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violations of voting rights protections since the mid-1960s We
are going to hear a great deal more about the way in which race
played a part in the Florida outcome
Some people blame the Electoral College for the election
mess Eliminating the Electoral College may or may not be a
worthwhile goal but it will never happen because the smaller
states can easily exert a veto over the amendment process to
protect their own interests (16 states can defeat a Constitutional
amendment). Some people want a proportional representation
system by congressional districts. Yet a study aired over NPR
concluded that the results in the Electoral College would have
been just about the same using the proportional method
There is one other aspect of the Florida results that might
be of interest: if only 1% of the minuscule Ralph Nader vote in
the state (Nader only took 1.6% of the Florida vote) had voted
Democrat, we wouldn't be wringing our hands about the prospect
of drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge, rekindling the arms race
with a new missile-defense system, or empowering an attorney
general hostile to human rights Understandably, Ralph's
supporters may be reluctant to acknowledge the unpleasant
math, but it's unlikely that angry progressives, war king people
and minorities in the Democratic Party and elsewhere will soon
be rallying behind the Green Party
PAUL C. VAN DER VELDT
(He is proprietor of Shallon Winery in Astoria.)
I am a registered Socialist. I am concerned about some
of the ideas promoted by the incoming Presidential administration
and wsh to make a quiet statement — and maybe to be a devil's
advocate and to give respectful memory to the late proprietor of
Svenson's Blacksmith Shop, who was one of the few towering
intellectuals of earlier Astoria, and vtfiom I had the privilege of
meeting when I was young
Accordingly, Bush and others' idea of irresponsibly
passing off charity and general welfare to private charitable
organizations heads us back to the worst abuses in the history
of general welfare
Yes, people like to contribute to "worthy" causes which
makes them feel better and somehow alleviates any residue of
guilt they may have for having ripped off their fellow man during
the year, and with the TV marketing of "worthy" causes, they
can feel particularly good But even if everyone tithed a decent
amount, the distribution of this largesse would not be fair or
equitable.
Although I was reared in the atmosphere of free enter
prise, social responsibility to charity, etc., one of my first jobs
in life showed me the reality of the system.
I stepped from the woods of Oregon into the center
of L A at 22 (Everyone says that was a cultural shock. No it
wasn't.) I went to work for the Los Angeles County Department
of Charities, Bureau of Public Assistance, Confidential Index
Section, Transportation Unit. I personally shipped 6,000 indigents
out of the county in the three years before going into the Navy.
I dealt with caseworkers in a great many district offices. The
Confidential Index Section cleared and cross-referenced
applications and tried to weed out multiple fraudulent applications
for welfare (there are crooks who try to work the system at all
socioeconomic levels). At the time L A County had to pass a civil
service regulation that would not allow our pay scale to be less
than the bottom welfare scale.
At that time there were more than 50 charitable organiz
ations in L.A. County (such as Red Cross. Catholic Charities,
Jewish Welfare, Salvation Army, etc.etc ). Confidential Index
Section tried to weed out those fraudulent applications also —
before the days of computers. We who worked for the county
frequently alluded to the Red Cross, for example, as a "referral
agency." Their caseworkers, who seemed to have a new station-
wagon every year and had offices in a new air-conditioned build
ing, would take applications and refer clients to a county office
where the costs could be picked up by the taxpayers
This all seemed to me then, as now, grossly inefficient
and unfair. One large bureaucracy for this purpose would have its
inefficiencies because of humans running it, but would certainly
be more fair and just for everybody than the plethora of organiza
tion bureaucracies — each pursuing their own religious or ideo
logical agenda and marketing themselves to draw every dollar
from those wrfio need to feel better about themselves since they
don't have any basic compassion.
PHIL KEIM
(He is a forester and a singer He sang the National
Anthem at a Portland Blazers basketball game.)
Being a registered independent, I often get accused of
being wishy-washy about what I truly believe and that I just hold
my finger up in the air to see which way the wind is blowing I
tend to not choose sides But I was very upset that the election
had to go to the Supreme Court I feel it is unfortunate things
went the way they did. It's obvious from the debacle we have
gone through that we need serious voting reform. We need
absolute consistency to the voting system to avoid future
problems of what we have experienced.
It would have to be a system that vould not allow for
there to be any question what candidate a person voted for on the
ballot This would be a type of ballot consistent in every state
Keeping all this in mind, I feel that for the benefit of our country
and its future progress, we need to give George W Bush every
opportunity to work in a bipartisan fashion with Congress to reach
some reasonable and logical effective solutions to some of the
many problems facing our country
I am not getting caught up in the bitterness and
resentment from this election The bottom line is that our country
faces some very difficult issues and bitterness and resentment
are never avenues to progress
PAUL LACHINE
DEBRA CO NN AWAY
SUSAN SCHROEDER
(She is a teacher and progressive social change activist)
I don't think George W Bush is smart enough to steal the
election but those who stand to profit from his Presidency stole it
for him
Greed and the lust for power are the ultimate corruption.
The election was a complete breakdown of process and demorali
zation of the electorate. What faith I had in the political system is
gone.
It's going to set back women’s rights about twenty years.
I think it will further widen the rift between the haves and
the have-nots
I don't think anybody can predict the dire consequences
of this hopefully single term in office
(She is a former Astoria City Councilwoman )
I certainly think it is going to be an interesting four years.
The fact the vote is so close means that the country is divided.
People are either going to have to come together around the
center to get something done or it will be stale
I think people will get more involved — but I hope we
don't end up in a war
CHUCK STUART
(He is a former firefighter, a sky diver and a cross-country
motorcyclist.)
I distrust a man who accepts the Presidency who truly
knows he didn't earn it. It speaks of a lack of integrity
I believe if the Supreme Court had allowed Flonda to
continue the vote counting that Gore would have secured the
necessary electoral votes
So we have five Supreme Court justices who decided to
take matters into their own hands and appoint a President for us.
There was no reason for the Supreme Court to halt the
vote count
The consequences are already beginning to shake out.
Our health foreign aid has the caveat of refusing aid to countries
that provide for abortions whether our money funds it or not 'W
canceled many of the last minute protections of public lands from
development and logging. One grace of an incoming President is
not to arbitrarily cancel the work of the outgoing President — and
the outgoing President was elected. But to quote 'W: "Perhaps I
misunderestimated him "
If 'W can even maintain the economy boost of the last
four years it will indeed be an accomplishment My view, which is
not too far off. is that the economy might be slowing as a result of
fear of his administration
Greenspan and Clinton have done a wonderful job the
past four years — I don't think Greenspan will stick it out the next
four years
I think 'W is an uneducated hick who is in over his head
But perhaps 'W is right, I am "misunderstanding" him However.
I wish he would stop taking English lessons from Dan Quayle.
Specializing in Forest Inventory
& Reforestation
PHILLIP KEIM
Forestry Technician
Office (503) 325-2690 • Cell (503) 338-9691
1505 Irving Avenue • Astoria, Oregon 97103-3721
STACY SMITH
(She lives in Astoria and is an artist.)
I don't really put any faith in the government I think it's
just a bunch of people on a power trip. I don't think there are very
many who think about the little people Politics is just a popularity
contest
ROBERT WILSON
(He is a commercial fisherman and a marine biologist. He
started the Vietnam Veterans Against the War chapter in Astoria.)
Does my opinion count? My vote didn't!
JERRY FORSYTH
(aka Stick Boy' as a result of standing 6 feet 8 inches off
the ground He lives in Astoria, is just married and to be a father)
Watching the inauguration, the best sign I saw was one
that said Re-elect Gore in 4'. I thought it was cool. It's really
obvious the Supreme Court made our President Everybody
knows it. The people who wanted Bush thought it was the nght
thing to do
I think it will be obvious as time goes on that there was
not much choice Either way, we would have got one of Them
as President
I think more people learned more about the electoral
process than ever before — everybody on the planet learned
about our election process. It's sad it turned out the way it did
It makes a mockery of our electoral process but I think we've only
got four years to worry about it
It bodes well at least that many people will get involved I
was impressed about the amount of people who did get involved
GINA FORSYTH
("I'm Jerry's wife." she says She's about to have a baby )
The outcome of this election will lead people to make a
more conscientious vote in the next election Like Jerry said,
more people know the process and will more likely vote their
heart next time.
I'm sorry more people didn't vote for the Green Party, but
with the closeness of the vote and everything more balanced in
Congress. I think more people will vote for the Green Party and
more real candidates
I don't think Bush's intentions are so golden He's not the
happy man we see I think he's got some things up his sleeve and
we will soon see what they are
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Terry Hahn
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