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Candidates� debate airs lots of agreement By Dani Dodge There wasn�t much debate at Tuesday night�s debate. Although there were a few moments of fireworks, state representative and county commission candidates agreed much more than they disagreed. When Phoenix-Talent schools Superintendent Dave Willard asked the candidates to give him hope for the future, they all responded by talking about the importance of funding education. "Perhaps the hope is all of us here recognize the needs of education in Oregon," said Cherryl Walker, a candidate for state representative in District 51, summing up the candidates� sentiments. The debate, sponsored by several community groups including Southern Oregon Drug Awareness, was moderated by Jackson County Sheriff�s Capt. Ed Mayer. About 35 people showed up at the Smullin Center in Medford to watch. Debaters included candidates for state representative District 52, Republican Jane Hunts and Democrat Alan Bates; District 51, Walker and Democrat Lon Holston; and the Democrat running for District 50, Barbara Davidson. Her opponent, incumbent Republican Rob Patridge, was at a legislative meeting. Jason Atkinson, who is running unopposed for State Senate District 25, also participated. The biggest disagreements came between county commissioner candidates � incumbent Sue Kupillas, a Democrat, and Republican Cleve Wright. While all the state candidates and Kupillas said the tax-cutting initiatives on the November ballot would have devastating effects on social services and schools, Wright said: "The problem we are facing is people are tired of being taxed to death." Commission candidates were asked if they would support a drug policy that included drug testing for county employees and contractors. Wright said random drug testing at the private and public levels is a good idea. "It�s absolutely incumbent to make sure employees aren�t endangering themselves or others," he said. But Kupillas countered that it would be better to talk with employees about issues of drug use and solutions rather than mandating a top-down edict. "I don�t believe within our county employees we have a big problem," she said. "I�d rather approach it from a more rational standpoint." Central Point Mayor Bill Walton asked state candidates if they would support a statewide smoking ban like the one in Central Point. Davidson said she�d be willing to consider it, but other candidates said it is a question better answered at the local level. Hunts said the best way to reduce smoking in public places is to patronize businesses that are smoke-free. Her opponent, Bates, who is a physician, said he was torn by the question but ultimately believes that local control is more important than a statewide policy that could protect health. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA