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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1980)
daily%merald Tickets Today is the last day to pick up University basketball tickets at McArthur Court. Vol. 82, No. 37 T Eugene, Oregon 97403 Friday, October 24,1980 Secretary says vote Carter for the future By RICH BRUER Of Hi* Emerald For the sake of the nation’s future, voters should make Jimmy Carter a two-term president, said U S. Secretary of Transportation Neil Goldschmidt during an Emerald interview Thursday. Besides campaigning for Carter in Oregon this week, the former Portland mayor and ASUO president also is fighting to keep his job. “We have gotten into the habit of not finishing what we have started,” Goldschmidt said, referring to the fact that America hasn’t had a two-term president since Dwight Eisenhower. Goldschmidt, who was appointed by Carter to head the transportation department in September 1979, said the president’s attitude toward govern ment differs starkly from Ronald Reagan’s. Reagan’s view that “government is a passive instrument is wrong,” Goldschmidt said "Reagan’s strategy 'We haven't begun to tap the potential for mass transit' is to abandon the federal government as a negotiator.” Goldschmidt, a Eugene native, also criticized Reagan for advocating auto de-regulation and repeal of the Windfall Profits Tax. Admitting that some auto regulations need improvement, Goldschmidt cited an independent study that indicates 80 percent of the regulations relate to fuel economy and pollution control. He questioned where fuel mileage levels would be without government regulations, given that American autos already trail world market levels. Regarding pollution control, Goldschmidt said the Carter adminis tration “won't trade (the public's) lungs for some kind of deal with the auto industry." The problems with the American auto industry, specifically unemployment, do not stem from over-regulation or Japanese competition, Goldschmidt said. "What's covering it all up is that there is a huge downturn in auto sales.” The drop in sales is caused by high interest rates, he said, explaining that as inter est rates drop, sales increase and vice versa. Goldschmidt said trade restraints may have to be discussed if Japan tartsr Nell Goldschmidt Photo by Steve Dykes gains 30 percent of the domestic car sales. But he said Carter should be given credit for not agreeing to trade restraints now — if he had "we would have won Ohio and Michigan in a walk.” Goldschmidt said Reagan believes the Windfall Profits Tax should be removed and oil companies should be allowed to keep and use the profits from oil price decontrol. But if the tax is removed the oil companies would own all forms of energy, he said. Goldschmidt said the oil companies are not over-regulated and should not be turned loose as Reagan suggests. There are more oil rigs drilling today than ever before, he said. “The biggest limitation on oil exploration is the number of oil rigs available.” Goldschmidt said Carter’s first proposal for solving the energy prob lem is fuel conservation and not turning the oil companies loose. Reagan's proposal doesn’t include a conserva tion ethic, Goldschmidt said, although he admitted rising oil prices would decrease use. Because people are driving less and buying more fuel efficient cars “this country is on its way to becoming en ergy independent,” he said. But “we are walking an incredible tightrope.” Goldschmidt said the crucial ques tion is “how fast we are going to pump out our (oil) reserves? Those reserves are our security.” In conserving domestic oil supplies “we think gasohol can do some good, but we aren’t going to support it if that means driving up the cost of food.” Goldschmidt added that coal produc tion will help if the railroads are rebuilt. Carter’ll win just like the Phillies did Pres. Carter can stop worrying about re-election now that the Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series. As the political-sports theory goes, if the National League team defeats the American League team in the World Series during a presidential election year, the Democrats win the election But if the American League team comes out on top, the Republicans win. The National League Phillies whipped the American League Kansas City Royals earlier this week, and that means the Democrats will win the elec tion again this fall. The theory has been 100 percent correct since the 1952 presidential election This unusual but all-American pre sidential indicator was introduced by Norman Siegel in a 1976 New York Times article Siegel backs up the theory saying the National League — the league of Jackie Robinson (the first black baseball player), the Dodgers and Ebbets Field — seems more in tune with 'If the National League wins, the Democrats win.' the philosophy and make-up of the Democratic Party. Likewise, the American League — the league of Mickey Mantle, the Yankees and Yankee Stadium — seems more in tune with the philosophy and make-up of the Republican Party, he says. Siegel checked out the theory. And in the 18 presidential elections since 1903, the year of the first World Series, the theory has been correct 12 times. Since 1940 the theory has been right every time except in 1948, when the American League’s Cleveland Indians beat the National League’s Boston Braves, and Democrat Harry Truman edged Republican Thomas Dewey. But Siegel argues the differences between the National League and the American League didn’t surface until the Dodgers, a National League fran chise, broke the racial barrier with Robinson in 1947. Therefore, the an alysis should begin from 1947, he ar gues. Given the results of the 1980 World Series, Carter might as well hit the dressing room and pop open a bottle of champagne And why not decide the presidency this way? Some say they get more ex cited about the World Series than they’ll ever get about a candidate
