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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1980)
Portland Obaarvar October 30, IM O Paga • Ron Wyden: Grass roots 'politician' by Ulysses Tucker Webster defines "politician” as a person actively engaged in politics, especially party politics, professionally or otherwise; often, a person holding or seeking political o ffic e ; frequently used in a derogatory sense, with implications o f seeking personal or partisan gain, scheming, opportunism, etc...” If Ron Wyden, candidate for the Third Congressional District, could change Webster's definition o f a p o litic ia n , he w ould change the stigma o f being "frequently used in a derogatory sense” ‘and “ scheming for personal gains...” Wyden is for the people. " M y idea ol a politician is one who is highly visible in the com m unity,” said Wyden. “ I'm very visible, unlike most who capture the vote and go into hibernation. I guess you could call our campaign a grassroot effort because we’ve held coffee hours, met with people in the community’s homes, and went door to door. Our campaign is a personal one.” Wyden, a native o f Wichita, Kan sas, attended the U niversity o f C alifornia at Santa Barbara on a basketball scholarship and later transfered to Stanford University where he graduated with distinction in Political Science, (1971). Wyden later received a D octor o f Juris Prudence from the University o f Oregon School o f Law, (1974). Ron Wyden on the issues; In fla tio n - to combat inflation, we should provide for: Marable endorses Commoner By Laura McCarthy “ The most pervasice social and political issue confronting American society is racism. The struggle f o r democracy has been continuously and system atically fru s tra te d by racist assumptions and practices which affect every in s titu tio n o f American life. This dynamic is the basis o f the oppression o f Black Americans and other minorities, as well as the means by which an over whelming m ajority o f whites also lose in the quest f o r democratic governance. ” From the 1980 Platform of the Citizens Party M anning M arable, o f the National Black Political Assembly, has endorsed Citizens Party presidential candidate Barry Com moner in the upcoming election. Formed in A pril 1980 to "b u ild a party o f the American people,” free o f corporate control and interests, The Citizens Party is gaining strength as people throughout the nation discover fewer true choices among the other candidates. Com moner is a professor o f environmen tal sciences, and an author on sub jects both political and scientific; sharing the ticket is LaDonna Harris, an American Indian activist and former member o f the board o f the National Urban League. In a highly detailed and unequivocating party platform, the Citizens Party pledges to: • Pursue, as a paramount goal, the just and equitable redistribution o f wealth and power in this country, insuring that the lives o f Black Americans reflect this redistribu tion. • Pursue fu ll em ploym ent to assure jobs for everyone willing and able to work, with special emphasis on programs for younger Black and minority workers. • Support the full implementation o f affirm ative action programs in both public and private sectors of the economy. • Respect, defend and support the culture and in stitu tio n s o f Black com m unities which nurture and prom ote self-pride, self- determ ination and Black con sciousness. • Support policies, legislation and procedures which p ro h ib it discrimination in housing. We also support legislation and practices that end the displacement o f minorities and poor people in our urban areas. • Support the desegregation o f the education system. The C itizens Party promises much in its platform; and its offers us, at the very least, a way to make a positive statement at the polls on November 4. RON WYDEN - Encouragement o f private savings through direct tax incen tives. - Increased business productivity through faster recovery o f capital expenditures. - Reduction in the complexity and number o f governm ental reg ulations - proposed regulations should be rejected unless need is clearly demonstrated. - Wiser spending p rio ritie s. Economic development, conser vation programs and mass transit deserves higher priority. E nergy - W ith o u t a national energy policy, we remain dependent on foreign oil. Congress can develop a sound policy by: - Establishing a taxpayer-owned energy co rp o ra tio n to handle petroleum imports and develop and manage our own oil. - Aggressively promoting conser vation programs. Congiess must resist lobbying pressures to post pone the fuel economy standards for new cars. - Increasing tax incentives to in dividuals and businesses willing to emphasize conservation, solar, bromass, w ind, waves and any renewable energy resource. - Increasing support fo r mass transit and other alternatives to the automobile. Health Care: A national health care is needed. The present health care system must be restructed to hold down costs and promote early preventive and diagnostic care. Most im portant fo r seniors, our health care programs should allow home health alternatives to in stitutionalization. In the May p rim ary, Wyden shocked the P ortland area by defeating Bob Duncan by a land slide. Wyden did not spend as much money as Duncan in his campaign. Ducan outspent Wyden by $20- 25,000 and used $100,000 on television alone. "The reason we used television is to back up the 3,000 yard signs that we distributed around the Portland area,” said Wyden. "Duncan spent all that money on television and it did no good. We use the media to back up what we do personally, to Unions say 'YES on PUDs' cement the things we do in the com m unity. People started to correlate the yard signs with the T.V. set. Why* Our union members living in areas served by PUDs tell us they're happy w ith their reliable, inexpensive electric service " I f you put a sign in a friend’s yard, then they start to talk about you and ask questions,” he said. On November 4th, the Wyden campaign w ill go up against right winged conservative and anti-ERA politician Darryl Congers. Wyden is very optimistic about winning, in fact, he’s already making plans. "A fte r 1 win,” he said, " I ’m going to get a Wyden van and drive around to all the communities 1 serve and see what is on the peoples mind. I plan to be very visible.” Now we want to take a look at what a PUD can do for us A YES" vote for your PUD w ill • fu n d an engineer s report that w ill cost you about $1 00 • E lect five local residents to serve as Directors Ihe engineer s report w ill tell us the answers to these questions Where w ill the e le ctricity come from and how much w ill it cost* How much w ill it cost to buy the u tility system* W ill our rates go down w ith a PUD* PP&L and PCE have spent over $1,100.000 to finance so-called citizens groups and a massive media and direct m ail campaign designed to confuse and scare the voters Over the years Wyden has worked for the Oregon Legal Services for the elderly, Crim e Prevention Division (City of Portland), and for the L ane County District Attorney’ s Office. Wyden has also taught at Portland State and the University of Oregon. Wyden’ s political follow ing in cludes young singles and couples, retired workers, and a large num ber o f social, p o litic a l, and e d u c a tio n a l o r g a n iz a t io n . T ra d itio n a lly , a p o liticia n who carries the older, conservative vote does not have many young liberal voters. But Wyden has come up with a platform with an appeal that relates to both ends o f the spectrum. Politicans in the future w ill probably look to Wyden’s technique of capturing both the young liberal vote and the vote o f the senior citizen. But we need to get the real answers about what can be done for lower rates and local control So w e urge you to vote YES on PIJD, Roger Auerbach President. Oregon Federation of Teachers (candidate for PUD Director, M ultnom ah County) W illiam Vachter United Auto Workers. Local 492 (candidate for PUD Director. W ashington County) Unions for Public Power (partial listing) American federation of State County and Municipal f mployees Council 75 • American Postal Workers Union • Association ol Western Pulp and Raper Workers • Communu a tions Workets of America lo cal 4201 • Construction and General laborers lo cal 120 • Inlandboatm an s Union • International Association ol Machinists, Oregon Machinists Council • International longshoremen s and Warehousemen's Union. Columbia River District Council • International Woodworkers of America • laundry and Drycleaning Workers lo cal 107 • National Association of le tte r Carriers • Portland federation of leal hers • United Automobile Workers • United food and Commercial Workers lo cal 1092 • United Steelworkers lo< at 1101 Paid tor by Union« lor Public Power IS«1 W Knott Portland. OR 97212 and Auerbach for PU D D irector 2 ib« W Hurns.de Portland OR 97210 OREGON RELIES ON NUCLEAR POWER NOW. DON’T LET 7 BAN US FROM USING MORE OF FUTURE. t a time when Americans can no longer depend on foreign oil. Oregon is fortunate to have nuclear power as a major source of electricity Nuclear power, right now. pro vides over 20% of Oregon s electricity. For four years, the Trojan plant has supplied safe energy needed to main tain Oregon's economy But Ballot Measure # 7 would ban Oregon's option to use more nuclear pow er— no matter how great our need for it— until at least the 21st century. 7 t . Even though its misleading language does not mention banning nuclear power, Measure # 7 effectively will cut off Oregon's ability to even plan for more nuclear power. It will take the federal government at least until the 1990s to meet # 7 s tricky requirements — ones that will do nothing to make nuclear power any safer than it is right now It make no sense to ban any energy option at a time when energy shortages threaten to occur in the years ahead. As the National Academy of Sciences recently concluded: There is no way for Am erica to m eet its energy requirem ents in the next twenty years without coal and nuclear power. And the vast majority of O re gon s scientists agree: this is no time to ban the option for additional nuclear pow er— particularly when we already depend upon it for much of our state’s electricity Vote to keep the nuclear option. VOTE Because Oregon needs energy O re 9 o r.IT , Ags.nst Bsrntng Nuclear Option Commaiee « 7 Oregon B er* B ug 319 S W Ws«.,nglon Porti end OR 97704 Co Chairpersons Mary RoprnQuet Or Bernard Spmred Treasurer Renard Russo«
