Posted on 01/05/2002 8:47:00 AM PST by Salvation
Oregon firefighters, volunteers in presidential greeting party
By TYPHANNY TUCKER
The Associated Press
1/4/02 8:14 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- When President Bush arrives in Portland on Saturday, he will be greeted by firefighters, fighter pilots and other Oregonians who helped out after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who assisted with arrangements for Bush's first presidential visit to the state, chose a "delegation of Oregon heroes" to meet Bush at Portland International Airport.
The greeting party will include Oregon National Guard members who flew surveillance missions over the Northwest in the weeks after the East Coast terrorist attacks to patrol for any unauthorized airplanes. Volunteer Oregon firefighters, rescue workers and Red Cross mental health counselors who took their expertise to New York City will also be on hand.
Portland firefighter Wesley Loucks, who saw the devastation first hand, plans to put in a word of support for the war when he gets within earshot of the president.
"This is the only way we can stop terrorism. If it isn't stopped now, my kids will have to deal with it, or their kids will," he said.
Loucks went to New York with three other Portland firefighters in the days after the attack to work at ground zero.
"I said to my friend Neil, 'This is going to change our lives,' but we didn't know then how much," he said.
Three Red Cross workers will meet Bush at the airport, and will represent more than 300 Oregon volunteers who flew to the East Coast to counsel victims and organize emergency food and shelter.
"I think it is wonderful to have that kind of recognition," said Ken Strobeck, spokesman for the Oregon Trail Chapter of the Red Cross.
Portland Mayor Vera Katz will greet Bush at an event at Parkrose High School, where he is scheduled to address business leaders and workers.
"I'm always very honored when the president of the United States comes to our city," Katz said.
Bush also will visit a Portland job training center that connects people with employment, community-based education and social service organizations.
Labor and peace groups plan to greet Bush in their own way, and were planning protests outside locations where he is scheduled to speak.
"In a single refugee camp today, up to 100 innocent Afghans are dying of exposure and starvation," said Chris Roehm of the Portland Peaceful Response Coalition. "That's the reality of Bush's so-called 'war against terrorism.' "
Laid-off workers and union members will attempt to deliver a message to the president when he visits the high school.
I wonder how Bush will react to Katz??????!!!!!!
Hopefully, he will kill her with kindness! ;o)
Katz has been complaining ever since Bush's visit was announced. She doesn't think Portland should pay for his protection. Never heard a word of complaint every time the clintoon or the bore visited, though. BTW, she did manage to find $50,000 for a New Years Eve party for the punks that tore up Pioneer Square last year.
Would serve her Katziness right. She wouyld not know how to respond to kindness.
Richard Aguirre: Governor to side step, not two-step with Bush
Richard Aguirre
January 5
Thousands of Oregonians will cheer for President George W. Bush when he visits Portland this afternoon.
Not peace advocates.
Not union members.
And not Gov. John Kitzhaber, who said Friday he opposes the “economic security plan” Bush will promote today.
Kitzhaber said he supports the commander-in-chief, but opposes much of Bush’s domestic agenda, including tax cuts for corporations and upper-income people.
“You can ride security just so far and that’s a lot of his popularity,” Kitzhaber said during an visit with the Statesman Journal’s editorial board.
“I support everything he’s doing in the war on terrorism. But you know something, if we can airlift food to kids in Pakistan, what about 120,000 Oregonians who go to bed every night without any food in their stomachs?
“At some point, I think we need to start talking about homeland security in terms of the people who are living here — not who are threatened by a terrorist assault — but who are threatened by apathy, by lack of public investment, by the growing discrepancy in wages between the poor and the rich and by a school system that is struggling.
“Let’s get real.”
In other words, Bush’s welcome won’t be much different than the last time he visited Oregon — Halloween 2000 — as a presidential candidate. He ended up losing Oregon to Al Gore by 6,675 votes.
Bush’s mixed reception also won’t be much different from visits by President Clinton, who drew catcalls from the right and left — and snubs from Kitzhaber.
What makes the discord different this time is that Bush’s job approval rating is hovering at 85 percent nationally, and he continues to win widespread praise for his handling of the war on terrorism.
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, said Oregonians should welcome Bush’s visit, and be comforted by his interest in ending Oregon’s recession and lowering its 7.4 percent unemployment rate — the highest in the nation.
“I think it’s a good thing he’s coming to Oregon. With our high unemployment rate, it’s important he come and tell us his plan for getting the economy moving,” Walden said. “It’s clear he cares about states that are hurting.”
Walden, who is flying to Oregon with Bush on Air Force One today, said he supports Bush’s economic proposals and disagrees with Kitzhaber.
“(Kitzhaber) has never been an advocate of tax cuts in good times or bad,” Walden said. “We have to get consumer spending going by cutting taxes and helping small businesses. Government has to tighten its belt once in a while.”
During his visit, Bush will win widespread support from business and civic leaders. He also will get a rousing welcome from the many people fortunate enough to secure free tickets to his speech at Parkrose High School.
“We have been overwhelmed by the interest in the visit,” said Darryl Howard, executive director of the Oregon Republican Party.
“I wish we could accommodate every person who requested a ticket. Opportunities to see the president are unique. Everybody loves him so much and wants an opportunity to see him.”
Maybe for many, but not all Oregonians.
Peace advocates, who disagree with the way Bush is conducting the war, plan to protest outside Bush’s appearances.
Labor union members will slam Bush’s economic proposals.
The White House invited Kitzhaber to join Bush at the high school, but the governor has a prior personal commitment and won’t attend.
That isn’t sitting well with Rep. Walden.
“If I were in the governor’s shoes, I would have cleared the decks to be with the president and I would have done that whether he was a Republican or a Democrat,” Walden said. “I would be there to argue for my side.”
Kitzhaber said he has no personal beef with Bush, but said the president’s call for ever-deeper tax cuts is unwise and illogical, especially as Oregon faces a $850 million state budget shortfall.
“This president also says ‘Let’s run government like a business.’ How many businesses do you know that refuse to reinvest their resources into their work force and their plant and equipment during good times? None.”
And what does Kitzhaber think about Bush’s claim that tax cuts will revive the economy, even if that means deep government cutbacks?
“I think it’s a great political throwaway line, but I don’t think that if you scratch it very deep you find anything very meaningful,” Kitzhaber said.
State Editor Richard R. Aguirre can be reached at (503) 399-6739.
Darn Commie.
Agreed.
I wonder what Dubya will say to her.
Wouldn't that money be better used helping those 120,000 Oregonians who go to bed hungry ever night.
And while I'm thinking about it, wouldn't those starving people be the focus of the GOVERNOR of Oregon?? If she can't be bothered, why is it GW's job... (/sarcasm off.)
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