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Looks like another budget deficit for Atiyeh
The odds, being touted by Gov. Vic Atiyeh,
are 50-50 that he'll be forced to call a special
session of the Legislature this summer to handle
another deficit in the state's budget. This will be
the fourth such session to be called during
Atiyeh’s term as Oregon’s governor.
Last week Atiyeh made public the preliminary
figures on the status of Oregon’s economy, which,
according to the figures appears to be headed into
an indeterminable deficit. Atiyeh and his Council
of Economic Advisers will be meeting today to
analyze the figures and guess the size of the
budget deficit. It’s expected to be between $30
million and $100 million. The last time the Legis
lature met in special session it was to handle a
predicted revenue shortfall of $213.7 million,
which then grew by $100 million. That leaves little
room for faith in preliminary budget figures.
The blame for this deficit is being put on lower
tax collections and the lack of significant im
provement in the economy. Those are the primary
factors on the state and federal level in the budget
shortfall. But, myopic leadership can’t be over
looked.
What's got Atiyeh worried is a decline in the
average weekly wage and continuing high unem
ployment. The federal deficit is also important —
as the larger the federal deficit the less chance
interest rates, already exorbitantly high, will come
down. The high interest rates are considered
responsible for the depression in the construction
and timber industries.
The gnarly finger of blame is being thrust in
every direction. Chang Sohn, Oregon's econ
ometrician, cites the delay of Congress’ passage
of the federal budget as the stumbling block
postponing by three months Oregon’s "economic
turnaround."
Atiyeh may not have to call a special session if
the size of the deficit is between $30 to $40 million.
Apparently, Atiyeh says no major policy decision
win need to be made to handle a deficit in this
range But, historically, deficits rarely remain in so
manageable a range.
Lawmakers in the Legislature are hoping
Atiyeh will allow them an active role in making
budget decisions on this latest budget deficit.
They want to avoid another lengthy and bitter
battle. A lengthy and bitter struggle appears
inevitable once Atiyeh announces his
countermeasures. If there are more cuts in higher
education and essential services — which is more
than likely — the fight will be on.
This fourth budget deficit points out, once
again, that Atiyeh is not ' leading'' Oregon toward
an economically secure future. He is not leading at
all — he is only reacting, and reacting badly.
letters
No on measure 3
Oregonians will soon vote on Bond Measure no. 3,
a request for $60 million for the expansion of existing
jail and prison facilities to alleviate overcrowding. This
figure is deceiving for it is exclusive of interest rates,
operation costs and inflation.
Construction of new facilities requires three to four
years According to Robert Watson, Administrator of
Corrections, this delay would increase the cost per
(maximum security) cell from $65,000 to $161,700
Aside from the greater cost, any delay offers little to
relieve overcrowding Operating costs are the most
expensive, with the initial cost of constructing a medium
security facility being matched every four to five years
To Oregonians this would mean $120 million over 10
years and $960 million over 30 years. Oregon cannot
afford these enormous sums when there are daily
accounts of budget cuts in education, community
services and law enforcement.
Oregon incarcerates so many persons it ranks
among the highest third of all states Our nation detains
over 550,000 people behind the walls of 6,980 correc
tional facilities. Few countries impose harsher sen
tences than the United States, and only South Africa
and Russia imprison more people. Despite these dis
turbing facts people of Oregon, of our nation, do not
feel safe; crime flourishes and so does the public's fear
Expanding existing correctional institutions is not the
best solution.
Voters of New York, Michigan and Rhode Island
opposed similar bond measures forcing these states to
explore more immediate and cost efficient solutions to
the dilemma of overcrowding
Oregonians can do to the same. Vote no on mea
sure 3.
Lon Pierce
People lor Prison Alternatives
W. 23rd Eugene
Poverty
There has been a great deal of conjecture about
where our dear President may have gained the inspira
tion for his domestic social programs. After perusing
the local libraries and scouring the ample bookshelves
of friends, I believe I have found the basis for his
argument. Our fine President, no doubt attracted by an
appeal to his family ancestors and being of fine Irish
stock, found that Jonathan Swift’s ‘ Modest Proposal"
would be an ideal model for the solution of the nation's
poverty.
Being a man of traditional values, he would most
naturally be attracted to a proposal written in 1792
'REU6I0US B5ETXW? WHY, WE'RE EVEN CONSIDERING BUNGING BACK COWUSOW fWNER IN SCHOOLS.'
Although this ingenious proposal was never im
plemented by His Majesty’s Government, he apparently
feels that there is no time like the present Since slavery
is once again coming into vogue among the gentility of
Georgia and Beverly Hills, it is most natural to follow
these trend-setters and develop a method by which the
poor and destitute may become active members of the
economy through the sale of their children for
slaughter
In order to escape criticism from the powerful lobby
of agriculturalists, he would propose that this under
taking be not labeled as the development of new
agricultural commodities but as national defense By
reinstituting the draft, he would lend credence to his
most holy 'safety net" by leading those destitute babes
to slaughter, not on foreign soil (that would smack of
imperialism) but on the butcher blocks of our fine
Eastern cities which are already overcrowded by the
little beggars
One need not question the reasoning behind our
Chief Executive's decision, he is but following that high
level of logic established by the American people who
so wisely elected an actor for President Now, having
given light to the President's ideas, I would encourage
the nation's financial leaders to capitalize on this
new-found opportunity before losing it to those fierce
foreign competitors they are so fearful of
Fraaman Paina
Columbia St. Eugana
r
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