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Atiyeh’s recovery plan: feint or solution?
Gov. Vic Atiyeh’s proposed remedy for the
economic condition of Oregon may be a case of a
solution that's too little too late.
Atiyeh, in his State of the State address Mon
day, advanced a recovery plan that will cost the
state almost $2 million. It seems awkward for
Atiyeh to be addressing a special session of the
legislature concerned with correcting a $240
million deficit on spending money. To propose
spending state money at this time is rather like a
Captain ordering a stop to bailing the sinking boat
because the tide is going out.
Essentially, Atiyeh’s plan is to promote
Oregon to “high tech” industries looking to locate
plants and to advance high-technology programs
in higher education is solid and forward-thinking
This is precisely the type of action the state has
sorely needed during these four-years of fiscal
crisis.
There are those who will say it is Aityeh’s only
idea to date. They are not far from wrong Atiyeh
has been anything but strident in his efforts to
stem the escalating economic problems of
Oregon. He has been content to stand pat on the
concept of paring away the state budget while
hoping sagging revenues turn around
However, Atiyeh’s recovery plan comes at the
wrong time. Higher education will still be cut in the
special session. The amount varies from $60
million to $120 million, but nothing has really
changed as far as the special session’s job of
cutting. And that leads us to question Atiyeh’s
motive in announcing a recovery plan that will take
decades to restore the much-needed backbone to
the state’s weak economy.
Is this recovery plan merely a smokescreen?
The optimism inherent in Atiyeh’s proposal might
just be a classic political feint drawing attention
away from the special session's task of leveling
the deficit.
If you are not distracted by the recovery plan
you may ask: what will Atiyeh do now?
What he won’t do is find immediate sources
for revenue within the state He has reiterated his
preference to cut programs in the state budget
rather than raise taxes, reduce the property relief
tax program, and institute a revocable sales tax
This stance will be popular with Oregon taxpayers
who obstinately oppose increasing taxes regard
less of the revenue situation of the state It will be
seen by others as unrealistic in light of the state's
immediate economic needs.
Atiyeh's recovery plan is an instance of the
progressive action needed to counter future
revenue deficits But it may be a substantial
proposal that has come too late It certainly is too
late to master the budget problems the special
session now faces
IT {v
Ef A,%.
Rage focused
I am extremely outraged at
the Jan 14 issue of the Emerald
My rage is focused on two of
your articles. The first is 'The
lull before the storm’’ article,
where Ron Hunt accuses the
cameraman in Salem of misdir
ecting his lens from the impor
tant news of the day. The
second is your placement of
’’University Update No 1” on
page 8, since in your advertized
new outlay of the Emerald, the
important news is supposed to
be located within the first two
pages
If you and your staff stopped
fabricating stories for each is
sue, then you may realize that a
real crisis is taking place on this
campus The governor is on the
verge of producing irreparable
damage to this university and
other schools throughout the
state With such a threat pre
sent, your staff should spend
less time entertaining your
readers and should spend more
time informing them.
The members of this student
body need critical information
now, of which only your staff
has the ability to disseminate
quickly We need to know the
names, the home district, ad
dress, and the Salem address of
our legislators We need to
know their telephone numbers,
the boundaries of their districts,
and their voting record and
stand on higher education is
sues (so that we will not anger
the congresspeople on our
side) It would also be useful to
know the number of students on
campus in each district, so that
the legislators will know the ex
tent of their constituency at
tending school in Eugene If we
are going to react to this threat,
we need to know to whom your
energies should be directed
As a side note, if you should
find it in your graces to publish
such an issue, please be sure to
print a double order I think the
students parents and families
would be more than eager for
this information as well
Leon Nawrockl
Sheolistic
I would like to express my
extreme disappointment in the
manners of the athletic depart
ment of this university A few of
the signs that hung from the
balconies in Mac Court on the
night of the OSU men's basket
ball game were garbage to say
the least The persons respon
sible for the signs have stooped
to an all time low We get e
nough of that slop in daily life,
don’t need more slime from the
gutter of some depraved mind at
a sporting event Civil war or
not. whether in good fun or not,
there is no excuse for offensive
language I feel very sorry for
those who have to spend their
time thinking up such Sheohstic
tripe
Paul Blikstad
Bookstore
My goodness! Doesn't any
one remember that Univer
sity Bookstore began as a co
op, with all University students
the (owners) members? It was
organized so that price rebates
were given to students Then in
1973-4 the organization was
converted to a non-profit
cooperation. Non-profits can
legally charge any price they
wish (upon dissolution, the as
sets are distributed to a charita
ble cause ).
The current attempt to create
another cooperative for used
books is an idea whose time has
come
Ellaan Raymund- Wooten
Injured player?
Currently the Ducks have a
number of injured players that
are awaiting their return to the
team On Thursday, Jan 14, I
witnessed one of these suppos
edly injured players participat
ing in a pick-up game during the
open hours of the University's
gymnasiums I would like to
know what Jim Haney's defini
tion of an injured player is?
If a player is able to par
ticipate in a pick-up game, why
is he not capable of performing
for the Ducks7 The University is
financing his education to play
basketball If he's not playing
basketball for the University why
is he here?
When a player is recruited by
a university it is his obligation, if
he is injured, to aid his recovery
so he can quickly return to the
line-up
When supposedly injured
players are witnessed playing
only two days before a game
(Oregon State), it not only
brings his injury into question,
but the University Athletic
Department's integrity becomes
suspect as well
Robert Shaahon
Free at last
January 15 was Martin Luther
King Jr day Quite typically
there was no mention of the
man or what he symbolized in
the Emerald Throughout the
country there is a growing
movement attempting to com
memorate Dr King by making
his birthday a national holiday
The failure of the Emerald to
publicize or even recognize this
day is a direct reflection on the
narrow scope and focus of the
paper, and those who put it
together
“His headstone said
FREE AT LAST, FREE AT
LAST
but death is a slave's freedom
We seek the freedom of free
men
And the construction of the
world
Where Martin Luther King
could have lived and preached
non-violence " (Nikki Giovanni)
Liberation in our lifetime!
Gaorga Dunn
staff
Th» Oregon Dally EmaraM It publlahad
Monday through Friday axcapt during
Hnalt wtak and vacations by tha Oragon
Dally Emarald Publishing Co.
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