Voters will get chance to send
city councilors' first paycheck
■A debate arises over the
measu re with argu merits
concerning diversityand
the meaningof service
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Civic responsibility and the
structure of Eugene government
have come under scrutiny in de
bate over Measure 20-29 on Eu
gene’s May 16 primary ballot, pro
posing city councilors and mayors
be paid for the first time.
Supporters of the measure say
the jobs of city councilors and
mayors have become increasingly
demanding and that very few peo
ple can afford to commit the time
required to fill unpaid positions.
“It’s difficult for people making
a modest living to work on the
council,” said Rob Zako who
served on the committee that
drafted the proposal the council
forwarded to the ballot.
Supporters argue that paying
city councilors $1,000 a month
and mayors $1,500, as the meas
ure proposes, would allow a more
diverse candidate pool and, there
fore, improve representation. The
measure, which would go into ef
fect July 1, 2001, also allows the
elected officials access to the city’s
retirement and insurance plans.
Those who oppose the meas
ure, however, say the city charter
prohibits payment of elected offi
cials for a reason — serving on a
city council, they argue, is a civic
duty and should be treated as an
act of volunteerism.
Councilors report working 20 to
40 hours per week preparing and
attending meetings, researching
and responding to constituents.
Many councilors say they’ve
sacrificed professional and per
sonal opportunities to serve on
council. Councilor David Kelly
said he’s cut his computer con
sulting business’s workload by 75
percent, and Councilor Bobby Lee
is leaving the council when his
term expires in January, 2001, to
explore job opportunities that the
time commitment of city council
has previously made impossible.
Mayor Jim Torrey said he works
50 to 60 hours a week while run
ning his communications compa
ny and sleeps only five hours a
night. Nonetheless, he said he
would donate any pay he receives
to charity, though he supports
payment if it increases diversity
among candidates.
A candidate for the Ward 2 City
Council seat, Azra Khalidi, oppos
es the measure. She said coun
cilors would serve less passion
ately if they were paid.
Jeff Miller, former mayor of Eu
gene and an agent at Pacific Bene
fit Consultants/ Eugene Insur
ance, said city councilors are
unnecessarily overworking them
selves and shouldn’t be paid.
“If the council feels it’s over
worked, they need to get disci
plined and focus on long-term is
sues,” Miller said. “The city
council wasn’t intended to micro
manage the city.”
Eugene’s City Council sets poli
cy guidelines, and the city manag
er’s office oversees city adminis
tration according to those policies.
Miller said the City Council is
focusing too much on administra
tive issues. If councilors are paid,
they would have no incentive to
scale back their focus, he said.
Measure
20-29
The Eugene ballot
measure would
amend the City
Charter to allow city
councilors to be paid $1,000 a
month and mayors $1,500. The
elected officials would also gain
access to the city’s retirement and
insurance plans.
Supporters say the jobs of city
councilors and mayors have be
come more demanding and few
people can afford to work the long
hours without pay. Payment of
councilors and mayors would in
crease the number and diversity of
candidatesand improve represen
tation, supporters say.
Opponents say the city councilors
and mayors shouldn’t be paid be
cause serving in the elected offices
is a civic responsibility. Opponents
also worry that councilors receiv
ing pay would be encouraged to
work longer hours and focus on
administrative issues, which are
the domain of the city manager’s
office.
Like most opponents of the
measure, Miller feels diversity
among city councilors is sufficient
and that there is no shortage.
Zako, however, said wealthy
councilors fare better than others
under the current system.
“If you’re making $40,000 a
year and have to scale back to
$10,000, you probably can’t afford
to take that cut,” Zako said. “If you
make $400,000 and cut to
$100,000, you can get by.”
Measu re wou Id li mit ju ry awa rds
■ By I i m iti ng da mages that
can be awarded in civil suits,
some argue businesses will
be less accountable
By Josh Ryneal
Oregon Daily Emerald
State Ballot Measure 81 would
amend the Oregon Constitution to
allow the Legislature to limit the
damages plaintiffs receive in civil
cases, and is garnering support
from the medical community, in
surance companies and business
organizations, which all say the
measure would limit their civil li
ability and keep costs down.
Opponents charge that Measure
81 would allow the Legislature to
grant immunity to whole sections
of industry and deny Oregonians
rights to a fair trial.
If voters pass the measure at the
polls on May 16, they would grant
the Oregon Senate and House of
Representatives the power to en
act statues limiting damages
awarded to plaintiffs in civil tri
als, rather than allowing juries
that discretion.
Rep. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eu
gene, appointed by the Oregon
Secretary of State to help draft the
measure’s “impartial explana
tion” in the Oregon Voters’ Pam
phlet, said that the measure
would cap non-economic dam
ages at $500,000.
In essence, Prozanski said, the
measure would allow the Oregon
legislature to regulate damages for
pain and suffering, mental duress
or any other punitive damages not
directly related to a plaintiff’s im
mediate physical care.
Prozanski said the measure is
“written so broadly, it goes way
beyond non-economic damages.”
He foresees an abundance of abus
es by vested interests in both the
Senate and the House.
"The medical sector is con
cerned about keeping their fees up
and cutting liability,” Prozanski
said. “Big businesses want protec
tion from expensive lawsuits.”
David Fidanque, executive di
rector of the Oregon American
Civil Liberties Union, also sees
problems with Measure 81.
"The ACLU doesn’t usually
take positions on so-called ‘tort re
form’ but the language in this
measure is so sweeping and
broad,” he said, stating the meas
ure could be used to grant immu
nity to businesses and other par
ties supporting its passage.
“The Oregon Bill of Rights
states that you cannot grant im
munity to any citizen or class of
citizens, and this measure is a
clear violation of that,” Fidanque
said.
He called the bill “sloppily
written and hastily pushed
through the Legislature.”
Supporters of the measure
point out that if civil liability goes
unchecked, not only will busi
nesses and insurance companies
suffer, but so will the public.
“Measure 81 will not only pro
tect small business owners, hospi
tals and doctors, but it will also
protect government agencies,
non-profit organizations, volun
teers, good Samaritans and the
public taxpayers,” said Jim Kro
nenberg, associate executive di
rector of the Oregon Medical As
sociation.
Kronenberg said supporters re
alize this is a contentious issue.
Measure 81
The state ballot
measure would
amend the Oregon
Constitution to al
low the Legislature
to limit jury awards
in civil cases.
Supporters say the measure would
protect government, medical, in
surance and business organiza
tions from exorbitant jury awards.
Opponents say the measure would
jeopardize the right to a fair trial
and grant immunity to industries
that should be held accountable
by the courts.
“We don’t want to deprive victims
of their rightful damages,” he said.
As for the “broad” language of
the measure, he said the measure
encompasses potential statutes.
Kronenberg listed several prob
lems that he foresees if Measure
81 doesn’t pass.
“If it doesn’t pass, malpractice
premiums will go up, insurance
premiums will go up and hospi
tal care may become more expen
sive,” he said. “If a public agency
is sued, the individual employees
as well as the agency could be
held liable in a civil lawsuit.”
Besides, the public “already
has plenty of other safeguards for
injured parties,” Kronenberg said.
In his opinion, the only people
who would benefit if Measure 81
fails are those trying cases in civil
litigation.
If voters don’t pass Measure 81,
Kronenberg predicts that “it will
become open season on everyone
for trial lawyers in civil cases.”
V'eie
BALLOT
MEASURE
e'e'o'e'e'e'e'e'e
Calendar
Monday, April 24
Open Enrollment Meeting: Repre
sentatives of the Unum Life Insur
ance Co. and the Oregon Public Em
ployees’ Benefit Board explain new
long-term care insurance plans for
University employees. 3:30 p.m.
EMU Fir Room. Free. For more in
formation, browse
ererere'e'Qfe'&'e'
pebb.das.state.or.us/LTC2000.html
or call 346-3159. Repeats at 6 p.m.
EMU Cultural Forum Concert: Virtu
oso guitarist John Scofield performs.
8 p.m. Ballroom, EMU. $18 general,
$14 University students with ID. For
information, browse
darkwing.uoregon.edu/~cultural/
or call 346-4373.
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