The campaign trail blazed onto campus Tuesday as Governor Ted Kulongoski met with members of the ASUO.
The two met to hammer out a deal in which Kulongoski would expand grant money for Oregon students in exchange for ASUO
officers support and lobbying on his behalf.
“I need your help in this coming political year,” the governor said to the students. “I’m on your side, I just need you to fight this battle with me.”
The Oregon Opportunity Grant helps offset the cost of education for students at all nonprofit, post-secondary institutions in Oregon, including state universities and community and private colleges. Kulongoski’s offer would raise the budget for the grant from $78 million to $152 million, raise the number of recipients from 19,101 to 42,047 and increase
the average grant amount per student from $1,209 to $1,806. The grant money can help to combat the debt that swamps most students upon graduation, he said, along with providing more opportunities for higher education.
A fact sheet states that the increase will be implemented as early as the 2008-09 school year.
“There shouldn’t be anybody in Oregon deprived of the opportunity to go if they want to,” Kulongoski said.
Kulongoski, the democratic incumbent, leads Republican challenger Ron Saxton by two points, within the margin of error in recent polls, and independent Ben Westlund is holding steady at 10 percent.
The governor presented the plan to the students around two tables pushed together in the coffee shop in the Lillis Business Complex.
Rep. Phil Barnhart sat next to the governor while aides, press and security filled the room. Despite the bustle of his staff and
members of the press milling around the room, Kulongoski created a casual atmosphere by peppering the conversation with questions about the students’ origins and anecdotes from his own life, Student Senator Chii-San SunOwen said.
Kulongoski said that schools should push many students to learn trades instead of attending college.
“As much as I need scientists and engineers, I need people that are gonna build all this stuff,” the governor said.
Tension in the generally friendly meeting arose when ASUO President Jared Axelrod and Student Senator Oscar Guerra
brought up issues of race. Guerra said that in communities of color schools do not stress the pursuit of higher education as heavily as they should.
Guerra and Axelrod both raised the issue of hiring and retaining faculty of color and overcoming institutional inequality. Kulongoski stiffened at their remarks and avoided answering, Guerra said. In a later interview he said that raising the University’s annual budget and having the people of Eugene see each other as equals would resolve the issues.
“A lot of this can work itself out,” he said.
Axelrod said the grant expansion represents a step in the right direction and that the governor was receptive to students needs because he understands students’ struggles.
He said that while the governor avoided the students concerns about racial inequality, it was important for those issues to be raised.
Guerra said later that Kulongoski came on the pretext of hearing what students had to say, but in fact did most of the talking himself.
“I’m pretty sure he had his own agenda,” Guerra said.
Guerra said that while the governor avoided talking about the racial tension at the University and voted in favor of a congressional bill that made it a felony to be an illegal immigrant, the grant program represents a step forward.
Because of the grant expansion, Kulongoski has gained Guerra’s support.
“You have to take and choose what will help your community,” Guerra said.
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