-editorials
Elect Warren, Feldman
Voters in Wednesday and Thursday’s ASUO runoff
election face a tough choice between two qualified,
energetic candidates for a vacant position on the Incidental
Fee Committee. The two candidates, Jeff Warren and
Scott Bassett, hold similar views on most issues, and either
one could probably do the job. A few differences, however,
are enough to make Warren the superior candidate.
Warren’s experience on the Student University Affairs
Board has proven his commitment to student government.
More than most of his fellow SUAB members, Warren has
taken his position seriously and has emerged as one of the
chief workhorses of the often ignored but potentially power
ful SUAB. A capacity for hard and unrewarding work is an
important qualification for an IFC member, and Warren has
demonstrated that capacity.
Both Warren and Bassett feel that efficiency in pro
gram expenditures can keep the IFC from having to choose
between raising the incidental fee and cutting programs.
Both are clearly in favor of strong minority programs. And
neither thinks students are getting a fair deal from the
Athletic Department. But Warren is a little more specific
when it comes to ways of getting things done.
The worst thing about electing Warren will be that
Bassett has to lose. Bassett should spend the next few
months learning his way around student government —
he’s done a lot of homework already — and run for the IFC
again in November. In the meantime, Jeff Warren should
be elected to fill the vacant IFC position.
Of course, voters are chiefly concerned with the race
for the office of ASUO President. Last week students had to
express their preference for one candidate among several
who were acceptable, and more students chose Gary
Feldman than any of the others. This week the alternatives
are more clear, and Feldman is still the best candidate.
Feldman promises an open administration, and, just
as important, an effective one. He is sensitive to the con
cerns of minorities. He will work to develop a strong legisla
tive program. He has ideas on how students can gain
greater control of the EMU. His positions relating to the
Athletic Department and the University administration are
aggressive but tempered with realism. He is dearly the best
candidate on the runoff election ballot and should be made
our next ASUO President.
Allow write-in effort
Craig Geary, write-in candidate for ASUO President,
learned Monday morning that there would be no space for
write-ins on the ASUO ballot and that votes for him would
not be counted. It has been decided that write-in candi
dates, according to the ASUO Constitution, are not allowed
in the runoff election. That decision, and the way it was
made, seems unfair to Geary.
The ASUO Constitution says that the ASUO President
must be elected by a majority of the votes cast. If no
candidate receives a majority, a runoff election must be
held between the two candidates receiving the most votes.
On these constitutional grounds, Geary’s write-in candi
dacy has been disallowed.
But the Constitution says nothing about write-in
candidates.Nor does it say that only one runoff election
may be held. The ASUO Constitution is vague on the
question of write-ins, and Geary, who has spent a consid
erable amount of time and money on his campaign, is
having to suffer for it.
The question came up in a peculiar manner. Geary
placed third in last week’s primary election and notified the
ASUO Friday of his intention to continue his campaign as a
write-in candidate. Over the weekend it was decided that
the ASUO Constitution Committee would probably rule
Geary’s candidacy invalid if the question came before it. So
Geary has been barred from the ballot by a decision that is
predicated on a ruling that hasn’t been made, but is only
thought likely to be made. And Geary spent the weekend
planning and preparing for a race in which he will not be
allowed to participate.
If the ASUO Constituiton Committee were to decide
that write-ins aren’t allowed in a runoff election, that deci
sion would be final. But the exact constitutional status of
Geary’s campaign is in doubt. Since Geary wasn’t in
formed from the start that there may be constitutional prob
lems with his candidacy, he should be given the benefit of
the doubt and his candidacy should be allowed, pending a
final determination by the Constitution Committee.
ASUO candidate s fora
Foi Tyler
Both candidates for ASUO
President voted almost exactly
alike on the Greek budget, but
that's where the similarity ends.
Dave Tyler is the candidate who
best represents the needs and
concerns of the students. It's not
surprising that the Emerald at
tacks him at every opportunity.
After all, he stands for such horri
ble things as fiscal conser
vatism but liberal activism, a
student voice in governing our
University, continued support and
development of ASUO cultural
and minority programs, enfran
chising the majority of the student
body now “left out" by the ASUO,
and even goes so far as to pro
pose an open office with every
Friday afternoon set aside for
people to walk in, talk, listen,
question, or bitch. With dangerous
ideas like these, it's amazing they
let him loose on the streets.
Dave Tyler will be an aggres
sive voice for student concerns.
Not a word came out of the ASUO
on Boyd's CSPA and library cuts.
Tyler will push for a student voice
in deciding tenure, promotion, cur
riculum, tuition, budgeting, budget
cuts, the housing office, health
fee. building fee and Amazon
cooperating tenents.
His support of an EMU Tavern
and EMU Credit Union will help
that building finally break even,
and maybe even turn a profit. We
can’t be afraid to take a step for
ward. Dave Tyler's ideas are an
innovative step for the ASUO. As
long as a majority of the students
are disenfranchised, the ASUO
will never be able to effectively
advocate for student concerns.
Tyler’s opponent, Gary Feld
man, calls for a new direction, but
it’s Dave Tyler who truly offers a
new direction. More of the same
means an unreached student
body and an unrepresentative
student government. Vote Dave
Tyler for ASUO President this
Wednesday and Thursday. He
represents a strong voice for stu
dent concerns.
Jon Teague
Mike Kehoe
ASUO-SUAB
Research Assistants
For Osborn
The Student University Affairs
Board (SUAB) is our representa
tion before the faculty and ad
ministration. Our role in determin
ing University policy depends
upon the strength of our SUAB.
Too few students are aware of
the SUAB and its functions; stu
dents should know that we have a
collective voice in the administra
tion. I think the SUAB can in
crease its effectiveness through
greater visibility. The SUAB must
have student support and aware
6| seek SUAB position #2 be
cause I am concerned about the
critical issues we are now facing. I
support greater student input re
garding budget cut decisions. I
support public disclosure of fa
culty evaluations (and favor HB
2702, now in the Oregon Senate,
which would allow just that).
I personally want to retain the
present quarter system, but
should a majority of students indi
cate that they want a semester
system, I think we should seri
ously consider it.
The SUAB has a potential that
has not been reached. With great
er responsiveness to students I
believe its role in University co
governance will be strong and de
cisive.
I am committed to responsive
and assertive representation. I
urge all journalism and speech
majors to vote in the general elec
tions in recognition of the SUAB's
importance in University affairs.
Feel free to all me at 342-1051
with questions and comments
Keii Osborn
SUAB candidate - position #2
For Tyler
Why don't students vote? A
turnout of 11 per cent is disgusting
for a supposedly activist campus. I
think that the low turnout is ex
plained by the fact that a vast major
ity of the student body feels disen
franchised from the ASUO. They
simply aren't being reached. Di
versity is important, and as ASUO
President I will work to expand
the scope of our programs, but
until we reach the alienated major
ity of the student body, the ASUO
will remain a weak voice for stu
dent advocacy. This is our Univer
sity — it s here for our sake — and
we should have a major voice in
how it is governed The energy of
the ASUO directed toward
academic issues, concerns, and
problems will serve to enfranchise
a great many more students As
ASUO President my pnonties will
be:
1) Student participation in all
University decisions which effect
us.
2) Major objectives of holding
down tuition, EMU Tavern, EMU
Student Credit Union, Student Bill
of Rights.
3) Development of an effective
guide to ASUO programs and ser
vices.
4) Development and support of
the Student University Affairs
Board, our “foot in the door ’ in
University co-governance.
5) Diversified programs for a di
versified student Doay. uur cul
tural and minority programs must
be protected to insure the educa
tional balance of the University.
6) An aggressive voice for stu
dent concerns.
Through an open office, an
open mind and a responsive ad
ministration, the ASUO can once
again represent the vast majority
of students currently disenfran
chised from the government they
paid for.
Low voter turnout hurts
everyone. When the ASUO Presi
dent testifies in Salem against the
tuition increase, a frequent re
sponse is, ‘who's to say you really
represent the students when you
were elected by only 6 percent of
the student body?" Please take
the two minutes necessary to vote
on Wednesday or Thursday. Only
by applying itself to the larger is
sues of the University can the
ASUO extricate itself from the
immobilizing bog of student
apathy and derision. I ask for your
vote as a commitment to these
priorities.
Dave Tyler
Candidate for ASUO President
Write in Geary
In the three years I have been a
student here I have yet to see a
truly different student government
offered.
Every year the ASUO president
has come from somewhere within
the ASUO/IFC hierarchy. The so
cial dub that inhabits Suite 4 car
nes on in an unbroken chain of
elites — never much disturbing
the status quo
That s what makes me admire
Craig Geary s campaign Not only
because I agree with his platform,
but for his determination. He's still
willing to fight when it's obvious
that only about 1 /10 of the student
population is willing to vote (Ex
cept within that nebulous Greek
political machine that mobilized
almost all of its students.)
Admittedly I'm not always think
ing about the fact that almost half
my tuition goes into the ASUO.
But I am now
With that much of my money, I
certainly feel I should be able to
expect more than Feldman or
Tyler will offer The only budget
that has their dynamic support is
the Greek budget.
I don't want to fund the well-off
Greeks and leave other finandally
less well-off students (induding
myself) wanting
I want more.
Don't you?
That's why I am going to wnte in
Craig Geary for ASUO president
George W. Braddock
Senior — Political Science
Letter
Protest rent hike
How does almost a 100 per cent
rent increase over four years
sound? ($42.50 to $80.) That’s
what Amazon housing project re
sidents face next July if yet
another $10 increase proposed
Monday by the University Housing
Office is approved by the state
board. If this smacks of deja vu to
some of you, it is. One year ago
the Amazon rent was raised $10
after the residents agreed not to
strike or speak before the state
board. In exchange, the University
agreed to tenant management of
Amazon if a study indicated its
“feasibility.” A year of such study
has gone by with almost no coop
eration from the University. As
one University administrator is re
ported to have summarized, We
committeed that ACT (Amazon
Community Tenants) tenant
management proposal to death."
However, one concrete conclu
sion which emerged from the
months of resident research was
that the Housing Office has no
valid justification for any increase
from the present $70 rent, given
the residents’ desire for the ser
vices provided. For example, the
Housing Office now is arguing that
residents must pay more for traffic
safety. In light of the $1.50 rent
increase proposed for Westmore
land Housing Project, the $10 in
crease for Amazon may be
viewed as yet another reflection
of the vindictive attitude toward
“those Amazon students” who not
only question Housing Office
policies on maintenance (over ex
pensive), health and safety (irres
ponsible) and community de
velopment (“Let’s study recycling
and stonewall it"). Worse still,
those residents have the gall to
suggest that Amazon tenant
management and autonomy
would be better for Amazon and
for the University community.
What to do? 1. Join our protest
march on the Housing Office as
sembling today at 11:30 a m.
sharp in front of the library. 2. Be at
the May 17 rent increase proposal
hearing in the EMU where we let
the state board know. 3. Letters to
Dean Lallas (State Board of
Higher Ed., Johnson Hall) who will
likely be presiding at the hearing.
4. If you live in Amazon, investi
gate your legal right to pay your
rent to a separate authorized bank
account, a bargaining tool for get
ting the University to take us seri
ously. (See your ACT rep for de
tails.)
David Zupan
Amazon Community Tenants