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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 2004)
November 3. 2004 Page A4 Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer **Classes are free for qualified participants! I /x \ African A m erican H ealth C oalition, Inc. Wellness Within REACH Activity Calendar Pilates (Contact AAHC) M att Dishman Tue, 8-9pm Stretching/Body Sculpting (Class courtey of Hitt Dishman) M att Dishman Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois Low Impact Aerobics Daniel’s M em orial Church Tue, 7:1S-8:15pm, Granville W a te r Aerobics (Contact AAHC) Columbia Pool, M att Dishman African Exercise M att Dishman Sat. 10-1 lam, Addo Tai Chi (Contact AAH C) St.John’s Comunity C enter Tue, 6:30-7:30pm W alking Group Peninsula Park Sat, 12:30pm, Woods Lloyd Ctr, 1st FI. in front of Sears Tue, Thu, 6:30pm, Woods Body Conditioning W ild Oats Market Sat, 9:30-10:30am, Nickerson Classes W ill Resume Soon W eight Mgnt./Conditioning W h itak er Track Tue, Thu, 9 -10am, Hasan Kickboxing Mallory Ave. Christian Church Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller Yoga W ild Oats Market Tue, Thu, 7:30-8:30pm, Wren Columbia Pool, 7701 N Chautauqua Daniel's Memorial Church, 1234 NE Killingsworth Malory b n Qinstian Churdi (Gym), 126 NE Alberta Matt Dishman. 77 NE Knott Power of Money in Elections Public campaign financing would create fairness Presents for your health. Aerobics Mallory Ave. Christian Church Mon, Wed, Fri, 6-7am, Pierce • 5:30-6:20pm. Granville • 6:30-7:30pm. Nickerson O pinion Peninsula Park, 700 N Portland S t John’s Community Center, 8427 N. Central Whitaker Track, NE 42nd & Killingsworth Wild Oats Market, 3535 NE 15th "Please contact AAHC before attending the first class and for more information at 503-413-1850 or kdempsey@aahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class. Must be 18 or older R a c ia l a nd E th n ic A p p ro a c h « » to C om m u nity H e a lth A Program of the African Amencan Health Coalition. Inc Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Contact AAHC at 503-413-1850 or visit our web site at wvrw.aahc-portland.org bv J udge G reg M athis Now, more than ever, it is time to implement public financ ing for campaigns. Nearly four billion dollars was spent on this year’s U.S. presi dential, congressional and sen ate campaigns - a 30 percent increase from four years ago, according to the C enter for Responsive Politics. Corporations, wealthy donors and other interest groups do nated most of the money as a way to impose their will on the American people and buy influ ence from their favorite politi cian. Leading the way were in dustries that have a stake in pending federal regulations that may or may not be good for the Am erican people. The pharmaceutical and healthcare in d u stries, w hich have the most at stake given the push for reform s, were, o f course, the biggest donors. Even the sports industry got in on the act, giving over $14 m illion, prim arily to conservative Re publican candidates. I wonder if the black ath letes know they’re helping their bosses finance candidates that legis late against the interests of black people? Public financing would re move the corruption that is ram pant by virtue o f corpo rate financing. W hen politi c ia n s are e le c te d on som eone’s bill, the group or groups who financed that elec tion own the politician for the duration o f the p o liticia n s’ term. When that happens, the interests of the people take a far back seat to corporate in terests. When politicians are elected on someone ’s bill, the group or groups who financed that election own the politician for the duration o f the politicians ’ term. -JudgeGregMathis Public financing would also level the playing field by en abling the average person to run for office. With the incredible amounts of money behind cam paigns, the vast majority of those who run for office are in the u p p er tw o p e rc e n t o f the wealthiest Americans. Maine is leading the way in the financing reform effort. The state implemented public financ- The NAACP, the nation's oldest Civil Rights group, released the follow ing report on the eve o f the Presi t »w In W isconsin and Ohio, the Republican Party issued last-minute challenges to more than 30,000 voters in each state, leaving little time for voters to prove their eligibility in time to cast a vote. In Florida, the Secretary o f State told elections voter forgot to check the “citizenship” box, even timidate or discourage voters escalated in the 2(X)4 though the final signature on the form is a clear, election. written affirmation o f citizenship. In some cases, public officials used the power of In Ohio, the Secretary of State ruled that new voter their offices to encourage efforts to disenfranchise applications must be printed on 80-pound paper - voters rather than devoting their energies to resolving postcard quality - until public outcry forced him to the kinds of problems that disenfranchised millions of reverse the decision. Americans nationwide in 2(XX), according to a report In Minnesota, the Secretary o f State came under by the NAACP, People for the American Way and the fire for distributing posters warning of possible ter Lawyers Committee forCivil Rights Under Law. rorism at the polls that could serve to discourage voters. existence o f ongoing organized voter suppression In Arizona, the local Fox Network affiliate accused efforts represent a profound failure of leadership and a group of college students of illegal voter registra pose a tremendous moral challenge to Americans and tion, despite a state law requiring only that voters their elected representatives,” said Julian establish a residency of 29 days for Bond, chairman, NAACPNational Boardof eligibility. In Pennsylvania, an official-look Since the original report was issued six ing flyer announced that due to weeks ago. incidents of voter suppression high turnout, Allegheny County have been reported at such an alarming rate had declared that Republicans were to vote on November 2, and Demo a new report had to be issued. crats on November 3. Among the trends detailed in the report included a strategy by Republican Party In Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylva officials to launch last-minute challenges to nia and West Virginia, registration voter registrations by the tens of thou sands in several states, a variation on the NAACP Chairman Julian Bond so-called "ballot integrity” strategies o f the past. Home Office h t o t w «www arMam com AO 000675 *5 2004 wi 53783 .... preference. Directors. Anwncan F s m fy M utual rworwncw Company and Ms SutNMtMrtM Judge Greg Mathis is chair man o f the Rainbow PUSH- Excel Board and a national board member o f the South ern Christian Leadership Con ference. Reports o f dirty tricks campaigns designed to in “The failure to resolve those problems and the Check your local telephone directory for the agent nearest you truth. The rest of the country should take notice. Public campaign financing makes the motto of government being “for, of and by the people” attainable. officials they must reject voter registrations if the dential Election: It’s your world and this is your road! Loving the w hole experience betw een point A and point B. Peace o f mind has no boundaries when y o u ’re traveling with family. Am erican Family Insurance. O ver three generations o f drivers have placed their trust in the auto coverage that m eans m ore peace o f m ind on the road. Give us a call or visit us at www .am fam .com and find out why nobody protects your auto like family. A m erican Family Insurance. ■ Election Marred by Voting Barriers Our democratic principles betrayed On the road with Family. ing reforms that have cut the costs of running for office and made it feasible for anyone with a commitment to public service to achieve their goal of becom ing an elected official. It should be the goal o f a democracy that any and every citizen has the potential to be come an elected official. The people of Maine understand this There was a new. aggressive strategy to place programs run by consultant Nathan Sproul have been accused of de stroying voter registrations for partisan purposes, or masquerading as opinion poll sters or nonpartisan vote registration organizations. extraordinary numbers of partisan challengers inside In Lake County, Ohio, a fake letter appearing to polling places to challenge individual voters as they come from the Lake County Board of Elections was try to cast their votes. mailed to newly registered voters, telling voters signed There were decisions by elections officials that up by the Kerry or Capri Cafaro campaigns or the tended to discourage voting, rather than encourage NAACP that their registrations are illegal and they record numbers of new voters. Anonymous flyers, will not be able to vote. fake letters and misleading phone calls gave voters In Milwaukee, Wise., flyers were circulated under false information about polling places and voting the heading "M ilwaukee Black Voters League" with regulations, or falsely advised voters to vote by some "warnings for election time." The false informa phone. tion on the flyer included these warnings: “If you've There were house-to-house voter scams wrongly already voted in any election this year you can 't vote informing voters that they can vote on a computer, in the presidential election.” Also, “If anybody in record their votes with a visitor or hand over their your family has been convicted, you can’t vote in the absentee ballots to fake election officials. presidential election." Several states received reports o f voter registration The failure to resolve systemic problems and the N S U R A N C E workers assigning new registrants to political parties existence of aggressive organized voter suppression All you' protection under one roof without their knowledge or consent or of voter regis efforts represent a failure of leadership and a betrayal trations being destroyed on the basis of political o f our nation's democratic principles. AMERICAN FAMILY
