opinion
ars_
IFC candidates
: a strong field
There’s more than one election in
town this week —14 students are vying
for the opportunity to divide $1.5 million
in student funds.
Facing an unusually bright group of
candidates this year, University stu
dents have the opportunity to elect a
responsible Incidental Fee Committee
that can guide ASUO budget policy
with sensitivity.
Topping that list is Scott Bassett,
whom students have already endorsed
strongly by placing him first in the Inci
dental Fee Committee primary election
held last week.
Having served on the committee last
year, Bassett has demonstrated an
ability to deal critically and justly with
diverse programs. At the same time he
has developed sensible ideas about
improving the IFC’s credibility and
promoting ASUO programs.
It was Bassett who thought of having
a computer card at registration to exp
lain to each student that $31.50 of the
tuition money paid each term supports
ASUO programs and expenditures.
He also plans to use the athletic tic
ket subsidy as a negotiation tool with
the athletic department to win more use
of Mac Court for cultural activities.
That sort of insight into the political
power of the IFC will make it a useful
arm of student government.
If students cast only one vote in the
election it should be for Bassett, both
as a member and to chair the commit
tee.
With Bassett at the helm, we think
experienced candidates Dusty
Rhodes, EMU board chairer, and Janet
Eggleston, two-term incumbent, will be
able to maneuver the committee
through its stickiest budget line — the
EMU.
We support the IFC’s attempt to
exert more student control over a prog
ram students fund and think the ex
perience of those three members,
combined with their determination to
have administrative control or not fund
administrative salaries, will lead toward
achieving that goal.
Dusty Rhodes’s expertise of the
EMU budget led to the IFC’s closer ex
amination and practices that would
lead toward better scrutiny over one
half of all student fees.
Janet Eggleston also has the spirit
and determination to work for more
student control over the student
funded student union. In fact, her ea
gemess to fight has earned her a repu
tation for insensitivity and bullheaded
ness with some programs.
We acknowledge those deficiencies
(so has she) but expect her two years
on the IFC, other committe appoint
ments, and desire to ma.e the IFC
work, will insure that when Janet Eg
gleston speaks, she’s speaking from
more than obstinance.
Clark Harris, who was added to the
list of finalists only by a recount of the
ballots from last week’s primary elec
tion, also receives our endorsement.
Harris comes to the IFC race with polit
ical experience on both the Jim Weaver
campaign and through working as a
volunteer coordinator with the ASUO
this summer. He encourages publicity
programs to increase student input into
the IFC. Harris would also back the
Oregon Student Lobby, and feels the
Athletic Department should attempt to
find other sources of funding, such as
increased use of Mac Court for con
certs and other events.
Janet Schroer thinks the IFC should
strictly monitor the EMU budget, that
athletic department funding should be
reduced, and that affirmative action is a
consideration in funding programs. A
first-year law student, Schroer has ex
perience with academic budgeting and
understands the power wielded by the
IFC.
While we cannot stand as solidly be
hind the following four candidates, we
think each is worthy of consideration.
Debra Ehrman, a second-year law
student, thinks the EMU and Athletic
Department budgets could be cut, but
doesn't yet have a solid working know
ledge of the various funded programs
and lacks substantive administrative
experience.
While serving on the bookstore
board, Rocky Schatz gained consider
able understanding of the budgeting
processes for large amounts of money.
But he favors unilateral budget cuts, a
move we think damages programs un
necessarily. Schatz advocates IFC
choice of the EMU director and thinks
the EMU is funded badly.
Mohammed Abdullatif, a linguistics
graduate student, stresses the need to
trace program expenditures, and
thinks that large programs are the most
likely places to make cuts if the need
arises. We think he would give careful,
sensitive consideration to funding.
yg rs
Opposes IFC candidate
It is appropriate that Janet Eggleston, candidate for an
Incidental Fee Committee seat, listed in the Oct. 25 Voter’s
Guide three examples of the program-funding guidelines
that she worked hard in constructing and punctuated each
with a question mark.
The interface between IFC and student programs in
Architecture and Allied Arts in the 1977-78 academic year
was Ms. Eggleston, and one could describe the phenome
non no more gently than to say that it was questionable.
In dealing with those student programs, Ms. Eggleston
usurped her position as ‘tag person’ by misrepresenting the
sentiment of the IFC to the programs and by acting to
generate an new program (an Architecture and Allied Arts
Student Union), and she divested herself of her primary
responsibility in helping those programs develop realistic
budget proposals.
The result to-date has been that, with the exception of
the publication of Avenu, the most direct return of IFC
monies to students in AAA is an entity that is in limbo.
In short, I am concerned that she is on the ballot and I
urgently recommend that she not be elected. Thank you.
Mark Booth
fifth year, interior architecture
Nelson for IFC
Bill Nelson is an excellent candidate for the Incidental
Fee Committee. Not only has he already served four
months on the present committee, but his ideas merit atten
tion. Since there has been so much uproar over the ques
tion of proper allocation of fees, Bill Nelson proposes a
public hearing, with an open invitation to all students and
program directors to attend, on the subject of proper alloca
tion of fees. Bill Nelson would also like to see a favorable
resolution to the questions being raised about some form of
student voice in the operation of the E.M.U. This student
voice should be heard in the hiring of administrative per
Page 4
greg wesson
tabled indefinitely
Oregon’s done all it can to make it easy to vote short
of having mail-in ballots. Registration goes on until the
polls dose at 8 p.m. It’s a system designed to give those
living transient lifestyles a chance to have some influ
ence over dedsions made about Oregon’s future. Too
many waste that opportunity, dismissing politics as a
crooked game they want no part of.
Bullshit.
Politicians are people and as in any group there are
going to be assholes. The vote gives a way to get them
off the public payroll. Most of us lack the bucks needed
to influence an election and the ballot gives us a way to
equalize things.
We can counteract those spending hundreds of
thousands to defeat Ballot Measure 5. Despite the fact
the measure is endorsed by most of the state’s news
papers, and senior organizations, opponents of the
move, which would allow denturists to fit dentures at a
considerable savings to the customer, have spent over
If the measure passes, Oregon would be the first
state to enact such legislation. The dentists understand
it would be tough to make a hundred thousand a year if
such laws become common, and want to stop the
movement here.
And dentists aren't the only rich folks worried about
today’s election. Pity the stockholders of PGE, the
state's largest constructor of power plants like Trojan
and the coal-fired plant in Eastern Oregon. Ballot Meas
ure 9 would end a system which allows utilities to include
new plants in the rate base before the plants are produc
ing power. As it is now, the utilities gamble with
ratepayer’s dough and if the plant proves profitable, the
bucks go to the stockholders. A nice system.
Finally consider the rich folks' biggest gift, Ballot
Measure 6. If 6 passes the green-chain puller at Interna
tional Paper will eventually be paying some of the
property taxes of IP's owners. Rich guys like Howard
Jarvis have manipulated discontent with taxes to line
their pockets.
But we can foil that manipulation.
Vote.
sonel, personel whose salary is already paid out of Inciden
tal Fees. In line with this, Bill Nelson would also like to see
the E M U. special reserve be returned to the I.F.C, who
has the final responsibility for allocation. Finally, everyone
who reads this letter must realize the commitment to serve
on the I.F.C. The time commitment for the months of
January-June can amount to several forty-hour weeks. Bill
Nelson has the commitment in time, energy, and attention
to students’ interests to be an excellent I.F.C. member. I
hope you will vote for BILL NELSON.
Stan L. Newcomb
sophomore, undeclared
letters policy
The Emerald will accept and try to print all letters
and opinion columns containing fair comment on
ideas and topics of concern or interest to the Univer
sity community. Letters and opinions will be run on a
first-come, first-served basis. Both letters and opin
ion columns must be typewritten, using 65 character
margins, and should be triple-spaced. Letters and
opinions must be signed and the author's field of
study (or faculty status) noted.