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Expert says public finance important for democracy Lawrence Lessig visits PSU to support Measure 26-108
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pecial interest: it’s one of the most common issues in politics that guarantees to command attention from voters every election season. Last Thursday, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig visited Portland State to tell voters that there is a way to limit special interest groups in the city. Lessig, a long-time proponent for increased freedom in digital media and a researcher on the effect of campaign financing. was on hand to provide some expert opinion on city measure 26-108. A “yes” vote would continue the city’s five-year-old program of public financing for political candidates running for office. The event was sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society, and was co-sponsored by OSPIRG and Common Cause Oregon. Lessig asked the crowd how often they look at political issues and can say that something is voted and based on merit and in tandem with the public’s interest, rather than being influenced by powerful corporations.
By giving three examples he illustrated the influence of big corporations in government policy and the consequences. Lessig said we can no longer even dream about voting on the merit anymore. Referring to politicians as “shape-shifters,” Lessig said they have developed a dependency on their powerful funders and are engaged in a “political dance” in which policies are bought and sold. “Here’s the obvious point: The funders are not the people,” Lessig said. “This is a corruption of the architecture our founders intended, a corruption of this institution.” Lessig cited a study from Princeton University’s Martin Gilens, which concludes that when Americans with different income levels differ in their policy preferences, the actual policy outcome strongly reflects the preferences of the most affluent. However, Lessig said that whether or not voters believe money buys policy, they may be certain that this perception alone will negatively affect the democratic process.
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Getting back democracy: On Thursday, Lawrence Lessig came to PSU to talk about special interest groups and how they affect the democratic process.
Nonprofit and Social Services Fair coming to PSU Students can talk to experts, seek out nonprofit jobs PETER BROWNING VANGUARD STAFF
Even though fall semester is only halfway over, many students are thinking about their lives beyond Portland State. To help assist the transition into new careers, the Career Center is conducting its 10th annual Nonprofit and Social Services Fair tomorrow. The fair is a collaboration between the PSU Career Center,
the PSU institute for Nonprofit Management and idealist.org. It will host 56 organizations representing a wide range of interests, including human services, sustainability, education and the arts. This type of opportunity can be very effective for students who may not be sure what they want to do when they leave college, according to Greg Flore, director of the Career Center. “The fair offers students the opportunity to network with a large number of organizations at one time,” Flores said. “They can apply for jobs, find internships or learn about ways
to volunteer to support a cause they care about. Students who are trying to decide on a career direction can get firsthand information that can help guide their academic choices and help them find relevant experience.” Students can attend the Career Fair to seek jobs or just to find out about the hiring process and what qualifications employers seek. The tough economic climate has seen a higher demand for nonprofit and social services, and while many of the companies are working with reduced budgets, this doesn’t reduce the
overall experience. “Students have the opportunity to help other people by volunteering, while at the same time gaining valuable experience that will help them be more competitive in their job search,” Flores said. “The fair helps facilitate those connections, benefiting both the students and the organizations.” Two panel seminars will be conducted at the fair. The initial panel will be “From Volunteer to Employee: How to maximize your volunteer and internship experience,” and will feature panelists who have
Hybrid drug could be new cure for malaria Professor David Peyton awarded $624,455 to continue research
“The number one reason why young people your age will not vote is because they believe that whatever they do, corporations still have too much power,” Lessig said. “This perception affects the vast majority of the people in the middle, leaving only the people on the extreme left or the extreme right.” According to Lessig, the solution to this problem is to cut the proverbial strings of corporate money. An idea that was started by the progressive-era president Theodore Roosevelt is now being embraced by many states, including Oregon, called a citizen-funded election. Lessig said this would change the relationship between Congress and their funders, and therefore shift the power away from corporations and into the hands of the people. In Oregon, Voter Owned Election was first put in place in 2005 and is now on the ballot for renewal. Proponents of Measure 26115 said the program had successfully turned out candidates like Erik Stein and Amanda Fritz, who won seats in City Council while utilizing public funds. On the other hand, opponents of the measure said it’s a
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successfully translated their volunteer experiences into a paying career in the nonprofit world. The second panel will be “Careers and Sustainability,” in which speakers will discuss what a sustainability career is and how to pursue one. Panelists will offer insights from their experience and take questions from the audience. “The goal of the panel is for students to hear professionals in the field talk about their careers and career paths so that students can learn more about the day-to-day activities of an occupation, as well as the missions of the various organizations,” said Mary Vance, a Career Center counselor.
Portland State chemistry professor David Peyton has been granted $624,455 by the National Institute of Health to fund research for a new drug treatment for malaria. Peyton’s research involves altering an existing malaria drug to inhibit the disease’s resistance mechanism. Specifically, this grant will focus on the safety of the drug for future patients and its ability to cure the disease. According to the World Health Organization’s website, malaria is a preventable and curable disease that is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. The parasite infects red blood cells and eventually disturbs blood flow to vital organs. The majority of cases are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it accounts for 20 percent of all childhood deaths. However, malaria is still a global health threat. There are over 100 countries with malaria; in 2008 alone there were 247 million reported cases. But the real danger of malaria is its growing resistance to conventional medications, according to Peyton. “The evolution of the malaria parasite is so rapid that soon after it is exposed to drugs, it develops a strong resistance,” he said. ON PAGE 7
Volunteers who have worked for nonprofits will conduct the panels, including Stephanie Stolk, who started the Pangea Project. “She’ll be able to help students understand how to create and run a nonprofit,” Vance said. Sustainability is an area that the Career Fair is focusing on as well. Experts who work with school districts to better integrate sustainability, municipal leaders who work for sustainability in Portland and a Human Resources representative who works for an energy conservationconsulting firm will also be present.
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