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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1981)
Oregon’s tight budget plagues legislature Analysis by GREG WASSON And DANA TIMS Of the Emerald As the state legislature con venes in Salem today, Oregon ians have another reason to boast about the state's relative hipness. Where changes in Congress and the presidency ensure the federal government will become more conservative, alterations in the state body promise a loos ening of feed, seed and fer tilzer’s grip on the statehouse another major change in the Senate because he is commit ted to replacing Sen. Jack Rip per, D-North Bend, with Sen. Ed Fadeley, D-Eugene, as co-chair of the money-controlling Ways and Means Committee. The committee is composed of both senators and representatives and must approve any legisla tion that appropriates state dol lars. And money issues will domin ate Capitol discussion, in what House Majority Leader Grattan Kerans, D-Eugene, promises will be a "brutal” session. After and a growing influence of the more liberal, urban legislators. The single-most significant change is the absence of Sen. Jason Boe, D-Reedsport, who has run the Senate for eight years and developed a power that made it so when he said "jump", other senators asked “how high" on the way up. Boe will be replaced by Sen. Fred Heard, D-Klamath Falls, a professor at the Oregon Insti tute of Technology. Heard is perceived to be less antagonis tic to urban interests than was Boe. Heard’s election will cause egislative issues adjustments for inflation, the state budget proposed by Gov. Vic Atiyeh is among the lowest since World War II. Consider higher education. Chancellor Roy Lieuallen laments the funding level proposed by Atiyeh is sorely insufficient to maintain current levels of program support, salaries and upkeep. But where is the additional revenue to come from? The 1979 Legislature ap proved a politically popular tax give-away that was designed to avert the northern spread of Howard Jarvis-style tax fever. The program sent more than Ein Gluckliches Neues Jahr & Make this year exceptional. Spend 1981-82 studying in Germany. Apply by January 12. For more information contact International Services, 330 Oregon Hall. 686-3206. $700 million from the state coffers to property taxpayers, offsetting 30 percent of the local tax burden. Atiyeh's budget this time calls for the state to main tain the same percentage, which, because of inflation, calls for an allocation of even more money. Friends of higher education, like Fadeley, can be expected to try and increase the funds ear marked for the state s colleges and universities. But it seems unlikely that the Democrat-con trolled legislature would want to take responsibility for reducing tax relief. Last session witnessed the re-emergence of the classist notion that a college education is not a right but a privilege. Further acceptance of this idea could lead to passage of Atiyeh's tuition proposals which call for a 30 percent hike over the next two years. According to Lieuallen, there are three choices: serve the same number of people on the same amount of funds, sacrific ing quality; limit enrollment, sacrificing access; or increase state funding to higher educa tion. Lieuallen's choice would be to ‘create" extra money by not allowing the property tax relief program to swell in accommodation of inflation but maintain the same dollar level, freeing funds for education. Another issue the legislature must address is what to do about shrinking energy re sources. Since his inaugura tion, Atiyeh has steered the state toward a stronger com mittment toward nuclear power, or the centralized "alternative" — coal. When nominating ci tizens for administrative posi tions, the governor has shown himself unable, or unwilling, to find people without financial ties to nuclear development. The state Senate offered those opposed to power from the atom a little more hope, but not much. The body approved legislation requiring study of the waste question, but refused to establish any criteria to be met before further construction could occur. By the initiative process, tne people scuu m November, "If you don't have a place to put the garbage, we don't want them." That declar ation may force the lawmakers to at least pay lip service to development of true alterna tives. It's helpful to keep in mind, however, that Atiyeh spent $600,000 getting elected in 1978. All indications are that he’ll run again, making utility money worth reacting for |F c 81-82 Financial Aid Applicants: You must act now, but don’t risk critical ERRORS! p New, private service will assure you do it RIGHT! J o For complete Information, send 50c and this coupon to I N Bob Hoffman, F/A Assistance Service | C P O Box 905. Springfield, OR 97477 11111iiiii i»ir PHOTO SPECIAL! 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