Mannix campaign
clearly shows
Kulongoski is more fit
With last week’s death of Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone, the average working people of America have lost one of their most important representatives. This makes it even more important that we do everything possible in Oregon to keep right-wing corporate lackeys like Kevin Mannix out of office.
Mannix currently has several convincing ads on television that make use of an effective manner of reaching people: lying. You’ve all seen the poor lady in the grocery store who won’t be able to buy groceries with Ted Kulongoski as governor. The ad talks about all of the legislation for the sales tax he has pushed. The fact is Kulongoski never has proposed any sales tax legislation. When Kulongoski’s campaign approached his opponent’s camp, Mannix said, in effect, “Oh, yeah, that’s true. Sorry.” Yet he still runs the ads.
The Republican candidate is promising increases and improvements in social and educational programs across the board while simultaneously promising tax cuts. How he will do both without plunging Oregon further into enormous debt is a mystery.
Mannix plans to raid the Education Endowment Fund and the Common School Fund. Rather than provide an actual answer to Oregon’s budget shortfalls, he proposes to immediately use money meant for the long term. A more poorly thought- out attempt to provide funding would be hard to devise.
Labor, the environment, education — all democratic strengths that make Kulongoski the obvious choice. Republicans tout themselves as authorities on the economy. Kevin Mannix has proved them wrong.
Jared Mason-Gere
junior
undeclared
Measure 23 infuses saved dollars into schools agencies
Nonsense! Tim Dreier (“Measure 23 hurts Oregon’s economy,” ODE, Oct. 31) of the conservative Oregon Commentator was all wrong about Measure 23. It would save state agencies and schools millions of dollars with its 11.5 percent cap on payroll taxes. They are now paying health care insurance premiums of 15 to 20 percent.
The following schools figured they would save the following amounts if we had Measure 23 in place this year: Eugene 4J: $2,272,481; Corvallis: $496,627; N. Clackamas: $3,359,712; and Portland: $9,475,000.
The elected Oregon Comprehensive Health Care Finance Board will be responsible for the $20 billion budget and make adjustments to require efficiency and will not allow the funds to be part of the general state budget. If Measure 23 fails, we will still have a medical care budget in Oregon of $20 billion, but it will only serve the insurance companies and only those who can pay the rising costs of their premiums.
All Oregonians deserve better. Vote yes on 23.
Kevin Franken
second year
law
