Eugene weekly., October 21, 2010, Page 17, Image 17

The state fi ned Leiken $2,250 for a violation of state
they’d pay for it or what they might cut to balance the
county, Riggs-Henson said she’s worked closely with
ethics law in the case. Without the state law, campaign
budget.
DeFazio and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley for
contributions could become simple personal bribes for
“You can’t go back to the people right now for any
years.
elected offi cials.
taxes. They’re just reeling,” Riggs-Henson said.
Riggs-Henson’s campaign website lists endorsements
State ethics law would prohibit an elected offi cial from
As for what to cut, “you have to put it all on the table,”
from most local city, county, state Legislature and
involvement in issues involving their consulting clients. A
she said, and fi gure out “what are the things that are
Congressional elected offi cials including DeFazio and
computer search of Springfi eld City Council minutes found
absolutely essential.”
former Springfi eld mayors Bill Morrisette and John Lively.
instances where Leiken had recused himself for confl icts
Riggs-Henson said she doesn’t aspire to run for
Leiken’s website does not list any endorsements.
of interest involving his wife’s bank business, but none for
Congress as Leiken did. She said she is not a career
Riggs-Henson said she would take a moderate,
SWL consulting.
politician angling for a higher offi ce, so she is not afraid
balanced approach to development, while Leiken
In an earlier Voter’s Pamphlet, Leiken claimed he had
to make tough decisions on the budget. “You have to be
supported a developer bill to push for more sprawl
a college degree. But when confronted about the claim at
strong enough and not worried about political opportunities
by splitting the Eugene-Springfi eld growth boundary.
a recent commissioner candidate debate, Leiken admitted,
in the future,” she said.
Leiken has complained that Lane County commissioners
“No, I do not.”
have questioned the Springfi eld growth
Riggs-Henson
partnered
with
boundary expansion plan he favors. Leiken
Riggs-Henson said the
businesses for three decades to help local
has also supported reducing developer
workers fi nd jobs for the Lane Workforce
fees that were designed to reduce taxpayer
state could create up to
Partnership before retiring two years ago.
subsidies of development.
by encouraging government workers in Oregon to retire
She said she had up to 100 people in
Riggs-Henson said she appreciates
her caseload at a time, helping many of
Eugene’s efforts to fi rst examine if it can
a few years earlier by offering affordable health insurance.
the displaced workers retrain. “I helped
accommodate growth without sprawl. She
thousands go back to work.”
said it’s important to consider the increased
Leiken has claimed success “creating
taxpayer cost of extending police, fi re,
jobs” in Springfi eld. “I’m proud to have
school and other services to pay for sprawl.
attended the dozens of ribbon cuttings,”
But, she said, “I don’t want to stop all
Leiken said in a campaign fl yer. But since
growth.”
Mayor Leiken was reelected unopposed
She said she appreciates the jobs
in 2006, Springfi eld has lost 15,000 jobs
that gravel pits provide but, because
and seen its unemployment rate double,
of neighborhood and environmental
according to regional employment data
concerns, “there’s some places you’re just
from the state.
not going to put a gravel pit.” She said she
Riggs-Henson said that in knocking on
would study pit proposals on a case by
thousands of doors, she’s seen the suffering
case basis, and listen to experts and read
that high unemployment has caused up
all the material before deciding. “I’m a
close. “The pain is right now,” she said.
readaholic,” she said.
“Jobs is number one” in priorities, she said.
Leiken has touted decisions by
“That fi nancial security is so important.”
PeaceHealth and companies like Sony to
Leiken has offered few details of how
locate in Springfi eld.
But, Riggs-Henson said, “you can’t
he would create jobs if elected.
count the jobs you’re just taking from
Riggs-Henson said the state could
one city and moving into the other.” With
create up to 50,000 jobs by encouraging
PeaceHealth’s move from downtown
government workers in Oregon to retire
Eugene to the edge of Springfi eld, “people
a few years earlier by offering affordable
in Eugene just have to travel farther.”
health insurance. The health insurance
Riggs-Henson said she helped fi nd jobs
would be paid for by the state retirees
for some of the Sony workers displaced
but cheaper than individuals could obtain
when the compact disc maker closed after
because the state could create a large group
collecting millions in tax breaks. She said
coverage pool, according to Riggs-Henson.
it’s important for tax breaks to be linked to
“This should not cost the state or anyone
promises to hire locally and to tax break
else money,” she said.
clawback provisions if the corporations
The high cost of individual insurance
end up laying off workers. “There has to be something
before Medicare kicks in at 65 is a major deterrent for early
Riggs-Henson said she’d use her expertise of serving
there that’s for the people.”
retirement, Riggs-Henson said of the proposal. “Even if it
10 years on the state PERS retirement board, four as
Riggs-Henson said, if elected, she wants to continue
opened up 10,000 to 20,000 jobs statewide, wow!”
board chair in the 1990s, to tackle the complex problem
to reach out and listen to thousands of people on their
Besides jobs, another big challenge for the county is its
of the increasing employee retirement costs required in
doorsteps. “There really is an anger and distrust” in
budget. The county is facing the threat of a steep drop in
government contracts. “You have to understand that system
government, she said. “We have to start rebuilding that
revenue from federal timber payments.
to come up with a creative solution,” she said.
credibility one house at a time,” Riggs-Henson said. “I’m
Both Leiken and Riggs-Henson say they won’t raise
While Leiken’s Republican campaign for Congress
doing it up close and personal because that’s how you
taxes to close the budget gap, and both call for increased
butted heads with the Oregon Democratic Congressional
ew
serve.”
public safety services but offer few specifi cs about how
delegation that’s key to securing federal payments to the
50,000 jobs
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EUGENE WEEKLY OCTOBER 21, 2010 17