EDITORIAL
Legislature, voters
of different minds
last Tuesday’s election — and subsequent maneuver
(ngs by the Oregon Legislature — proves there is a vast
difference in perspective in Oregon.
The past week has highlighted just how big a differ
ence there is between voters’ minds and those of their
duly-elected representatives.
Case in point: The Oregon Citizens Alliance sponsored
six local anti-gav measures throughout the state trying to
accomplish at a city and county level what it failed to do
in the 1992 election with Measure 9.
All passed.
I)ospite this, lb© Legislature is continuing in its
attempt to pass some sort of gay rights legislation. The
most recent example is a bill passed by the Mouse Judi
ciary Committee last week that would forbid local gov
ernments from passing measures that ’’singles out citi
zens or groups of citizens” because of sexual orientation.
While it is unfair to judge a state on the actions of a
few zealous loc al bigots, the difference between the two
sides means Oregon is shaping up to have yet anothor
pitched battle over gay rights.
A more concrete example of voter-representative dis
crepancy occurred in iho local properly tax levies over
whelmingly trashed by voters and the sales tax measure
approved by the Oregon House Friday. Obviously, the
representatives aren't listening to the voters, or the vot
ers aren’t paying attention to the fine print of the candi
dates come legislature election time. The sales tax mea
sure passed 39-21 — nowhere near unanimous, but a
large enough margin nonetheless. It does not take a polit
ical genius to figure out the chasm between Oregon's
government and citizens is growing ever wider.
Despite the overwhelming need for new revenue, it is
apparent Oregon voters are unaware or obstinate about
the need for change. The mantra of "cut spending, not
raise taxes" is a wonderful progressive in theory, but
while citizens wait for the Legislature and executive
branches to take up the knife. Oregon lurches ever clos
er to financial oblivion.
Salos tax proposals aren't too successful when they go
in front of the voters. If recent election patterns are accu
rate forecasters, the House plan is destined to become
number nine.
The logical progression of things will set! the sales tax
proposal going down to a thumping defeat this fall. Fin
ger-pointing and accusations will follow and public
schools will begin shutting down with alarming fre
quency.
3
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CUNTON TIMOR
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A forest compromise? Get real
An old political adage is
that if you come up with
a compromise plan
everybody hates, you must be
doing something right.
President Clinton must hope
this is the r ase The alternative
— that people have a legitimate
rtHtsun to hate the idea — could
well Ih< the crushing blow to an
administration daily gaining
notoriety for political setbacks,
blunderings and screwups
Clinton’s forest plan, unveiled
Thursday, has done little to ease
the friction la-tween loggers and
environmentalists. Both sides
art* still moaning, Facifu North
west congressmen are squealing,
and |ust about everyone has an
opinion — mostly negative
liven before the gala opening,
the plan was drawing crossfire.
Clinton ( hose to draft the pro
posal in secrecy. With only
vague details leaking out. oppo
nents !>egan to sni|H- at the plan
Thursday did nothing to blunt
the criticism.
Opponents of the president —
old and new — are lining up
You i an assume Sen. Bob Dole
(Carnivore. Kansas) is sharpen
ing his utensils for another serv
ing of Roast Bill. By the time the
plan lias been digested, pulled
apart and spit bai k. out. Clin
ton's popularity rating will
nosedive from abysmal to oh
my-God-what-do-ward o-now
To those doomsayers, 1 say:
Lay off
That's right. Me, who has crit
icized Clinton for everything
from his pul it teal views to his
saxophone playing, genealogy to
hairstyles, is backing Bill in this
case.
I won't debate the particulars
of the plan — like most of the
population. I don’t fully fathom
them in fact, the specifics have
very little to do with the criti
cism
In a world where truth is sub
jective, here is a sad, cold fact
No matter what Clinton came up
with, people were going to he
unhappy.
Hill was snan hing for a com
promise between folks who
don't want one Environmental
ists seek a world where no trees
are cut down, while the timber
industry won't be completely
satisfied until it again has free
rein over Northwest forests, like
it did in the Reagan era
When both sides of on issue
staunchly refuse to bin k down
and piously proclaim them
selves on the side of angels,
compromise not only becomes
untenable, but laughable
A Soloman Bill ain't. Put in
the unwinnable position of hav -
ing to reach an accord where
none could exist. Clinton did
the best he could
Opponents on both sides will
claim presidential neglect and
produce their own versions of a
"compromise " It will he as il
Clinton has never opened his
mouth. A be-damned situation if
ever one existed.
Facts of the situation Logging
cannot continue at present lev
els, nor can environmentalists
I km ompletelv satisfied. Oregon,
for letter or worse, is inexorably
tied to the timber industry. To
try and cold-turkey the state
from its logging fix would rip
apart the economy like a torna
do.
Gov. Barbara Roberts, whose
approval of the plan didn't even
reach the tepid level, said Ore
gon had a "stable" economy that
could lobby the drastic cut in
logging the Clinton plan would
create After a comment like
that, one wonders if Barbara has
moaeyed out of her office lately,
or perhaps, Salem exists on a
more ethereal plane than the
rest of the state
Be advised. Oregon's econo
my is going to suffer Timber
jobs will be lost, and the cost of
replacing those jobs or retrain
ing the workers is going to be
substantial
Clinton must hav« known he
w.is going to take* heat lor the
compromise; it's in his job
dost ription But faulting him for
doing so, or crafting the plan
behind closed doors is ridicu
lous. Sure, if Clinton had chosen
to do the plan publicly, things
would have been different. For
one thing, the date on this i ol
unin would be July 6. 2047.
So Hill. here's <i friendly hit of
advice: Ignore the criticisms.
You did the l>est you could in a
dreadful situation Trying to
compromise between
entrenched foes is impossible.
You were elected to make the
tough d« isiuns, ami you did so
Finally.
Take a how. Bill. You done
good
Don Peters is a columnist for
the Emerald
Unfortunately, Sadi am doesn't cKeck Kis messages.
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