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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2006)
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) ratings of Westlund’s votes range from 0 percent in 2003 to 42 percent in 2005. in 1999 to 57 percent in 2005. Westlund said his lung cancer fight also re-enforced his passion for univer- sal health care. “Health care is the largest single issue facing not only this state but America,” Westlund said. He has proposed a 60-cent increase in the cigarette tax to fund coverage for one-third of the state’s uninsured. Some of the coverage would come from expanding the Oregon Health Plan, but most of it through subsidizing small businesses to insure 100,000 working poor. In Bed With Big Business Out of the bedroom, Westlund appears to be more in bed with big busi- ness. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) ratings of Westlund’s votes range from 0 percent in 2003 to 42 percent in 2005. In the recent scorecard, OLCV reported Westlund voted for pol- luter tax breaks, car pollution, hunting cougars and bears with hounds, increased logging in state forests, keep- ing pesticide use secret and allowing some regulatory waivers for developers. In 2003, Westlund’s environmental voting record was perfectly awful, according to OLCV. He voted for weak- er endangered species, wetlands and beach protections, weaker logging rules, increased logging in state forests, McMansions on farm land, urban sprawl and gravel pits. Westlund points out that he was the highest OLCV-rated Republican in the Senate in 2005. He said in his conserva- tive, rural district a green vote may be “an act of political courage,” whereas for a representative from downtown Portland it would be a “give-away vote.” Westlund said he supports solar ener- gy and biofuels and voted against Measures 7 and 37. The two measures, requiring regulatory waivers or pay- ments to developers, “went too far,” he said. Westlund said he does support allow- ing anyone to build a single house for themselves on their land, even if anti- sprawl regulations later forbade it. “Give them their home site back for Christ’s sake. How patently unfair.” Reverse Robin Hood Unlike most Republicans, Westlund has called for increasing taxes to fund education, health care and social servic- es. But the tax package he proposes appears likely to shift more taxes to the poor, while giving big business and the wealthy big breaks. Westlund has proposed a 5 percent sales tax combined with cutting capital gains and income taxes in half along with some property tax relief for owner- occupied homes to generate $1.2 billion in extra revenue. But sales taxes, even if they exempt food and medicine, fall most heavily on the poor, and capital gains and income tax cuts and home-owner tax breaks benefit mostly the wealthy, according to studies by the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP), a state research group often have the strongest economies. Westlund argues that the sales tax would provide more stability for state revenues. But fair tax advocates say that could also be done with a state rainy day fund. While advocating a sales tax that would hit the poor hardest, Westlund has been a consistent supporter of tax breaks and give-aways for polluters and corpo- rations, a recent voting record review by the Oregon Service Employees The tax package he proposes appears likely to shift more taxes to the poor, while giving big business and the wealthy big breaks. focused on helping the poor. Westlund claims that the tax breaks for the wealthy will make the state more attractive for investors who create jobs. “The capital gains thing, that’s the holy grail.” But OCPP and other fair tax advo- cates dispute that argument, pointing out that the states with the highest taxes Jolly Rancher Ben Westlund’s well-off family moved to Portland from California when he was 17. After Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., he took business classes at the UO before moving to Bend in 1975 to mine and market diatomaceous earth, mostly for “Kitty Diggins” cat litter. After selling the successful company, he tried and failed at ranching before starting a bull semen business. After 14 years, he had “male menopause,” thought about becoming a hospital nurse and instead went into the legislature in 1997, where he earned a reputation as a hard-working, personable Republican moderate, serving in both the House and the Senate. In 2003 he was diagnosed with lung cancer, had tissue removed and chemotherapy. Now, Westlund, a 56-year-old father of two teenagers, said his scans and tests show “everything is great” and he has lots of energy to campaign. Open House Tours nking Gourd Dri ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ele me ntary School Wed. 6-8 p.m. Feb. 22nd SEE OUR NEW WEBSITE International Union (SEIU) reports. Westlund said such tax loopholes for big business and the wealthy aren’t worth the trouble to try closing since they represent such a small part of the budget. You would spend a “ton of polit- ical capital” just to close $50 million in loopholes for the wealthy and big busi- nesses, he said. “They have a political constituency.” Maverick Republican The most valuable thing Westlund may sell to voters is his maverick image. The Oregon media and voters like the idea of a politician who puts principal over party and spices up elections with quirky stands, Roberts said. “He’s very much a maverick.” In Sen. Wayne Morse and Gov. Tom McCall, the state has a history of elect- ing maverick Republicans who mix pro- gressive and conservative stands. Westlund plays up his maverick, above-politics image with fiery rhetoric. He said he’s “appalled” with the politi- cal posturing in the Legislature. “They posture and preen and position them- O PEN FOR L UNCH & D INNER (Angela Englert & Bill Town’s New Eatery) Featuring: Mediterranean Inspired Tapas • Fr.-Sat. 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