Merkley is Ready to Energize Oregon

Senate candidate openly opposes LNG; faces Sen. Smith in November

The Daily Astorian
By David Holley
September 2, 2008

Continued and further investment in renewable energy resources is a must, said U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley during a visit to Astoria Saturday.

Merkley, a Democrat running against incumbent Gordon Smith in the Nov. 4 general election, said the U.S. must develop additional solar, wind, wave and geothermal power to battle against global warming. If elected to the Senate, Merkley said he would work toward integrating the country with the global discussion on climate change.

"With the Bush administration, we've pretty much thumbed our nose at the international dialogue over global warming. Huge mistake," said Merkley, a state representative from Portland and Oregon Speaker of the House. "I am tired of foreign companies being way ahead on everything."

A plan for the future is to develop electric and hybrid cars, Merkley said, to establish a U.S. edge on technology. To bring more green technology to Oregon, Merkley said tax credits should be given to green energy organizations.

"I want to see us selling these things back to the world," said Merkley. "That's an America that puts Americans back to work."

The visit to Astoria was a part of a 100-city tour by Merkley to entice voters during a heated battle with two-term senator and Republican Gordon Smith. Merkley came with state Rep. Brad Witt from Columbia County, and Brad Avakian, commissioner of Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. Both men are running for re-election.

Unlike Smith, Merkley has openly opposed the proposed liquefied natural gas terminals on the Oregon Coast. Merkley said citizens are concerned over the cost and environmental impact of digging up miles of ground to install LNG pipelines, the danger of potential LNG-related fires, and said many wonder whether Oregon liquefied natural gas would merely be sent to California for use.

"My position is that Oregonians deserve to have their concerns heard," said Merkley. "I think that folks on both sides of the argument agree that their voices should be heard."

At the meeting of about 50, plenty did support the local LNG Bradwood Landing terminal. Don McDaniel said the LNG terminal would provide jobs and a tax base.

"I understood there would be a lot of people against the pipeline and I wanted to show my support for it," said McDaniel about why he came to see Merkley.

Smith, who is vying for his third term as one of Oregon's U.S. Senators, said in a visit earlier this week that he knows the U.S. needs extra energy from areas like LNG, but thinks the terminals should only be established if energy is obtained safely. He plans to wait for a decision from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

FERC has final say over the placement of LNG terminals in states because of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which took away states' say in the placement of terminals. Smith voted in favor of the act. Both Smith and Merkley supported failed legislation created earlier this year by Oregon's other U.S. Senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, which would have given states say in the matter.

Timber bill proposed

A native of Oregon, Merkley said the U.S. government has not fulfilled a deal it made with the timber industry to make payments for restrictions implemented on the industry. "I will introduce a bill on my very first day as senator restoring those payments," said Merkley.

Smith received an endorsement earlier this week from three of the stars of the History Channel show, "Ax Men," because they believe he is the best advocate for the timber industry.

Along with Merkley, both Witt and Avakian supported investing in education to create more vocational-based jobs in Oregon. Avakian said building up an educational system to meet the needs of Oregon employers is key to keeping people looking for work inside Oregon.

"For 15 years we have systematically eliminated the vocational classes from Oregon school system," said Avakian. He wants to develop educational programs to create more jobs. "I'm talking about 21st century state of the art classes that teach kids the kind of jobs that will help them stay in Oregon and help them work for good Oregon businesses."

One of the major problems with the United States is the fledgling economy, Merkley said. The combination of consumer and governmental debt is more than three times what we produce in a given year, he said.

"We've been undermining the foundation of our country," said Merkley. "We need to restore the integrity of the United States of America."

Posted September 2, 2008
In the News