THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 11, 1996 TAG: 9610110505
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 68 lines
A Raleigh-based grass roots environmental organization has one goal when it comes to the November elections:
Defeat Jesse Helms.
``We haven't endorsed Harvey Gantt, but our attitude is `Anybody But Jesse,' '' said Alex Kaplan, campaign director for Clean Up Congress. Founded in 1990, Clean Up Congress lists itself as a nonpartisan group aimed at getting what it calls ``anti-environmental representatives'' out of Congress.
A Helms spokesman charged that the group has misrepresented the incumbent Republican's record on the environment.
``This is demagoguery at its best,'' said Helms' legislative director, Steve Phillips. ``Senator Helms has a solid environmental record. He has voted for the Safe Drinking Water Act. As part of the 1991 Energy Bill he supported research funding to find alternatives to hog waste lagoons. He's also voted for a ban on dumping garbage in our oceans, and supported stiff penalties against companies that spill oil in our waters.''
Phillips said Helms has led the fight for $7.5 million in funding to dredge Shallowbag Bay at Manteo, and the construction of the Oregon Inlet jetties.
But Kaplan pointed to a number of votes in which he said Helms has damaged the environment.
``Overall the Republican record on the environment has been mixed,'' Kaplan said in a phone interview from his Raleigh office. ``It's the party of Theodore Roosevelt, who started the National Park Service. Richard Nixon signed the first Clean Air Act, and George Bush signed a renewal of the Clean Air Act. It's not an anti-environmental party. But there are a group of Republicans who are way out there against the environment, including Jesse Helms.''
Kaplan said Helms has sided with big industries and worked to water down environmental protection.
``He's a friend of big oil,'' Kaplan said. ``One of his votes was to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most fragile and pristine areas in the 50 states.''
The group is also critical of Helms' support for the elimination of the Red Wolf recovery program, backing the sale of public lands, and placing limits on the citizens' right to know about toxic waste.
The organization has raised about $100,000 to help defeat Helms, and two North Carolina congressional incumbents, Republicans David Funderburk and Fred Heineman.
Much of Clean Up Congress's effort is door-to-door.
``We've passed out about 100,000 copies of Helms' environmental record,'' Kaplan said. ``We don't have a big, splashy media campaign or political consultants. Our money is to sustain grassroots voter education and mobilization efforts. But we're not endorsing any candidate. Our efforts are aimed at getting people out of office who are not environmentally friendly.''
The group, Kaplan said, played a key role in Virginia Sen. Charles Robb's narrow defeat of Republican challenger Oliver North.
``I can't say that we were the difference in the election, but we did make a difference. We registered thousands of voters in what was a very close race.''
North Carolinians go to the polls Nov. 5. MEMO: The state Democratic party called Thursday for a Senate
investigation into Helms' real estate holdings and the underreporting of
his net worth on financial reports/B3 ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Clean Up Congress has been campaigning against Sen. Jesse Helms,
left, but has not endorsed his opponent, Harvey Gantt.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE NORTH CAROLINA CANDIDATES by CNB