The amplifier., October 01, 2010, Page 6, Image 6

October
November elections feature five exciting contests
U.S. Representative
Representative K urt Schrader, Dem ocrat
Resume: Schrader is currently finishing up his first term
as Congressman for Oregon's 5th district. He chairs
the House's Finance and Lending Subcommittee and
is a member of three other committees. Prior to his
political career, Schrader owned and operated
a veterinary clinic in Oregon City that he built
from scratch. In 1997, he became an Oregon
State Representative, and was sworn into the Oregon State
Senate in 2003.
Statement: "Education is a critical component to making sure
the United States is competitive in an increasingly global
economy. That starts with the work we have done supporting
Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs and Federal support
I helped bring to Oregon to keep K-12 schools open during
these tough economic times. And finally, I’ve fought hard to
help kids and their families afford college by increasing Pell
Grant scholarships and low interest loans."
Websites: www.kurtschrader.com and schrader.house.gov
State R epresentative Scott Bruun, Republican
Resume: Since 2004, Bruun has been an Oregon State
Representative, serving on the House's revenue and
health care committees. Before this, he had 10 years
of experience in commercial banking, and he was
i^ ^ th e CFO of Lorentz Bruun, a local construction
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company. He has previously been a member of
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and
is currently a board member of the Oregon Cultural Trust.
Statement: "I am an advocate for strengthening our schools
and making sure educational opportunities are available to
all Oregonians. I know seniors at West Linn are facing huge
decisions about seeking post-secondary education or entering
the work place. With Oregon's economy in its current state,
U.S. Senator
Senator Ron W yden, Dem ocrat
Resume: Wyden is a former co-director of the Oregon Gray Panthers, an organization
that advocates progressive reforms. In 1980, he went to the House representing
Oregon's 3rd district, and became a Senator in a 1996 special election. A member of
five committees and chairman of two subcommittees, Wyden is famous for his
advocacy of health care reform and his hard questioning of the tobacco industry.
Statement: (from Jake Weigler, campaign manager) "Senator Wyden has been
a strong advocate for Oregon's young people and hopes to have your support [...]. Wyden has
opposed government spending like going to war in Iraq and the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street
because they are adding trillions in debt that can burden your generation for decades to come. He's
worked hard on funding for both K-12 and higher education, supporting legislation this summer
that averted the firing of 1,600 Oregon teachers, and voting for larger Pell Grants for Oregon's future
university and community college students and to make student loans more affordable. Building
Oregon's clean energy economy is another Wyden priority, developing renewable sources and
helping young people get training for green jobs with good pay."
Websites: www.standtallforamerica.com and wyden.senate.gov
Professor Jim H uffm an, Republican
Resume: Huffman has taught at Lewis & Clark Law School since 1973, and from 1994 to
2006, he was its dean. He has written a book titled "Government Liability and Disaster
Mitigation: a Comparative Study," several articles for law reviews and journals, chapters
for books about topics ranging from the environment to feminism to infrastructure,
and book reviews and opinion articles for publications such as The Oregonian and
Los Angeles Times.
Statement: "I have three school-aged children and I am concerned about the future that their
generation will be inheriting. The government has been reckless with spending and increasing the
size of the government for too long. It is immoral for the federal government to continue expecting
your generation to pay for the burdensome debt being incurred now. [...] I believe you are in a
position to tell government to stop the reckless spending and borrowing against your future. I will
go to Washington and stand against reckless spending, big government and higher taxes, to ensure
that your generation has a future of promise and opportunity."
Website: www.huffmanforsenate.com
this is a scary prospect for many students. In Congress, my
number one priority will be strengthening the economy and
promoting private sector job creation so that West Linn students
can graduate with the confidence that jobs will be available to
them in Oregon. [...] I am confident in America's future, and I
know the students of West Linn High School will all play a role
in our nation's growth and renewal."
Website: www.joinscott.com
Oregon State Representative (District 37)
W ill R a sm u ssen , D e m o cra t/In d e p e n d e n t
Resume: Rasmussen is a volunteer for the Oregon
Democratic Party and University of Washington,
vice chair of the Oregon Business Association
Good Government Committee and an attorney
for Miller Nash LLP.
I I
Statement: "I know first hand that for Oregon's
economy to be prepared for the 21st Century,
we need to expand access to affordable college education. That
is why I will sponsor legislation to end the tuition hikes that
are pricing Oregon students out of higher education. When
students are prepared for a career, we must make sure that
they have opportunities to compete for good paying jobs.
My plan accomplishes this by assessing Oregon's economic
development efforts and directing our limited resources to
those programs that get the most bang for our buck in creating
local jobs. Go Lions!"
Website: www.votewillrasmussen.com
Ju lie P arrish , Republican
Resum e: Parrish is a m other of three and
the owner of Coupon Girls, a web forums
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company. Parrish has close ties to a number
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of com m u n ity org an ization s, in clu d in g
the Chamber of Commerce, Oregon Army National Guard
Military Family Readiness Program and food pantries.
Statement: "I'm a mom, with three kids in West Linn, and I
have worked with the school district. One big issue for voting
high school seniors should be the cost of higher education. I
hate seeing students saddled with student loans, and I want
to take this conversation to the Oregon Legislature [...]. I also
want to make sure that when you graduate, there will be jobs
for you. These are two of the biggest issues I'm running on
that will affect kids at West Linn High."
Website: www.julie4oregon.com
Information compiled by Elise Brown
Oregon State Senator
(District 19)
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S tate S en ato r R ich ard
D evlin, Dem ocrat
Resume: Devlin began his
political career on the
Tualatin City Council
and helped start its first
police system. He served three terms in
the Oregon State House until he was
elected to Oregon State Senate in 2002.
Devlin has been Senate majority leader
since 2007. He serves on the Ways and
Means Subcommittee on Education.
S ta te m e n t: No in fo rm a tio n w as
provided.
Website: devlinfororegon.com and
www.leg.state.or.us/devlin
M ary Krem er, Republican
R esu m e: B efore m oving
to Oregon, Kremer was
an investment banker in
Chicago. She volunteered
in Portland for 20 years feeding homeless
teens and serving on a school board for
lower-income families. Kremer became
interested in politics after serving on the
Oregon Connections Academy Parents
Association. She also has volunteered at
Lake Oswego High School.
Statement: "My number one priority
is education. I will work for funding
schools K-12 and higher education, and
I’ll do this by prioritizing government
spending [...]. I have the background and
experience; I spent 15 years in finance
and 20 years giving low er-incom e
families what they need. I think we need
to bring that to the table. I would love
to be involved with the students and
motivate them to get out the vote."
Website: www.vote4mary.com
Governor
F o rm e r G o v e r n o r Jo h n K itz h a b e r ,
D em ocrat
' ~ ^ R e su m e : From 1974 to 1988, Kitzhaber
to m m worked as an emergency room doctor.
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In 1978, he won his bid for Oregon State
Representative, and was elected state Senator in 1980. In
1985, he was chosen to be the Senate President. While a
Senator, he helped create the Oregon Health Plan. From
1995 to 2003, Kitzhaber was Oregon's governor, and he
helped create a series of progressive reforms such as
the Oregon Children's Plan and Oregon Business Plan.
Under Kitzhaber, Oregon had its lowest unemployment
rate in its history, and the state's Patient Bill Of Rights
was created.
Statement: "Your education is the single most important
pathway to success, and providing you with a quality
education is part of my job as governor. One reason I want
to be governor is to make sure that you have opportunities
right here in Oregon.[...J I do hope that after high school
you choose to pursue at least two years of additional
education or training. [...] To help you, I will work to see
that the state's college student aid program is there to offer
you and your parents with financial assistance. I also will
work with Oregon's community colleges and universities
to see that your college degrees and certificates are
connected to jobs in Oregon that need more workers.
For the entire state, I also will work to grow Oregon's
economy - so there are good jobs for your parents and
you. [...] I look forward to working hard every day to
deliver a better, brighter future for Oregon and for you."
Website: www.johnkitzhaber.com
Chris D udley, Republican
Resume: In 1994, Dudley and his wife founded
The Dudley Foundation, an organization to help
children with diabetes. For 16 seasons, Dudley
was an NBA basketball player, and for six
seasons, a Portland Trail Blazer. After retiring
from basketball in 2003, he became a partner in an small
business and the senior vice president of M Financial.
Statement: No information was provided.
Website: www.chrisdudley.com