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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2002)
T h e IN D E P E N D E N T , O c to b e r 17, 20 0 2 November 5, 2002 General Election Columbia County Results November 5, 2002 General Election Columbia County Results Votes may not total 100% because of rounding, undervotes and write-ins. Votes may not total 100% because of rounding, undervotes and write-ins. Dem = Democrat Rep = Republican Con = Constitution % of Vote 55 37 3 3 R ep. G o rd o n S m ith D em . Bill B ra d b u ry Lib. D an F itz g e ra ld C on. L on M a b o n Yes No Yes No 5 -109 Local O p tio n Tax Levy for L a w E n fo rce m e n t 43 53 N/A N/A 14 R e m ove s racial refe ren ces in C o n stitu tio n 60 36 71 29 15 B o nds fo r seism ic rehab of p ub lic ed. b ldgs 46 49 56 44 16 B onds fo r se ism ic rehab of em erg. serv. bldgs. 46 49 56 44 17 R e duce m in im u m age fo r S tate L e g isla to rs 23 74 27 73 18 A llow s sp lit tax rates fo r som e d istricts 30 62 39 61 21 A llo w s “ N o ne of the A b o v e ” in ju d ic ia l e le ctio n s 47 48 44 56 22 R equires D istrict elections fo r sta te S u p re m e C ourt and C o u rt of A p peals ju d g e s 54 42 49 51 2 3 C re a te s health ca re finan ce plan 19 77 21 79 24 A llo w s d e n tu ris ts to install p a rtia l d e n tu re s 71 23 76 24 District 25 Incre ases m in im u m w age, tie s to fu tu re inflation 56 42 51 49 57 38 5 26 P ro h ib its p a ym e n t of sig n a tu re g a th e re rs based on n u m b e r of signatures 72 25 75 25 27 R e quires labeling of ge n e ticlly -e n g in e e re d foods 24 74 29 71 BALLOT M EASURE % of Vote U.S. REP.* D em . D a vid W u R ep. Jim G re e n fie ld Lib. B e th King 62 30 4 ‘ Columbia County only 49 46 5 47 44 7 D em . Ted K u lo n g s k i R ep. K e vin M a n n ix Lib. Tom C o x STATE SENATO R, DIST 16 County 54 36 5 D em . J o a n D u ke s R ep. D o n Fell Lib. H e le n M cD a n ie l State County Percent of Vote State County G O VER N O R Percent of Vote Lib = Libertarian Ind = Independent U.S. SEN ATO R* Page 17 (N/A = Not Applicable) STATE REP, DIST. 31 60 25 9 67 24 9 R ep. J o e M e y e r 49 48 D em . E la in e H o p so n 45 52 D em . R ita B e rn h a rd C on. J o e C a so n 52 21 N /A N /A Ind. C a th y T a ylo r 16 N /A D em . B e tsy Jo h n s o n C o n. B o b E k s tro m Ind. M e rvyn A rn o ld ST. REP, DIST. 32 C O U N TY C O M M IS S IO N , POS. 2 (N/A=Not Applicable) Please support the advertisers who make your free community newspaper possible. Come jo in us at L e w ’ s P l a c e Increase in low wage jobs will stall state economy O re g o n ’s e co n o m y is g ro w ing again, but the typ ica l w o rk e r is not likely to see sig nifica nt e a rn in g s o r in co m e gains any tim e soon, acco rd in g to a report by th e O re g o n C e n te r fo r P u b lic Policy, a non -p rofit, n o n -p a r tis a n research group that stu d ies how th e e co n o m y and g o v e rn m e n t p o licie s a ffe ct low and m o d e ra te in co m e O re g o n ia n s. “ Even a fte r c u rre n t high u n e m p lo y m e n t falls, the lo ng-term tre n d s of w id e n in g in com e in equality, g ro w th in low -paying jo b s and d e clin in g unionization w ill sh a p e O re g o n ’s econom y fo r m any ye a rs to com e," said J e ff T h o m p so n , an econ om ist w ith th e C enter. T h e report notes that during th e late 1990s w o rkers in O re gon ben efite d from sig nifica nt in ve stm e n ts in high-tech m a n u fa ctu rin g and a lengthy period o f s u s ta in e d lo w u n e m p lo y m ent, fa cto rs th a t are not like ly to repea t in th e n ea r futu re. T h e 113 pag e report, B oom , B u s t a n d B e yo n d : The S ta te o f W o rk in g O re g o n 2 0 0 2 , p ro vid e s a c o m p re h e n s iv e stu d y of th e s ta tu s of w o rk in g O re g o n i a ns. T h e re port e x a m in e s th e liv in g s ta n d a rd s o f w o rk in g O re g o n ia n s , p ro v id in g new data on in co m e inequality, fa m ily a n d h o u s e h o ld in c o m e , w a ges, h o u rs w o rke d , h o u sin g affo rda bility, ban kru ptcy, u n e m p loym e nt, re tire m e n t security, health in su ra n ce , th e ch a n g in g q u a lity of jo bs, hunger, m o rt ga g e fo re clo su re and poverty. T h e report sh o w s th a t a fte r rising fo r a n u m b e r of ye a rs, real a ve ra g e a n n u a l e a rn in g s fe ll by 1.5 p e rce n t in 2001. T h e 2001 re ce ssio n e ra se d im p ro ve m e n t in poverty. T h e /Ottr L iv e m u sic During Murphy's Fall Dining Sale R ebel AB oik, maple, cherry and pine — Dining Tables, Chairs, Buffets, Hutches, Curios and Barttooh in stock in d on order are O N SALE) just in tim e for B aud C ount . 15, 2 0 0 2 1 ??? ., Vernonia, OR 97064 Woltday EntertaiiHngt II«»/«/ ,S/<»r<- • 2962 $ Bo»el»(w tn • 16 126 St Slwk in Pwtlond $03-640-1124 $03-252-5434 Hauis Man Sol I Oom 6 pm. Sun Hom Spm 0 3 -4 2 9 -3 7 5 1 Jk (W « t «•».*./<•«•/ I p h n h h h J / u tu H u n ♦0 Oap ><m « owk OU • to,«»0,1 & re p o rt n o te s th a t O re g o n ’s p o v e rty rate w a s fla t o ve r m ost of th e 1990s and had started to fa ll at th e end of th e decade. D a ta in clu d e d in the report sh o w th a t b e tw e e n 1989 and 2 0 0 0 , th e a ve ra g e in co m e of th e ric h e s t o ne p e rce n t of O re g o n ia n s rose 98 p e rce n t, w h ile th e m e d ia n h o u s e h o ld incom e rose ju s t 9 p e rce n t. “O v e r the la st tw e n ty years, O re g o n w e n t fro m b e in g one o f the m ost e q u a l s ta te s to o n e of the m ost un e q u a l, w ith a w id e gap b e tw e e n th e rich a nd both m iddle in co m e and p o o r fa m ilies. “ N ot o n ly did th e w e a lth ie st O re g o n ia n s re a p th e lio n ’s sh a re of th e b e n e fits of the 1 9 9 0 s e x p a n s io n , b u t m a n y p o o r a nd low in co m e O re g o n i ans fell fu rth e r b e h in d ,” said M ich a e l L e a ch m a n , p o licy a n a lyst. “T h e high tech boo m did n o t s te m th e tid e of ris in g p o v e rty a m o n g w o rkin g fam ilies w ith ch ild re n ." A s m a n y as 5 4 ,0 0 0 O re g o n i ans lost h e a lth in su ra n ce due to th e 2001 re ce ssio n , and a re tu rn to ra p id ly rising pre m iu m s e n su re s th a t in su ra n ce costs and c o v e ra g e w ill co n tin u e to be a p ro b le m . E v e n th e b e s t e c o n o m ic tim e s fa ile d to d e liv e r gre a te r hea lth in su ra n ce c o ve ra g e fo r O re g o n w o rke rs. U n in su ra n ce a m o n g th e 18 to 64 y e a r old p o p u la tio n rose fro m 13.7 p e r ce n t in 1996 to 15.3 percen t in 2000. R a p id ly rising hom e prices m a d e h o u sin g less affordable. O re g o n w e n t fro m being the 11th m ost a ffo rd a b le state fo r h o u sin g in 1989 to the 42nd by th e la te 1990s.
