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 Mif M v -• • i :v. « )f f i n. . .. .. ♦.. ... 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 or,,., ,w, Emerald 346-3712 By GARY LARSON "'''"’'Soy.. 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