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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1982)
ann portal atiyeh's brain In search of Atiyeh 's brain (with apologies to Garry Trudeau). Hang on, it’s time for a safari through the crevasses in the governor's cerebrum, with no turn ing back until the polls in November 1982. This trip down memory lane has been substantiated through newspaper accounts printed in The Oregonian, the Eugene Register Guard and the Oregon Daily Emerald, supplemented with alumni, registrar and news service information. Incidentally, no state travel funds were requested First, a word from Atiyeh, delivered at his in auguration "When we trade the job of helping others for the anonymous exercise of paying tax dollars to buy social services, we — all of us — are the losers. My friends, government can do many things, but it can’t hire love ” Back in the corners of Atiyeh's brain are rem nants of his political philosophies, lingering reminders of the promises that swept him into office in the conservative wave of 1979. An early press release from the neophyte governor's office describes him this way: "A cham pion of senior citizens, the handicapped, and those who need help, the majority of the bills the governor introduced as a legislator dealt with human resources or health matters." A few months later, faced with a ripple of rising budget problems, the governor’s proposals included doubling tuition for foreign students at the eight state institutions of higher education He determined that the state receives minimum benefits from the foreign students, because most of them return to their home countries after leaving school, a press aide said The son of Syrian parents who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, Atiyeh is well-acquainted with higher education. He attended, but did not graduate from, the University in the early 1940s His wife, Dolores, attended and graduated from the University Other Atiyehs came to the Eugene campus, including brother Richard, Ri chard’s wife Mary-Alice, brother Edward, Edward’s son David, Edward s wife Karen and David s wife Darlene In 1979, University Pres Bill Boyd invited Atiyeh to return to the University, as the commencement speaker for the June graduation ceremony. A hand ful of irate students — the Senior Quacks — formed to protest Boyd’s selection The Quacks railed against the "regressive speaker, one in blatant contrast with the progressive education we hope to use as we enter a troubled world." Boyd was firm "It’s a tradition to have governors speak on the campus, and I was particularly pleased by the choice of Governor Atiyeh because he had indicated that he was going to be a governor friendly to higher education. "So far the students haven't had a better friend than Atiyeh " One year later, in August, Atiyeh pledged himself to lead the fight against a 1-percent property tax limitation measure destined for the state ballot There is no need to limit the rate of growth of property taxes, he said; the rebate program is sufficient. Defeat of the limitation measure “means that the substantial and fair tax relief we now enjoy stays in place,” he said. Also that month, a special legislative session dealt with a $204 million budget deficit; four months later, faced with a growing 1981-83 budget deficit, Atiyeh included a 15-percent tuition increase in his budget-balancing proposal. The increase would help restore higher education funds cut during August’s special legislative session, he said. The increase was absorbed by another $10-million cut in higher education’s budget the following August Recently, Atiyeh announced $147 million in cuts to deal with a new deficit. The cuts come entirely from the higher education and human resources budgets He said he hopes higher education institutions can resume their normal operating level by 1983-84 "I did not reduce the dollars available for Property Tax Relief. ” He also said "the state cannot continue to provide direct property tax relief payments to those who make over $50,000. "The question of dealing with the almost uncon trolled increases in property taxes must be ad dressed” — in January 1983, after the 1982 guber natorial election. Another few words from Atiyeh, spoken at a meeting of the Association of Oregon Counties in November, 1980. The governor is discussing the tough budget decisions ahead “If you face up to those decisions, and if you make them forthrightly, you won't lose your integrity and you won't lose your effectiveness. People ap preciate a straight-out approach. This is not a timid age ” Nearing the end of our journey, here’s Atiyeh's reminiscences about his football days at the Univer sity of Oregon “I was third string, basically because I wasn’t too strong on offense In those days, you played both offense and defense “Although I could beat the first-string varsity on defense offensively, I was a little weak ” Ann Portal is the Emerald's Higher Education Associate Editor im ISA CffOtD'-' mKMKj=~ t?t ''-*r vA letters Image amazes Are we supposed to be im pressed that Cort Fernald (Emer ald s editorial page editor) does not consider personal commit ments of any importance? I was amazed that the image Fernald wishes us to have of him is as a wife-deserter Sometimes it is necessary to end relationships that are no longer satisfactory, but the least one can do is notify the erstwhile partner of one's inten tions Whoever’s in charge of the Emerald should be wary of comments from Fernald about going out for cigarettes", they may be left hanging someday without an editorial page editor Kathleen Archer Graduate, biology Cort Fernald s brief biography after his column sidelong glances was intended as self effacing satire only. Mental midgets Oregon Bar Association's mental midgets cull their ranks of those with individual initiative and maintain unconstitutional corpor ate power by abuse of their state judicial monopoly This abuse of power is exhibit ed by Lane County Circuit Court Judges refusals to unbiasedly hear laymen's Appeals; Man damuses; Declaratory Judgments concerning Oregon Workers Compensation Boards refusal to grant injured workers the laws-in force at time of their injury, O R S. 656 202 and constitutional right to circuit court reviews, Roles Shingle vs Bergerson 142 Or 131; Oregon Constitution Article 3 Section 1, rather then Court of Appeals, O R S. 656.298 (1977), reviews that are not locally ac cessible; deny laymen oral ar guments, demand costly and complex opening Briefs in 26 copies with 2 extra copies for adversary; prohibit Reply Brief arguments; refuse findings of fact and conclusions of law rulings, unconstitutionally, under color of O.R.S. 19.180 so-called memor andum power to "affirm without opinion.” Oregon State Bar membership clubhouse lawyers profitable res tricitons preclude reformers from joining the club and laymen from using the courts. I again found it useless to request the Register-Guards court reporter cover the aforesaid judicial abuse of power and now hold the paper responsible for having us suffer a criminal conspiracy unheralded While Oregon's bench warmers vengefully use court powers against us; administrative lawyers, such as Oregon Workers Compensation Board Chairman Kendall Barnes, refuse injured workers “non-adversary" hear ings, 45 Or Law Rev 40 (1965), while illegally lobbying to charge workers $50 00 for hearing requests and teaching at Wil lamette University. ORS 656.716; In the Matter of Judge Sawyer 286 Or 369(1979). I feel a goose-step coming on unless we expose and remove power abusers JohnM. Reed Not excessive I am shocked that anyone could conceive that punishment of los ing class and obtaining a failing grade for academic cheating is "excessive punishment." It has been my idea that tests are to find how much material the students know about the course If a student doesn't know the mater ial, why should he/she receive a passing grade? If a student is cheating, he/she obviously doesn’t know the material An "F” would be civil justice. As for losing the class, a little thought should be taken by the student as to what their goal in college is before cheating. There are many people who would give their all to go to college, to learn. That's what we are here for, to learn Isn't it? Anyone who has studied their rear-end off for a class and gained something from it, I think, would lend to agree Julie A. Frederick letters policy The Emerald will accept and attempt to print all letters containing fair comment on issues, ideas and topics of interest to the University community The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or con tent Publication is dependent upon the space available