Opinion
The Skanner News Endorsements
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
B ERNIE F OSTER
Founder/Publisher
B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER
Executive Editor
S
ystematic attacks on voting rights around the
country, alongside exploding issues of street vio-
lence and racial justice, are bringing the public
focus firmly to the ballot as a tool for making our commu-
nities better places to live and work. We at The Skanner
News believe strongly in voter participation. We encour-
age you to support these ballot measures and vote on
Nov. 4.
We are watching this election Day with interest,
because the critical measures on the ballot point to a
more interesting midterm election than usual. Will there
be a large voter turnout? We sure hope so – with gun con-
trol and transit funding on the line in Washington State,
as well as retail cannabis and legal driving cards for
undocumented motorists in Oregon, there are game-
changing initiatives awaiting your participation.
———— OREGON CANDIDATES ————
J ERRY F OSTER
Advertising Manager
L ISA L OVING
News Editor
H ELEN S ILVIS
Multimedia Editor
P ATRICIA I RVIN
D AVID K IDD
Graphic Designer
Sen. Jeff Merkley
Susanne Bonamici
Earl Blumenauer
Kurt Schrader
M ONICA J. F OSTER
Seattle Office Coordinator
GOveRNOR OF OReGON
J ULIE K EEFE
S USAN F RIED
Photographers
u.S. SeNatOR
Jeff Merkley
u.S. RePReSeNtatIve
1st District Suzanne Bonamici
3rd District earl Blumenauer
5th District Kurt Schrader
The Skanner Newspaper, established
in October 1975, is a weekly publica-
We are faced again with a lack of choic-
es for state leadership. Gov. John
Kitzhaber has been in the headlines for
all the wrong reasons. Cover Oregon
should have been his golden moment –
but his lack of oversight in $250 million of
federal funds resulted in one of the
biggest scandals in Oregon history. We
believe the incumbent is unresponsive to
the needs of diverse communities, but at
the same time, candidate Dennis
Richardson’s views on women’s issues
are extremely conservative, and he has
no record of working on issues critical to
people of color. that is why we cannot
endorse any of the candidates for gov-
ernor.
The Skanner News endorses these
unopposed candidates:
State Senator, 23rd District
Michael Dembrow
State Representative, 43rd District
Lew Frederick
State Representative, 44th District
tina Kotek
State Representative, 45th District
Barbara Smith Warner
State Representative, 46th District
alissa Keny-Guyer
State Representative, 47th District
Jessica vega Pederson
tion, published each Wednesday by
———— MEASURES ————
IMM Publications Inc.,
415 N. Killingsworth St.,
P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228.
Telephone (503) 285-5555.
E-mail: info@theskanner.com
World Wide Web site:
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Fax: (503) 285-2900
The Skanner is a member of the
National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ-
ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers
Association.
OReGON State BaLLOt MeaSuReS
Measure 86 amends the Oregon Consti-
tution to create a fund for Oregonians pur-
suing
post-secondary
education;
authorizes debt to finance.
If passed this law would allow the legis-
lature to sell bonds for a higher education
loan fund benefitting college students as
well as career training programs; it would
not raise taxes, but it would give state law-
makers more tools to help college and
trade school students get the best educa-
tion they can. We vote YeS.
All photos submitted become the
property of The Skanner. We are not re -
spon sible for lost or damaged photos
either solicited or unsolicited.
© 2014 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED.
REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART
WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED.
To see The Skanner
News on your smart
phone go to
theskannermobile.com
or scan this QR code
with your app.
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Measure 87 allows judges to be hired by
the National Guard and public universities;
allows school employees to serve in the
legislature.
This is little more than a housekeeping
measure, brushing cobwebs out of our
state Constitution. It would have no finan-
cial impact; why shouldn’t state court
judges join the National Guard or take a
teaching job at a college if they
choose? We vote YeS.
Measure 88 upholds four-year driver
licenses for those who cannot prove legal
presence in the United States.
Our communities are far from reaching a
consensus on improving our immigration
laws and processes; but whatever you
may think about the reform debate, this
measure would make our roads safer and
encourage a more humane attitude
towards working families across the
state. We vote YeS.
Measure 89 guarantees equal rights
regardless of sex.
Some people say Oregon doesn’t need
an Equal Rights Amendment for women;
at the same time, women are at the bot-
tom of the socioeconomic ladder, with
lower pay, less political representation and
few corner offices in the corporate sector.
Four retired state Supreme Court justices
have made an open appeal for passage of
this measure. We vote YeS.
Page 2 The Portland and Seattle Skanner October 29, 2014
Ballot Measures
4
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4
4
5
4
4
State OF OReGON
Yes on Measure 86
Yes on Measure 87
Yes on Measure 88
Yes on Measure 89
No on Measure 90
Yes on Measure 91
Yes on Measure 92
CItY OF PORtLaND
4 Yes on Measure 26-159
MetRO DIStRICt
4 Yes on Measure 26-160
4 Yes on Measure 26-161
WaShINGtON
5 No on Initiative 1351
5 No on Initiative 591
5 Yes on Initiative 594
SeattLe
4 Yes on Early Learning
Proposition 1B
4 Yes on Transportation
Benefit Proposition 1
Measure 90 creates an open, top-two
primary election system.
We are leery of changing the state elec-
tions system, especially after a sketchy
campaign in which the ‘Yes on 90’ camp
filed fake Voters Guide statements and
even created a fake website to lampoon its
opponents. Top Two has not resulted in
less contentious elections or more ethnic
representation in the two states in which it
has passed – despite claims to the con-
trary. We vote NO.
Measure 91 legalizes recreational mari-
juana; tasks Oregon Liquor Control Com-
mission with regulation of its sale.
Of all ballot measures facing voters in
Oregon, this might be the most far-reach-
ing. As the so-called War on Drugs has
failed to stem their use and has filled our
jails and prisons with low-level offenders –
all at taxpayer expense – this measure
might be the best chance we have to
restore some sanity to the system. Legal-
ize it, regulate it like alcohol, and create a
new revenue stream for the state. We
vote YeS.
Measure 92 mandates labeling of cer-
tain foodstuffs that contain genetically
modified organisms.
We want to know what’s in the food
we’re eating – what’s wrong with that? We
vote YeS.
CItY OF PORtLaND
Measure No: 26-159 continues bonds to
fix playgrounds, trails; improve park facili-
ties, safety, and accessibility.
This measure continues the already-
existing parks bond, which is modest and
has so far been very well spent by Port-
land Parks & Recreation. Funding parks is
one of the best investments we can make
in community health, violence prevention
and quality of life. We vote YeS.
MetRO DIStRICt
Measure No: 26-160 would retain the
prohibition on Metro-required single-family
neighborhood density increases.
If passed, this measure would continue a
voter-imposed limitation on Metro’s plan-
ning power – specifically it keeps Metro
fromrequiring more infill homes in neigh-
borhoods for the next 16 years. We vote
YeS.