Protestors picket Smith fundraiser; target trade, economy

PORTLAND – About 30 people lined Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard outside of the Portland Convention Center Friday to protest U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s economic policies they say have hurt the economy and sent Oregon jobs overseas.

“Smith, get off it! These trade deals are corporate profit!” they chanted as Smith supporters made their way to a $1,000 a plate lunchtime fundraiser inside the Convention Center. The incumbent senator was throwing the luncheon to pad his war chest for his re-election campaign against state House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D-Portland).

The group gathered consisted of members ranging from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 75 to the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign. Those gathered said that Smith had not listened to their concerns that support of fair trade agreements had meant lost jobs in Oregon.

They were enthusiastic about the fact that they would be hard to ignore outside the door of Smith’s fundraiser.

“I don’t think I need to tell anyone here just how upset Americans are by these trade agreements,” said Arthur Stamoulis, director of OR-FTC. “But maybe it’s not obvious if you can afford $1,000 for lunch or $25,000 to have your picture taken with a movie star.”

Several in the crowd had also gathered to protest Smith extending an invitation to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) to attend the event. Schwarzenegger, AFSCME Council 75 Executive Director Ken Allen said, had just recently been thwarted by the California state legislature to reduce state employee jobs to minimum wage. And even though California’s governor was unable to attend the fundraiser due to last-second budget issues matters in Sacramento, they were still irked by the Smith-Schwarzenegger connection.

“We’re insulted Gordon Smith would invite Arnold Schwarzenegger to Oregon,” Allen said.

Allen added that the fact that Oregon’s junior senator invited the California governor, whom Allen said was a big supporter of President Bush’s economic policies, ties Smith that much closer to Bush.

“Gordon Smith has voted with President Bush to ship jobs overseas, increase our national debt and reward companies who relocate from Oregon. Gordon Smith is the real 'Terminator.' He’s terminated our jobs,” Allen said, referring to Schwarzenegger's iconic movie role.

But Allen may yet get his message heard. He said that a voter ID survey conducted in his chapter of AFSCME showed that 70 percent of the government workers in the union would be voting for Merkley. And, he said, as more unions got out and talked to their membership, he expected that number to go up.

“And our people vote,” he said, adding that at least 92 percent of AFSCME Council 75’s members will be sure to return their ballots before Nov. 4.