5A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016
Track backers donated heavily
to Kitzhaber’s 2014 campaign
By SAUL HUBBARD
The Register-Guard
EUGENE — When Vin
Lananna, president of Track-
Town USA, and Paul Wein-
hold, president of the Univer-
sity of Oregon Foundation,
¿UVWFRQWDFWHGWKHQ*RY-RKQ
Kitzhaber in mid-2014 to re-
quest a $40 million state subsi-
dy for TrackTown’s bid to hold
the 2019 track world champi-
onships in Eugene, they were
met with coolness and skep-
ticism, newly released emails
show.
After Lananna gave an
in-person pitch to Kitzhaber
on July 7, Kitzhaber econom-
ic policy adviser Vince Porter
sent a scathing assessment of
the request to the governor and
his top advisers.
Talks should continue, Por-
ter wrote, but “there are a lot
of hurdles to get over before
it becomes much more than a
pipe dream.”
1RQSUR¿W 7UDFN7RZQ¶V UH-
quest contained “probably as
much as $20 million that we
would never want to consid-
er subsidizing,” he added. “I
don’t think the state should be
even considering something
larger than $20 million” to
help fund the event in Eugene,
he wrote.
The subsidy request —
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votes in both chambers of the
Legislature — also was met
coolly by Salem’s two most
powerful legislators, Senate
President Peter Courtney and
House Speaker Tina Kotek,
both Democrats, Porter’s
emails indicate.
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Kitzhaber publicly pledged to
“use all the means at my dis-
SRVDO WR GHOLYHU WKH ¿QDQFLDO
support needed for the cham-
pionships” in a video mes-
sage he sent — along with
then-Secretary of State Kate
Brown — with TrackTown’s
team to the International As-
sociation of Athletics Federa-
tions bid meeting in Monaco
in late November.
)RUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQWKDWYLG-
eo, Kitzhaber endorsed a spe-
FL¿FDPRXQWWKHIXOOPLO-
lion. Getting the governor to
publicly state the $40 million
was a priority for TrackTown,
Porter’s emails show.
What happened between
Kitzhaber’s initial resis-
tance and his endorsement?
Jonathan J. Cooper/AP Photo
John Kitzhaber
Vin Lananna, president of
TrackTown USA, speaks to
reporters at the state Cap-
itol in Salem, April 11, 2013.
more frequent political donors.
The donations came at a
crucial time for Kitzhaber.
Polling showed that he had a
His campaign coffers were big lead over his GOP chal-
swamped with donations from lenger, Dennis Richardson,
people who want the track when the donations started, but
world championships held at his campaign was rocked in
early October by allegations of
the UO’s Hayward Field.
The emails show that ethics violations related to his
Kitzhaber’s apparent rever- ¿DQFHH &\OYLD +D\HV ZKLFK
sal coincided with almost ultimately led to his February
$400,000 in campaign contri- 2015 resignation.
Kitzhaber on Tuesday
butions he received during a
42-day period in September didn’t respond to requests
and October 2014 from ath- through his attorney for com-
letic apparel giant Nike, its ment.
In a prepared statement,
co-founder Phil Knight and
its CEO Mark Parker, as well Nike spokeswoman Sabrina
as four members of the UO 2HLVDLG³$VSDUWRIWKH
gubernatorial campaign, Nike
Board of Trustees.
The donations came at a was asked to support Gov.
busy time in Kitzhaber’s 2014 Kitzhaber’s campaign.
“Based on his record of
UHHOHFWLRQ ELG 2WKHU PRQH\
was pouring in as the Novem- leadership on issues important
ber election approached. But to Nike, the business commu-
the donations were unusual in nity and the state — including
their size and concentration, RXU GHFLVLRQ WR VLJQL¿FDQWO\
and because many of the do- expand in the state of Oregon
nors had not given to Kitzhaber — we provided support to the
in at least the past decade for campaign. This is consistent
which Oregon keeps disclo- with our general practice of
supporting candidates.”
sures online.
Angela Wilhelms, secretary
Knight, who donated
$250,000, had not personal- to the UO board, said on behalf
ly given to Kitzhaber in that RIWKHIRXUWUXVWHHV³7KHUHLV
time. A registered Republican, absolutely no correlation be-
he backed Kitzhaber’s GOP tween personal political con-
opponent, Chris Dudley, in tributions by trustees and any
2010 with $400,000. Parker’s decisions by Gov. Kitzhaber.
“Any insinuation of quid
GRQDWLRQZDVKLV¿UVW
to a state politician. Nike’s pro quo or any other connec-
$65,000 to Kitzhaber during WLRQ LV MXVW ÀDW ZURQJ´ WKH
those 42 days dwarfed the statement said.
$22,500 it gave to him during
the entire 2010 election cycle.
2021 bid under scrutiny
Among the UO trustees,
In recent weeks, Track-
Chuck Lillis, the board chair- Town and Lananna have found
man and an infrequent po- themselves defending the
litical donor, gave $10,000 IAAF’s April 2015 decision
to Kitzhaber. He and his to award the 2021 champion-
wife contributed $1,000 to ships to Eugene without a for-
Kitzhaber in 2010. Connie mal bidding process, after the
%DOOPHUJDYHKHU¿UVW IAAF awarded the 2019 event
political donation in Oregon. to Doha. French police are
Allyn Ford gave $5,000 and investigating alleged bribery
Joe Gonyea III gave $2,500, in the IAAF, and the Eugene
though both trustees are much award itself. The revelation
that Sebastian Coe, the new
IAAF president, had been for
years receiving undisclosed
annual payments of $150,000
IURP1LNHDSRWHQWLDOFRQÀLFW
of interest, have sent shock-
waves through the sport.
TrackTown and Lanan-
na say they’ve done nothing
wrong. They continue to pur-
sue from the state essentially
the same funding package they
VRXJKW IRU WKH HYHQW D
permanent doubling of the
statewide lodging tax, which
would provide $25 million to
the world championships as
well as money for other tour-
ism-related projects; $15 mil-
lion for renovations to Hay-
ward Field; and $3 million
from the state general fund to
pay for security at the 2016
world indoor track champi-
onships in Portland and 2016
Olympic Trials in Eugene.
Support from the executive
branch remains strong, despite
Kitzhaber’s resignation.
Less than a month after
%URZQ WRRN RI¿FH DV JRY-
ernor, she signed a letter of
support for the 2021 champi-
onships, the emails show. Un-
like Kitzhaber, Brown hasn’t
publicly committed to a dollar
¿JXUH
Emails show Brown was
scheduled to meet with Coe
in Salem on Jan. 13. But the
meeting was canceled by
TrackTown shortly after Coe
gave up his Nike payments.
Asked Tuesday whether
VKH VXSSRUWV D VSHFL¿F GROODU
allocation for the 2021 event,
%URZQ¶VRI¿FHVHQWDVWDWHPHQW
saying the event is an excellent
economic development oppor-
tunity that builds on Oregon’s
VWUHQJWKLQWUDFNDQG¿HOG
³7KH JRYHUQRU¶V RI¿FH LV
currently working with state
RI¿FLDOV RQ OHJLVODWLRQ IRU D
funding strategy in advance
of the February 2016 session,”
the statement adds.
But the request will face at
least one powerful opponent
LQ 6DOHP 6HQDWH 3UHVLGHQW
Courtney.
“I have been clear with the
organizers of this event since
before they made their bid,”
Courtney said Tuesday. “My
position has not changed. I do
not support spending our limited
state resources for this event.”
6SHDNHU.RWHN¶VRI¿FHVDLG
Kotek has yet to take a posi-
tion because she hasn’t seen a
formal proposal.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
Steaks and other beef products are displayed for sale
at a grocery store in McLean, Va.
New dietary
JXLGHOLQHVOHDQ
meat OK, cut the
added sugars
and salt in moderation.
This year, one message the
government wants to send is
WKDW SHRSOH VKRXOG ¿JXUH RXW
WASHINGTON — Some what type of healthy eating
Americans may not have to style works for them, while
cut back on eggs and salt as still hewing to the main recom-
much as they once thought and mendations. The Agriculture
eating lean meat is still OK. Department, which released
But watch the added sugars, the guidelines along with the
especially the sugary drinks.
Department of Health and Hu-
The Obama administra- man Services, is also releasing
tion’s new dietary guidelines, a tweaked version of its healthy
released today, back off the “My Plate” icon to include a
strictest sodium rules includ- QHZVORJDQ³0\:LQV´
ed in the last version, while
“Small changes can add up
still asserting that Americans to big differences,” said Agri-
consume too much salt. The culture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
guidelines reverse previous
One new recommendation
guidance on the dangers of di- is that added sugar should be
etary cholesterol and add strict 10 percent of daily calories.
new advice on sugars.
That’s about 200 calories a
After a backlash from the day, or about the amount in
meat industry and Congress, one 16-ounce sugary drink.
the administration ignored The recommendation is part of
several suggestions from a a larger push to help consum-
February report by an advisory ers isolate added sugars from
committee of doctors and nu- naturally occurring ones like
trition experts. That panel sug- those in fruit and milk. Added
gested calling for an environ- sugars generally add empty
mentally friendly diet lower in calories to the diet.
red and processed meats and
Sugar-sweetened beverag-
de-emphasized lean meats in es make up a large portion of
its list of proteins that are part those empty calories. Accord-
of a healthy diet.
ing to the guidelines, sugary
But, as in the previous drinks comprise 47 percent of
years, the government still the added sugars that Ameri-
says lean meats are part of a cans eat every day.
healthy eating pattern.
Americans also need to
5HOHDVHG HYHU\ ¿YH \HDUV lower salt intake, the govern-
the guidelines are intended to PHQWVD\V1HZ¿JXUHVIURP
help Americans prevent dis- the Centers for Disease for
ease and obesity. They inform Disease Control and Preven-
everything from food package tion show that around 90 per-
labels to subsidized school cent of people eat too much.
lunches to your doctor’s ad- The average person eats
vice. And the main message 3,400 milligrams of sodium
hasn’t changed much over the a day, and the guidelines say
\HDUV(DW\RXUIUXLWVDQGYHJ- everyone should lower that
etables. Whole grains and sea- amount to 2,300, or about a
food, too. And keep sugar, fats teaspoon.
By MARY CLARE
JALONICK
Associated Press
Cancer now No. 1 killer in 22 states, ahead of heart disease
By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer
NEW YORK — Cancer
is becoming the No. 1 kill-
er in more and more states as
deaths from heart disease have
declined, new health statistics
show.
Nationwide, heart disease is
still the leading cause of death,
just ahead of cancer. While
death rates for both have been
falling for nearly 25 years, heart
disease has dropped at a steeper
rate.
As a result, cancer moved
up to the top slot in 22 states
in 2014, according to the latest
JRYHUQPHQW¿JXUHV
It’s also the leading cause
of death in certain groups of
people, including Hispanics,
Asians, and adults ages 40 to
79.
The trend is noted in the
American Cancer Society’s lat-
est annual report released today.
The cancer death rate has
fallen 23 percent since its peak
in 1991. The decrease is at-
tributed to declining smoking
rates and advances in cancer
detection, treatment and pre-
vention.
The heart disease death rate
fell 46 percent in that time.
The cancer society predicts
there will be nearly 1.7 million
new cancer cases this year, and
nearly 600,000 deaths.
*RYHUQPHQW¿JXUHVIRU
show cancer was the leading
cause of death in Alaska, Arizo-
na, California, Colorado, Dela-
ware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky,
Maine, Massachusetts, Minne-
sota, Montana, Nebraska, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Vir-
ginia, Washington, West Virgin-
ia and Wisconsin.
Online: Cancer society re-
port: http://bit.ly/1Phfaav
DHS: Give Us This Day shut down in September under settlement
personally inform Holden
and then-state Sen. Margaret
Carter, a board member at
problems at the program
Give Us This Day and Port-
much earlier than previous-
land Democrat, about the
ly reported. The records also
lawsuit and public records
show Give Us This Day oper-
request.
ated outside the state’s licens-
Goldberg
responded,
ing rules, and went over the
“seems to me you should give
heads of licensing staff to deal
them a heads up.”
directly with the director of
Goldberg was director of
the agency, Dr. Bruce Gold-
the Department of Human
berg. The agency released the
Services from 2005 through
emails in response to a pub-
February 2011, when then-
lic records request from state
Gov. John Kitzhaber tapped
Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis.
Goldberg to lead the Oregon
“Our staff have been work-
Health Authority. Goldberg
ing with them to try and help
resigned in 2014 following
them obtain a license to provide
Department of Human Services
the state’s health insurance ex-
residential care (they already Dr. Bruce Goldberg presents a talk in 2010.
FKDQJH¿DVFRDQGQRZZRUNV
are providing such care with-
out a license),” child welfare censed) — the most serious of staff that she and the board of for Oregon Health & Science
administrator Erinn Kelley-Siel which is that every single staff Give Us This Day had already University’s Center for Health
wrote in a February 2009 email. person has a criminal record gone to the top to negotiate Systems Effectiveness. Gold-
At the time, Kelley-Siel was and their program design does the issue, and was discuss- berg could not be reached for
director of the agency’s Child not address the issues that ing it with Goldberg. Holden comment Wednesday after-
:HOIDUH 6HOI 6XI¿FLHQF\ DQG come with that,” Kelley-Siel refused even to apply for the noon.
Carter said although she
correct residential license and
Vocational Rehabilitation pro- wrote.
Goldberg did not appear to was still operating without was a Give Us This Day board
grams. She was promoted to
the position of director in 2011, have replied to Kelley-Siel’s one in May 2009, when de- member at the time, “in terms
email, based on the records partment employees learned of being an active board mem-
when Goldberg left.
that someone was suing Give ber, where I actually knew
Kelley-Siel had other released by the department.
At the time, Give Us This 8V 7KLV 'D\ DQG KDG ¿OHG D what was going on in terms
concerns about the program,
which she listed in the email Day had a state license to op- public records request for the of day-to-day operations, not
at all.” She also did not recall
erate as an academic boarding SURJUDP¶VOLFHQVLQJ¿OH
to Goldberg.
On June 1, 2009, Kel- department employees calling
“At a site visit last week, school. Mary Holden, execu-
numerous concerns arose (on tive director of the program, ley-Siel asked Goldberg in her about the lawsuit or re-
top of the fact they aren’t li- told Human Services licensing an email whether she should cords request. “I don’t recall
Continued from Page 1A
program and then
that conversation
abruptly removing
about public re-
them. In one case,
cords,” Carter said.
a child as young
Holden
also
as 18 months and
complained
that
DHS was enforcing
a3-year-old sibling
stricter rules than
ZHUHEULHÀ\SODFHG
she previously ex-
at Give Us This
perienced regarding
Day, according to
prohibitions against
emails
between
child-abusers work-
the department’s
Sen. Margaret
ing with children.
licensing employ-
Carter
“As far as I
ees. DHS employ-
know, the old rules
ee Meg Hopkins
allowed individuals
wrote in an email
to work with kids in
that Give Us This
residential, if they
Day
employees
were
supervised
had been visiting
and had a lower
Human Services
level child abuse
branches to pro-
record,”
Holden
mote their program
wrote in a March
and “from what I
2009 email to the
can tell all kids are
Erinn
department.
going to (Give Us
Kelley-Siel
Even when Give
This Day) ...”
Us This Day ob-
Give Us This
tained a residential license, Day shut down in September,
Human Services sent chil- under a settlement agreement
dren to the program who with the Oregon Department
were not allowed to be there of Justice.
under the license. In August
The Capital Bureau is a
2010, Holden complained collaboration between EO
in an email to DHS that Media Group and Pamplin
while the program’s license Media Group. Hillary Borrud
only covered children ages can be reached at 503-364-
6 to 17, the state has send- 4431 or hborrud@eomedia-
ing younger children to the group.com.