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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1982)
emerald platform Reagan’s housing policy will aid Oregon Pres. Ronald Reagan has finally offered a glimmer of hope for Oregon’s depressed timber industry. In an address to the National Association of Realtors on Monday, Reagan declared that "housing is one of our highest social priorities." To help the ailing housing industry Reagan said his administration will ease guidelines for FHA mortages along with other measures This news should be encouraging to Gov. Vic Atiyeh and timber interests in Oregon. This may be the economic upturn Atiyeh has been repeatedly predicting for this year. Oregon’s sagging timber industry is inexorably tied to the economics of the nation's housing industry. When housing starts are off due to unattainable mortgage monies and high interest rates the timber industry suffers The Reagan administration’s commitment to new housing will contribute to a turnaround in Oregon’s economy. Reagan told the realtors that the Labor ■ ' ' ^ ^ N' — ^ ^ 'O' — ,. * PAfA' W aKTiQN TOKS. SHOW ME To YOU* (V&ZCHS ' Department will remove barriers to "free a flow of critically needed funds for housing from pension funds.” According to Reagan, $500 billion is invested by pension funds, but only a tenth is currently invested in mortages. The action of easing guidelines to expand the number of potential homebuyers qualifying for FHA mortage loans should benefit first-home purchasers. Reagan wants to change the mortgage revenue bond program "to broaden our definitions of distressed areas," which Reagan believes "will make it possible for state agencies to provide mortgage funds for 50,000 more home buyers at lower cost " The one flaw in Reagan's Dlan is his insis tence on not bailing out the troubled housing industry or altering his economic policies. Those economic policies lurk behind the high interest rates which have crippled the housing industry. Reagan reiterated his stand that the culprit is high interest rates and not his economic policies in his Wednesday press conference Although, he did acknowledge the housing industry "was in transi tion and crisis. Consumers can't buy. Sellers can't sell and builders can't build.” The trickle-down result of the Reagan admin istration's commitment to housing starts and loosening up of mortgage monies will mean an acceleration in the stagnating building industry nationwide As with supply and demand, more building starts means Oregon’s economy, which has been too restricted to the ups and downs of timber, will improve slightly The revenues gener ated by a more healthy timber industry may finally curtail the rash of budget cuts plaguing Oregon It may take months before there is measurea ble improvement in the state's economy, but Reagan's commitment to improving the housing industry is a step in the right direction letters Pass the shovel Life is getting funnier back in our national comedy shop; Washington D.C. As an example look at T.K. Jones, the deputy undersecre tary of defense for strategic and nuclear forces. Jones recently counseled the citizenry to quit worrying about nuclear war. "Everybody’s going to make it,” ' he explained, "if there are e nough shovels to go around." I hasten to add that Jones was talking about building im promptu bomb shelters, not digging graves, in the event of a nuclear attack. "Dig a hole, cover it with a couple of doors, and then throw three feet of dirt on top," Jones says. “It’s the dirt that does it." So remember your instruc tions. When you hear the alert, leave your home, being careful to avoid panicking runners, and go thirty miles or so in the country to avoid the more ad verse immediate effects of blast and heat. Before you leave be sure to cover all power plants and lumber mills with dirt so we can preserve a hopefully productive industrial base Dig a hole. Crawl into it You have up to twenty minutes to accomplish all this. Then sit tight for two or three weeks while the fallout settles Don’t forget to bring your own doors Exhilarating, isn't it, to know you can survive an atomic at tack equipped with nothing more than a shovel? It must be true After all, would the Reagan administration lie to us? David Isenberg Senior, International studies Not the not the not That was the tamest, lamest immorald (?) that has ever been produced. I guess you've all grown up since the scolding you received last year Paul Olum and Pat Horton will be very proud that this years' Emerald staff has "matured" since last years’ filth. And you didn't even curse. I guess that means that it's time to start writing in the real world Especially encouraging were editor Sally's insightful self-ef facement and reviewer Meyer's sophisticated sarcasm Gosh, Matt, writing the opposite of what you really think about a movie is a stroke of sarcastic genius. That, along with your "The Perfect Date," "Raters of the Last Pizza and the cliche ridden reviews ought to leave you amply qualified for a lifetime internship with Seventeen magazine Keep up the good work Cathy Anderson Senior, history Uncertainty We, the staff of Campus In terfaith Ministry, want to let the administration, faculty and staff at the University know of our real concern and support for you in these very difficult, tense and uncertain times in the life of our school. In the face of hard cuts of positions and possibly even departments and schools; in the face of an increasing gap between cost of living and salary increments; in the face of real uncertainty as to job secur ity and job futures — we know and can appreciate that you are under unwelcome but increas ing pressure as you seek to continue to function in your positions, work together as an institution of higher learning, and even dream dreams for the future for your areas and for the University The competition for sparse resources cannot help but sow seeds of suspicion, threat, and discontent, pitting faculty against administration, school against school, staff against employer, even person against person We want you to know we are with you in these struggles, and desire to do whatever we can to make these times bearable and meaningful for you, through it all. We are strongly supporting better funding for higher education in our state, and will continue to work for this in any way we can. We hope you will let us know if there are any other ways we can be of service to you during this trying period In any event, please know that we stand and hurt with you, but also seek to keep the faith with you in looking toward the future with hope and not despair Norman Matzlar Campus Interfaith Ministry 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 letters must be limited to 250 words, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in to The Emerald offices, EMU 300 The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style, or content Publication is dependent upon space available. staff The Oregon DmHy Emerald la published Monday through Friday except during finals week and vacations by the Oregon Dally Emerald Publishing Co News 596-5511 Advertising / Business 596-3712 Classifieds 595-4343 Production 596-4391 Editor Sally Hodgkmson managing Editor Gabriel Boehmer Nam Editor Harry Esleve Aaalatant News Editor John Healy Photo Editor Bob Baker Graphics Editor MaxDeBungs Editorial Page Editor Cort Fernald Sports Editor Steve Spate Associate Sporta Editor Jet! Dickerson Entertainment Edltoi Matt Meyer Night Editor John Healy Atioctat* Editor«. ASUO Dane Claussen Community Marian Green Department* and School! Debbie Howlett Feature! Caroline Petnch Higher Education Ann Portal Politic! / Environment Hon Hunt I G DWII Staff Advertising Directs Production Manager Darlene Gore Ann Peterson Class/fled Advertising Controller Sally OI)ar Jean Ownbey
