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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1981)
20% cut threatens local economy Area could lose $18 million in campus revenue By DONALD COULTER Of Vw Emaorid If the State System of Higher Educa tion is forced to cut its budget by 20 percent next year, 800 professors and 170-180 classified employees across the state will be out of work, while remaining system employees will have to forgo scheduled pay increases In addition, 10,000 students will be denied enrollment, and several profes sional schools and one or more of the state's eight institutions will have to close In other words, a 20-percent cut would have an almost unimaginable effect on higher education in Oregon “Moving to this lower level of service in a single year virtually would destroy the system." Chancellor Roy Lieualien said last week of the 20-percent cut Not to mention the far-reaching effects such a cut would have on the local economy “It would gut the University — to have to close professional schools, depart ments, access to thousands of students, and the layoff of tenured faculty," says Stoddard Malarkey, a University English professor "And if you had to lay off classified staff, it would surely compound prob lems in the local economy It's a gloomy picture " At present, no one can say exactly how many will be affected at this university by Gov Vic Atiyeh's proposed across-the board cuts But several local analysts are predicting that the consequences of a major cut will be grim for Eugene s economy One of those attempting to translate that impact into dollars and cents is Curt Simic, University vice president for pub lie services Although he emphasizes that none of his estimates are concrete at this point, Simic is using a figure of $6 million to reflect the University cut Estimating that money spent by the University community "turns over" at least three times, Simic says the loss in revenue for Eugene would be $18 mil lion The effect would be similar to the layoff of 900 loggers earning $20,000 a year, he says Don Mason of the Eugene Chamber of Commmerce says the impact of a 20-percent cut would be far-reaching because the University community uses many goods and services in Eugene He says a similar cut by another major employer in the area — for example, if Weyerhaeuser were to lay off thousands of employees in one chunk — would not have the dramatic effect that the proposed University cut would This is because University students and employees are well-spread through out the area, Mason says Therefore the goods and services they consume touch all aspects of the community Margaret Hallock of the State Em ployment Division says a 20-percent cut would be a "painful, irreversible mis take " She says the short-term effects of increased unemployment and a loss of revenue in the area would be "nothing in comparison to the long-range effects" of losing skilled workers, researchers and educated members of the community Neighborhood plan gets mixed reviews By RICHARD BURR Of (iM Imaratd The Eugene Planning Commission’s version of the West University Refine ment Plan satisfied University interest but stirred up disagreement within other sectors of the community The plan, which received commis sion approval Nov 30. is designed "to improve the area physically for people to live work, and conduct business in,” says Jody Miller, a professional planner who worked on the plan The West University area covers about 200 acres, cordoned off by Franklin Boulevard and Broadway Street to the north, the University to the east, 18th Avenue to Patterson Street and 19th Avenue to Willamette Street to the south, and an uneven boundary along Willamette. Pearl Street and 11th Avenue to the west The West University Neighborhood Center withdrew its support of the plan, calling the changes unacceptable, says WUNC member Harold Lannom, who helped draft the original plan "Quite a few changes’ altered the intent of the original plan. Lannom says "Housing has lost tremendously because changes in wording have turned it into a commercial study " he says Lannom says the Planning Commission's version does not allow for interphasing — transforming hous ing areas to residential-professional zones to commercial areas Lannom says one example of this failure is the area bordered by 13th and 18th avenues and High and Hilyard streets The residential area is ‘pock eted off” by commercial areas, in creasing the chances that the area may turn into a ghetto, he says The commission made too many concessions to "limited economic in terests” such as medical clinic expan sion, Lannom says Mixed-use zones also were changed to commercial areas, he says But Ed Mahn, the planning director at Sacred Heart General Hospital, says “it's a fair plan " Mahn, also a Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce member, says the plan balances the need to protect existing residential areas with the need for some commercial expansion "I think the plan gives balance to the commercial, residential, and health care needs of the community — the entire city — and that's the role the commission plays,” says Commis sioner Robert Barkman Barkman says the area Lannom mentioned is a mixture of commercial and residential uses and is zoned cor rectly The plan does not affect the Umver sity adversely, Barkman and Lannom agree "We haven't done anything to affect the positions of the University," Bark man says "In fact, the closer we moved toward the University, fewer modifica tions were made by the planning com misssion " University concerns were to "main tain quality in the neighborhood," to preserve the opportunity for future rea sonably priced housing in case of University expansion and to protect University interests in case property in the area was granted to the University University Planner David Rowe says "We don't believe we ll be expanding in the area " Rowe says "We're not in the market "We re not a big monolithic organ ization that's not sensitive to the com munity " Until the plan receives final approval from the Eugene City Council, the neighborhood cannot start projects such as curb cutting and low-level lighting, says Mary Kay Crumbaker, president of the West University Neigh borhood The plan comes before the council Jan 25 Lannom says the organization will attend a city council study session Jan 13 to get an idea what the think ing is ” BUY ONE GET TWO FREE SALE • Maya Blouses • Wrap Around Skirts Purchase one clothes item and receive an additional two free offer expires 12/30/81 Also check our large selection of posters. 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