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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2000)
State representative candidates vow harmony ■ Incumbent Vicki L. Walker and challenger Jeff Miller both pledge to promote bipartisanship in the House By Lindsay Buchele Oregon Daily Emerald State Rep. Vicki L. Walker, D-Eu gene, who is running for re-election to the state House seat representing the University area, said her biggest strength is her ability to push legis lation through an extremely parti san state legislature. Republican challenger Jeff Miller, however, said his experience as a former mayor of Eugene and his t3i ability to coop erate effective lv with fellow politicians, re gardless of par ty affiliation, gives him the edge in the race. Incumbent Walker Walker said she became in terested in gov ernment work ings as a high MILLER county politics, own business as but waited to pursue politics until her children were grown. school student. She earned a degree in polit ical science and, as an adult, became involved in She started her a court reporter r “My daughter asked me why I wasn’t running for a political of fice,” Walker said. “She told me, ‘Mom, I graduate in a year. I’m grown up.’ So, I ran for the 41st Dis trict seat.” In 1998, she was elected to the seat and served her two-year term. During her first term, she served on the Transportation, Trade and Eco CC l*ve always been a go getter. ... I have the ability to cross party lines in order to get things done. I have a sense of humor, and I get along well with others. I got to know everyone in the House on a personal level in order to work with them better Vicki Walker state representative ^4 nomic Development, and Legisla tive Counsel committees. “I’m really working on cleaning up the travel industry,” Walker said. “My daughter was one of the students from Sheldon High School who went on a senior trip to Mexi co and were subjected to a wet T shirt contest during the flight.” Walker said she wants to stop such incidents. She also wants to stop travel agencies from promising high school and college students quality trips and then ripping them off. Other issues Walker focused on during the last state legislative ses sion included controlling the use of pesticides, making youth suicide prevention a priority of the state, increasing funding for secondary and higher education and cracking down on car title loans that target and take advantage of low-income families. “I’ve always been a go-getter,” Walker said. “I was the main spon sor of the pesticide bill, which is only the third of its kind in the country.” The pesticide bill requires busi nesses and government agencies to report the product, amount, pur pose, location and month of pesti cide applications. This bill required support from both Republicans and Democrats, as do most of the bills she supports, she said. “I have the ability to cross party lines in order to get things done,” Walker said. “I have a sense of hu mor, and I get along well with oth ers. I got to know everyone in the House on a personal level in order to work with them better.” “I have known Vicki Walker for years,” said U.S. Rep. Peter De Fazio, D-Ore., in a written state ment. “We have worked together on a variety of issues including ed ucation and health care for our shared constituents. She stood up against special interests in Salem and performed well in what was a difficult partisan session. She de serves re-election.” Challenger Miller Miller said his small business ex perience has helped him realize that “thinking outside the box” on important issues will help the Ore gon government discover solutions to its problems. He notes that both Republicans and Democrats in the Oregon State Legislature support his nomina tion. He said he decided to run for the office after receiving 600 write in nominations from legislators and 4 i / was asked to run for this office because I know how to bring people to gether for a common ob jective. ... We need to throw out different ideas and then test them in the real world so we can see what works and what doesn’t..../ want to bring people together in politics and not worry about cross ing party lines. Jeff Miller former Eugene mayor ^ members of the Eugene community. “I was asked to run for this office because I know how to bring peo ple together for a common objec tive,” Miller said. His political background itself is diverse, Miller said. He served on the Eugene City Council and was mayor from 1989 to 1993. As may or, he focused on human rights is sues and convinced leaders from major Eugene businesses, organiza tions ana agencies to sign an anti discrimination agreement, the Hu man Rights Value Statement. Miller has owned a small insur ance business in Eugene, Pacific Benefit Consultants/Eugene Insur ance, for four years. Miller said hav ing more than 10 years of experi ence in the insurance business has helped him better understand Ore gon’s health insurance needs. “We need to throw out different ideas [for insurance and other is sues] and then test them in the real world so we can see what works and what doesn’t,” Miller said. As for the school funding issue, Miller said he wants to give power back to the local school districts, al lowing them to decide what’s best for their own spending. In regard to the criminal justice system, Miller said prevention during the pre school years will keep kids out of prison later in life. “Overall, we need to be listening to the people and creating policies that will benefit society as a whole,” Miller said. Miller said he is a big supporter of local control and opposes parti san politics. “I want to bring people together in politics and not worry about crossing party lines,” Miller said. Paula Cates, a public elementary school teacher, said children need leaders like Jeff Miller who care enough to ask questions and find answers. She also said Jeff Miller will cross party lines to make sure the public school system is well funded in the next budget cycle. Vo 1 o\J Udvz a 4o 4U£ n£Y4 foo-teaLL c?aM£ you won'4 us£? Bring it to the ASUO office, Suite 4 of the EMU to receive free pool playing time from The Break! Vo you w0n4 a +ic\^4 4o 4H£ n£Y4 (yan£, gu4 ttfpr/4 P?ek on£ up? Sign up in the ASUO office.Tickets returned will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets to the California game are available on 10/23. Student tickets are paid for by student incidental fee dollars. Don’t let our money go to waste! Ticket swaps will be held for the next three football games. For more information, call 346-3749 or email adfin@gladstone.uoregon.edu Free pool playing time donated by The Break, in the EMU.
