NWLP-10-17-08.Pdf (7.041Mb)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
OCT. 17, 2008:NWLP 10/14/08 9:55 AM Page 1 GENERAL ELECTION Endorsements of the NORTHWEST OREGON LABOR COUNCIL U.S. President/Vice President BARACK OBAMA /J OE BIDEN MEETING NOTICES See Page 6 Inside U.S. Senate: JEFF MERKLEY U.S. House of Representatives DAVID WU First District: EARL BLUMENAUER Third District: Volume 109 KURT SCHRADER Fifth District: Number 20 October 17, 2008 Portland Oregon Secretary of State: KATE BROWN Oregon Attorney General: JOHN KROGER Oregon Treasurer: BEN WESTLUND When Wall Street stumbles, Oregon Labor Commissioner: BRAD AVAKIAN Multnomah County others pick up the tab JUDY SHIPRACK By DON McINTOSH The meal, and what a big meal it and Washington Democrat Patty Mur - County Commissioner, Dist. 3: Associate Editor will prove to be, is a fallback plan pro - ray were for it, while Democrats Ron CARLA PILUSO County Commissioner, Dist. 4: For six weeks, working people posed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Wyden of Oregon and Maria Cantwell have been looking from the sidelines Henry Paulson — $700 billion in tax - of Washington voted against it.] at a financial system meltdown, while payer funds to buy up exotic Wall The more expensive bill then Columbia County government has taken panicked, in - Street creations. passed the House Oct. 3 by 263-171, EARL FISHER consistent, expensive and so far inef - With outraged constituents calling five days after it had rejected it. County Commissioner, Position 1: fective action to stop it. Ordinary citi - in 10-1 against that idea, the U.S. [Washington Democrat Brian Baird TONY HYDE County Commissioner, Position 3: zens didn’t engineer the collapse, but House of Representatives rejected voted for the second bill, as did Ore - they may be footing the bill — Paulson’s proposal 228-205 on Sept. gon Democrats Darlene Hooley and JENEFER GRANT Circuit Judge: through lost retirement savings, low - 29. But then the U.S. Senate took it up, David Wu, and Republican Greg ered wages, and the taxes they pay. passing the same basic plan but adding Walden. Oregon Democrats Earl Blu - Clackamas County On Sept. 16, the Federal Reserve $150 billion in unrelated tax breaks menauer and Peter DeFazio voted announced the biggest ever govern - and other federal spending. The Senate against it.] CHARLOTTE LEHAN ment bailout of a private corporation bill passed 74-25 with support of The $700 billion figure is by any County Commissioner, Position 4: — the $85 billion rescue of AIG, one Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Joe Biden (D- reckoning a colossal amount of CRAIG ROBERTS Sheriff: of the world’s largest insurance com - Del.), and John McCain (R-Ariz.). money. It’s $2,300 for every man, panies. That was the appetizer. [Oregon Republican Gordon Smith (Turn to Page 4) City of Portland CHARLES LEWIS Commissioner, Position 1: Support Union workers take pride in job Ballot Measure 26-94 (Safe and Successful Children ) Carrying the vote to handle, deliver, count ballots City of Gresham By DON McINTOSH ident of American Postal Workers Associate Editor Union Local 128, and Gregory Stark, SHIRLEY CRADDICK Commissioner, Position 3: Though nearly all of it is behind Executive Board member of National PAUL WARR -K ING the scenes, union members are a big Postal Mail Handlers Union Commissioner, Position 5: part of making Oregon’s vote-by-mail (NPMHU) Local 315. Support Ballot Measure 26-98 (Gresham Police Levy ) system clean, fair, and efficient. That’s Recent postal union conventions because much of the handling, deliv - have passed resolutions calling for Oregon State Senate ery and counting of the ballots is done other states to adopt vote-by-mail, and by union workers. not just because it brings in additional MARK HASS SUZANNE BONAMICI DIANE ROSENBAUM Dist. 14 - Dist. 17 - Dist. 21 - The handling and delivery falls on Postal Service revenue. It also en - JACKIE DINGFELDER LAURIE MONNES -A NDERSON District 23 - District 25 - the shoulders of the mail handlers, hances the image of the public postal postal workers and letter carriers of service to the citizenry. And vote-by- the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), for mail makes it possible for member - OREGON H OUSE OF R EPRESENTATIVES whom taking care of ballots is some - ship groups — like labor unions — to JESSICA ADAMSON TOBIAS READ JEFF BARKER Dist. 26 - Dist. 27 - Dist. 28 - thing like a sacred duty. amplify their political strength: Be - CHUCK RILEY DAVID EDWARDS BRAD WITT “It’s a patriotic thing,” said L.C. tween ballot mail out and Election Dist. 29 - Dist. 30 - Dist. 31 - Hansen, president of Portland-head - Day, groups like unions can get daily MITCH GREENLICK LARRY GALIZIO MARY NOLAN Dist. 33 - Dist. 35 - Dist. 36 - quartered Branch 82 of National As - updates on which of their members CHRIS GARRETT TOBY FORSBERG DAVE HUNT Dist. 38 - Dist. 39 - Dist. 40 - sociation of Letter Carriers (NALC). have voted. That allows them to focus CAROLYN TOMEI JULES KOPEL -B AILEY CHIP SHIELDS Between one-third and two-fifths of Rod Cardwell, a member of National political education and get-out-the- Dist. 41 - Dist. 42 - Dist. 43 - Postal Mail Handlers Union Local TINA KOTEK MICHAEL DEMBROW BEN CANNON postal employees are military veter - vote efforts on members who haven’t Dist. 44 - Dist. 45 - 46 - ans, Hansen points out, thanks to civil 315, uses a hydraulic hand truck to voted yet, and thereby greatly increas - JEFFERSON SMITH MIKE SCHAUFLER NICK KAHL Dist. 47 - Dist. 48 - Dist. 49 - service preferences in hiring. lift a three-quarter-ton pallet of ing turnout. GREG MATTHEWS BRENT BARTON SUZANNE VAN ORMAN Dist. 50- Dist. 51- Dist. 52 - And Hansen said her members are Voters’ Pamphlets. Portland’s central Twenty-eight states allow voters to extra vigilant to see that ballots are post office will process 120 pallets of cast ballots by mail without the need Authorized and paid for by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council correctly delivered, a conclusion Voters’ Pamphlets this election 1125 SE Madison St., Portland, OR 97214 echoed by Brian Dunsmore, vice pres - season. (Turn to Page 4) OCT. 17, 2008:NWLP 10/14/08 9:55 AM Page 2 The Oregon Secretary of State has a new Web site available Ballot Measure 65 so that voters can verify that they are, in fact, registered to vote. You can check the status of your family and friends, too. All you need is a name, zip code, and birthday. To check your voter registration, go to: Labor opposes ‘top two’ primary https://secure.sos.state.or.us/eim/vr/showVoterSearch.do This year, ballot measures spon - working people. It’s opposed by the two strenuous campaigns. Dembrow sored by longtime labor foe Bill Size - Oregon AFL-CIO, the Oregon Educa - says he probably would not have run if more and conservative activist Kevin tion Association, the Oregon State that had been the case. Mannix are staring down at organized Building and Construction Trades The price tag would also have gone labor like a partly-loaded pistol. Meas - Council and most union locals. Labor’s up for the union political committees Bennett Hartman ures 58 through 64 run the gamut of main criticism of the measure is that it that support Dembrow’s election. Not b h budget-busting mandatory sentences to would make it harder for non-wealthy only would they have to fund two cam - Morris & Kaplan, llp tax cuts to the richest taxpayers to muz - people to run for office. paigns, but they would have had to mail Attorneys at Law zles for public employee unions. Measure 65 would institute the “top to a greater number of voters in the pri - m k With unions campaigning to oppose two” primary. No longer would the pri - mary — not just Democrats. those measures, other measures at the mary be the way Democrats and Re - It’s notable, says Oregon AFSCME beginning and end of the ballot aren’t publicans select who they want to nom - Council 75 political coordinator Joe Oregon’s Full Service Union Law Firm getting as much attention. But labor or - inate in the general election. Instead, all Baessler, that most of the backers of the ganizations are taking sides on those as voters would choose among all candi - measure are CEOs and deep-pocketed Representing Workers Since 1960 well — supporting two of the legisla - dates from all parties. The top two vote- business groups. Baessler said the tive referrals on the ballot, and oppos - getters would then square off in the measure has the support of middle-of- ing an initiative that would change Ore - general election, even if they are mem - the-road political figures because they gon politics. The referrals are Measure bers of the same party. The measure think it will result in the election of Serious Injury and Death Cases 56 and Measure 57. The initiative is would also eliminate the right of minor more moderates. In party primaries, Measure 65. parties to place nominees on the gen - candidates must first appeal to mem - Measure 56 would get rid of the eral election ballot. bers of the party; in a top-two primary, • Construction Injuries “double majority” requirement that “It’s going to cost labor a lot more,” the candidate would need to compete • Automobile Accidents dooms many local school and fire dis - said Bob Shiprack, executive secretary for all votes from the get-go. trict levies. Under the double majority, of the Oregon Building and Construc - • Medical, Dental, and Legal Malpractice which passed as part of a 1996 ballot tion Trades Council. “I can’t see one measure authored by Sizemore, local thing in this ballot measure that con - Columbia-Pacific Building & • Bicycle and Motorcycle Accidents property tax measures on the ballot in vinces me it’s a good idea.” Construction Trades Council • Pedestrian Accidents May elections cannot pass unless the Measure 65 could make elections Endorsements for the majority of a district’s registered voters more expensive in several ways.