Eachus says higher education
needs support to regain status
By Shawn Wirt/.
Of Uw Hmer.ld
The public sector should concen
trate on what it does best, which is
providing education, said Ron
Eachus. Democratic candidate to
State House District 89.
Oregon had one of the better higher
education systems in the country
before the recession hit in the early
1980s. Eachus said. "Right now.
we re really just in the process of try
ing to restore ourselves to the level we
once were. It's catch-up," he said.
As assistant majority leader in the
last session of the state legislature.
Eachus voted against the governor’s
tuition increase request, he said
"Tuition at Oregon’s universities is
one of the highest on the West Coast.”
he said. "We need to support higher
education more so that we don’t have
such a great burden on tuition
requirements."
Menus would support Statu System
of Higher Education Chancellor
William Davis' proposal to waive tui
tion for Oregon’s top high school
graduates, he said. Eachus also sup
ports increasing faculty salaries, fun
ding the Centers for Excellence and *
the new science building, he said.
While the legislature has been able
to hold tuition down, "the economy
hasn’t been able to provide the job
market that students need to either
supplement the assistance they get or
if they’re not getting assistance."
Eachus said.
One way to improve the economy is
to establish a "long-term stabilization
fund.” Eachus said. “For too long
we've been working on quick fixes,”
he said. As an example, the gover
nor’s budget in the last session "was
essentially blackmailing the people
into voting for the sales tax.” he said.
A stabilization fund would "give
some assurance that we’re not going
to have large fluctuations in our tax
structure over short periods of time,”
he said. Additionally, the legislature
wouldn't have to adopt temporary
user fees or increase income taxes to
balance the budget, he said.
Eachus supports divestment of state
and university funds from South
Ron Eachus
Africa and voted in favor of a divest
ment bill in the last session
The insurance commissioner's of
fice needs to have the authority to ap
prove rate increases and compel in
surance companies to open their
books. Eachus said. “They're charg
ing exorbitant prices that can't be
justified on the basis of risk." he said
Eachus accused the insurance
liability industry of creating a crisis
"to get what they've always wanted,
which is limiting the awards."
However, "we do need to look at the
judicial system and see if there are
ways to discourage the frivolous
lawsuits." he said.
Eachus said he would not support
caps on liability awards.
Eachus opposes nuclear power hut
not Ballot Measure 14. which would
require the Trojan nuclear power
plant to shut down until it could
deposit its wastes in a federally
licensed repository, he said.
“We need to require it to do more to
correct internal safety problems," hut
the increase in electricity rates if Tro
jan shuts down isn't worth the price.
Eachus said.
Eachus served as editor of the
Oregon Daily Emerald lor tin
1968-1969 school year and as ASUO
student body president in 1970-1971.
Reed stresses school relief
By Dennis Fernandes
Of III# KiwraM
i-lducation is the "number one top
priority." said Clint Reed. Republican
candidate for State House District 39
Reed, a local account executive. is
running against the incumbent.
Democrat Ron Eachus.
Reed proposes increasing state sup
port for public education (grades k 12)
by 50 percent or more by using $200
million In windfall from the new tax
plan and funneling it directly to educa
tion instead of property tax relief
He claims that property taxes currently
finance up to 70 percent of public educa
tion funds. By increasing state support,
that taxpayer burden would bo relieved
considerably.
"I believe we can get property tax
relief and stabili/.e school funding at the
same time." Reed said.
Reed thinks another way to lower
educational costs is to consolidate some
school districts "Most were districts
created around the turn of the century,
and those decisions were based on com
munication and transportation problems
that don't exist anymore.” he said.
Although he said he is not opposed to
ballot measures 11 and 12, they are
simply "a tax shift to someone else."
7 believe we can get
property tax relief and
stabilize school funding at
the same time. ’
— Clint Reed
"I don't think that would lx- beneficial
to Oregon right now." said Heed "Once
again, a top priority is to gel schools off
the property tax burden as much as
possible."
Keed says lie cannot support Measure
14 for economic reasons "Whether we
(lose (Trojan nuclear power plant) or
not. those wastes aren't going anywhere
until we find a storage place." he said
One of Heed's biggest concerns is the
insurance liability crisis because
availability of insurance coverage to
Oregon families and businesses is "real
ly shrinking."
"Small businesses have had huge pay
ment increases while their coverage has
Clint Heed
actually gone down. I talked to a guy the
other day whose payments went front
$751) a year l«t $750 a month." he said
"It is starting to affect the average con
sumer in liability insurance rates for auto
and home There are people too rich to
get a welfare care card hut too poor to
|tav their own insurance.*'
Keed does not believe this is a "big in
surance corporate scam." hut that lower
ing health care costs would assure access
to insurance for everyone in Oregon.
The issues surrounding Measure 5
have been blown out of proportion, and
Keed likens the situation to alcohol pro
hibition in the Itt^Os and .'Ills. "I am con
cerned about the state of Oregon coming
out and making marijuana use socially
acceptable." he said.
As for divestment of state funds from
Smith Africa. Keed thinks "the writing s
on the wall. Oregon is going to divest "
But Keed added. "I don’t think it's go
ing to accomplish anvthing political
over there. It's just a drop in the bucket."
Keed has served as a legislative intern
to Kep Mary Burrows and ad
ministrative assistant to Commissioner
Archie Weinstein, in addition to serving
on various statewide hoards and com
missions under former Gov. Hob Straub
and Oov. Vic Aliveh
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