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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2001)
Thursday -lent newspaper f __ 4 4 n Daily Emerald pic Dream • Is this seat taken? Chad Sonnen competed at the Trials this year, ASUO student senate confirms two new senators fill and is eyeing the 2004 Olympics. PAGE 5A ing spots vacated at the end of fall term. PAGE 3A ___ Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Is this seat taken? ASUO student senate confirms two new senators fill ing spots vacated at the end of fall term. PAGE 3A January 18,2001 Volume 102, Issue 75 Weather today high 40, low 35 Senator blames deregulation for energy shortage The discussion yields suggestions to hike the power supply, including pressuring California to compensate Oregon for its contributions By Lindsay Buchele Oregon Daily Emerald Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led a round-table discussion Wednes day in Eugene to discuss the re cent energy crisis with represen tatives from the utility industry, consumer and conservation groups and government officials. The group agreed that Califor nia has been taking energy from Oregon but has not been giving anything in return. Wyden held the round-table discussion in Eugene Water & Electric Board’s north building to get ideas of how to increase the Northwest’s energy supply. Sug gestions included increasing con servation methods as well as put ting pressure on California to compensate for the energy Ore gon has provided for the strug gling state. Wyden said he wanted proof of California’s contribution to our market, believing the deregulated California market has taken ener gy that isn’t being compensated for. “We cannot let California use the Northwest as a scapegoat for its botched energy plans,” Wyden said. “They are not a good neigh bor when it comes to the energy issue.” Jason Eisdorfer, resident utility adviser for the Citizens’ Utility Board, said California has set aside $250 million for its own conservation efforts. He suggested California send a portion of this money to repay Oregon’s supply. “California expects us to send them energy now and in the sum mer,” Eisdorfer said. “They should be sending us a p'ortion of their funds so we can afford to send the energy.” Alan Zelenka of the Emerald Public Utility District suggested California invest in Oregon’s en ergy market, and in return, Ore gon would guarantee to share power with California. Another concern raised during the discussion was how to in crease Oregon’s generation capac ity and conserve the low amount of energy currently being pro duced. Wyden suggested helping older facilities replace slow equipment and investing in alternative ener gy sources, such as natural gas. “By relicensing hydroelectrici ty, we could get smaller genera tors more capabilities without harming the environment,” Wyden said. Turn to Power, page4A WYDEN Peg Morton, standing before the Federal Building in downtown Eugene, holds a cross bearing the name of a slain Latin American protesters claim was killed by soldiers trained at the former School of the Americas. Army institute spawns protest People gather downtown in objection to the opening of what they say is replacing the old School of Americas By Andrew Adams Oregon Daily Emerald Using fake blood and drama, a group of about 25 demonstrators joined together in front of the Federal Building in downtown Eugene on Wednesday morning to protest the opening of the U.S. Army’s Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Co operation at Fort Benning near Columbus, Ohio. The protesters say the institute, whicli opened Wednesday, will serve the same purpose of the Army’s now defunct School of the Americas, which also operated at Fort Benning and was believed to be the training ground for dictators and government death squads operating in Central and Latin America. To illustrate their argument, some activists donned T-shirts with hand drawn bullet holes, splattered with fake blood, and lay in front of the Fed eral Building near the intersection of Seventh and Pearl streets. Other pro testers wearing black shawls cried and wailed over their mock dead bodies. Eugene resident Portia Foster, who attended the demonstration on what was her 80th birthday, said the group had gathered to protest the brutality from graduates of the school. “There’s lots of evidence that gradu ates of the School of Americas have been instrumental in death squads,” she said. “That has no place in the policies of our country. ” Army officials have long main tained that no graduates of the School of Americas are responsible for the ac tions the protesters claim they com mitted. Army officials have also said Turn to Protest, page 4A Human Rights Alliance pickets for worker rights ■The group leads a campus protest in support of labor strikes against a clothing factory in Mexico that produces University apparel By Lisa Toth Oregon Daily Emerald Nearly 20 members of the Human Rights Alliance led a protest Wednesday in front of the University Bookstore, car rying picket signs and answering students’ questions about the continuing labor dispute at a Nike-contracted garment factory that makes University apparel. According to members of the HRA, the factory workers took part in a strike that started Jan. 8 at the Korean-owned Kukdong International-Mexico factory, about 65 miles south east of Mexico City. Students at the rally rolled out banners and carried signs calling for support of the workers and increased education on worker rights issues. Reports from the Worker Rights Consortium and United Students Against Sweatshops said the factory strike occurred after 20 workers were illegally fired and because of the facto ry’s failure to pass food inspections in the cafeteria and to pay workers all of their Christmas bonuses in accordance with Mexican labor laws. Since the strike, workers were fired despite promises from factory management that they would be able to keep their jobs upon returning to the company. “The management of the factory is singling out the people they think led the strike,” said Chad Sullivan, a senior and HRA member. Ben Goldman, an HRA member and senior, said this issue hits close to home because the factory produces some li censed University apparel. Goldman said the goal of the protest was to bring awareness to the University about what is happening overseas. Sullivan suggested that students call University President Dave Frohnmayer to ensure that the administration is aware of concerns about the labor dispute issue. Sullivan said the WRC is organizing a fact-finding delega tion to visit the factory and has invited the University to send one representative this weekend, from Jan. 20 through 22. “The fact-finding delegation will attempt to ascertain from both sides the real situation,” Sullivan said. Matt Dyste, University director of trademark licensing, said to his knowledge, Nike and the Fair Labor Association also have representatives en route to monitor the factory situation. Dyste said until reports are made from observation organi zations such as Nike, the University is unable to comment on the situation. The HRA will host a general interest meeting about the la bor dispute today at 7:30 p.m. in the Ben Linder Room. ii The fact-finding delegation will attempt to ascertain from both sides the real situation. Chad Sullivan HRA member//
