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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1981)
Emerald Vol 83, No 70 Eugene. Oregon 97403 Monday, December 14. 1981 Star light, The retirement tower next door to the University Inn found its own un Photo by Bob Baker star bright ique way to celebrate Christmas with a large, lighted star Atiyeh’s budget approach angers senators By RON HUNT Of th* Emaratd Gov Vic Atiyeh's "cut and watch ’em bleed to death" approach — in the words of Sen Ed Fadeley, D-Eugene — has Oregon legislators on edge as they prepare for a Jan 11 special session Before heading to Hawaii for a vacation, which legislators publicly criticized, Atiyeh said he doesn't plan to ask the Legislature for tax increases and he wants the property tax relief program left untouched Although he didn't say so. Atiyeh wants basic school support saved from the knife also, several legislators say We're starting from a disaster" with this ap proach, says Fadeley, co-chairer of the Joint Ways & Means Committee The governor has not yet shown any leadership " What Atiyeh has done — "leadership" or not — has irked several legislators Atiyeh called the Legislature into special session in response to a projected state deficit (estimated at $240 million as of Thursday) for July 1, 1983 And he ordered state agencies to cut 20 percent from already lean budgets By protecting school support, property tax relief. Legislative issues special session _I Emerald graphic and refraining from tax increases, Atiyeh's plan would mean $240 million cut from other areas of state government such as higher education and human resources In a letter to the state Board of Higher Education, Sen Jim Gardner. D-Portland, says. "The course the governor has laid out for dealing with the deficit is irresponsible His tentative decision to carve the entire deficit out of higher education, human resources and other state programs is a politically motivated abdica tion of gubernatorial responsibility.” If the governor keeps the same frame of mind, Fadeley says, there'll be "bad news for everybody," especially for those going into high*- education "The governor is off on the wrong track (by not requesting tax increases) and it appears to us that he's simply setting up for the election," adds House Majority Leader Grattan Kerans, D-Eugene In criticizing Atiyeh, Fadeley says, "Where Noah believed the deluge was coming and tried to do something about it, Vic is taking everybody to the deepest water and pushing them overboard two by two " Legislators, although asking for leadership from Atiyeh, have a variety of ideas for dealing with the projected deficit Ideas include raising liquor prices, an income tax surcharge, a graduated corporation tax, an insurance premium tax and even the politically-charged sales tax In an election year, no decision we make is going to be popular," says Senate Majority Leader Dell Isham, D-Lincoln City But there comes a time when you have to be responsible, regardless of the consequences," says Senate Pres Fred Heard, D-Klamath Falls Ed board increases tuition $49 per term By DONALD COULTER Of th* Emaratd It's official — tuition for resident students will go up $49 a term, starting Winter term That was the decision handed down by the State Board of Higher Education Friday in a 7-4 vote The "surcharge'' will increase tuition from $275 to $324 Ad ded to $89 in mandatory fees, the total tuition package will jump to $413 a term for residents Tuition for out-of-state students will not increase Since enrollment figures for nonresidents are substantially lower this term, board members feared that even more out-of-state students would turn away from the University if they were assessed a surcharge Currently, nonre sidents pay $1,256 a term for tuition One of the board members who voted against the surchage was Marion Weatherford, the board s student repre sentative Weatherford said the increase is unreasonable considering the econ omic means that many students have ‘ Such a large increase is unjustified," said the Oregon State University junior "The board is sending out a signal to students that we re going to charge more for offering less " Weatherford said the decision to ex clude nonresidents from the surcharge was made because "out-of-state re sidents took an excessive burden when tuition rates were set last year." The tuiton increase will be used to offset a $10-million deficit in the state system's budget for the 1981-82 school year The deficit is a result of an almost 4 percent decrease in enrollment from last year Board president Ed Harms questioned whether students would benefit in the long run if the state system would have absorbed the cuts, instead of raising tuition By failing to raise tuition now. Harms said next year the system would have had to deny registration to 5,000 students, as well as laying off more than 480 faculty memebers and 115 classified staff “I just wonder if students would be that much better off,” Harms said In other board action, board members approved $8.3-million in program cuts — a 4 percent cut in next year’s operating budget — and adopted a priority list for the four "packages'’ designed to comply with possible 20 percent across-the board cuts ordered by Gov Vic Atiyeh Approval of the four percent cuts means that about 250 faculty and 81 classified jobs will be eliminated from the system's 1982-83 budget In addition, fewer students will be admitted to several professional schools starting next fall At the University, 46 faculty and six classified positions will be eliminated. In addition, the School of Architecture and Allied Arts will have to deny admission to 30 freshmen and the Law School is considering reductions of its entering class Almost all University departments will be forced to tighten their curriculum By approving and prioritizing the four packages designed to comply with a possible $47 1-million cut in education, Chancellor Roy Lieuallen said that the matter is now out of the board’s hands and has become a political decision” to be made by Atiyeh and the state legisla ture “The final decision should not be made by the board but by the state legislature,’ Lieuallen said. Each of the four packages represents a five percent cut in next year's operating budget The first package includes pro gram reductions, an increase in instruc tional fees and a 1.5 percent pay cut for full-time employees The second pack age represents a 6 5 percent cut in FTE positions The third and fourth packages, virtually identical, will mean cutting 420 faculty, 84 staff and 5,000 full-time students. Board member Robert Ingalls sug gested reversing packages two and three on the priority list Ingalls said the salary cut in package two would ”do more to damage faculty morale than anything we could do ”
