including Goldschmidt’s friend and politi-
cal ally, Kulongoski.
Walker also rocked state politics by
calling for, and getting some, reform of the
state lottery, SAIF (state workers’ com-
pensation insurance), Portland General
Electric, and the Oregon Investment
Council. The R-G described her as a
“blunt-talking politician who relishes tak-
ing on powerful institutions.”
Walker is one of the more active mem-
bers of the Legislature, crafting, backing
and often passing dozens of bills on every-
thing from crib safety to removing
OHSU’s immunity from malpractice law-
suits. She worked especially hard to ban
the use of dangerous wired glass in
schools.
But Walker has also appeared allied
with big business at times. She backed
Liberty Mutual’s failed ballot measure to
eliminate SAIF, the corporation’s chief
competitor for worker’s compensation
insurance. Almost all the state’s newspa-
pers opposed the measure. Walker recent-
ly praised SAIF for reforming its use of
public money for lobbyists and for becom-
the money we currently have in the educa-
tion budget” for his testing and kinder-
garten proposals, but hasn’t said which
existing education programs he would cut
to fund his ideas.
One thing Torrey refused to cut to fund
education is corporate tax breaks. As
mayor of Eugene, Torrey was a leading
advocate of tax breaks and taxpayer subsi-
dies for Hynix and developers. Such enter-
prise zone tax breaks and subsidies
through urban renewal have cost state
school funding millions of dollars, critics
charge. Torrey successfully backed addi-
tional tax breaks for Hynix, which
received $50 million in tax breaks, even
when the corporation was creating no new
jobs.
Torrey’s strong support for Hynix (then
called Hyundai) stretches back to his first
years in the mayor’s office. In 1997,
Citizens for Public Accountability accused
Torrey of ethics and meetings law viola-
tions for voting for Hynix tax breaks and
giveaways while profiting from a land sale
near the corporation, and for meeting in
secret with Hynix executives to discuss tax
Vicki Walker has touted her Democratic
affiliation, but she’s perhaps best known
as a party maverick.
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ing more open and accountable.
Walker has perfect voting records with
NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and Planned
Parenthood, but the Christian Coalition
and the National Rifle Association gave
her low ratings. Walker has received high
ratings and endorsements from most of the
state’s largest labor unions and from the
ACLU. But business interest lobbyists for
AOI and developers have given her low
ratings. The Oregon League of
Conservation Voters gave Walker a 92 per-
cent voting record.
Torrey doesn’t have a legislative voting
record with these groups and is more of a
political blank slate, dodging position
questions at his debate with Walker and
refusing to answer a questionnaire from
the non-partisan Project Vote Smart.
SCHOOLS
Both candidates have smothered them-
selves in children in campaign ads and
claim to be the pro-kids and education
candidate.
Walker has a record of fighting for
more school funding in the Legislature,
where she said Torrey’s fellow
Republicans have blocked many funding
measures. She has been given top ratings
from the state’s leading groups pushing for
better school funding — Oregon Stand for
Children,
the
Oregon
Education
Association and Oregon Federation of
Teachers.
Torrey has called for all-day kinder-
gartens and yearly state standardized tests
of children. But when asked at the forum
how he will pay for that, he offers no new
money. Torrey said he would “prioritize
breaks. Torrey denied any wrongdoing,
and a recall effort failed.
Walker said she has worked to increase
the efficiency of educational spending and
gave the example of her support of a bill to
redirect more money from educational
service districts into the classroom. She
said she would also support repealing the
corporate kicker tax break to increase
school funding. “We give away a lot of
money in tax breaks,” she said.
If Torrey wins, many believe he will
use the Senate seat as a stepping stone for
higher office. He recently toured all 36
Oregon counties while considering a run
for secretary of state or governor before
instead choosing the Senate race.
The race appears up for grabs now.
Walker has the advantage of more
Democrats in the district, but north
Eugene was a stronghold for Torrey when
he was mayor and a north Eugene coun-
cilor. Walker has strong backing from
unions, but Torrey has enjoyed the strong
backing of The Register-Guard, which
showered the pro-developer mayor with
glowing coverage and endorsements for
two terms.
But Torrey, first elected mayor when he
outspent his challenger 5-1 with developer
donations, has never faced a race as tough
as this one. Walker has a reputation as a
strong campaigner. In 2000 she faced anoth-
er former Eugene mayor, Republican Jeff
Miller, who had similar big backing from
developer and timber interests and claims to
non-partisanship. She beat him.
ew
The City Club of Eugene is hosting a debate between
Walker and Torrey at 11:50 am on Friday, Sept. 29 at the
Eugene Hilton.