New Group Takes Up Consumer Advocacy in Nader Fashion

Russell Heckel remembers hearing Ralph Nader speak twice at Pierce College nearly three decades ago.

Heckel said he has admired Nader since 1964, when the first nationally known consumer advocate published “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a blistering attack on American cars, particularly the Chevrolet Corvair.

Like Nader, Heckel said he has been frustrated with state and national politicians who favor big business over the people’s interests. But as a full-time history teacher at Pierce with a wife and three children, Heckel said, he had little time to do anything to alleviate those frustrations.

Now at 68 and semiretired, Heckel has joined an ambitious new organization spearheaded by Nader.

“I like to think of myself as being interested in consumer advocacy,” he said. “I generally like what [Nader] stands for. I’m happy to offer my support. Hopefully something will come out of it.”

The Oaks Project is reminiscent of Nader’s Raiders, an organization he formed in 1969 when scores of young, idealistic law students flocked to Washington to work long hours for low pay in hopes of furthering the consumer advocacy movement.

“[Oaks] are similar in that people are utilizing their power as citizens to create a stronger democracy,” said Paul Herzog, the project’s regional director. “These are average folks who want to make a difference.”

The Oaks Project wants to enlist 1,000 volunteer activists throughout California and train them to become local organizers of pro-citizen ballot initiatives.

In the planning stages since 1993, the nonprofit organization was launched in February by Nader and co-founder Harvey Rosenfield, author of the Proposition 103 insurance reform initiative.

Already 350 people statewide, including 17 in Ventura County, have committed to becoming “oaks”--a metaphor for people who are sturdy and rooted in their communities.

Members of the Oaks Project agree to spend two to three hours each week on organizing, collect at least 1,000 signatures for a ballot initiative and raise $1,000 annually for the project.

Heckel wants to begin his activist duties by supporting the Oaks Project’s first measure, a “none of the above” initiative set for the November 1998 ballot. The measure would give California voters a chance to just say no to all the candidates if none is considered satisfactory.

If “none of the above” garners more votes than any single candidate, a new election would be held with a different field of candidates.

“Very often I’ve gone to the polls and felt I didn’t want to vote for either of the candidates,” Heckel said. “On those occasions, I would have voted ‘none of the above.’ ”

In an effort to create interest in a more grass-roots democracy, Nader is slated to give nine free seminars across the state.

Nader will visit Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks from 8-10 p.m. Sept. 26.

Eventually, members of the Oaks Project will push for initiatives that pertain to the five principal roles that citizens play: as workers, voters, consumers, taxpayers and investors.

“We’re looking for people who can make a commitment to get involved and stay involved,” said Herzog. “The idea is to empower people in their roles as citizens.”

Christine Gorham, 40, of Moorpark said she joined the organization to combat the high level of apathy in society.

“It’s hard to get people motivated,” she said.

Jack Wettler, 37, of Thousand Oaks said he became an oak in part to encourage other people to get involved in community matters, such as creating a louder voice of protest over how campaign financing affects local government.

“I’ve talked to my neighbors and everybody is frustrated,” he said. “Information needs to be discussed and debated. It will force [politicians] to be accountable to their constituents.”

Herzog, a Thousand Oaks native, said that asking volunteers to commit two or three hours per week is very reasonable.

“The average American watches somewhere around 25 to 30 hours of TV a week,” he said. “We’re only asking for two or three hours--one or two bad shows--to give to civic life and build a lasting organization.”

Oaks members receive free training in the basic skills of civic volunteerism, such as writing news releases, speaking to neighbors about pertinent government issues, conducting a ballot initiative signature drive by using only volunteers, and hosting educational, recruiting and fund-raising events.

Herzog stressed that he wants civic activists, not political ones.

“The difference with civic life is that people stay involved and aren’t just attracted to a single issue,” he said. “This is training people to be leaders in their neighborhoods and communities. That’s how you rebuild democracy.”

Originally called the Thousand Oaks Project, the name of the organization was shortened to Oaks Project because too many people in Herzog’s region--Ventura County and the San Fernando Valley--confused the Santa Monica-based group with its namesake city.

For further information about the project or to reserve a space at next week’s seminar, telephone (310) 392-5304.