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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1982)
emerald platform Atiyeh’s ‘war chest’ outstrips Democrats’ They're called "war chests" and many times they are the singlemost decisive factor in a political contest. The more money available for media time, the greater a politician's public exposure and the more likely his chances for votes. It’s simple polit nomics. Incumbent Governor Vic Atiyeh has amassed a "war chest” of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Atiyeh's contributions are more than $100,000 better than all of the Democrat hopefuls for governor. That Atiyeh should be attracting so much campaign money is curious in light of his accomplishments as Oregon governor. Not to be cynical but Atiyeh’s accom plishments seem to be economic insecurity through out the state and three special sessions of the Legislature. Those special sessions were emergency measures to deal with the state s revenue shortfalls He has certainly played a supporting role in the writing of the contemporary history of Oregon. A recently published breakdown of Atiyeh’s contributors reveal the source of his political strength. He has the backing of petroleum compa nies, electric and telephone employee groups, lumber interests and bankers. These groups all represent the status quo of Oregon capital Among lumber interests Atiyeh has the financial support of Veneer Service Inc., Stimson Lumber Co., Georgia-Pacific Corp., L.L. Stewart, Sun Studs Inc., Boise-Cascade Corp., T Lilley Jr., Robert Warren, Louisiana-Pacific Corp., Samuel Wheeler, John Hampton, Crown-Zellerbach, Allied Forest Products, Stuart Sheik, and Don-Lee Davidson. Probably the most interesting group of con tributors to Atiyeh’s campaign are those in the petroleum industry: Atlantic Richfield Co. (Los Angeles), Shell Oil Co. (Portland), Union Oil of California. What are California petroleum companies doing contributing to a gubernatorial campaign in Oregon? Each of these companies contributed $2,500 to Atiyeh’s bid for re-election. Ask not who contributes to the “war chest" nor why, and you shall receive. Also listed among the $2,500 contributors was Nike Inc. . Contrast Atiyeh’s contributors and his total “war chest" with the Oregonian-endorsed Democrat Don Clark. Clark has garnered but $57,642 to Atiyeh’s $246,333. Clark’s backers appear to be primarily made up of individuals rather than corporate groups. Eugene’s Ted Kulongoski, also running as a Democrat, has the backing of labor and education groups Among his contributors are Professional Staff PAC, People for the Improvement of Education, Salem Education Association PAC, and AFL-CIO COPE Kulongoski, a lawyer, has many lawyers financing his bid for the governor's post So far, Kulongoski has gathered only $45,854 in campaign contributions An incumbent — whether competent or not — usually receives the major portion of contributor's money Atiyeh’s "war chest" ensures a campaign effort that will, no doubt, result in his re-election Atiyeh will be able to buy more television time and travel throughout the state selling himself With that amount of riches even a poor governor can be spiffed-up and made to look good letters Skeptical The only thing skeptical about author Karl Grossman in Katherine Merrill’s April 26 article is his ability for logical thought He says when researching nuclear power ‘don't believe any sour ce." Yet the whole article is made up of his quotes from nuclear power sources Then he twists the quotes around until they're completely illogical He says "... a nuclear power plant accident could result in 3,400 deaths, killing everone within 15 miles " Does that assume 3,400 people within 15 miles of the plant? VWiat if no one is near the plant? Do 3,400 people still die? Then he uses his journalistic background to expound upon the finer points of nuclear engineer ing It's really had to study in the science library with all those journalism majors clamoring for more books on thermodynamics and materials science Afl this guy wants to do is sell books If he has to twist some facts and pervert a few minds in the process, that's okay too It's too bad this newspaper gives him a forum to do so Douglas Sheldon GTF physics Special interest Having been a graduate student at the University for several years and a regular reader of the Emerald, it was with some amusement that I first encountered the tirades of Michael Larson in the letters’s column of the paper something over a year ago Though Larson has become somewhat less prolific in his edi torial excursions of late, his occasional contributions nonetheless continue to provide a source of entertainment as well as being one of the high points of the usually banal and inaccurate Emerald. Larson is, of course, a gadfly in the fullest sense of the term While I have been accused of this occupation myself, most of my efforts have been directed towards a strengthening of the liberal position by drawing attention to various inconsis tencies so that they may be rec tified; in Larson, however, we seem to have the amusing spectacle of redneck ultra conservative making his way through a predominiately liberal Law School in a liberal university His recent comments concern ing the SPA are no less interesting for all their being entertaining — the idea that they represent a small "special interest group" intent on squandering student money on their own goals and using underhanded campaign techniques to achieve their ends What are the "Greeks.” tradi tional rulers of the IFC, if not a small "special interest group" in terms of the total campus population? As to camaign techniques, it is fairty well known than a number of the "Greek" societies make use of the interesting behavioral tech nique of recquiring members to present a stamped ID (proving they have voted) before they are able to receive their meals at the "house" on election days That this type of coercion should be necessary points out how truly small is the "special interest group" represented by the "Greek” candidates — even their own immediate peers are too apathetic to support them without "persuasion” Hiawatha Graduate, music, philosophy Lilliput logic Everyone agrees with our con stitutional separation of powers mandate, yet no one finds any thing wrong with 14 Oregon State Bar Association Members, who by ORS Chapter 9, are part of our judicial branch of government, being in our legislature and others running for such state offices as governor God knows the harm the Ore gon State Bar Association mon opoly has done our judcial branch of government, like biblical ■‘Pharisee's" in St Matthew 5:20; 16:6; 21:43; 23:2; 23:13 and "Lawyer's” in St Luke 11:45 thru 11:54 Are we so ignorant as to turn over our other two branches of government to them despite con stitutional prohibitions designed to protect us from ourselves? Or shall we heed Gulliver's Travels: "I said there was a society of men among us, bred up from their yuth in the art of proving by words multiplied for the purpose that white is black and black is white according as they are paid To this society all the rest of the people are slaves “It is a maxim among these lawyers that whatever hath been done before may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all deci sions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind These, under the name of precedents, they produce as authorities" to justify the most iniquitous opinions; and judges never fail of directing accordingly.” The Oregon State Bar membership not only violates constitutional seperation of powers mandate but refuses to aid thousands of us, then, turn around and run us out of courts with biased attitudes reflected by court demands for Bar membership numbers on all papers John M. Rood B St Springflold staff Tha Oragon Daily Emaratd It puMte/we Monday avmig* Friday axcapi during dnatt maak and tacadona by tha Oregon Dady EmarakS PuMfsMng Co. 69E-SS11 ' Boadtaat §*§3712 §•0-4343 Editor Sstty Hodgkin son Q-*-1 r rtMn I ■ c unv < Gabriel Boebmer Heart Editor Harry Esteve AaataUmi Newt Editor John Hesly Photo Editor Bob Bmhor Graphic t Editor Max DaPungs Editorial Pdga Editor Con FornaM Sports Editor Store Spatz AnccMi Sport* Editor Jeff Dickerson Matt Meyer Might Editor John Heaty AitociM COiton ASUO Dane Oausaen Community Manan Green Departmenta and Schools DebDte Hoelett Features Sandy Johnstone Higher Education Ann Portal Politics / Environment Ron Hunt Gtn#f«J Staff Advertising Director Darlene Gore Classified Advertising Sally CHiar Production manager Ann Peterson CotWoder Jean Ownbey
