Rogue of the Week - Willamette Week


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This week's Rogue goes to Don Williams for muddying a political debate before it begins. Williams is a signature gatherer for Oregon Taxpayers United, which is proposing several measures for the November 1998 ballot.

Last week, Williams was on the Portland State University campus, collecting signatures for Initiative 18.

According to students Jim Austin and John Wykoff, Williams approached them and other students, saying the proposed initiative would "get more money for higher education."

Actually, Initiative 18 proposes nothing of the sort. It would, instead, amend the state constitution to prohibit the use of public resources to collect money for political purposes. Basically, it's designed to prevent public employee unions from using union dues deducted from government paychecks to fund political causes. There is no relationship to higher-education funding.



		STAN SHAW

Austin and Wykoff filed a complaint with the secretary of state against Oregon Taxpayers United, chargingWilliamswith misrepresenting information about the petition. The state elections division is investigating. If convicted of knowingly distorting the petition's purpose, Williams could face a felony charge.

Bill Sizemore, the chief petitioner for the initiative, said he doesn't know Williams, who was working as an independent contractor, but he questions not only Williams' sales approach but also his target audience. "I wouldn't consider PSU fertile ground for this petition," says Sizemore. "He only got 11 signatures."

Williams' direct supervisor, Parker Bell, apparently shares Sizemore's views. "He's a bit of a problem," Bell told the Daily Vanguard, the PSU campus paper. "He's not one of our better ones."

Sizemore says Oregon Taxpayers United has forbidden Williams from circulating the petition any longer.