Project Smart Vote educates callers
By Tammy Batey
Emerald Associate Editor
Political apathy may soon be a thing of the past.
The Center for National Independence in Politics
helps arm voters with up-to-date information
about the candidates through Project Vote Smart
Voters can call the Project Vote Smart hotline at
1 -800-786-6885 and ask questions about the can
didates' biographies, campaign finances, voting
records on key issues, performance evaluations
by 60 competing special intorest groups and
county election ofTico addresses and telephone
numbers.
Bruce Franklin, project supervisor and volun
teer coordinator, said the hotline is an enormous
success. The hotline receives more calls than the
operators can handlo. ho said. The true key to the
hotline's success, however, is the thousands of
voters who are now Informed about the candi
dates and tho issues.
"The whole premise of the project is to create
an ease of across for voters.’’ Franklin said. "Wo
arm them with information rather than who slept
with who. (The hotline) gives them a chance to
pin those guys down."
Each of the operators, about 40 at any given
time, answers callers' questions using a compu
ter. which contains all the candidate information,
said Renee Harbor, assistant director of public in
formation. A majority of the 200 total volunteers
are college interns from Oregon Stale University.
CNfP test ran the hotline in 1990 in Nebraska
and North Carolina, Harbor said. The test run pro
duced an encouraging response from voters he
said
Project founders were expressing frustration at
the focus on the candidates' personalities or emo
tional appeal rather than on issues, Harbor said
"It's a program against the manipulative tactics
candidates use with voters.” she said
The organization's St 5 million budget is fund
ed by donations and foundations. CNIP does not
take donations from government entities or any
groups or organizations that lobby government
and will not endorse or lobby for any candidates
or causes.
PGE should scrap plan, executive says
By Pat Maiach
Emerald Editor
An executive of the only nu
clear power plant to be shut
down by voters expressed
doubts about Portland General
Electric's plan for a four-year
phase out of the Trojan Nuclear
Plant.
Ed Smeloff, a member of the
board of the Sacramento Mu
nicipal Utility District, said re
tention of plant personnel and
reluctance to invest in neces
sary repairs for a short-lived
plant will be major problems
faced by I*CE while trying to
keep Trojan open until 199<>.
Smeloff made his comments
during a press conference
Wednesday at the local head
quarters of the Do It Yourself
Committee, which Is sponsor
ing an initiative that would
close down Trojan immediate
ly California residents volod to
close the Rancho Seen Nuclear
Power Plant in 1989 when
Smeloff was board president of
SMUD.
"Prior to the closing of Ran
cho Seen, wo encountered a
number of difficulties at that
plant." Smeloff said "Wo en
countered a problem with re
taining key personnel. It was
very difficult keeping top man
agement We lost a number of
our key engineers. We had to
Invest considerable sums of
money in long-term retention
contract with key personnel."
Smeloff said moral among
plant workers was also excep
tionally poor prior to the
plant's closure.
"1 would urge the utility hero
to think very seriously about
what this issue means." ho
said. "Also, beyond plant per
sonnel, there's the issue of cap
ital improvements in the plant.
A nuclear plant must operate as
safely on its last day as it does
on its first day. Wo were invest
ing on the average $30 to $40
Experienced
CRIMINAL
DEFENSE
HUGH DUVALL
Ver jlrud & C lj'»
Attorney* PC
345-3333
A . ». lit M.lf.J M • I
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million n year in capital im
provements at Rancho Seen."
Smoloff continually stressed
that PGK should Ik; using its
available resources to seek out
now sources of energy to re
place trojan.
"The utility at Portland Is
striking out in a bold new di
rection." he sold. “They are
planning to make (SfiOO mil
lion) investment In energy effi
ciency improvements. They're
also going to build some new
power plants.
"They need to put all of their
resources, time, energy and se
nior-management talent in that
no direction. I have seen whut
happens when you try to go
two direction at once wilh a
utility. To try and nurse the
plant u long for four yours and
go in a new direction will be
very difficult for plant manage
ment."
Smoloff said It;!-; * Ixtst op
tion would lie to purchase from
other utilities any power lost by
shutting down Tro)on until new
energy sources can t>e found
He said because California s
peak energy consumption
months are during the summer,
and the Northwest peaks dur
ing the winter, there would la
plenty of utilities willing to sell
surplus (lower
"(1‘C.K) should go out and see
what the markets will bring in
terms of cost, and then factor In
those costs with the cots of op
erating the plant," he said
"The one thing I do know from
experience, is power purchases
from other utilities are far
more reliable and less risky
than trying to operate a nuclear
power plant particularly one
that's hud such a troubled past
history,"
RIGHT ©N
TARGET
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