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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1978)
Page 6 Portland Observor Thursday, November 2, 1978 Black people support Ì 4 k County Commissioner Position Number Five s" O cle T r o t t e r Bruce B ro u s s a rd C h a rle s J o rd a n R o b e rt T u rn e r E rn e s t H a rtz o g H a ro ld W i11iams Brenda Knapper A rt B a r fie ld A. Jean Haynes Measure 7 threatens state medical education Anna C ruse M r. and M rs. 0 . J . > v Elaine Herscher A1 Jam ison Gwen B la k e Joe W a shington F red Ml 1 to n Arne I i a Lan i e r Fred F lo w e rs G a il M r. and M rs. Governor Bob Straub chats with Eliot School students following dedication of Unthank Plaza, HAP sponsored - * PNS — In the first election o f its kind. Oregonians w ill decide whether to completely eliminate state funding o f abortions. I f the measure. Proposition 7, passes women whose lives are en dangered by pregnancy or those who become pregnant as a result o f rape or incest, would not be eligible for Mate-funded abortions. In addition, the measure w ould cut o f f state money fo r “ programs or services promoting abortion. ” Thus, it could bar the University Of Oregon from teaching abortion procedures to medical students and from conducting prenatal screening for genetic defects. Depending on the measure's interpretation, counselors at state-funded fa m ily planning facilities might not be permitted to discuss abortion as an alternative to pregnancy. While 38 states already have cut back on some funding for abortions, the Oregon measure is the most far- reaching to date. Also, the con troversy in Oregon is unique in its emphasis on financial arguments, even on assigning a monetary value to the fetus. According to Chris Kowitz o f the Yes-on-7 Committee, the measure is not an anti-abortion initiative, it is a “ fiscal issue with moral overtones.’ ’ K ow itz said it was proposed to alleviate the tax burden on Oregonians who are opposed to abortion. housing for the elderly on Williams Avenue. “ We do not feel it ’s the proper function o f state government to ex tract tax money from citizens when such a large segment o f the public believes abortion is wrong,” he said. "Those who feel abortions should be provided free should donate money to that service.” But Mary Heffernan, campaign manager for the opposition group, Taxpayers for Choice, said the issue is much more than a financial one. “ The in itia tiv e is a p o w e rfu l emotional red herring for the whole right-wing swing. It is anti-m inority and anti-social services. It goes way way beyond abortion rights. But these people wouldn’t be concerned about their taxes if they weren’ t op posed to abortion.” Her group contends that most Oregonians are not opposed to abor tio n . She said a p o ll fo r the organization indicated that eighty percent favor public funding fo r abortions to save the mother’s life and for other extenuating circum stances. Both sides, however, have speculated on how much — in dollars and cents — a life is worth. Taxpayers for Choice claims that if “ high-cost 7” wins, taxpayers w ill have to pay eight times more fo r social services providing prenatal care and delivery fo r women on welfare. Heffernan, citing the state fiscal impact statement on Prop 7, said implementing the initiative w ill cost $4 m illion a year — more than current expenditures fo r state- funded abortions. " I t does cost more to carry a baby to te rm ,” K ow itz acknowledges. However he has computed a d if ferent set o f figures. The $4 m illion figure is "short-sighted,” he said. A one-year-old w ill c o n trib u te $100,000 to society in his or her lifetime, according to Federal High way Commission statistics, Kowitz noted. “ The babies o f today are the w orkers and taxpayers of tom orrow.” I f they are eliminated, he asked, “ who w ill be around to pay our Social Security?” According to Heffernan, that is “ an absurd argument . . . What about the lost p ro d u c tiv ity o f a mother’ s being unable to work? I think there are a lot o f problems with our Social Security system, but the answer is not to force one class o f women to bear children.” Taxpayers for Choice has raised about $75,000 to be spent on television and radio advertising and state canvassing. The Yes-on-7 committee has less than $30,000, but it claims more support. A spokesper son noted that the goal o f collecting 36,000 signatures to get on the ballot was met in 36 hours, and there were 30,000 extra signatures. According to the Taxpayers for Choice poll, the voters are split, with about fifteen percent undecided. Both camps hope media campaigns w ill pull in the undecided votes, but they concede the outcome w ill be close. E. W a shington Gates S h e lto n H i l l Fred C a r te r W. A. " N ic k " B a r n e tt i George R a n kin s P h il L u c io u s H ic k s B ro n z ie L a th a n Joe W i1 so n , J r . H a rve y L o c k e tt Jess and C a ro l B ry a n t J e rre M c L a u rin L e o d is C. M a tth e w s, Esq. Brown James B rooks D avid N ero Rosemary A nderson Hazel Hayes W a lte r C ra ig Herman C. Plummer P in a W i l l lams Bobby and Joe Nunn F re d d ie P e t e t t Ev ie Crowe I 1 J o il Thomas Kennedy Paul A nderson Peggy Joseph A ly c e H. Marcus R o b e rt B oyer M r. and M rs. Vernon Thompson S o u th w e ll Paid for by the above names Gladys McCoy for Count/ Cor-mignoner Committee Dons I Simpson T rM tu w /3 4 1 5 N t 19th-Portland Oregon 97?t? A “Mess With M easure 4 ” Measure 4 Gives a Blank Check to Political Agencies It costs millions of dollars in public debt when a PU D condemns and takes over another electric system U n d e r p re s e n t la w . as th e B e n d B u lle tin p o in ts o u t. v o te rs h a v e a “c h a n c e to le a rn th e p ric e ta g b e fo re th e y g ive th e fin a l a p p ro v a l o f th e fo r m a tio n off th e d is tric t. M e a s u re 4 w o u ld tra d e th a t c h a n c e fo r a b la n k c h e c k . It s h o u ld b e d e fe a te d .M RIGHT HERE IN OREGON. That s why it s so important to vote NO on 5 Ballot Measure 5 would allow so-called den tunsts and their untrained assistants to perform dental work inside a patient s mouth Without the supervision of a dentist Without adequate training to recognize oral cance', cysts and other gum diseases Wf/iouf even a high school education VOTE N O 0 5 NOON 5 COMMUTE E 8 ,5 N E OAVIS P O m iA W D O R 97732 And M easure 5 would specifically prevent the Stale from raising these standards Ever Ask your fam ily doctor Ask your family dentist Dont give Oregon the worst dental health standards m the U S Why is Measure 4 a Blank Check? Because it gives elected officials of a political agency unrestricted approval to issue revenue bonds in a n y a m o u n t to condemn and buy or to construct an electric system. The notice of election...shall state that revenue bonds are proposed and that they would be used for the acquisition or construction of an initial utility system. N e ith e r th e e le c tio n n o tic e o r b a llo t s h a ll b e re q u ir e d to s ta te th e a m o u n t off r e v e n u e b o n d s to b e is s u e d .” Measure 4, Section 14(2) T h e y d o n 't eve n h a v e to te ll y o u h o w m u ch p u b lic d e b t th e y in te n d to p ile u p ! A n d yo u n e v e r w ill h a v e th e r ig h t to v o te o n th e a m o u n t! This is why the Eugene R e g is te r-G u a rd stated that, “The blank-check approach to financing new PUDs throughout Oreqon is unreasonable.” * /b y #/ I» A. P U D s a re p o litic a l a g e n c ie s w ith th e a u th o r ity to levy ta x e s , flo a t b o n d s , a n d o th e rw is e o b lig a te ta x p a y e rs f o r th e p u rp o s e o f p ro v id in g e le c tric (o r w a te r) s e rv ic e . They Face The Worst Dental Care In The U.S. n F l o r i c e W a lke r That’s how the Corvallis G a x e tte T im es sees it, if this proposal to make 20 drastic changes in laws governing the financing of Oregon PUDs is not defeated. ( -I. Would You Sign This Blank Check? NO! VOTE #4 NO. NO ON 4 COMMITTEE 015 NE DAVIS PORTLAND. OR 97232 W ll 11 AM B BOONE. CHAIRMAN
