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Primary Conversations: Attorney General

[Posted by Sarah Jane Rothenfluch on April 22, 2008]
LISTEN TO "Primary Conversations: Attorney General" (24MB MP3)
Hardy Myers, Oregon's attorney general, is stepping down this year after twelve years as the top law enforcement agent in the state. No Republicans have thrown their hat in the ring for the job, so Myers' replacement will bascially be chosen on May 20th... in the Democratic Primary.
Both candidates are Ivy League-educated and, obviously, Democrats. But that's where the similarities end. One is a veteran trial lawyer who moved to Oregon from New York City in 2002 after an extended bike ride across the country. The other is a native Oregonian who grew up on a farm in Linn County and has spent the last 33 years as an employee benefits attorney at one of Portland's most prestigious law firms.
The trial lawyer -- and former federal prosecutor -- is John Kroger. He's an ex-Marine from Ohio who has been in court 1,000 times. He has convicted high-level drug traffickers and mafia killers and worked as an economic and domestic policy advisor to President Bill Clinton. Six years ago he began teaching law at Lewis & Clark Law School. The Sierra Club and the Services Employees International Union have endorsed him.
He says that if elected his priorities will include: fighting methamphetamine aggressively; holding every polluter responsible for the damage they cause; ensuring that every single parent in the state gets the child support to which they are entitled; protecting consumers and retirees from scam-artists and crooked companies; and defending civil rights, a woman's right to choose, and the rights of Oregon crime victims.
The business lawyer -- and three-term State Representative from District 38 -- is Greg Macpherson. A native Oregonian, he grew up on a dairy farm in the Willamette Valley. For over 30 years he has practiced law at Stoel Rives, working on issues including gay rights, protection for farmland and undeveloped areas, treatment of criminals, and payday loan caps.
Macpherson is endorsed by the current Attorney General Hardy Myers and Governor Ted Kulongoski.
Macpherson says that if elected he'll focus on reducing crime without building new prisons, protecting Oregonians from scams and predatory lending, enforcing worker protection laws, standing up for the civil rights of Oregonians, and protecting Oregon's environmental legacy.
These two attorneys have such different backgrounds that at a debate recently Kroger offered Macpherson a job as his chief deputy to manage the office. Macpherson returned with an offer for Kroger to be his chief trial lawyer.
What kind of person do you want as the state's top enforcer? An insider or an outsider? A corporate attorney or a trial lawyer? A politician or a professor? What qualities do you think make for a good attorney general? And, once elected, what issues do you want this person to take on?
GUESTS:
John Kroger: Criminal prosecutor and law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School
Greg Macpherson: State Representative and an employee benefits attorney at Stoel Rives

I would like to ask John Kroger about his role in the Enron indictments. Were there any of the high profile players indicted in the work he did? If not, who did he work on indicting and what is the status of those indictments?

I would like to ask both gentlemen where they stand on the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Specifically, will they seek to try to influence the demise of the program by attempting to prosecute program participants, or do they respect the will of the Oregon voters, being that the program was not approved once, but twice in this state. Regardless of their own views on the medicinal value of marijuana, will they uphold the will of the voters, or try to seek their own agenda. As law enforcement officials, I assume they are opposed to the program, but will they be willing to understand that their jobs will be to enforce the law, not seek to change it.

I would like to ask the candidates how much trial experience they each have and why that is or isn't important?

Over the past few years, student volunteers from Lewis & Clark Law School have won more in penalties for violation of environmental laws than DEQ and Oregon Department of Justice combined. Meanwhile, ODOJ is spending a lot defending DEQ from lawsuits resulting from their FAILURE to enforce state and federal environmental laws.

What will these two candidates do to turn around this record of complicity under the leadership (or lack of leadership) under Hardy Myers, Stephanie Hallock and Ted Kulongoski?

Updated: 04/23/2008 07:50:21 AM

I want the candidates to tell us their positions on campaign finance reform.

In addition, I want them to answer whether the bulk of the work done by the hundreds of attorneys in the office isn't civil advice to government agencies, instead of criminal prosecutions. Isn't the Attorney General more like a County Legal Counsel than a District Attorney?

Recognizing that despite all the civil advice provided by the office the Attorney General helps develop policies dealing with criminal matters, I'd also like to know whether each of them agrees that Oregon had the right approach to preventing former prison inmates from returning to prison under the administration of former governor Barbara Roberts, and whether the anti-tax policies of conservatives resulted in increased recidivism (former offenders committing other crimes).

Updated: 04/23/2008 08:57:38 AM

I would like to ask John Kroger how he will pay for his drug treatment and environmental prosecution plans. And does Greg Macpherson have any plans that require additional funding, and how would he secure those additional funds?

Kroger has made his position on prosecuting envirnomental violations/crimes clear. Please ask Macpherson his position on who should prosecute environmental violations/crimes

I want to know how both the candidates plan to advocate for reproductive rights and protect access to safe, legal abortion while in office.

"It's 3 AM and the phone is ringing....

Its Bill Sizemore and he's got some terrible idea.

Who do YOU want answering the phone?"

Much like Novick/Merckley, Obama/Clinton, Sho/Sam Adams, these races are an embarrassment of riches. We are fortunate to have such good candidates to choose from.

Of course, that also makes these races hard to become excited about....

I'd like to ask both candidates how they will support the rights of minor party voters to be represented in Oregon elections.

I live in the Columbia River Gorge area and was forwarded this e-mail from Friends of the Gorge. What are your viewpoints and can you stop this?

This month the Columbia River Gorge Commission voted 10-2 to amend the gorge-wide management plan to allow an urban scale destination resort in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Never in the history of the National Scenic Area has a development of this magnitude and intensity been allowed outside of a designated urban area.

The amendment sets a terrible precedent that will impact future generations who are depending on us to protect the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Oregon has a pretty active labor union environment and I’m curious what role the candidates see the AG’s Office playing in enforcing workers’ rights here.

On the issue of drugs and crime, what are your (both candidates) priorities in relation to prevention vs. prosecution?

I just moved back to Oregon after 12 years. I worked and lived here for 25 years before this absence. Currently I am a renter, and as a consumer, I have noticed that all the rights renters used to have in Oregon have disappeared. Landlords are allowed to raise rents as often as they like, and as much as they like, and the renter rebate in the Or tax is gone and so is the renters agency gone that used to support rights for renters. Why have we lost all our rights?
My rent has been raised 3 times in the last year, and currently my landlord has decided NOT to offer leased anymore, so the rent can be raised as often as they like to increase their profits. Maintenance is not an issue. I'm on a fixed income now (SS) and will be homeless soon due to these raises. Where's the consumer protection for limited income folks?

I know two men who struggled with their child support because the amount set was exorbitant. In both cases the amount was set based on income earned in jobs outside the oregon area. One from out of state and one from overseas.

Both tried to get their support reduced and neither was successful. One of great means and one not.

The man who worked overseas had decided to work in the state to be closer to his children. And when he attempted to get his support reduced he was told that his earning capacity dictated the support amount regardless of what he was earning. He should get another job.

The other man attempted to explain that not only were the pay stubs that were used to determine his support were unusually large (containing back pay) but could not be replicated here. His support was not changed either and his response was to not pay at all.

Is this a common issue and should this be addressed to increase collections? Everyone suffers when injustice exists.

there have been examples of over agressive prosecution, cynical prosecution, and mindless cruelty in punishments. please comment.

I would like to ask the candidates what they would do to support, uphold and further rights for the GLBT community?

I want to thank John Kroger for his priority list and a promise to take action on some of our most pressing issues, particularly our environment and methamphetamine issues.

I am also concerned about consumer protection and the growing power of credit card companies. In recent months bills from credit card companies no longer have a post mark date which makes it even more challenging to hold these companies accountable to reasonable standards. Would you do anything about that?

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Primary Conversations: Attorney General