— Editorial ■
The lights go out all over Oregon
The recently concluded Western
Governors' Conference has been touted in
statements both in the press and from
participants as the most work-filled in
memory. That may be, although we'd hate
to see one of the less-productive ones. At
any rate, it does no harm for governors of
neighboring states to be on friendly terms.
With the forever-announced and
around-the-corner energy crisis im
pending, it certainly helps to know that all
of the western states governors have had
the experience of discussing energy
problems, not only with their neighbors,
but with experts and critics alike.
Probably the most outspoken state
leader at the Conference was Gov. Tom
McCall. He has repeatedly warned that if
Oregon does not achieve a ten per cent
reduction in power consumption by this
spring, then the state will face "drastic
action." Just what this "drastic action"
amounts to is unclear at this point, but we
may assume that it will be something that
goes beyond turning the lights down at
automobile lots and motels.
McCall is serious when he says that
the energy shortage is real. And one
motive behind his order to turn the lights
out all over Oregon is the belief on the
Governor's part that Oregonians must be
prepared psychologically for the worst
that may still come.
COOPERATION: The Governors of
four Pacific Northwest states — Thomas
Judge of Montana, Cecil Andrus of Idaho,
Tom McCall of Oregon and Dan Evans of
Washington — sign a "memo of un
derstanding" on the energy crisis.
Steps are being taken, of course, by
both state and federal government to boost
the energy output of the Northwest. Ad
ditions to Grand Coulee Dam, more dams
on the Snake and tributories, and the green
light for nuclear plants are all counted
upon to raise the energy level. But these
projects take time as well as money, and
for the immediate future, only our own
self-restraint stands between us and the
severe brownouts which have been
projected for spring.
Besides individual and collective
conservation of power, regional
cooperation in both utilization and
development of energy is the most logical
step in meeting any crisis, real or
threatened, that faces us. This cooperation
has already been initiated at the Western
Governors' Conference.
The creation of a staff advisory
committee, made up of senior aides to all
the western governors, will meet next
month to plot regional policy, and the
"memo of understanding" signed between
Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana
pledges cooperation among the energy
interconnected states to work together in
developing new resources.
These signs of regional cooperation
are hopeful. And we hope that in the
coming months they will be extended, and
that coordinated plans and policies bet
ween the states be fully developed and
implemented.
-Commentary
Editorial
Nader in Oregon
Work for the public interest
By PETER SORENSON
Note: Peter Sorenson is a graduate
student in geography and member of the
state board of directors of the Oregon
Student Public Interest Research Group.
It's been a long time since Ralph Nader
came to Oregon. The last time was in Oc
tober of 1970, when he went on a whirlwind
lour of the state’s colleges and universities
to promote a group known as the Oregon
Students Public Interest Research Group,
and now the “s” has been dropped from the
end of “student” and OSPIRG is a going
concern, employing a professional staff
under the direction of a student elected
board. Nader’s visit to Oregon last week
involved a talk to the Western Governor’s
Conference, the staff and students cf
OSPIRG, and a public speech at Pacific
University.
Of course, Nader was hard-hitting at
Salishan-concentrating on the topic of
energy, particularly nuclear energy. His
speech at Pacific University near Portland
was a stock one, taking shots at corportate
and governmental corruption, unsafe toys,
unhealthy meat and products, and his
favorite, automobiles. His dialog with the
staff and students of OSPIRG was a bit
different.
One is impressed with this man, humble
and mild mannered, yet the leader in
numerous fields. While newspaper reporters
still refer to him as ‘‘consumer advocate
Ralph Nader,” actually Nader and his
various organizations are working on public
interest matters in hundreds of areas.
Seventeen student public interest research
groups are organized nationally, he stated,
and Oregon is the oldest and the best
organized. He promised that the Citizens
Action Group (of Washington, D.C.) would
seek to inform all of these groups about what
the other is doing.
Nader commented on the questions of
various students in the meeting and made
remarks about the progress which has been
made. He urged us to involve poor and old
people in OSPIRG, people most victimized
by environmental and consumer problems.
When asked about whether or not OSPIRG
should begin endorsing candidates, Nader
did not hesitate: no. He urged mass in
volvement of students, saying that this is the
way to develop the organization to its fullest.
Commenting upon the future of the
OSPIRG movement, Nader stated that not
since the founding days of the nation had
there existed an organization for a purpose
other than a special interest. With this is
mind, he suggested that when the students
in OSPIRG now are outside the university
community, they continue to support
OSPIRG.
As he was leaving, he recalled the lunch at
Arlene’s Cafe in Elkton three years ago with
me and two other people, saying it was the
best place he has eaten for the money in five
years. And, his pronunciation of the state’s
name approaches “Orygun” more than
in the past.
The time between those two visits to
Oregon has seen an organization of students
and professionals, formed to work on cor
porate and governmental responsibility,
and consumer and environmental protec
tion, blossom from an idea to a reality.
OSPIRG can use your help. We are in M
111 EMU, telephone 686-4073
Basketball anyone?
One of the truly exciting
prospects for Oregon sports this
year is the anticipated success of
the basketball team. Harter's
squad doesn't stand much of a
chance to knock off UCLA, but
they should give USC a run for the
money to second place.
The excitement swirling around
basketball has produced the first
sell-out of tickets in years. Unless
you have a $23 season ticket for
both football and basketball
(regardless of whether you even
LIKE football), there'll be no
seats for you at Mac Court. The
larger seating capacity of Autzen
Stadium still makes it possible to
catch a single football game or a
football season ticket for ten
dollars.
The coming of a strong
basketball team at Oregon
evidently spells the end for the
unhurried days of walking down
the street and suddenly deciding,
"Well, I think I'll go see the Ducks
tonight."
No doubt the Athletic Depart
ment has a right to seek financial
security in season ticket sales.
And likely, they would point out to
you that until recently, the idea of
reserving tickets for same-day
sale would have been un
necessary. Now, however, all the
the thousands of Mac Court sests
have been snapped up by eager
season ticket-holders willing to
put cut the money.
Nothing can be done for this
year, but in the future, why not
hold a bloc of, say, one or two
thousand seats for sale the day of
the game?
Well, perhaps the Emerald is
romantic and we'd just like to
think that we could procrastinate
in our ticket buying, or perhaps
we don't have the free time on
weekends and evenings to see
most of the season games. Maybe
we plain don't have twenty-three
dol lars to spend on a ful I season of
athletics, most of which we don't
plan on seeing. But wouldn't it be
nice to be able to wait till the last
minute and still catch the big
game with UCLA or whoever?
And wouldn't it be nice if the
Athletic Department would give
us all a chance to do so next year?
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