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emerald
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Balfe best for job
Only one of the six candidates vying for the postion of
ASUO president in Wednesday and Thursday's election wili
emerge victorious. That’s unfortunate, as each, Jeffrey
Houston, Ed Colligan, Tom Brannon, Debbie Mellow, C.J.
Balfe, and Kevin Kouns possess the ideas and abilities that
would genuinely enhance the office of ASUO president.
The Emerald had a difficult time deciding which
candidate is clearly the most qualified. An interviewing panel
made up of Sally Hodgkinson, editor — Dane Claussen,
ASUO editor — and Cort Fernald, editorial page editor,
narrowed the group to three. Those three are Debbie Mellow,
C.J. Balfe, and Kevin Kouns. But, in the final evaluation the
Emerald endorses the candidacy of C.J. Balfe for ASUO
president.
The other candidates have made many valid points in
their campaigns. They show a common concern for the
needs of the University's students.
Jeffrey Houston's strongest point is his determination to
make the ASUO executive more representative of the
students. He calls himself “everybody's candidate.” Hous
ton, a veteran in his late twenties, vows to fight against what
he calls the “secretive" aspects of the ASUO executive.
The drawback to Houston is his lack of experience in the
ASUO executive. He is also unrealistic in his aims He wants
to “unlock suite four" and “press the flesh" (meaning to be
an accessible ASUO president) more than he wants to
concentrate on the more mundane managerial tasks of the
ASUO president.
Ed Colligan’s business background and affable nature
are definite pluses. However, Colligan's ideas on raising
revenues for the University are less than practical. He
proposes some sort of a ‘‘monthly lottery’’, the proceeds
going to the University. Colligan echoes other candidates
rhetoric that student government needs to reach-out to
apathetic students He fails to elaborate
Tom Branfcon, many will recall, was a candidate for
president last year. This year Brannon, a political science
major, rates the present ASUO executive “about a C“ —
saying they didn’t do any damage, but didn't improve either
Brannon won’t raise the ASUO executive’s GPA. Brannon's
knowledge of ASUO problems is the “some people have told
me” type — a phrase often used during his Emerald inter
view.
Debbie Mellow is definitely a strong candidate — rating
her third is unfortunate. She’s had a year of ASUO exper
ience and knows the workings of student government.
Mellow’s highly organized approach to ASUO programs and
projects are pluses. Although, Mellow's past participation in
ASUO projects hasn’t provided her with an extensive un
derstanding of the ASUO administration.
Kevin Kouns and C.J. Balfe are nearly equal in strengths
and weaknesses according to the Emerald s evaluation
Kouns, backed by Students for a Progressive Agenda (SPA is
an alliance of various IFC-funded programs and groups), is
the director of SEARCH. Kouns has done a commendable
job with SEARCH, turning a program that in November had
only 10 classes and 89 students enrolled — into a program
with 41 classes and over 1,000 students enrolled. That is a
testament to Kouns’ ability as an administrator — and the
ASUO president is oftentimes merely an administrator.
Kouns is also well-versed in lobbying — having experience in
Salem.
But Kouns, and SPA, appear to be too concerned with
the larger political issues (i.e., El Salvador, Reagan’s military
budget, et al). Realistically, the ASUO emphasis should be on
the concerns of the University and its students.
Balfe is the most qualified of the candidates. Balfe has
nearly a year of ASUO experience working with current
president Rich Wilkins. It can be said that he learned from
Wilkins’ mistakes. Next year is a legislative year and Balfe
has experience with the Oregon Student Lobby (OSL)
knowing some of the pitfalls to avoid when students lobby in
Salem. Balfe brings a consistency to student government. He
can step into the job and begin work right away.
The Emerald perceives that Balfe is the best of the
candidates and urges students to vote for him Wednesday
and Thursday.
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letters
Everyone sing
Tis the season to go through
rush,
Fah lah lah lah lah lah lah lah
lah,
Roam the streets with adoles
cent fervor,
Rah rah rah rah rah rah rah
rah rah,
Keep the old myth alive and
well,
Fah lah lah lah lah lah lah lah
lah.
Hide inside aristocratic
castles,
Rah rah rah rah rah rah rah
rah rah,
Please keep up the bawling
humor,
Fah lah lah lah lah lah lah lah
lah.
Marty Weinstein
senior, finance
IFC campaigner
In writing this letter I hope to
express to the students of the
University why I am running for
a position on the IFC. Last
Friday evening this newspaper
ran an "All Candidates Meet
ing” where they were given an
opportunity to present their
views on some of the major is
sues of the campaign. I was not
able to attend this meeting as I
have a part-time job. I am
disappointed that the Emerald
did not try to arrange a meeting
where more of the candidates
could have attended (The
attendance to my knowledge
was below 50 percent).
Next year will be a critical year
in the history of the University.
Enrollments will most likely
continue to decline and support
for higher education (SHE) will
continue to erode As a member
of the student government's
financial committee, I intend to
carry out the following program:
I will vote against any hike in
the incidental fee you pay as
part of your tuition Student
government should serve
students, not work against
them A raise in the fee would
put a totally unfair burden on
poor, working and/or already
hard-pressed minority students
— remember that any tuition
increase works as a regressive
burden
As an executive member of
the Jewish Student Union I
know that the ASUO has made it
difficult for organizations on
campus to raise their own
funds I will work towards the
elimination of all such barriers
and will try to make ASUO
facilities more accessible
The IFC must take a direct
money saving action to lessen
the budget cutting of cultural,
ethnic, and minority groups I
will fight for a 5-10 percent
across the board wage cut for
all ASUO paid positions (in
cluding the IFC) I am com
pletely opposed, however, to
any staff reductions or lay
offs Such actions are both
unfair to those who lose
their jobs and are wrong for
these tough economic times
As a member of the IFC, and
as a paid employee of your
student government, I intend to
work an average of 16-20 hours
a week on IFC This is the size of
the commitment I feel the
students of the University
should expect from their paid
representatives
The student government
should continue to fight for
higher eduction on all fronts
Blind criticism and empty rhe
toric are not enough in our fight
to preserve and improve our
school As a community of
knowledge and research we
must present to our government
in Salem and Washington crea
tive and resourceful solutions
We must keep in mind that we
are only one of the hundreds of
interest groups which vie for
attention and government
dollars
Douglas Green
Economic*
Douglas Green is in error
regarding the "All Candidates
Meeting" held Friday. The
Emerald did not sponsor the
meeting. The meeting was in
fact sponsored by the ASUO.
Grammatical
While I applaud the substance
of your April 8 editorial regard
ing the nuclear freeze
movement, the editorial's
impact was dampened by per
sistent grammatical errors The
call in Europe is not for unila
teral disarmament by the U S
and the Soviet Union; it is for
bilateral disarmament. The U S
plans to deploy Pershing
missiles, not Persching missiles
A nation squanders money for
its citizens; nations squander
money for their citizens
Farming the contaminated land
would be impossible, not im
possible to farm
In the questionnaire located
next to the nuclear freeze edi
torial, you omitted the most im
portant qualifications for joining
the Emerald staff: an inability to
use proper grammar or spelling,
along with consistent failure to
proofread one's writing
William Irvin
Law
staff
in* Oregon Dally Emerald l* publlthed
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Production 666-4361
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