The three candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for the Eugene area have different causes. The incumbent stresses support for the environment, his Republican opponent pushes reform for Social Security, and the Socialist candidate just wants his voice to be heard.

Protecting the environment
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., is facing challenges to his seven-term run from Republican John Lindsey and Socialist David Duemler.
DeFazio was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986 and has served since then. He said he recently helped pass legislation to protect the Steens Mountains in Southeastern Oregon and to establish an expansive wilderness area.
“I have a very strong record of supporting the environment,” DeFazio said. “[I’ve supported] everything from energy conservation to forest conservation. We just recently got money to expand the Eugene wetlands.”
As a member of the Progressive Caucus, DeFazio said he has invested more in education and transportation and moved away from overfunding Cold War weapons.
“I was the principal author of a bill that would bring $600 million to help fund county and rural school districts,” DeFazio said. “I also supported a federal plan to provide loans at lower interest rates for students.”
Part of DeFazio’s pay is given to the University every year in the form of a Presidential Scholarship, DeFazio said.
Next year, DeFazio said he would fight for the national surplus to be spent funding education and health care. He also said he would continue his work to get Eugene a high-speed rail line.

Social Security reform
John Lindsey, a Linn County commissioner, said he has some paramount issues of his own to tackle. He said Social Security needs to be reformed as soon as possible.
“I’m very much in favor of the plan that Bush is presenting,” Lindsey said.
Under the plan, 2 percent of a person’s payroll would be invested in a tax-sheltered safe return account so that the money could be passed on to one’s heirs, Lindsey said.
In addition, Lindsey said government-supported health-care programs also need reform.
“We need to concentrate on the doctor-patient relationship,” Lindsey said. “The problem with HMOs is they are government-funded and therefore harder to reform.”
Education is another of those paramount issues Lindsey said he would like to address. He said Title One schools, which are failing schools offered federal money, often abuse those funds.
“We throw money at the problems in Title One schools without directly answering the problem,” Lindsey said. “By giving more money to failing schools, we are encouraging failure.”
Lindsey said that by giving vouchers to students in Title One schools, they will be able to leave those schools and attend more successful ones.
“It’s time we started focusing on inner-city schools and how we are cheating some youth by funding failing schools,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey said he would also like to localize crime control and focus on working together with the public, businesses and workers’ unions.

Fighting to be heard
David Duemler said his activism in the Eugene Peace Works and Citizens for Animal Rights has helped him talk about issues major party candidates are afraid to address. He’s never held a political office, but Duemler said that helps him discuss issues such as a person’s right to impart information through the media and the elimination of nuclear weapons.
“One of the most important rights a person has is to be heard,” Duemler said. “Public interest groups should have a regular opportunity to develop programs and air them in the mass media.”
Duemler said he is a big supporter of the Global Action Plan to prevent war and wants to reduce investments in national security. He also said that if elected, he would continue to fight for animal rights.
Duemler said he believes he has no chance of winning, but his campaign will help him bring these un-addressed issues into the political discussion.