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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1982)
emerald platform ‘Mallory Group’ offers budget solution The special session of the Legislature has been deadlocked over how to deal with the state's $337 million budget deficit. It seemed that the budget wrangling between Gov Vic Atiyeh and the Legislature would not be resolved quickly. But a small, bipartisan group of House members met Saturday in Portland and hammered out some viable — if perhaps unrefined — proposals to balance the budget. The group, known in Salem as the "Mallory Group" (after the Portland Hotel where they’ve met), have devised a revenue-raising package that will resolve the deficit, plus create a $10 mkiion emergency reserve fund. This proposal also asks for some extra budget cuts. The main aspects of the MaHory Group's” DeaMag the stats tax on beer and wine. This would raise about $11.5 million. A similar tax was previously proposed by Gov. Atiyeh. The beer and wine tax increase would raise the state levy on a six-pack of beer from 4 cents to 8 cents and from 13 cents to 26 cents on a bottle of wine. Increasing the state cigarette tax 3-cents-a-pack, which would raise another $11 3 million for the state. This 3-cents-a-pack is in addition to the recently levied 16-cents-a-pack, making the total tax 19 cents a pack. Reducing the maximum state payment in the 30 percent property tax relief program, bringing in another $40 million. This lowers the maximum to almost $225 instead of the current $355 maximum An income tax surcharge of close to 3 9 percent. This surcharge would raise $40 million The "Mallory Group" — made up of moderates from both parties — have advanced some sound proposals to deal with the budget crisis The tax on beer and wine, cigarettes, income tax surcharge and reduction in the property tax relief program will bring sorely need ed revenues to a state in dire need of revenue sources. Critics may cite a cigarette tax as exces sive — though in comparison to California and Washington, where the cigarette tax is 10- and 20-cents respectively, the increase is comparable There are defects in the "Mallory Group's” proposal. More cuts in state agency budgets are required to make the revenue-raising proposal successful. This means further cuts in the higher education budget raising the spectre of "financial exigency." Sen. Edward Fade ley, D-Eugene, co chairman of the Joint Ways and Means Committee — which has already cut about $16.5 million from state agency budgets — said the declaration of “exigency” isn't needed with the cuts approved by the Legislature at present. The "Mallory Group's” revenue-raising proposal may force higher education into the position of declaring “financial exigency.” Another defect in the "Mallory Group’s" proposal is that it does not go far enough in reducing the property tax relief program. That program, if eliminated, would ease the burden of more cuts on state agencies — such as higher education. Realistically, the property tax relief program is but a political bauble to dazzle voters in the weeks before November Optimism is running high, with predictions that the special session could end as early as late Tuesday if the ‘ Mallory Group" revenue-raising proposals succeed. Perhaps less haste is in order The “Mallory Group" has brought forth sound proposals which only need redirection and refine ment to deal effectively with the state's budget deficit. QNfift 'Ur letters Tomatoes Rotten tomatoes for Matt Meyer. What is this Moral Majority stuff you threw in your review of "Making Love”? There was no moral issue at hand, only a man who comes to grips with himself I know you can write good articles, but this time I think you took the "easy way out.” What should have been an analytical review, you turned into a jud gement on personal freedom Would it have been better for Zack and Claire to stay together and never be able to make each other happy? If you had done your re search, you would have seen how much of Barry Sandler’s experiences were in "Making Love." Sandler knows only too well that sexuality is more than a social issue What is wrong with a relatively simple love story with a twist? Why not compare Sandler's other accomplishments ("Kan sas City Bomber' wrth Raqual (sic) Welch, "Duchess and the Dirt Water Fox" with Goldie Hawn) and comment on his writing abilities? Spare me the moral preach ing. Be critical not judgemental Better yet, move your articles to the editorial page David M. Backatt junior, psychology Ambiguity The ambiguity of Oregon's higher education system should be brought the light The idea is the state funded education is something like a loan Oregon ians with higher levels of education, it is presumed, will mean higher income, higher state revenues; thus being able to reimburse the state for their education Sounds somewhat reasonable But talk to nine out of ten students on campus, and then try and figure out how much Oregon will get back from them Where must they go to find employment? San Jose, Houston, Los Angeles; need I say more? Education may or may not be a duty of the state; but if a state choses to invest in human capi tal, it must also allow for that human capital to operate within that state in order to get a return on the investment Oregon's "brain drain” is certainly no secret The major stumbling block is of course repressive land use planning, most notably LCDC. When more than a few jobs are lost as a result of this kind of planning, it is clear someone has confused priorities, by put ting a cleaner environment ahead of food on the table As long as Oregon's restric tive iand use planning remains in effect, the state system will remain a subsidy by Oregon to the rest of the country for education If Oregonians do prefer restricted growth, they shouldn't be investing in so much human capital If Oregon ians do wish to invest in human capital, they should allow it to remain here and pay back the investment through a growing economy Pal* Locka Students for Individual Llbarty Pornography I have startling information tor Frank Marone (Emerald, Feb 8) and any others who think that pornography increased the in cidence of sex-related crimes You're wrong Exactly the op posite is true Pornography often serves as an outlet for people who might otherwise find satisfaction in less accept ed ways, such as rape Studies of sex offenders have consis tently shown that they have had less contact with pornography than non-offenders In 1970, the President s Commission on Ob scenity and Violence concluded after studying a large amount of evidence that “there is no evidence that exposure to por nography operates as a cause of misconduct in either youths or adults '' Closing the adults bookstores in the Eugene-Springfield area won't decrease the incidence of sex crimes Let the bookstores stay open, Mr Marone. and you will reduce the chance that "our mothers and sisters and daughters'' will have to pay Show you care Tim Kuhn sophomore, business staff Thu Orugon DaUy Emuruld It pubdthad WKOfnjOj mrvLfyr rrnjay 9X C€*pT a unnig finult muuk and vacations by thu Orugon DaUy Emuruld Publishing Co. Nuwt 696-5511 Advardting/Butktutt 696-3712 -r . *1 . rroouCTWfi 696-43*3 696-4391 Editor Sally Hodgkinson Managing Editor Gabriel Boehmer Newt Editor Harry Esteve Aaalatant Newt Editor John Healy Photo Editor Bob Baker GrapMct Editor Max DeRungs Editorial Page Editor Cort Fernald Sporta Editor St (ire Spat AiiociM Sports Editor Jeff Dickerson Entertammont Editor Mart Meyer Night Editor Brooks Dareft 4iaoci«( Edttort ASUO Dane Qauaaen Commontt/ Marian Groan Dapadmanta and SctiooH Debbia Howlett Fvmturvt Caroline Petrich Higher Education Ann Portal PoHdct / Environment Ron Hunt Ganaral Start AdrrUthm Director Darlene Gore Ctaearned Adeem«/ny Sally Ol/ar Production Manager Ann Peterson C onto otter Jean Ownbey
