Of environmental concern
By KATHLEEN MONJE
Of the Emerald
A “Wind Energy Workshop”
in New York has put together a
48-page directory describing in
detail wind electricity-generating
systems that says they are
“suitable for practical residential,
commercial and industrial use."
The workshop evaluated more
than 20 systems currently
manufactured in the United
States and Canada on the basis
of wind necessary for efficient
functioning and the amount of
electricity each produces.
The guide includes a glossary
of wind energy terminology,
names and addresses of
manufacturers, organizations,
publications, researchers and
public officials in the field.
The Wind Energy Workshop
calls itself “a study group devoted
to researching the environmental,
technical and economic
applications of non-polluting
energy obtained from the wind".
The directory, illustrated with
diagrams and photographs, is
available for $4 postpaid from
Wind Directory, Box 14, Rockville
Centre, NY 11571.
*********************
A “Sun Day” planning
meeting, to discuss Lane
County’s role in the national May 3
celebration of solar energy, will be
held tonight.
The University Survival Center
is sponsoring the meeting in
Harris Hall at 7:30 p.m. Interested
county residents are invited to
attend.
*********************
Ending a 10-year
environmentalist campaign, the
U.S. House of Representatives
passed a bill Thursday adding
48,000 acres to the Redwood
Police, industry reps question
legislation aiding ex-criminals
By GARY NORRIS
Of The Emerald
Police departments don’t want to hire
ex-criminals, according to about 30 police officials
from Oregon who testified at an Interim Judiciary
sub-committee hearing in Salem Friday.
The committee listened to almost three hours of
testimony from police and private industry
spokesmen objecting to a proposed bill that would
make it illegal for an employer to discriminate in
hiring an applicant solely because of a previous
arrest or conviction.
The bill states that employers could, however,
refuse to hire a person if “the nature of the offense
bears a reasonable relationship to the work to be
performed.”
Karl Frederick, spokesman for the Association
of Oregon Industries, claimed the bill is vague.
“What if an individual who had been arrested
applied for a job before the disposition of the case?”
Frederick asked. “Shouldn’t the employer have a
right to know the outcome?”
The bill also allows those who feel they have
been unfairly discriminated against to file suit.
Frederick said this could have the effect of turning a
person's criminal record into a subtle threat to sue an
employer who doesn’t give him a job.
Dave Burks, Lane County sheriff, told the
committee he felt law enforcement standards would
drop if police agencies could not reject applicants on
the basis of their past criminal records.
“We always have to try to maintain standards,
which are chipped away at frequently," Burks said.
“Many times we’ve arrested people and they weren’t
convicted, for a variety of reasons,” he said. “Yet we
in law enforcement know that person has committed
that crime.”
“I’m not saying people can’t be rehabilitated,”
Burks said, “ but it’s a close-knit situation with fellow
l_—......—.
officers, and it would be difficult to share information
with officers with criminal records.”
John Magill, president of the Oregon Sheriffs’
Association, claimed putting ex-criminals on police
forces would cause "a serious morale problem.”
“Our reputation must remain beyond reproach,”
Magill said. “This would downgrade that reputation,
which is widely known in the smaller communities.”
“This state isn’t ready to let the cat guard the
canary in the same cage,” Magill said. “Police
officers depend on each other for their lives at times.
To force them to work with ex-crmiminals would
impair their safety on the job,” he said.
Janis Wilson, from the Oregon Bankers’
Association, said applicants convicted of crimes
involving dishonesty or breach of trust should not be
eligible for the proposed law’s protection. Wilson
added, "If there is no conviction, then employers
should be forbidden to discriminate. But we don’t
want to hire a person if the decision is stiil pending.”
State Rep. Ted Kulongoski, D-Eugene, the
sub-committee chairer, endorsed the bill, saying he
was "intrigued” with the area of criminal reform.
“I’m not denying that it (employment
discrimination against ex-offenders) may be no
problem, but how can we have a reform program if,
after a convict has done his time, we have no way to
make him a member of society again?” Kulongoski
queried.
“If, as a state, we have a reform policy, then it’s
imperative that we have a situation for a citizen to
enjoy the fruits of society after he’s paid his debt.”
No final action was taken on the bill, but the full
committee may consider the proposal during its April
meeting. The bill is a part of the Judiciary
Committee’s examination of proposed changes in
the law, some of which may find their way into the
next legislative session, which begins in January of
1979.
1
asian american student union presents
a musical performance by
NOBUKO JOANNE MIYAMOTO
&
BENNY YEE
music for the struggle
by asians in america
MONDAY FEBRUARY 20;
B pm EMU BALLROOM
$3.00 , tickets on sale at emu desk
National Park in northern
California.
“This is a great day for the
redwoods,” said Mike McCloskey,
executive director of the Sierra
Club, whose group was a major
force supporting the addition.
The Senate overwhelmingly
passed its version of the bill the
week before in a 74-20 vote.
"We finally achieved the action
begun in the 1960s,” McCloskey
said. “But tragically we have lost
thousands of acres of virgin
redwoods that should have been
in the park if we had done it right in
the first place.”
The two bills now move to a
joint-conference committee of the
House and Senate, where the
differences will be ironed out.
One major difference is the
House bill sets aside $40 million
to retrain loggers who will lose
their jobs because of the
expansion of the park. The Senate
bill provides no job protection
provision, but sponsor Sen. Alan
Cranston, D-Calif., has not said he
does not object to one.
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