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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1981)
opinion I ken sands even editors get the blues ASUO presidents only get mentioned in the paper when they make mistakes. Unfortunately, out-going president Dave Ea ton has done a good job. So he wants his name in the paper one more time. Eaton is one of those ‘‘nice guys’’ who finish last when they play baseball. We were boxboys together at Pay Less four years ago, and we've been friends ever since. Paul Olum is another one of those nice guys, even though he finished first. He’s good at his job, and he doesn’t seem to take things too personally. More importantly, he always tries to be honest with students. So even when we disagree, we respect his opinion. Today he wrote us a letter congratulating us for some recent awards. “I don’t deny that I get mad at you sometimes,” he wrote, ‘‘but I also recognize real quality, and it is clear that the Emerald is tops among college newspapers on the West Coast.” Good timing Paul. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who’s in a good mood today. Emeritus journalism Prof. Charles Duncan has been an Emerald supporter for 31 years, and we appreciate it. He’s our only reader who lets us know when we do things right. Duncan taught the first class I ever attended at the University, and I’ve sought his help many times since. Housing director Dan Williams is a pretty nice guy too, and he even has a sense of humor. That’s quite an accomplishment for someone who eats dorm food. Maybe it’s because he was ASUO president back in medieval times. ESCAPE director Jim Doty always seems to be in a good mood. Like all student leaders, he’s overworked and underpaid, but he likes his job anyway. He works well with people. Basketball coach Jim Haney is under a lot of pressure to win, but he thinks the well-being of his players is more important. That’s a refreshing — and unusual — attitude. He’s a nice guy, too, and I hope he doesn’t always finish last, because he might lose his job. From all indications, law school dean Derrick Bell is a really nice guy. An Emerald photographer took photos of him, and Bell wrote a note saying how nice the photos were. There are many more nice people around campus and around town, including Sally Hodg kinson’s brand-new nephew. Apparently he’s the cutest kid in the nursery. Lastly, I really can’t mention Emerald photo editor Steve Dykes, because this is a column about nice guys. vot rs Denny’s ‘deaf ear’ If you are concerned about nuclear power plant safety then you must be concerned about the actions of Con gressman Denny Smith The Gannett News Service reported on April 10 that Smith is pressing for im mediate licensing of 12 nuclear plants prior to adequate review by the Nuclear Regulatoiy Commission of safety prob lems brought to light by Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island nuclear accident. In 1978 Oregon voters expressed their concern over dangerous wastes produced by nuclear plants responding to the many problems of the federal nuclear program. If citizens are going to be forced to live close to nuclear plants and risk their property and the financial integrity of their local utilities by participating in the federal nuclear program, then they are entitled to adequate safety requirement. It will be interesting to see Smith's reponse to requests from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Jo seph Hendrie to allow nuclear plant operation licenses prior to public hear ings. Government needs to hear more, not less, from the people Many voters supported Smith because they felt he would listen to them. Now, we see Mr. Smith took a “deaf-ear" to Washington D C. Rep. Bill Bradbury Rep. Margie Hendriksen Rep. Wally Priestley Rhetoric unheeded Bombarding people with political ab stractions and Communist rhetoric does not change their minds These things only build barriers to basic communica tion. It is time the R.C.Y.B. recognized this simple fact and realized that only if alternative ideologies are conveyed out of concern (for ones fellow human be ings) will they be duly received Granted, anti-capitalist critique can (and should) be applied to American society It is a society where competition supersedes cooperation A society where our forests, air and oceans are destroyed and polluted for the profit of a few. A society where sex roles of ma choism and femininity drive wedges between man and woman Where money is the Almighty and our relationship with other human beings, with our natural environment and with the earth itself lose significance if we can attain more of it Isn't it time someone formed an or ganization that appeals to these basic sentiments without confronting people with negative incomprehensible dogma? An organization designed to lead a broad spectrum of people against their com mon enemy (of multi-national capitalism) and towards a common goal (of interna tional socialism) And lastly, an organ ization that recognized that fun, love and music are also viable means of communication? I think so Christian Gunther Sophomore, undeclared Supports land tax In the near future hearings on Joint Senate Resoution 25 will be held in Salem. JSR25 provides for the state paying 100 percent of the cost of educa tion for grades K-8 Costs of education at this level amount to roughly 50 of the total budget of sub-collegiate education in Oregon The legislation is being proposed by Sen. Bill McCoy, D-Portland Where will the money come from? This is, of course, the heart of the artichoke. The money is to come from a new 2-percent tax on the assessed value of land The funds needed, because of the recent tremendous increase in land value, can be provided while excluding small and low value land ownerships. If foreign and out-of-state millionaires are going to enjoy the benefits of land ow nership in Oregon they should pay — at least a little bit. The land tax does not apply to struc tures, livestock, machinery, etc. It is a tax only on the value of the land Therefore, the tax on land encourages construction and the harvesting of timber. Economists agree on very little, but general agreement does exist that if taxes are going to be collected the tax on land is the best of the lot. Please write to Sens. McCoy and John Powell, Chairperson of the Senate Revenue Committee, at the State Capi tol, and let them know you favor a statewide land tax to finance 100 percent of the costs of education for grades K-8. They deserve our support in their effort to stimulate the Oregon economy while preserving the property tax relief now available on residential property. Richard W. Lindholm Emeritus Professor and Dean of Business Elections needed? Is it really necessary to hold ASUO elections? After all, everyone knew who the 1981-82 ASUO officers and IFC members would be before the election was held. But how have these certain candidates won the “election”? It’s sim ple: get in good with the Greek coalition and victory is guaranteed. Even the Emerald, in its April 15 editorial, stated "with. . the Greeks endorsing Wilkins, his victory seems likely.” Endorsements are a part of every election, but past Greek-endorsed of ficials have left something to be desired. Perhaps the best example is this year’s “atrocious’’ IFC — according to the Emerald — made up mostly of members endorsed last year by this same Greek coalition. But what prevents this year’s Greek endorsements from making the same blunders? Nothing that I can see. This seems almost certain in the case of the IFC. This year’s ASUO Pres. Dave Eaton said that “he, Halquist and Greek house Presidents ‘recruited’ IFC candidates’ Pamela Jordan, Dave Gibson and Xavier Romano, all Greeks, because we thought these members would serve the best interest of the University, AS WELL AS the Greek system.’’ Perhaps more appropriately the Greek system and then the University. It seems to me that if these candidates really felt they could serve the Universi ty’s best interests as IFC members, Eaton and Halquist would find it unnecessary to recruit them. The candidates would have entered the race on their own If I were Greek, I would be offended at being told to vote for a candidate simply because the candidate is Greek. True, the candidate almost certainly will represent the Greek system, but will he or she represent the University? I think the majority of students are more con cerned with the latter. Perhaps next year, each candidate s “party” affiliation can be listed next to his or her name, like it's done in the big leagues. G for Greek party candidates, I for the Independent party candidates. This would save the Interfraternity Council time and money by eliminating the need to distribute endorsements of their candidates to all Greek members. But more importanlty, it would let the voter more easily determine which “par ty" he or she wants in power the follow in9 year Dave Gressett Junior, financemarketing SSL'Xfl' ivijm' ™ i 'Pa^m^y, i'm People'O&^ttep/ claims the interior sarow,
