregon energy needs and to
promote a “rational" energy policy on the federal,
state and local levels, says Executive Director R.
Lance Spinks
"We (OAAE) find it unfortunate that many groups
who say they represent the public do nothing but work
for their own nearsighted, anti-energy views," Spinks
says. "We will be realistic in our planning for the
future, for Oregon's future."
OAAE will work on a series of projects including
development of a legislative watchdog program,
support of alternative energy projects, support of new
energy explorations on public lands and licensing of
new thermal power plants in Oregon A steering
committee will be polled regularly to direct OAAE
projects
Spinks says the group will work closely with
business and government to ensure the Northwest
Power Bill is effectively administered.
"OAAE is not radical, it's more conservative
based," he says "I want to be able to talk to energy
groups who are more to the left but, at the same time, I
want to have a firm enough standing to go into
business and government offices and communicate
with them on a credible basis.”
Spinks says his group currently has 237 members
from Eugene, Salem, Portland, Seattle and Northern
California. Membership is open to the public at $5 per
year — $2 for students and senior citizens.
Interested persons should write ENERGY, P.0
Box 7254, Eugene 97401, or call Spinks at 484-4024
panies, Edwards replied, “I'm not one of those people
that believes that profit is a four-letter word.”
Olive Bowers of Citizens for Safe Energy says
Edwards’ comment indicates oil company profits
probably won't be taxed or the money returned to
energy consumers. And poor people who can't afford
high energy prices will suffer most, she says.
“If Reagan’s not going to do that — have
something like Carter's windfall profits tax — we’ll all
be a little colder,” Bowers says. “Poor people will be
hurting, and old people will be freezing in their
apartments.”
Spinks, however, is more optimistic about the
consequences of deregulation. He says he hopes the
higher prices will encourage the American public to
end its dependence on petroleum as a fuel source and
to speed up development of alternative energy
sources.
"While Edwards' beliefs in unleashing private
enterprise are well-intentioned, that alone will not
solve this country's current energy dilemma,” Spinks
says. "Nor do we (the OAAE) agree with his recent
assessment that we can solve all of these energy
problems in just four to six years.”
Niemeyer says he’d rather see a deeply evaluated,
comprehensive approach to the energy shortage.
Under a free-enterprise system the West would be
wide open to mineral exploration that could prove
harmful to the environment, Niemeyer says.
Also during the Senate confirmation hearings,
Edwards said he strongly supported further develop
ment of nuclear power, including fuel reprocessing
and the development of a breeder reactor.
Reprocessing is controversial because it
produces plutonium that can be used in nuclear
weapons Breeder reactors also use plutonium.
Bowers says fuel reprocessing and breeder reac
tors could threaten the country's security because it
takes just 20 pounds of plutonium to make a Hiro
shima-size weapon.
“That means more plutonium will be produced, it
will be transported on the highways and will be easier
to come into the hands of terrorists," Bowers says.
And Hanford (Washington) may be one obvious
place to build a breeder reactor."
Spinks says that while the breeder reactor pro
gram may continue to grow “within reason," the
energy industry probably won’t invest much money in
its development because of public opposition.
Bowers says that, by appointing a pro-nuclear
energy secretary, Reagan has chosen to ignore the
prevailing public sentiment on nuclear power.
"I have been suprised at how totally conservative
Reagan's cabinet selection has been," Bowers says.
"I though he might at least make some token
gesture to the center.”