“You Can’t Trust Knute Buehler” — Local Leaders Speak Out Ahead of Gubernatorial Debates

“You Can’t Trust Knute Buehler” — Local Leaders Speak Out Ahead of Gubernatorial Debates
A home health care worker, education leader, and college student explain why they don’t trust Republican Knute Buehler on the issues that matter most to them 

PORTLAND — At a press conference this morning at the Democratic Party of Oregon headquarters, local leaders spoke out about Republican Knute Buehler’s track record of saying one thing to get elected, but then doing the opposite.

Joy’e Willman is a home health care worker in Portland, and today she laid out the stakes in the Governor’s race when it comes to access to health care.

"Earlier this year, Republican Knute Buehler voted — and then campaigned — against funding Oregon’s Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act," said Willman. "It was very upsetting to me and many other homecare workers because so many of our clients rely on Medicaid for services. Thousands of seniors and people with disabilities whose quality of life hung in the balance, and he voted no."

State Rep. Margaret Doherty (D – Tigard) was a high school teacher for 10 years, spent another 23 years working everyday with teachers and classified staff, and is currently the chair of the House Education Committee.

"Frankly, Republican Knute Buehler would be a disaster for Oregon’s schools if he were elected Governor," said Rep. Doherty. "Every teacher working today would see their retirement benefits cut under Buehler’s plan. The average reduction is a whopping 40 percent. In stark contrast, I have personally seen the concern Governor Brown has for the children in Oregon and it is to be admired, not attacked."

Zoë Tapert is a junior Environmental Ethics and Policy major at the University of Portland. 

"The climate crisis is a defining issue for me, my friends, and young voters across the state," said Tapert. "As a student actively learning about our environment, and as a member of the generation that has and will be most impacted by climate change — I don’t trust Knute Buehler to protect Oregon’s environment."

Tapert pointed to Buehler’s anti-environment voting record in the Legislature, his lifetime failing rating from the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, and his campaign contributions from corporate polluters as all the proof she needs that he is "not the type of representation my generation wants, and it is not the type of representation Oregon deserves."

"Tonight is the first general election debate in the Governor’s race, and voters deserve to hear the facts," said Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Jeanne Atkins. "Republican Knute Buehler is telling people what they want to hear to get their votes, but his record on Oregon’s most pressing issues tells a very different story. Oregonians simply can’t trust Knute Buehler."

You can watch video of the press conference here.

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