EDITORIAL Roberts refreshing change in politics II is not often that a candidate comes along who has remained relatively untouched by hard-ball poli tics. Barbara Huberts is that rare exception Huberts' grass-roots campaign has recently taken off to catch front-runner Dave Frohnmayer because of her ability to speak for the people. Koberts is far from the typical career politician. She began her political ca reer because she wanted to change something that she believed was wrong. She did not got into politics as a career move. Her non-politician's attitude could prove to be her greatest asset in the governor's office The willingness to put for ward a plan that she believes in, even if it is politically un popular, has already become apparent. She caught a lot of heat when she came out in fa vor of Ballot Measure 4's pro posal to close Trojan nuclear power plant early in her campaign. Her willingness to come out with new ideas and worry about the political fallout later will make her a dynamic governor who gets things done. Frohnmaver, Roberts' main opponent, is a hard working. bright individual. But he suffers from the di lemma that afflicts most consummate politicians, lie is a "thinker" rather than a "doer Before making any decisions he carefully weighs what the public's re sponse will he. and how' that will effect his career. Frohnmayer’s cautious, personal-career-saving atti tude will prevent him from making the strong and con troversial steps necessary to reform public school and higher education funding, properly tax relief or timber crisis solutions. Roberts' atypical political attitude a'so means she is more accountable and willing to take responsibility for herself and her subordinates. When mistakes her of fice bad made almost forced most of the ballot meas ures from this year's election. Roberts admitted respon sibility and said she would do whatever it took to rein state the measures, no matter what the political reac tion. Rather than worrying how each decision she makes will effect her re-election bid in four years. Roberts will do what she thinks is right for Oregon. This kind of refreshing freedom from poll-reaction politics is what Oregon will need to make the tough decisions necessary to mend our current problems. asMSSR. Space needed for ‘none of the above’ The anti-incumbent hysteria has not spread to the Line County Commissioners races this year. Three of the four races consist of incum bents running unopposed. Elli Dumdi. Steve Cornuechia and Jack Roberts will all be elected because they have no opposition on the ballot. This presents a dilemma of what voters can do in a single candidate race in which they don't like the candidate. All races, even those with more than one candidate, should have an extra punch-hole at the bottom of the voting card — one that says "none of the above." Voters should feel confident about vot ing for a candidate. Hut currently voters can only show disgust by leaving a certain race blank. This implies that voters don’t care. But a no-vote would distinctively imply displeasure for one candidate or a whole slate If candidates running for office unop posed received more no-votes than ves votes. than it’s time for new candidates. No-votes are listed on ballots in Europe an government systems. Also, heads of state can be removed by elected bodies with a simple vote of no confidence. While we have recall initiatives in Ore gon for elected officials, it takes question able or illegal acts to rile people enough to recall such representatives. We have no re course to deal with basic incompetency of representatives. Anil it takes a really major screw-up for elected officials to impeach or censor a fel low legislator. The voters need a better method of supporting candidates’ positions and agenda once elected. If enough elected liars, cheaters and pork-barreling swindlers received no votes on the ballot, it would encourage more hon est candidates to run. And get elected. LETTERS Take the class I'm beginning to l*elieve that no woman should leave this campus without taking Women Studies tot It is imperative that women understand what fortes in our culture create a climate in which rape is per milted to happen In a letter [ODE. Oct. 22). a woman's advice to other wom en regarding catcalls was “ig nore it If you can't, you're weak.” Women themselves must un derstand that catcalling is a so cial practice that treats women like ohiects It allows men to view women as an object and it makes women feel unsafe and vulnerable Catcalling is a brick in the foundation of a rape en vironment. Victim-blaming. making women feel as if they're at fault for feeling unsafe in a country where one out of (/lire women gets raped, is another brick in that foundation Please women, let's educate ourselves about our situation We need to help eai h other, not < all each other weaklings It's a mutter of survival |o Trigilio (•raduatc philosophy Satan’s behind it Here's a response to |im Me Rover's letter [1)1)1-. (ht 22\. regarding Mike Russell's "Hudson Van Huron" comit Next term, why not try a new class: English it 05 "Satire A thermonm lear pocket pistol designed to burn fields? Yeah. th.it sounds like a frightening new trend to me I think I smell Satan behind this one No doubt |esse Helms, that glorious bastion of freedom and decency, will be doing some thing to stop this evil soon unless, that is. Hudson plans to use the pistol to light up ciga rettes. McEver. please find a genu ine problem to address, a de serving person to insult I would further request that you find out what it is like to lie gratuitously ridiculed and in sulted before you start doing so to others Russell, keep up the good work I really enjoy your strip ■mil 1 hope you won't Irt this pelt v i arpmg laze \ou Finn |nhn Knglish Vote to recycle As national environmental l('.i(ii*rs, we art* writing to ex press our strong support for the Oregon Recycling Ad Meas ure (i on the Oregon ballot this November Passage of Measure ti would represent a major envi ronmental breakthrough that might well have national impli cations for recycling policy in the 1990s. Measure ti is a path breaking initiative because it will reduce packaging waste one of our most serious problems today at the same time it will create new markets for recycled mate rials. With ( urbside programs in creasinglv constrained by the lack of markets for collected materials, the key rei v< ling ( hallenge of the -10 percent of the money raised to oppose Measure t> has come from national companies, pri marily in the chemical and plastics industries, and that money is being used for televi sion ads that claim Measure (i will ban thousands of products and damage public health. The only function of false claims like these is to mislead and i onfuse people about a rea sonable recycling law. We know because we face the same tactics from the same compa nies in their efforts to block en vironmental progress at the na tional level. We encourage Ore gonians to separate fact from fiction and vote yes on fi. Members of Clean Water Action. Environmental Action and eight other environmental groups Misinformed Regarding vour no on 8 and 10 editorial (Ol)k'. Oc t. 2it) It's obvious the editorial writers attend classes here .it the University they're gross ly misinformed. I have included some reading materials to try to rec tify this sad situation, but knowing that ignorance fails to see itself. 1 doubt it w ill get read You want voters to “leave the decision-making to the per son who is going to be affected by those decisions.” That's hardly possible when unborn children are unable to vote. The only “choice” they get is to die by an unspeakably horri ble mutilation or acid-like solu tion burning and poisoning them. Hut I suppose that's Ok since you never actually see what happens. How' does it feel to regurgi tate whatever you have been told instead of searching for the truth Deborah Martin Student