Almost 30 people turned out Thursday to hear a debate among the three candidates running for the House of Representatives District 40 seat, which represents the East University area. The candidates addressed legislative issues that would affect state university students in the student-moderated debate, which was organized by the ASUO Executive Office.
The panel of four University students had the opportunity to grill the candidates — Republican Bill Young, Democrat Phil Barnhart, and Socialist Karl Sorg — on issues such as education funding, Measure 9 and campaign finance reform during the debate in the Ben Linder Room of the EMU.
The panel included ASUO community outreach intern Jessica Lurie, ASUO diversity intern Victoria González, OSPIRG intern Bret Force, and ASUO legislative intern Rachel Pilliod. The ASUO Legislative Committee devised the questions to be asked and the four panelists did the actual questioning.
The first question asked concerned one of the hottest issues in this year’s election: education funding.
“Measure 91 will be the most harmful to school funding,” Young said. “What we need to do for funding is look at costs and find better ways to use the money we have.”
Barnhart agreed with Young but thought there was more to the issue.
“Funding is important, and the most deadly measures concerning funding are the ones that will cut taxes,” Barnhart. “Measure 8 is very loaded. We could lose our faculty over it.”
Sorg focused more on fixing the current tax structure in order to better fund education.
“We need to redo the tax structure,” Sorg said. “If we tax the rich at 90 percent, we could use that tax money to fund education.”
Tax measures weren’t the only ballot measures getting attention during the debate. Each candidate strongly opposed Measure 9, which would prohibit schools from sanctioning or promoting homosexual and bisexual behavior.
“I am completely opposed to this measure,” Barnhart said. “As a member of the Eugene School Board, I can see how this measure would be enormously destructive.”
Barnhart said the Oregonian and The Register-Guard reported that Young supports the measure. Young, however, said he was misquoted in both papers, and retractions were printed the next day.
“Before I was educated on the implications of the measure, I took the standpoint that sexuality should be taught by parents,” Young said. “After I received the exact literature of the measure, I was very opposed.”
Sorg said he is also vehemently opposed to Measure 9.
“You can’t choose your sexuality,” Sorg said.
All three also agreed that student governments, such as the ASUO, should be in control of incidental fees. Currently, student government allocates approximately $5.5 million in student fees to pay for football tickets and more than 100 student groups, such as the Multicultural Center and the Survival Center.
Student concern about campaign funding was also discussed. Both Barnhart and Sorg said they were in favor of Measure 6, which would provide public funding to candidates who limit spending and the amount of private contributions they collect.
“Measure 6 is the beginning to a solution for campaign spending,” Barnhart said.
Young said he feels spending is too high, but that funding should not be limited, though he didn’t specifically address Measure 6.
Sorg disagreed, saying all money donated to political parties to support candidates, called “soft money,” should be refused, and direct contributions to candidates should be limited.
Another issue discussed was the Oregon Need Grant, which currently provides grants to 17,500 low-income students. This year, the program did not provide for 12 percent of the students who qualified for it. The candidates said they would ensure all deserving students receive aid, but each has a different idea of how to accomplish that.
“With the increase of the work study program, students who weren’t given the grant would be able to work for the money instead,” Young said.
Sorg referred back to his stance on changing the current tax structure.
“We could find the funds by taxing the rich more,” Sorg said.
Barnhart said if the tax-cutting measures pass, less funding for such grants will be available.