Abortion funding issue draws protestors
By LARRY MAGDER
Of the Emerald
As hundreds demonstrated outside the Hilton Hotel in
Portland, Joseph Califano reaffirmed his controversial
stand against federal spending for abortion.
Speaking at a fund-raising event for state Democratic
senatorial candidates, the secretary of Health Education
and Welfare, said his decision to ban federal funding for
abortions was just an enforcement of federal legislation.
He added that this ban happened to coincide with his
personal views.
There were enough demonstrators present to com
pletely surround the large downtown hotel. Most were there
to protest Califano’s abortion position, but many showed up
to support him.
As the crowd paraded around the building, protestors
who chanted “Poor women die, rich women buy,” were
immediately followed by anti-abortionists singing, “All we
are saying, is give life a chance.”
One sign read, "Joseph Califano, we love you", while
another denounced him as a “murderer.”
The protestors came from many different organiza
tions, including the National Organization of Women, the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Oregon
Women’s Political Caucus and the New American Move
ment.
Supporters of Califano seemed to all be from the
Oregon Right-to Life Association (ORL).
One protestor said, "The Carter administration posi
tion on abortion is deemed unfair by those who want to give
the poor women the same control of their lives as rich
women.”
But a member of ORL countered, "We will gladly sup
port life — not death. If a woman wants to take the life of her
baby, we do not want our money helping her do that.’’
Stevie Remington, executive director of the ACLU,
said her organization is challenging the constitutionality of
the Hyde amendment, which prohibits the use of federal
funds for abortions. She contends it constitutes a denial of
equal protection under the law.
“It (abortion) is a constitutional right,” she said, but
only the rich can buy it.”
Inside, Califano was defending his stand. ‘It (abortion)
has been debated too much at the national level and not
enough at the state and local levels,” he said.
The ban of federal funding for abortion, he added
would move the debate to the state and local levels.
When asked if the ban of federal funds didn’t constitute
a strong federal influence on the local debate, Califano
replied, "There is not a single city or state where the issue is
resolved on the basis of what it costs.
“Abortion is not a money issue, and it shouldn't be a
money issue."
In Oregon, the state welfare department has recently
requested abortions without federal support. The state
legislative Emergency Board will meet next week to con
sider that request.
Califano went on to say the Carter administration is
committed to promoting effective alternatives to abortion.
Among these, he noted are improved prenatal care, a more
strenuous family planning program, sex education for
youngsters and "a host of support systems” for teenage
mothers.
bio students want text review
Two students who are unhappy with the current
format and text requirements of the two-year biology
sequence at the University plan to recommend some
changes for their department.
Biology majors Kim Fechtel and Jill Suttles,
suggest the formation of a textbook reviewing com
mittee and an academic advising committee to the
University's Core Biology Curriculum Committee.
The recommendations are based on the results
of a questionnaire presented to biology majors last
spring by Fechtel, Suttles, Dan Kidd and Jim O’Mally,
two University biology majors who graduated last
spring.
The results of the questionnaires haven’t been
completely tallied , but they indicate support of a text
review committee and a student-staff academic ad
vising committee, Fechtel said.
Fechtel explained a certain biology book used
by the core program last year inspired the idea of a
text review committee.
“We had a book which was just horrible,” she
said. “It had a lot of new vocabulary words, but it
didn’t have a glossary. The book was poorly indexed
and poorly put together.”
With the help of a text reviewing committee
composed of undergraduate biology majors, Fechtel
hopes the core program will be able to avoid such
poorly organized texts.
“Hopefully we ll work with the professors on their
choice of books, Fechtel said. "We ll review differ
ent books before they are chosen."
PRE-LAW
CONFERENCE
LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
CAREER OPTIONS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1977
9:30 - 12:00 Noon
Erb Memorial Union
University of Oregon
LAW SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES FROM:
GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
THE LEWIS AND CLARK LAW SCHOOL
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, LOS ANGELES
McGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND SCHOOL OF LAW
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW
Check the bulletin board
in the lobby of EMU
for the room number
Hotel sale postponed
In a move that might ultimately help alleviate Lane County's
critical low income housing shortage, the Eugene City Council
and the Lane County Commissioners decided last week to extend
the deadline for public use proposals for the Palace Hotel, down
town.
The hotel, which is now being used to house low-income
residents in Eugene, will be subsidized for three months by nearly
$4,500 of Lane County money The proposal deadline is set for
Jan. 24 to give the county commissioners time to evaluate the
housing facility for public use.
Although it isn't certain the hotel will be used for low-income
housing, a crisis situation” in housing for people on fixed in
comes exists, according to Kathe Wright, of the Community
Council on Specialized Housing.
The lack of housing for low-income people and the problems
it posed were the focus of the county commissioners regular
meeting last week.
Bob Whittaker, head of the county Health and Social Ser
vices Department, told the commissioners housing for people
with low or fixed incomes was almost non-existent in Eugene
and Lane County.
The use of the Palace Hotel as emergency low-income hous
ing would improve the situation, but finding an agency to fund its
operation is difficult, Wright said
Two of the most publicized proposals — to use the hotel as
either a work release center for Eugene Police Department pris
oners or as a youth center — may be considered, she said,
because of the funding each would receive
Q
TOURNAMENT
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EMU REC CENTER
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Posted in Rec Center