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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1977)
editorial "N After Lance, what? Last Wednesday, Bert Lance, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget, packed his bags and went home to Georgia. He resigned to protect the President’s popularity and to clear the air of any suspicion of wrongdoing in the Carter administration. In view of the headline-grabbing attention given to Lance’s financial dealings, he had no choice but to resign. Washington became mired in the Bert Lance affair, taking attention away from more important and pressing concerns. In retrospect, and in the post-Watergate weariness, the accusations against Lance seem minor. They prove that Lance was a gambler who used bank money (in over drafts) to finance his gubernatorial campaign and they raised some questions about his ability to handle the budget director’s job properly. But in all, the accusations proved nothing clearly against the law. Lance had no outstanding debts, and his overdrafts, though huge, were not beyond his resources. The allega tions against Lance were not serious enough to force his resignation in the way the members of Congress and the press forced it. The name Bert Lance occupied more head line space than any other issue, and members of Congress and reporters were calling for his resignation even before Lance had a chance to respond to the accusations, which included a wild story that Lance had been involved in an embezzlement. The Lance case, however, raises several questions, outside of his ability and integrity, which must be addres sed. One is the bank practice of overdrafts, which many bankers are hurrying to say are not widespread. If Lance is right in his statement that bankdrafts are a way of life in Georgia, then Georgia should change its policies. A review of banking practices in other areas is also in order. Another issue is the financing of political campaigns. Lance used overdrafts to finance his gubernatorial cam paign, but a direct link between Lance and the campaign committee overdrafts has not been proven. The Nixonian era taught us about slush funds and illegal spending. Re form of election funding to prevent illegal tactics, huge funding by special interests and the minor problem of over drafts would seem to answer the need. If any of these reforms are made, then perhaps Lance’s resignation will serve a purpose. If not, then the Congress has wasted its time on a vendetta-like investiga tion. But probably the most beneficial side-effect of Lance’s resignation is that the Congress and the press won’t have to spend the rest of their lives suspecting and scrutinizing the director of the budget. That will leave them time to concentrate on important issues. And if scandal is the game, the next target should be investigation of Korean bribes, which, unlike the Lance case, involve clearly illegal acts over an extended period of time. Also unlike the Lance case, the investigation of Korean bribes had been going nowhere very, very slowly. V__. If editorial Bob Frazier: The end of an era Some of us fell hopelessly in love with jour nalism, experiencing a love that will never die. Some drifted into professions that pay better and ask less. Those words, written by Eugene Register Guard editorial page editor Bob Frazier while looking back at the beginning of his journalistic career, are the essence of what Bob Frazier was: in love with journalism. Shortly after his death by a self-inflicted wound last week, editors and journalists throughout the state lauded Frazier’s gift for writing and lamented the loss of one who was considered to be one of Oregon's leading editors. In addition to writing editorials on important is sues with insight and a scholar's knowledge, Frazier regularly published a personal column which added a lighter touch to the news; his reflection and clarity of expression put things large and small into perspec tive. Those who read his columns knew him well. Frazier’s addition to the journalistic profession in Oregon is incalculable. He began his long career as the editor of the Emerald during the 1947-48 school year, and ended up at the Register-Guard, be coming its editorial page editor in 1954. Throughout his career, he maintained high journalistic standards and a dedication to the profession. At Sunday's memorial service for Frazier, Uni versity Journalism Professor Charles Duncan quoted from one of Frazier’s many columns, this one about people who don’t return books: Some people, models of citizenship in other respects, even church-going, just don't return books, not even after the third or fourth reminder. A special place awaits them in the afterlife, a place with no reading matter and good light or plenty of reading matter and bad light. Then, reflecting that Frazier always returned borrowed books, Duncan finished with, "May he al ways have plenty of reading matter and good light:’’ Amen. Letters Behind bars Russell Amos and I (John McFarland) would like very much to correspond with anyone in terested from Eugene. We had re cently moved to Oregon from Southern California, and really didn’t have any chance at all to meet anyone before our incarcer ation here at the Oregon State Correctional Institution. Both of us are taking a few college courses here and are interested in most anything. John McFarland, 3-56B and Russell Amos, 3-62B 3405 Deer Park Drive S.E., Salem, Oregon 97310 A job well done As students in the Lila Aeheson Wallace School of Community Service and Public Affairs, we have often needed the services of the advising unit. We are particu larly impressed with the services we have received from Linda Kizer. She either knows the an swer or can refer us to someone who does — the first time. Her cheerful attitude and pleasant manner in a position that must be frequently frustrating is of great encouragement to us struggling students. Too often we are prone to criti cize when things go wrong and reluctant to give praise when it is earned and richly deserved. We would like to commend Linda for her efforts on our behalf. Wes Nebergall and Larry DeLaunay Seniors, CSPA Drive needs help We care enough to have drawn up a referendum petition, needing over 30,000 voter’s signatures, to allow a public vote to be taken on destructive workmen's compen sation legislation (SB 1048), that otherwise will become law Oct. 4, 1977. The odds are in favor of you or someone you care about being in jured on their job, so won't you help us pass around our referen dum petition designed to stop laws that will be unfavorable to in jured workmen? We need you, your friends and your relatives to pass around our petition and we need store fronts to stand by to gather voter signa tures. Although our U S. Constitution states that we shall have “free dom of speech," be able to "peaceably assemble, and to peti tion the Government for a redress of grievance," I have been prohi bited from standing in front of Eugene Bi-Mart, Pay-Less, Fred Meyer’s and other stores to gather signatures for the petition. In prac tical terms, just how do we exer cise our constitutional rights if our avenues are closed? Your help in this petition drive is needed today. Please contact either of the undersigned (by cal ling 747-5898) to personally help gain petition signatures and local merchants' cooperation in letting us use their store fronts. John M. Reed 1560 Lincoln St, Eugene and Robert Faught 616 N. 32nd St., Springfield. Brighten my day My name is Alan Winters. I am a former student and I'm now serv ing a very lonely couple of years in a New York prison. It would be wonderful hearing from any stu dents who might like to brighten up my day — it sure could use it. Alan Winters, #12328 Wallkill Correctional, Box G, Wallkill, New York 12589 oMce CM &&JIFI' Page 4 Mondav. S<>nti>mh**r 28. 1977
