Commentary
Correspondent learns about releases
By NAN HENDERSON
Editor's note: Henderson is the
Emerald’s legislative correspondent.
Flinging open the Capitol Press Room
door after a glorious vacation in Arizona, I
was astounded at the mess which had
developed on top of my small desk in the
corner.
Hundreds of papers precariously soared
almost to the ceiling and cm the very top of
the mess hovered some formidable
looking sheets pressing the rest of the
papers down.
I stood staring at the disorder totally
amazed.
“A few things have happened while you
were gone.”
Pulling my attention from the alter
cation on my desk, I glanced over to see
one of the Capitol reporters who has
always been helpful in explaining the
complex and seemingly senseless in
tracacies of the legislature.
‘‘Is the fight over the tax plan causing all
of this?” I asked realizing that the mess of
papers were more of the never-ending
Press Releases which reporters thrive on.
“Yes, partly,” my friend answered.
“But it goes farther than that. This hap
pens—to a lesser extent—every session,”
he explained. “Things picked up while you
were gone and the real action is beginning.
Ite session is half over—people get
desperate,” he whispered.
“But I don’t understand."
“It all boils down to the never-ending
struggle of the minority party,” he con
tinued. “A smart university student like
you must know that it is a political .
tradition for the minority party to do what
ever is necessary to regain the majority.”
I nodded. “Yes... the majority has all of
the power—the House Speaker, the Senate
President, the committee appointments—
virtual control over some legislation.’.
“Exactly,” my friend answered. ‘"Ibe
minority party has to stir up conflict and
corruption. Hie tax plan is a good
example. The Republicans don't dare
support the plan even though it was
developed by their own governor because,
unfortunately for them, the Democrats
supported it first and since tax reform is
the issue closest to the heart of every
voter, the Republicans have to point out
what is wrong with the plan.”
“But what if nothing is wrong?” I
continued.
Hie other reporter grinned. “Hiey had
better find something wrong with it... and
every other thing the Democrats are
doing.”
He glanced at the disruption on my desk.
“Hiat is what all that is about. Take a look.
The Republicans are doing a hell erf a job in
the minority part this year.”
I walked ova- and began plowing
through the accusations, rebuttals and
statements comprising the Press
Releases. I saw what my friend meant ...
the minority party had certainly stirred up
same conflict while I was gone.
The resulting confusion was the product
of brilliant minds . . .
. . . because the majority party had
fallen into the trap—the press releases
with lots of big Rs were at the bottom of the
stack luring the press releases with big Ds
into the mess and pulling them down fast.
Shuffling through the stinging papers, I
found one piece that seemed the most
brilliant on the Dart of minority Rs:
“Lopuszynski ‘Embarrassment’ to
Boe,” it read.
“SALEM—The Office of Sergeant at
Arms of the State Senate took on a political
hue about a month ago when Ted
Lopuszynski admitted in a Portland
newspaper article that he was at the
Capitol to observe the legislature and
prepare for a shot at political office again.
“He was defeated by Representative
Stan Bunn, R-McMinnville, in 1972.
"Hie article on the life and times of
Lopuszynski brought immediate response
from House Republican Leader Gordon
Macpberson and Senate Republican
Leader Victor Atiyeh. But, aside from a
letter of verbal spanking from Senate
President Jason Boe, nothing has been
done regarding candidate Lopuszynski's
scheme, which is to make book on Bunn in
preparation for the 1974 election.”
The work was brilliant, I decided,
because though everyone in the Capitol
knows that it a traditional practice of any
majority party to award jobs to defeated
and potential candidates of that party, the
voters don’t have any idea of the accepted
tradition and protocol inside the
legislature.
It was also brilliant because it ef
fectively lured the Ds into the pile on my
desk.
A Press Release with the heading, “Boe
Backs Senate Employe Under Fire From
GOP,” surfaced a few sheets up from the
first one.
“Senate President Jason Boe,
D-Reedsport, today reprimanded mouse
Minority Leader Gordon Macpherson,
R-Waldport. for ‘Cheap, childish and
vengeful’ motives in asking for the firing
of a Senate employe,” the release read.
“I feel it beneath contempt," Boe said,
“that Macpherson would stoop to attempt
to blacken the career of a Polish im
migrant and former Marine Corps officer,
Ted Lopuszynski, who is doing an excellent
job an the floor of the Senate.
“It is sad to see Macpherson degenerate
into a whooping crane politician . .
Walking over to my friend, I question,
“Do you guys use this stuff very often”’”
“No, not the small stuff like the
Lopuszynski flack,” he answered. “And I
don’t feel quite so guilty about it since the
legislature passed that bill which provides
a way to recycle about a tenth of that
paper.”
“What should I do with it all?” I asked.
“Sort it out fast,” he advised. “Don’t let
it pile up any more than it already has or
you won’t be able to make any sense out of
it. It's the sort of thing you can only
comprehend in small doses.”
“Is there any way to stop it?”
Now my friend was amazed. “Stop it!
Are you kidding”’ How would the minority
ever gain control again? It is just all in
partisan politics.”
An incredible idea flashed through my
mind. “How about a non-partisan
legislature?” I suggested. “It would save
energy, time, money, the voters wouldn’t
be so confused . . .”
“You won’t find any support for that
stupid notion around here,” my friend
informed me. ‘"Hiat would take all of the
fun out of everything here,” he continued.
Shaking his head, be added, “You still
have a lot to learn, Nan.”
Letters—
Far Marshall—Fitzpatrick
As one who reads the EmermM with fajr
regularity, it would be pleasing to ieam
that the pack of student political
“warriors” who have contaminated the
pages with their immature power feuds
and grandiose political aspirations — be
retired.
The best way of doing so, in my opinion,
would be to bring in some more mature
and serious people. Dong Marshall, die
CSPA grad student who played a leading
role in abolishing the student Senate in
favor of the interim Incidental Fee
Committee and the ultimate UO-wide co
governance, seems a good choice.
Running-mate Cathy Fitzpatrick, a
woman who is keenly familiar with the
needs of minority students and who is
skeptical of the sound of transferring
control from minority programs back into
the hands of professional white ad
ministrators, also brings credentials that
can improve upon this year’s mediocre
ASUO government situation.
txeorge D'Angelantonio
Far Marshall — Fitzpatrick
As a member of OABC (Oregon Ar
chitectural Barriers Council), I wish to
express support for the serious approach
Doug Marshall and Cathy Fitzpatrick
would bring to the ASUO. Their keen in
terest in assisting all students with real
needs is something needed. Disabled
students can have a more enriched and
vital University experience if there can be
removal of barriers to mobility.
These barriers — as we ai. know — arc
solely traced to chance. Doug seems to
realize that many other groups on this
campus face other barriers — cultural,
racial, financial This is why I feel Doug’s
graduate studies in Public Administration
and his experience in prisoner and
migrant labor problems show that be
transcends selfish personal aims — the
type that have paralysed ASUO govern
ment this year.
For a change from the lack of creativity
in the ASUO, do consider Doug Marshall
and Cathy Fitzpatrick. They are not in
volved in the current mess up there, and
they seek to continue and improve the
ASUO programs that are really assisting
people’s growth needs.
Peter Markas
1479 High St.
The following statement appears in the
article entitled “We Don’t Foresee a
Future” on page 3 of the Oregon Dally
Emerald, March 30, 1973:
“The University library is going to get
rid of all books that are presently
classified under the Dewey Decimal
system and Pauli said that most women’s
literature is included in that category.’’
Ms. Mary Pauli was either misquoted or
misinformed. The Universtiy library has
no intention of getting rid of books
presently classified in the Dewey Decimal
system. Hiey are being reclassified to the
Library of Congress system. And, of
course, all books which have come into the
University Library since 1964, and that
does include much literature about
women, are already in the Library of
Congress arrangement.
With women comprising 73 per cent of
the total full-time staff of the University
Library the feminist point of view is well
represented. We would urge that the
University Feminists use the resources
already on hand in the University Library.
Carl W. Hints
University Librarian
YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE NAME OF WOUNDED KNEE TO WOUNDED WHATTT'