Letters
State-owned bank
In 1919, the State Bank of
North Dakota was formed. Since
that time the bank has earned
over 100 million dollars for the
good of the people of North
Dakota. Last year alone the bank
earned nearly 10 million dollars.
HB 2350 which I have intro
duced would establish a state
owned bank in Oregon. Based on
the North Dakota experience,
Oregon, with three times the
population of North Dakota could
be expected to realize 30 million
dollars per year from the bank.
These earnings then could
be used for the benefit of the
people of Oregon in the form of
school support or relief from high
property taxes. At a time of rising
prices and rising taxes this con
cept seems exceptionally refresh
ing. The revenues of the state
would be increased without rais
ing taxes and the earnings of the
bank would go to public good.
The state-owned bank would
be an independent corporation
called the State Public Bank of
Oregon. Its board of directors
would include the Governor, the
State Treasurer, the Directors of
the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, and Revenue and six
members chosen from the public.
The bank would have all the
powers now granted to a com
mercial bank by statute and
would operate in much the same
way. All state funds would be de
posited in the bank, as well as
deposits from other sources. The
moneys would be available for a
wide variety of home or farm
mortgages, auto and personal
loans, student loans, etc.
Participation programs with
commercial banks, savings and
loans institutions and credit un
ions could be an important part of
the bank’s activities and would
enable local banks and others to
increase the size and volume of
loans to individuals and small
businesses in their communities.
The opponents of this concept
say that state shouldn’t compete
with the private banks. That is not
the intention. The Bank of North
Dakota is a partner in progress
with the other 169 banks in the
state. They all have deposits in
the State Bank. In 1976, North
Dakota’s public bank earned
more than seven times as many
dollars for the state than all of the
other 169 banks combined in
taxes on their net earnings.
The state-owned bank concept
would raise substantial sums of
money for the benefit of Oego
nians, especially the middle and
low income families who have
been hit the hardest by ever in
creasing consumer costs and
higher taxes.
George Starr
State Representative
D-Portland
Issue simplified
In regard to Bob Meyers’ letter,
“Role communicated," appearing
in the April 19 issue of the
Emerald, I respond accordingly. I
don’t intend to find fault with Mr.
Meyers’ opinion but rather his
method of presenting it. In his de
scent from lofty heights he at
tempts to simplify an issue which
deserves far more thought than
he apparently applied. He fell
easily into the nonproductive
abyss of negative criticism. His
imprecation is hardly a fresh, new
revelation. Pride in uniform
merely represents a value
judgment, not a willingness to
kill, as he suggests. Surely, we
are free to have differing values
without being condemned for
-opinion
ROTC provides liberal education
For two of the past three years that I have
been attending college in the Eugene commun
ity, I have been a member of the Air Force
ROTC program. During that time I have ob
served the annual attempt of Dr. McCon
naughey to have ROTC removed from the cam
pus. For three years now, I have read the ac
counts of his attempts in the ODE, formed an
opinion on the subject, and then kept it to my
self. The time has now come when my convic
tions, and several inaccurate statements made
by Guido Palandri and Andy Thompson, re
quire me to address the campus on this matter.
The April 29 issue of the ODE generously
devoted one full page to the ROTC issue. This
opinion is written in response to two articles on
that page, written by Mr. Palandri and Mr.
Thompson.
To begin with, let’s look at the morality ques
tion. If we decide to remove all departments
from the University that might differ morally with
some of the students or faculty, this University
would be non-existent very soon. Understand
that the ROTC cadets are students first, and
cadets second. We all maintain our own moral
standards, and to categorize us into one
stereotyped mold is unjust. We too are indi
viduals, and we have differing political, social
and moral ideologies, as do all students in the
University.
Regarding the impossibility of liberalizing the
military, Mr. Palandri may not believe that a lib
eral education can have an impact on the future
of the military, but I say that it has and will. At
this time, there are approximately 3,000 ROTC
officers commissioned each year. After seven
years of service, 50 per cent of those officers
will elect to remain on active duty. The impact
of those 1,500 ROTC officers will be significant.
The blending of ROTC, Military Academy and
Officer Training School officers is crucial in
maintaining a harmonious officer corps.
In response to the challenge of inte’iec
tualism, let me first say that the academic reten
tion standards for AFROTC scholarship cadets
is higher than the standards set by the Univer
sity for students to maintain enrollment. In addi
tion, the majority of the cadets enrolled in AF
ROTC maintain grade point averages above
3.0. Of the 186 credit hours required for gradua
tion, less than 13 per cent of the credits for
two-year cadets and less than 10 per cent of
the credits for four-year cadets are in Aeros
pace Studies courses.
The AFROTC curriculum is not geared at
“producing men who may one day be ordered
V.
to kill human beings' as Mr. Palandri so naively
stated. Freshmen and sophomore cadets take
a one hour course that covers the structure,
organization and history of the U S. Air Force
Juniors spend three hours per week learning
about Management, Ethics, and Military Law.
The senior curriculum teaches Principals of
Leadership and Foreign Policy. In addition to
the ROTC courses, all ROTC graduates must
complete War in the Modern World (Hist 216)
and International Relations (PS 205). both of
which are open to the campus and are taught
by University professors.
The capability of the ROTC instructors was
questioned by Mr. Thompson. Contrary to his
argument, they do indeed come to ROTC from
a wide variety of backgrounds. Col. H. L. Skin
ner earned his M.S. in Political Science from
Auburn University. Lt. Col. Kenneth Molly re
ceived his M. S. in Management from Arkan
sas. Capt. Larry Marsh holds an M.S. in Or
ganic Chemistry from Utah in addition to two
B.S. degrees. Capt. Donald Travis received his
M.B.A. from Oregon. In addition to these in
structors, the course in Military Law is taught
by Chapin Clark, Dean of the UO Law School. I
would challenge Mr. Thompson to question the
qualifications of these men.
Mr. Thompson is apparently very uninformed
about the finances of AFROTC. At the current
time, only 50 per cent of the cadets enrolled in
Aerospace Studies are receiving AFROTC
scholarships. It is unfair to say that without the
financial assistance these cadets would not
remain in school, since one-half of those enrol
led are not on scholarships. It is true that the
AFROTC scholarships are a tremendous help
to those who have them, but so are Federal and
State Grants, Government Loans, and other
scholarships and grants. Does Mr. Thompson
believe that all University students receiving
some financial aid would not be motivated
enough to attend school without it?
The decision as to whether or not ROTC will
remain on campus does, and should, rest with
the students. When the students no longer
choose to enroll in ROTC, the Department of
Defense will close down the University’s ROTC
program. Until then, removing the ROTC
serves only to inconvenience those students
who desire to receive the benefits it offers
them. Until the students choose to boycott the
ROTC, it is here to stay.
Debra A. Blagg
Junior • Recreation
- - ^
them. His contention of the
military's role is mostly fallacious.
True, in an armed conflict, people
will die, but this isn't the role of
the military. Their intended role is
to orotect the interests of the U S.
This is where the issue looms; in
the determination of these in
terests.
Their role can and has been
misapplied. It is our responsibility
to see that it isn't. Criticism such
as Mr. Meyers' serves only to
create antipathy and perpetuate
misunderstanding. Mr. Meyers, I
ask you not to repeat weary criti
cism which exacerbates the situa
tion, but to provide positive, con
structive alternatives to help im
prove it.
Duane T. McClurg
Junior • Accounting
Examine real costs
I only wish I had a biology
laboratory. They are so cute and
fun to work in. But as the old say
ing goes, responsibility is man s
worst enemy. But wait, I could go
to the University, and through
some state-proclaimed right, feel
obligated to receive heavily sub
sidized laboratory facilities for my
little Ego. Boy, oh boy, what a
neat thing to do! I could flaunt my
test tubes around like a real sci
entist, and when it became in
convenient to pay for the entire
cost of my life sciences educa
tion, why the people of Oregon
would pick up the tab! But some
one might suggest that I spend
the next 40 years scrumping and
saving to build my own laboratory
and acquire a research library.
Oh no, they wouldn't do that.
After all, the State of Oregon says
I’m entitled to laboratory facilities.
What a neat deal! You know, if I
were the ASUO, I would distribute
bunsen burners and electron mic
roscopes to every incoming
freshperson, Golly whillikers!
PS; Mr. Benz, before you start
casting aspersions on the mo
tives of other students and before
you characterize them as mooch
ing off the system, you might
acquaint yourself with the real
cost of your own education.
Priced electron microscopes
lately?
Assistant Professor of
Classics
Teresa C. Carp
Anti-intellectualism
Right on Guido Palandril! As a
student and ROTC cadet at the
University of Oregon, I thank you
for finally clearing up the miscon
ception that people have about
ROTC and its role here at the
University. Three cheers for anti
intellectualism!!
After all. I did not come to the
University to receive an educa
tion since I received the basics in
high school. I do not take courses
in economics to familiarize myself
with the economic structure of our
society but only to learn the best
way to attain tanks and fighter
jets at cheap rates.
I am not a Journalism major for
the same reasons as my fellow
journalism students. I only want
to be able to report the gross at
rocities of a bloody war with accu
rate spine-tingling detail and m
proper grammatical form.
I am not in a literature class to
understand the meaning of
Hedda Gabler or Conrad but am
only there in hopes that I run ac
ross some gruesome passage to
share with the troops. Heaven
forbid that someone confuse why
I am taking a P.E. class. I only
want to gain enough strength so
as to snap necks with ease
To think that I took a
philosophy class out of a desire to
learn about man instead of learn
ing how pinko commies look at
life is ndiculous, to say the least
I really admire people like you.
Guide. I mean it's nice to know
that I can sit back and relax. I
mean, you have it ail figured out
you're the intellectual and I'm the
military freak
Ronald D. Fuchs
Sophomore-Journalism
Write-ins count
Your write-in votes will be
counted, even though poll work
ers may tell you otherwise
Should you choose to write-in.
write Craig Geary across the sac
red computer card and fold it
There are no constitutional
grounds to invalidate your votes
Our campaign committee is
circulating a petition challeng
ing the equity of the proceedings
Please sign if you are so inclined
My constitutuinal rights and
yours are bejnq violated by the
petty bureaucracy of Suite 4
The best procedure is to write
across the space for presidential
candidates and fold the ballot
Your sentiments will be heard
and counted
Craig Geary
Senior - Political Science/
history
Xo taste at all
Once again we regret having
taken the time to read Jock
Hatfield’s “A Typewriter warmed
in Hell.” Hatfield's oomments are
directed as political satire, but in
actuality are cheap shots directed
at outspoken people on campus.
Not only does Hatfield siiow bad
journalistic qualities, he also dis
plays bad taste, possibly no taste
at all.
We the undersigned would be
overjoyed if Hatfield sat on his hot
typewriter and rotated.
Kelly Umenhofer
Soph, undecl.
Paul Stephens
Senior, Business Management
and 12 co-signers