Oregon Daily Emerald
25TH OF OCTOBER, 2000
VOTERS' GUIDE
For expanded coverage of the election, visit the Emerald’s Web site at www.dailyemerald.com.
The Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet is available on the Internet through a link at: www.oregonvotes.com.
Decisions, decisions, decisions
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
This is an election of big dimen
sions: a 376-page state voters’ pam
phlet. Twenty-six state ballot meas
ures. Dozens of candidates running
for state and federal offices. And
repord levels of political dollars
buying hundreds of television ads
and radio spots, with each ad trying
to draw attention to a single issue.
It might seem overwhelming, es
pecially to students who are al
ready struggling just to keep up
with school.
But make no mistake, the stakes
are high in this election, the first ex
clusively vote-by-mail election in
the nation.
On Nov. 7, voters will choose the
next president of the United States,
a decision that will affect the flavor
of legislation for at least the next
four years. Furthermore, the next
president will likely appoint be
tween one and four justices to the
Supreme Court, which could make
landmark decisions in the immedi
ate future about abortion, gay rights
and campaign finance.
Polls show presidential candi
dates Al Gore and George W. Bush
are neck-in-neck in Oregon and
throughout the nation. This is an
election that will likely be a dead
heat until Nov. 7.
Within Oregon, legislative seats
and the offices of the secretary of
state, treasurer and attorney general
are up for grabs. Whoever voters
put into these positions will have a
direct effect on the state’s lawmak
ing, financing and law enforce
ment.
The product of Oregon’s initia
tive system, 26 ballot measures are
now before voters, and several of
them would significantly change
life in Oregon.
Three tax reform measures —
Measures 8,91 and 93 — would af
fect all state-funded programs, in
cluding state universities.
Measure 9, sponsored by the
Oregon Citizens Alliance, would
ban schools from sanctioning or en
couraging homosexuality. Though
this measure wouldn’t directly af
fect the University, it would signifi
cantly change the way homosexu
ality is addressed in K-12 schools
and community colleges, including
Lane Community College.
Another measure should pique
the interest of those who feel
politicians are too beholden to
campaign contributors: Measure 6
would offer public funding to can
didates who agree to limit the pri
vate contributions they accept.
Measure 94 would repeal
mandatory minimum sentences
for violent crimes, an aspect of
Oregon law enforcement voters
put in place in 1994 with Measure
11.
In Eugene, a levy measure would
give the city more than $25 million
to build a new police station and
buy land for a new fire facility. A
similar but more expensive levy
was shot down by voters last May,
but supporters of the new levy
hope the smaller price tag will
seem like a fair price to get the po
lice department out of its cramped
City Hall headquarters.
This voters guide contains more
information about these and other
issues on the ballot. Though this
guide is intended to help students
make sense of the issues and candi
dates this election year, the Emer
ald recommends readers also pe
ruse the state voters’ pamphlet.