Record voter turnout will stop OCA agenda The Oregon Citizens Alliance Is an ullra-conservatlve Christian Right organization implementing a "political moral" strategy that could change the terms of political debate in Oregon. While the group is best known for its stri dent opposition to reproductive choice and civil rights pro tections for lesbians and gays, the CX:A agenda extends to most social and political issues. Although the OCA’s current focus of activity Is local, Its opinions on global issues are equally important to the organi zation. What many Oregonians do not remember is that in the mid-1980s, when the citizens demanded that Oregon di vest from South Afrtca, the Oregon Alliance (the CX'A's nowspapor) boldly announced that Nelson Mandela "is strik ing foar in the hearts of whites with his fiery one-man, one vote, Marxist rhetoric." Since when has one-person, one-vote become a dangerous demand? Dangerous for whom? The (X)A's continued inter est in international affairs is among the reasons the (X:A has strengthened its ties with Put Robertson's Christian Coalition. in 1989. roiiowing non orison's campaign for tho Republican presidential nomination, Kobortson, who was not touched by sox scandals during tho 1980s, used his Christian Broadcasting Network to draw Christian Rights ac livlsts together under the umbrella organization called 1 he C'hrislian Coalition This coalition flaunts that It has enrolled more than 175.000 members and organized in 45 stales At the present there are at least 20 states that have chapters in every county. In Oregon, the (XIA has beeomo the Oregon Chapter of the Christian Coalition. The OCA's executive director. Lon Mahon, has been named the Oregon chapter head The Chris tian Coalition is able to provide Christian Rights activists and leaders with technical and political advice on how l*<> tential voters who would back the ideology of the sec ular and Christian Right to turn out on Election Day. This voting drive operates on the belief that because only small percentages of Americans vote, it only takes a small percentage of voters to determine the outcome of any electoral decision One Chris tian Right leader explained it this way at a 1UU2 Christian Co alition conference: "We don't have to worry about convinc ing the majority of Americans to agree with us Most of them are staying home and watching Falcon Crest They're not in volved, they're not voting, so who cares?" Nov. 3 is election day. and as the: OCA strives to shore up its support huso. Oregonians must turn out in record numbers to state clearly and without doubt their opinion on organized bigotry in Oregon under the guise of Ballot Measure d If not. who will bo next to lako their plac e alongside gays, lesbians, feminists and welfare-rights advocates in the: (XIA pantheon of demons?_ Eric Ward writes a monthly column for the Emerald. Politicians should lead ... or leave By Peter Schwartz A national campaign, 'l-nad ... or Leave," ha* chal lenged 1992 Congrossion al and Presidential candidates to pledge to cut tho annual budget deficit In half by 1990, or not .seek ro-oloctlon when their terms expire. Dy having Congressional can didates sign tho pledge to cut the deficit, "Lead ... or Leave" hopes to form a substantial vot ing block committed to creating arul effectively supporting defi cit control legislation. The deficit, dismissed In the 19A0* us a consequence of growth, has becomo the focus of an effort to reinforce political accountability At a time when few in Wash ington want to accept responsi bility for years of unchecked spending, preparation for the problems of tomorrow de mands the economic flexibility of a controlled deficit. So far, about 70 Congression al candidates and Presidential candidate Koss Perot have signed the pledge to cut the deficit. Locally, neither Bob Puckwood nor Les AuCotn have aimed On the K.AVL radio show, "Town Meeting," 1 had an op portunity to ask AuCoin a ques tion about signing pledges to cut the deficit Ho had tills comment. "Lot me just put it tills way I sign no pledges to any group " I called Packwood's schedul ing director, Liable Franklin, to sib u|i an interview with the senator. In recent attempts to contact her, she bus no! re turned my calls Ol the H2 Congressional can didates who have signed the pledge, "Lead or Leave" pre dicts 25 candidates are likely to win seats Although a small group, the pledge-signers must produce a deficit reduction plan that is at tractive to the rest of Congress The political careers of the pledge-signers hinge on pre senting the uncontrolled deficit as a significant, solvable prob lem Kedrin# Senator Warren Kud man, R-N H., said cutting the deficit "is an eminently doable proposition The plans exist to do it today. The political will doesn't." If political will is the main problem, remember that ideally our elected officials are paid to run the national government — not serve their parties Putting this in perspective, how long would It he before you wore fired from a hurtending job If you sold boor only to your per sonal friends? If Congrosspoople arn only expected to cater to tholr con stituencies und parties, who is held accountable for the eco nomic well being of the United States? Maintaining the collective health of the United Status Is a responsibility of Congress With a commitment in Con gress to cut the deficit, the goul of a 50-percent reduction is re alistic. both the Congressional Budg et Office and the General Ac counting Office of the United States said a 50-portent reduc tion over four years is econom ically sound. Cutting the deficit in half is a goal all three presidential can didates havt! outlined in their platforms In his bid for the presidency, Perot's focus is cutting the defi cit Ho has signed the ‘‘Lead or Leave” pledge. Neither Bush nor Clinton have signed Whv has Perot devoted a presidential campaign solely to the deficit-reduction Issue? The question of deficit control needs to be addressed today. If this issue is not confronted, it will force itself on millions of young Americans In the next few years Today, the annual budget deficit is uboul $350 billion a year in the time it took to read the lust sentence, the deficit in creased $55,(KM) The accumulated deficit amounts to $4 trillion. S3 tril lion of which lias accumulated over thii lust 12 years. (S4 tril lion is enough money lo attend the University at Measure 5 tui tion rates for 1.3 billion years ) Kvory year, American taxpay ers make $200 billion in Inter est payments on the accumulat ed deficit. Payments of this magnitude limit the govern ment's ability to turn around a recession and spur the econo my to grow. Interest payments of $200 billion pay for the investments of banks and bondholders. This money does little for the major ity of Americans As long as In terest rates on government bonds are high, they are a more attractive Investment than pri vate businesses For a large number of Americans, a slump in private Investment spells fi nancial instability and possibly unemployment (’.rowing out of a recession r(X|uires Investment in the pri vate sector When the govern ment is offering high returns on Investment in bonds, private business suffers For example, if a shoe store promised you no cents for every dollar you in vest in their business, and the government promised SI 10 for your dollar, the shoe store is left in the cold It conies to the question of whether you would rather have no cents or SI 10 Although this example is sim plified. it is easy to see why small businesses have trouble making ends meet. Young people today are pick ing up the lat> lor yesterday's excesses The lOHlk was a peri od of economic growth IJnfor Innately, this growth was not controlled and did not prepare for the future recessions A re cession forces the government to spend. The future is worth planning. T o in a k e sure we have the resources lo deal with long term problems, we need action in Congress Demand that your Congressman be a national leader in planning your future. Tell him to lead or leave Peter Schwartz, is an unite i larrd junior at the University. GENTLEMAN'S ENCORE Quality Rasa* QotNng lor Man and Woman ot OscnrT»nating Tasta 1111 WLLAMETTE • MJ-417* (wafflPi CONE I I Campus SUBSHOP 1225 ftlder 345-2434 Not valid on delivery or with any ch her d ncounts or coupon* One coupon per cxmtonwt E»piro* 12/20/V2 AN EVENING IN SOLIDARITY with CLAUDIA EVELYN GONZALEZ BELTRENENA a student organizer from our sister university, the National University of El Salvador M* (kwi/alet »» a 21 year old h*«Ih»I tludrnl who hat been involved in (hr following (V|' V'*^ r,"Ur'-i .k,kh\J ,n clauy -I'* i rP«j'V rusher,nj ? - (> 60^ V. /«/: «rr'