SEIU 503 Kicks Off Primary Campaign

SEIU 503 Kicks Off Primary Campaign

John Kroger, candidate for Attorney General, with 503 members.

John Kroger, center, is running for the office of Attorney General for Oregon.
Two exciting candidates — Presidential contender Barack Obama and Attorney General aspirant John Kroger — delivered inspiring remarks to a statewide political conference that kick-started SEIU 503's primary campaign effort. Between now and May 20, members are going door-to-door, phoning, leafleting and generally spreading the word on behalf of worker-friendly candidates.
Obama and Kroger are high on the list of statewide candidates that SEIU 503 has endorsed . Others include three state legislators seeking higher office— Kate Brown for Secretary of State , Ben Westlund for State Treasurer and Jeff Merkley for the U. S. Senate.

Obama Speaks to Conferees
Speaking by phone to Local 503 members following an introduction from International Executive Vice President Mary Kay Henry, Obama compared his path to the Presidency to the union’s efforts on behalf of workers.

“Bottom-up organizing is the essence of what we are trying to do in our campaign and that’s why I am so happy to have SEIU’s endorsement,” he said. He ticked off a list of goals he promised to fight for in the White House, including passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, restoring a worker-friendly U. S. Department of Labor and institution of paid family leave.

Obama cited the state's potential importance to his effort to secure the Democratic nomination.

"We can just about wrap it up with a big win in Oregon," he said.

Kroger for State Attorney General
SEIU 503 Executive Director Leslie Frane introduced John Kroger, a law professor at Lewis & Clark University and former federal prosecutor. She noted while Kroger prosecuted the Enron Corporation (the firm of his primary opponent) corporate lawyer Greg Macpherson defended the disgraced corporation. Kroger has spent his entire professional career in people-oriented pursuits.

As Attorney General, Kroger pledged to a rousing ovation that he would be “tough, independent and put workers and consumers first, not big corporations.”

He said while he prosecuted Enron in Houston, the company was actually headquartered at the World Trade Center in Portland because Oregon has been so lax in taxing or regulating businesses.

“They knew no one here would try to make them pay taxes or watch what they were doing,” Kroger said. Some of the worst crimes Enron committed came right out of downtown Portland. If I am elected Attorney General we are going to have a real corporate watchdog on the job.”

Attacking epidemic methamphetamine use is another key priority because of its role in promoting property crime and child abuse across the state, Kroger said, but better treatment programs are essential because prosecution alone has never reduced drug use.

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