Journalist assails president
Reagan’s bill may 'shackle’ press
By Brian Bubak
Ot Ih0 Emertld
Pres. Ronald Reagan is jeopardizing the
constitutional rights of all Americans, says
Steven Dornfeld, president-elect of the
Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma
Delta Chi.
The First Amendment, which spells out
the public's right to free speech, freedom of
religion and freedom of the press among
others, is in serious danger of being eroded
away by unconstitutional legislation, Dorn
feld says
On campus Wednsday for SPJ’s
"Freedom of Information Day," Dornfeld
urged people to fight Reagan’s attempts to
curtail public access to goverment
information
Two specific pieces of legislation are of
particular importance, Dornfeld said
The most important, according to Dorn
feld. is the, "so-called agents' identity bill."
The bill, which is presently awaiting Senate
approval, could mean a $15,000 fine and up
to three years in prison for disclosing the
names of present or former CIA operatives
The vagueness of the law would make it
enforcable regardless of the source of in
formation or the public purpose involved in
the disclosure, Dornfeld said
He went on to warn that even publishing
the names of agents in order to expose
illegal action would be prosecutable under
the law
The original bill proposed to the House of
Representitives would have called for pro
secution when disclosures were made with
“intent to impair or impede" CIA activities
But the version that passed the full House
vote was amended to permit conviction of
those who had reason to believe the disclo
sure would impair the ageny's performance,
Dornfeld said.
Even though more than 100 “legal
scholars" have publicly called the bill un
constitutional, Dornfeld said that Congres
sional members, fully aided by the Reagan
Administration, continue to battle toward
shackling the press with one more set of
chains
Another issue of major concern to Dorn
feld is Reagan’s attempt to weaken the
Freedom of Information Act Adopted in
1966, the FOI act was an effort to increase
the government’s openness and accoun
tability
But the Reagan Administration intends to
take more information out of the public’s
grasp, said Dornfeld
Current legislation will make information,
once obtainable through the FOI act, in
accesible. This legislation, coupled with an
attempt to increase the amount of informa
tion allowed to be classified top secret,
secret or confidential, will be a major blow
to the public’s ability to uncover govern
ment improprieties, Dornfeld said
But any attempt to curtail American's
rights to goverment information will be,
Steven Domfeld
“vigorously opposed,” Domfeld promised.
The SPJ, as well as other professional
and public organizations, Dornfeld said, will
battle in the courts to erase over-restrictive
laws from the books.
Letters against financial aid cuts urged
By Ann Portal
Ot lha Emerald
Financial aid supporters get
their first chance to criticize
Pres Ronald Reagan's
proposed cuts at Congressional
hearings next week, but the
University's financial aid direc
tor wants students to speak up
before then
‘ It's incredibly important" for
students to send letters now to
the six Oregon Congressional
members, says Ed Vignoul,
University financial aid director.
He predicts letters — lots of let
ters — are the only thing that's
going to change minds in Wa
shington, DC
The House Budget Commit
tee on Post-Secondary Educa
tion begins a series of financial
aid hearings next Tuesday
1
Want to send a letter?
Here are a few names
U.S. Representatives
Les AuCoin, Democrat
231 Cannon House Office
Bldg.
Washington, D C 20515
Denny Smith, Republican
1207 Longworth House Of
fice Bldg
Washington, D.C 20515
Jim Weaver, Democrat
1226 Longworth House Of
fice Bldg.
Washington, D C. 20515
Ron Wyden, Democrat
1440 Longworth House Of
fice Bldg
Washington, D C 20515
U.S. Senators
Mark Hatfield. Republican
463 Russell Senate Office
Bldg.
Washington. D C 20510
Bob Packwood, Republican
1321 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, D.C 20510
through Thursday in Washing
ton, D C. The hearings, which
will examine the impact of the
Reagan administration's budget
proposal, will move to New York
on March 5.
The 1982-83 budget proposal
released by Reagan on Feb 8
contains a $141.5 million
reduction in the amount of fin
ancial aid that Congress ap
proved last December.
If Reagan's proposal passes
Congress, the total amount of
federal financial aid for the
1982-83 school year would be
$590 million less than was
available in 1981-82.
The proposed 1983-84 funds
would mean a reduction of more
than $2 billion of the amount
that was available during the
current academic year
University Pres. Paul Olum
mailed a letter last Friday to
students and parents, urging
them to write to representatives
about the impact of the
proposed cuts
He says "the cuts look terri
ble’’ because they revoke a
long-standing commitment to
give students a chance to earn a
degree from a public college or
university
Peter DeFazio, an aide to
Rep. Jim Weaver, D-Oregon,
says 300 to 400 letters sent to
each representative could have
a definite effect. He says it's
particularly important for
students to write to Sen. Mark
Hatfield, R-Oregon. Hatfield is
chairer of the Senate Appro
priations Committee.
“If he says there’ll be more
money for students, there will be
more money for students,”
DeFazio says.
The current attitude at the
federal capitol is that there will
be a long fight over further fin
ancial aid reductions, DeFazio
says The final level of aid for
next year is an “open ball
game" at this point, and effec
tive resistance and lobbying
may well influence the outcome,
he says
The ASUO plans a Financial
Aid Forum March 11 to allow
representatives of the different
sides to present their views. To
date, the speakers include Vig
noul, who will present the im
pact of the cuts on the Universi
ty; Ray Naff, representing Hat
field; Cynthia Wooten, repre
senting Weaver, and a former
Oregon campaign worker for
Reagan who will present the
administration’s viewpoint
The forum will be held in EMU
Room 167
IFC chops
more funds
in hearings
The Incidental Fee Committee
slashed more dollars from
student organizations Wednes
day in yet another round of
budget hearings.
The Oregon Student Lobby
was among several groups
receiving less funding than they
originally requested. Its 1982-83
request of about $20,800 — a
5-percent increase from
1981-82 — failed by a 3-2 vote
despite a request by ASUO
Pres. Rich Wilkins to "set a
precedent” for the other
Oregon universities to meet the
group’s entire request
OSL receives a straight sub
sidy from each state school ac
cording to its student popula
tion, he explained.
The budget OSL submitted
for next year included salary
increases — inappropriate
requests at this time, balked IFC
members.
In a second vote, OSL was
granted the $20,000, an in
crease of just more than a 1
percent over this year’s funding.
The Muslim Students’ As
sociation received $900, a
31-percent decrease in funding
for 1982-83. Since the organ
ization failed to inform the
ASUO of its request in time, the
ASUO could not reccommend a
funding level for the MSA within
its total 1982-83 budget, said
Alan Contreras, ASUO vice pre
sident of program administra
tion.
The Community Service and
Public Affairs Graduate Student
Council received its request of
$260 for 1982-83, taking a
voluntary cut of more than 55
percent from this year’s budget
The Panhellenic Council was
granted almost $2,500 for next
year, a decrease of about
7 percent from its 1981-82 total.
This amount is about $75 less
than the ASUO recommenda
tion, and more than 50 percent
lower than its original request of
about $5,200.
A revised request was similar
to the amount granted
As a sidenote to the hearing,
the IFC was informed of possi
ble telephone rate hikes by
Contreras.
Telephone expenditures
would increase 25 percent for
the basic monthly rate, 15 per
cent for WATS, and 15 percent
for the annual charge, effective
in April Because of these in
creases, the IFC would have to
revise all telephone expendi
tures for 1982-83, he said
catch the classifieds!
ALTERNATIVETRAVEL
S.F. NIGHT COACH ]
Travel comfortably and in good
company aboard customized sleeper
coaches Stop at Wilbur Hot Springs for
a soak and cook-out breakfast
Special prices to points along the way
Eugene 343-5081
Portland 225-0310
or (800) 227-4766
UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRESENTS
IBSEN’S
PEEK BUT
Robinson
Theatre
8 p.m.
For tickets and information call U of O
686-4191
RENNIE’S
LANDING
PITCHER SALE!
Back by popular demand.
This Friday
4-7 pm
Large Pitchers
Only $1.75
Rennie’s Landing • 1214 Kincaid • 687-0600