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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1982)
Monday, Fabruary 8, 1982 Eugana, Oregon Oregon daily Voluma 83 Number 97 emerald 1 I t ■ Chancellor criticized Legislators denounce‘hit list’ By Ann Portal OIttf Eimrmtd The chancellor's list of "ex pendable" programs released last week didn't take long to reach the special session in Salem, causing some legislators to speculate on the timing Local legislators contacted over the week-end denounced the list and its contents, calling it "overkill" and a "death wish list.” "It sounds more like a shock technique than reality," said Sen Ed Fadeley, D-Eugene Springfield "Most legislators know that it’s a lot more than the econ omic times justify," he said The Legislature asked the State Board of Higher Educa tion to prepare a list itemizing what would have to be cut to roll back the $49 tuition surcharge imposed this term The board estimates the lost tuition reven ue will cost the state system $6 million Rep Grattan Kerans, R Eugene, called the list "rather amazing " "I would say it's the ultimate in showdown politics," Kerans said Sen Ted Kulongoski, D Junction City, called it "more politics than good government of the state system of higher education "I find it very strange that the r chancellor’s office would do this without consulting Paul Olum, the dean of the law school, or any other deans," Kulongoski said The list is "a pretty good ex ample of overkill," Fadeley said He called the possibility of clos ing the University law school 'preposterous." The law school is one of 10 University areas listed for "reduction or elimination ” Other programs on the list in clude virtually all of the community services and public affairs school, the marine biology institute, a reduction in business administration enroll ment and graduate degrees in counseling psychology Fadeley said the directions Chancellor Roy Lieuallen gave the State Board of Higher Education two weeks ago were based on erroneous assump tions" over the depth of cuts jthe majority of the cuts the list deals with are based on the impact of rolling back the tuition surcharge, but those are not actual cuts, Fadeley said The Legislature has not yet told the board to drop the sur charge, and the institutions might not lose much tuition revenue even if the surcharge is dropped, because it might ena ble more students to come to school, he said "Their own statistics question whether they make any money "I would say it’s the ultimate in showdown politics. " “It sounds more like a shock tech nique..." off the tuition increase," Fadeley said "I think they’re in error about that Fadeley also criticized the list as obscuring the good news and turning it into a debate over the bad news. ’' The amount the Legislature proposes to cut from higher education s budget is 35 per cent of the cut proposed by Gov Vic Atyieh, he said 'They're not winning legislative friends trying to blame all their ills on the Legislature," he said Grattan Kearns Ed Fadeley Kerans said the list is “cer tainly calculated to cause the greatest amount of ulcers and strain possible ” As a result, institution presidents may now have more credibility with the Legislature than the chancellor, he said Kerans said most Ways and Means members he talked to “were certainly negative" about the list. He said he hasn't yet found a legislator who agrees with the items on the list or the way it was announced Atiyeh’s budget cuts draw fire By Ron Hunt Of the Emerald A letter from the Chamber of Commerce read, no new taxes The next day Rep Margie Hendriksen, D-Eugene. opened another letter from the Chamber of Commerce urging her to "save the University " Hendriksen told this story to about 40 constituents Sunday at Eugene's Harris Hall as an example of the "very difficult situation” legislators face Hendriksen voiced frustration over the "philosophical split" at the special session, she al so criticized Gov Vic Atiyeh's approach to budget problems and explained her tax reform proposal ‘It's a real dilemma up there," she said The Repub licans are holding firm — "like a fist " But many legislators "just want to get out of there" and because of that it's "very difficult to hold people to re sponsible decision-making " The Democratic leadership was unwise in agreeing to 5 percent cuts in state agency budgets, Hendriksen said It was a "'fundamentally wrong premise" to accept any more Photo by Mark Pynes Rep. Margie Hendricksen, D-Eugene, points out what she sees as the Haws in Gov. Vic Atiyeh's approach. cuts in a budget where "there is no fat.” Democrats would be in a better position now if they would of begun with a no cut proposal, rather than attempt to hold their position at 5 per cent now, said Hendriksen Conservative Democrats have been unwilling to sup port plans of the majority of the Democratic caucus, Hen driksen said, so any break in the deadlock will probably come from moderate Repub licans The governor's approach to the state's budgetary crisis is "totally irresponsible" and would, for example, lead to financial exigency at state u niversities and colleges, she said She lashed out at Atiyeh's "so-called" Economic Recovery Plan. The gover nor's plan calls for state agencies to hire workers who would help businesses deal with state regulations Nor mally this is done by lawyers, accountants and architects in the private sector, Hendriksen said "Business is being sub sidized at the same time that money is taken away from those who need it the most." Hendricksen is sponsoring a tax reform proposal slated for hearings before the Joint Revenue Committee "Taxes are a critical part of whether the state will survive under the onslaught of Reaganomics," she said Her plan — "slurping up the trickle down" — is designed to recapture some of the $11 billion that will be freed up in Oregon after July 1982, when federal tax cuts take effect. Single tax returns for people with incomes below $11,000 (67 percent of Oregon tax payers) would incur a lower tax rate in Hendriksen's plan, while those with incomes above that level would pay at a higher rate The borderline for joint tax returns would be $24,000 Tax rates vould range from 3 to 15 percent Considering the federal tax cuts, she said, her tax tables would still leave everyone ahead — and bring about $140 million in additional revenue to the state Allies say pres, plan in trouble WASHINGTON (AP) - Pres ident Reagan’s congressional allies are doubtful that his 1983 spending plan — with its mas sive deficits and additional cuts in domestic programs — will survive an election-year session of Congress Democratic opponents, meanwhile, simply are dismiss ing the $757.6 billion budget and its projected deficit of $91 5 billion as unworkable But top administration officials argued Sunday that there is little room for change in the president's proposals with out damaging the economy Presidential counselor Edwin Meese III also tried to play down Republican discomfort over the budget, which formally will be submitted to Congress on Mon day. He indicated Reagan will appeal to the nation to generate Congressional support. “The president still has strong support in the country,” Meese said. “People still like his pro grams ... I would never under estimate the ability of this pres ident to mobilize the American people behind his policies.” For the moment, however, there is little outright support of the budget on Capitol Hill. ‘‘I don't believe anybody realistically believes that we re going to accomplish everything the president suggests,” said Sen Bob Dole, R-Kan , chairer of the Senate Finance Commit tee. Republicans used their majority strength to enact Reagan's proposals intact in the Senate last year, then attracted enough conservatives from the Democratic majority in the House to prevail mere as wen. Several congressional sources now are predicting that Republicans would spend the next several weeks debating whether to simply abandon Reagan s recommendations and develop an alternative of their own Sen Ted Stevens, D-Alaska, expressed the feelings of a number of his colleagues “I was just sort of in a state of shock as I listened” to a briefing on the president’s budget on Friday, he said. Although he said his tax-writ ing committee would not “pre sent a package in opposition to the president's package," Dole noted that "we may have some ideas of our own when it comes to revenue increases and may have ideas of our own when it comes to spending reductions." Sen Donald W. Riegle Jr , D-Mich., said, "The (pres ident's) economic plan isn't working, we do need a mid course correction and the deficits need to come down We've got to get people back to work If these unemployment numbers keep rising, nothing positive is going to happen ” See related AP stories on page 5,
