Bush
continued from page 1
the people who were trying to make
a living off the land,” he said. “I
told these two good men that we
were gonna do everything we can
to make sure water is available.”
Bush avoided laying out any con
crete policy measures on the econo
my, but reaffirmed his support for
his 2001 tax cut and for extending
unemployment benefits. He also at
tempted to rally the crowd behind
his economic stimulus package,
which has stalled in the Senate.
“Any economic stimulus plan
must also expand the job base. We
ought to be asking ourselves, ‘what
will it take to increase more jobs?’
so people can find work,” he said.
The President’s optimism about the
economy struck a chord with many
in the crowd. “I thought the speech
was wonderful,” said Tina Larson
of Portland. “He talked about the
small business man, and it has been
a long time since we have heard
that.”
Some Parkrose students were in
awe just to be able to see the Presi
dent so clearly. “It was cool sitting
200 feet from the President even
though I didn’t agree with what he
said,” said Samantha Dillman, a
Parkrose senior. Dillman said she
and her friend, Janette Cullins, re
ceived their tickets by winning a
lottery at school.
Sen. Smith, up for re-election
this November, brought the crowd
to its feet as he introduced the Pres
ident and presented him with a
green University of Oregon football
jacket.
“Mr. President, we know that in
a few weeks the Miami Hurricanes
will be in the White House,” Sen.
Smith said. “We understand that,
but we also want you to remember
that the Ducks weren’t invited.”
Music, speakers and introduc
Thomas Patterson Emerald
Portland police, clad in riot gear, work to clear Northeast 122nd Avenue, which on Saturday was blocked by activists like Louis Ursitti
(above), who showed up to protest the appearance of President George W. Bush at Parkrose High School.
tions of Portland-area politicos en
chanted the crowd during the long
wait for the President. The Parkrose
High School Debonaire Choir per
formed a medley of show tunes.
Salem music teacher Rosalie Kar
alekas and her daughter Nicole per
formed the song “Dear Mr. Presi
dent, The Children are Counting on
You,” which Rosalie wrote follow
ing the Sept. 11 attacks.
Miss America Katie Harman, a
21-year-old Gresham native,
warmed the crowd with two songs
- including “God Bless America” -
and a speech about bravery during
bad times.
“Being a person that is a member
of Generation X, this is a time for
the young penple to rise up in our
nation and to assume responsibility
for the position we will once have
in this nation,” she said. “We will
be the future leaders.”
The war in Afghanistan and the
broader war on terrorism brought
many of the protesters out on the
frigid streets of Portland. Many
held signs, sang songs and yelled
chants. Nearly 400 protesters wait
ed for Bush - and the crowd - to
leave the high school to swing the
protest into full fury.
“I am out here to protest Bush, I
am out here to protest the war and
I am out here in defiance from
these people here kicking us out
of the street,” Alison Musillani of
Monmouth said. Officers on
horseback entered the street when
protesters - and the Noise
Brigade, a 15-piece drum, trom
bone and bullhorn band - entered
traffic in front of the high school.
They warned the protesters to va
cate the street.
After the police had the protest
ers out of the street and lined up in -
a parking lot across from the
school, the protesters started chant
ing anti-war and anti-police slo
gans. As the first airplane took off
from nearby Portland International
Airport, protesters declared it was
Air Force One and screamed defi
antly while waving their signs in
the air.
Contact community editor John Liebhardt
atjohnliebhardt@daiiyemerald.com.
Kitzhaber
continued from page 1
After that announcement,
Kitzhaber ordered all state-funded
institutions to develop plans to
pare budgets by 2 to 10 percent, in 2
percent increments. The Universi
ty of Oregon designed cuts that
could fall between $2 and $12 mil
lion, and the State Board of Higher
Education — which oversees the
state’s eight public schools in Ore
gon — created a plan to cut money
from their budgets.
During the meeting in downtown
Eugene, Kitzhaber said he would like
to keep cuts away from primary and
secondary education, social services
and police protection. However,
these programs make up a consider
able portion of the state’s budget.
Local education leaders felt the
governor’s priorities and economic re
alities may not bode well for state uni
versities and community colleges.
“Post-12 education was not in one
of the hot priorities, so that gives us
a clue what he was thinking about
community colleges and universi
ties,” said Mary Spilde, president of
Lane Community College.
Oregon has serious structural fi
nancial problems on top of a short
term budget deficit, Kitzhaber said.
These problems include the pas
sage of Measure 5 in 1991, which
capped the amount of property tax
that can go to pay for education. Be
cause of this cap, the state must
pick up the rest of the tab. And, the
State of Oregon’s kicker check sys
tem did not allow the government
to set up a “rainy-day fund” in
times of economic problems.
“The recession has revealed that
our cupboards are bare,” he said.
Kitzhaber stressed to the busi
ness leaders that decisions made in
the next few months could greatly
influence the future of the state.
“The real question is what is hap
pening to those kids, and whether
we are giving them the kind of ed
ucational opportunity that we had
and we want the future leaders of
Oregon to have,” he said.
Contact community editor John Liebhardt
atjohnliebhardt@dailyemerald.com.
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