Wednesday, April 21, 1982
Eugene, Oregon
Oregon daily
Volume 83
Number 135
emerald
1 "" I
Draws laughs from media
Anti-drug ad law posed
By Michel* Matassa
Onht EmmrtkS
It's a solution to a "disease of epidemic
proportion." says Joe Wilson, of Oregonians
Cooperating to Reduce Drug Abuse while Barrie
Hartman, maganaging editor of the Eugene Regis
ter-Guard, says it's a "ridiculous move."
"It" is an ordinance, promoted by Wilson’s
organization, which would require all media in Lane
County — print, broadcast and billboard — to run ads
educating the public on drug abuse The ads would
contain information such as intoxication/weight
relationships and use/abuse differences and would
be paid for by the media, Wilson says
He describes the proposal as a sort of an equal
time requirement, offsetting ads that promote drugs.
"I really believe we are being brainwashed to
accept drugs in our society," Wilson says
Alcohol and tobacco in particular have become
socially acceptable and often abused because of
advertising, he says. "To me, legal-drug promotion is
the leading cause of drug abuse," says Wilson
The organization is in its preliminary stage now,
waiting for media response to an announcement of
the proposal. Next, Wilson will contact various
religious, medical and drug abuse groups through
out the county to solicit their support. Finally, the
organization will take the proposal to the county
government, he says
Education is the key to reducing abuse. Wilson
says The public doesn't realize the extent to which
people abuse drugs like alcohol For example, he
says, alcohol will kill more Americans in the next five
years than all the wars the United States has fought.
"If smallpox were the epidemic, people would be
outraged,” he says
Hartman says educational advertising “has no
effect" on abuse People don't stop smoking
because of the warning on all cigarette ads and
packages, he says
The ordinance would require each medium to
print a certain number of educational ads based on
its circulation and the amount of "drug-promoting"
ads it runs Wilson explains this method would not
only inform the public about abuse, but also may
encourage the media to run fewer ads promoting
drugs.
Each medium would pay for the ads, a plan
Wilson considers more fair than a tax surcharge. "I
don't think the taxpayer should have to pay for
something other people (the media) are making
money out of," he says
Wilson suggests the media charge drug adver
tisers — including local bars and national alcohol
and cigarette companies — higher rates. In effect,
the businessmen would pay, Wilson says.
Although the proposal aims to regulate the
media, most local journalists don’t feel threatened.
Hartman and Rick Cavagnaro of KPNW radio
laugh about the proposal, relaxing behind the First
Amendment, which states Congress shall make no
law abridging the freedom of the press "
"He doesn't understand the Constitution,”
Hartman says "I never took the thing seriously at all
because it's so absurd."
Instead of clashing with the media, Wilson
hopes to see the community cooperating to "put
illegal drug pushers out of business and. control
legal drug pushers.”
However, Wilson anticipates media resistance.
"If editorial staffs want to blast us, that's fine.” he
says. "I think we could survive it. But it would be a lot
better if we could work together. "
Despite mild reservations concerning the First
Amendment, Wilson expects the ordinance to pass,
just as a bill limiting the sale of smoking parapher
nalia did in the Oregon State Legislature irv
November.
He's banking success on the conscience of the
public. “I’m in business," he says. "I give to charities
and support the community.”
If the proposal doesn't pass, Wilson says his
efforts wouldn't be in vain. "If we are defeated, I still
will be standing there election day saying we won
because of the debate we caused,” he says. “Media
will have their consciousness raised through this.
Maybe drug abuse ads will start up."
GTFs may talk pay deferment
The Graduate Teaching Fellows' Federation
decided to let its voting members decide whether an
article of their contract should be re-opened Tuesday
night Re-opening the contract would allow the GTFF
and the University administration to discuss deferring a
scheduled pay increase for six months.
Last week, the University proposed that the GTFF
re-open its contract and defer a 5.5 percent salary
increase from July 1, 1982 to March 1, 1983 The
University also proposed that a 1 percent increase
scheduled for May 1, 1983 be increased to 3 percent
"We need to save 3 2 percent of our base budget
Photo by Mark Pynas
Some members are concerned that the GTFs might be
bearing the brunt of the deficit.
for GTFs — this does it exactly,” said Shirley Menaker,
the University’s contract administrator for the renego
tiation
The dollar amount that each GTF would lose as a
result of the six-month deferrment ranges from $153 to
$183, depending on the GTFs Full-time Equivalency
If the GTFF decides against re-opening their
contract, the University would have to make-up the
deficit by laying off 3.2 percent of the GTFs, Menaker
said
About 25 members who attended the meeting,
talked over several suggestions of alternative methods
to deal with the shortfall One member suggested that
all teaching GTFs be pushed back to 15 FTE (the
minimum for a tuition waiver.) Another suggested that
upcoming vacancies not be re-appointed
A member of the audience asked Menaker if she
could "guarantee that (the GTFs) would not go through
the same thing next fall.” Menaker replied “I can not
guarantee anything I can't guarantee the University will
even be here next fall.”
The federation voted unanimously that the issue
should be put before the membership in a ballot some
time next week About 110 GTF members must vote to
validate the election
While most of the conversation leaned to accepting
the University's proposal to re-open the contract, a few
dissenting voices were heard
Some of the membership also voiced concern that
the GTFs might be bearing the brunt of the deficit.
“I think we should behave like a union, ask (the
administration) to open their books and see where else
they're saving,” said Aliza Keddem, a GTF i i women’s
studies. "At least we ll know if we re getting '-crewed.”
Photo by David Coray
Gary Lewis, alto saxophonist for Professor Jeff Wil
liams ' Jazz Lab I, was the image of cool last night. Jazz
Lab I played at the jazz marathon from 9:00 -10:50 p.m.
Some like
it hot
There’s still time to catch the end of 24 hours of jazz
music in the EMU dining room which began Tuesday at
noon.
A total of twelve different bands combined to make
a "little musical explosion,” according to Mike Martin,
president of the University student chapter of the
National Association of Jazz Educators who sponsored
the event in conjuction with the EMU cultural forum.
Local businesses sponsored an hour of the mar
athon to help pay for expenses, but they are still losing
money. "We certainly didn't do this to make money,"
says Martin. "We just wanted to get the bands out so the
students will know they exist. They all seemed to enjoy
it. It may have been a little loud for them, but for the most
part they seemed to enjoy hearing jazz."
Jazz continues through today at noon. Jim O’Dell
and Jazz Lab II play from 7:00 to 9:50 a.m., Mark Wells
and friends play from 10:00 to 10:50 a m. and the
Emerald Dixieland Jazz Ensemble (EDJE) finishes the
marathon, playing from 11:00 a m. to 12:00 p.m.