Kitzhaber, Sizemore engage in first debate
By Michael Hines
Editor in Chiet
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
took most of the heat in the Sept.
14 televised gubernatorial debate,
but he also received the most
crowd support.
In the debate, which was held
at Lane Community College,
Kitzhaber was attacked for issues
ranging from his environmental
record to his view on taxes.
The debate’s format was criti
cized by Republican challenger
Bill Sizemore both before and af
ter the event for not including a
segment for the candidates to ask
each other questions.
One of the common topics was
higher education in Oregon.
Pacific Party candidate Blair
Bobier argued that the “tax-and
spend” approach may be the best
way to fund schools.
“We can’t be spending money
on education if we’re spending so
much money on prison construc
tion,” he said. “There’s only so
much of the pie to go around.”
Sizemore said he wanted to
keep higher education affordable
for qualified applicants.
“However,” he said, “I must
point out that newspapers across
this country are full of news sto
ries about all of the scholarships
that go unclaimed because there
are not enough qualified appli
cants to qualify for the financial
aid that is already available.”
Sizemore alluded to the idea
that some of the financial aid may
not be claimed because of the
poor state of Oregon’s primary
and secondary education.
Libertarian candidate Richard
Burke said he would adopt a tu
ition freeze.
“Then 1 would increase faculty
salaries by cutting administrative
and bureaucratic costs,” he said.
“The administration is very top
heavy in our university system.”
Burke was the only candidate
to address student fees.
“Every time we sign up for tu
ition, we pay student fees which
fund all sorts of organizations.
Some are valid, some are not, but
I Lhink they should be made vol
untary,” he said. “This would
take away hundreds, or in some
cases even thousands of dollars
off the cost of tuition. ”
The average college student in
Oregon has a $20,000 debt when
he or she graduates, Kitzhaber
said, calling it “unacceptable.”
“I will do two things,” he said.
“The last budget I froze tuition. 1
will continue that into the 1999
2001 budget.”
In addition, Kitzhaber said he
would propose a low-interest col
lege loan fund for all students
who have achieved the Certificate
of Initial Mastery in high school.
Sizemore had earlier confront
ed Kitzhaber in his opening state
ments.
"Today, 25 percent of our high
school students are dropping out
before they finish high school,”
he said, “condemning them to a
life of poverty, welfare, low in
come, low-paying jobs.”
Sizemore further announce that
he has an eight-point plan “turn
the schools around in our state."
“This plan offers common-sense
solutions that do not place a heav
ier burden on the tax payer, but in
stead put solutions where a school
can make meaningful changes
without increasing costs,” Size
more said. Some examples he gave
were giving teachers more freedom
to keep discipline in the class
room, returning the classes to fun
damentals of education and
putting phonics back in education.
“Hopefully, tonight you will
see a clear contrast between John
Kitzhaber and myself,” he said.
“He is proposing solutions to our
problems that are tired, worn-out
solutions of the past. He’s con
stantly asking for more money,
that he can solve all of our prob
lems if we have more money. I
firmly believe that the taxpayers
of this state are paying enough
money to have first-class schools,
good roads, parks, etcetera.”
Kitzhaber often referred to his
“Oregon Challenge.”
“First, we need to give our chil
dren and the entire work force the
education and skills they need to
succeed in the 21st century,” he
said. “We must make our schools
the best in the nation, not only by
demanding that our children mas
ter the basics, but they can also
demonstrate what they have
learned in the real world. We need
to ensure that no qualified high
school graduate is denied the op
portunity for a college education."
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The four candidates involved in the debate were (left to right) Blair
Bobier, Bill Sizemore, Richard Burke and Gov. John Kitzhaber.
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