I
Short-sighted system
Wanted: Congress to bail out a system that is overex
tended and shortsighted
The Social Security System had to borrow for the first
time in 47 years last month to meet $1 billion in payments.
November s cash flow problem is forecast to grow to $60,
$100 or even $200 billion in this decade
A bi-partisan Social Security Commission issued options
this week to a Congress torn on what to do — increase
revenue, curb benefits or tax social security income
The commission made numerous grab bag suggestions
that can be put into two categories: gouge the current
contributors or gouge the current beneficiaries
For the present wage-earners, the choices are to raise
Social Security withholding tax to 7 65 percent, force
government and non-profit employees to join, remove the tax
ceiling, implement a gasoline tax or increase the taxes of the
self-employed
For the beneficiaries, the options are: pay income tax on
amounts received more than contributed, readjust receiver’s
tax brackets or delay, change or eliminate cost-of-living
hikes.
There are already plans to meet some of the shortfalls
with payroll tax increases Realizing that the elderly can not
exist currently on pensions that do not take inflation into
account, solutions to the Social Security problem should
consider the need of future receivers
Undoubtedly Congress will adopt some mishmashed
compromise The Commission is torn on whether to ad
vocate a short-term or long-term solution
But it looks like those entering the job market will
contribute 40 or more years of income which will never be
recovered in payments
When the baby boom reaches retirement age the drain
on the government will be tremendous. The silver cloud is
that by the year 2020 they just may have come up with a
fiscally sound system
opinion
Seeking work
Able, willing and seeking
work" applies to as many as 15
million baffled and increasingly
angry Americans, The phrase
appears in the Full Employment
and Balanced Growth Act of
1978 (Title 15 of the United
States Code, Section 3116)
Under that Act, the President
can initiate a massive program
of public works, retraining and
other ways of putting people
back to work and increasing our
nation’s productivity
You can bet that President
Reagan will not use his powers
under this Act unless
Democrats give him that mes
sage Even then, he may drag
his feet until the clamor from
Lafayette Park and the Mall
penetrates to the Oval Office
and the White House living
quarters just as it did on issues
like civil rights and the Vietnam
War for other Presidents.
Charles O. Porter
Eugene
Surely a jest
Who is Scott Williams, and
what century is he living in? I
read his Nov. 11 letter to the
editor and was appalled I am
sorry he was hit in the face "with
a plastic bowling pin", but it is
difficult to be very sympathetic
when he advocates harassment
of others, even the jugglers, and
proposes such stereotypical
thinking (i.e. long-hair hippies,
hippies-faggots, faggots-awful)
His letter is particularly ap
palling in view of his claim to be
a junior journalism major Surely
he jests! Can it possibly be that
he has remained so thoroughly
ignorant after two years of a
college education, or so
evidently bigoted while pursu
ing a degree in a field that, at
least nominally, demands
objectivity? I'll wager Williams is
not even a student; he must be
here for the beer
Anne Wyatt
senior,pre-journalism
womens' studies
' I PONt APPROIE OF THIS WHOt£ ACT—TOO KEMEMgER THAT''
Pessimism
! was amused by Michael
Morrow's pessimism. If he puts
signs up for candidates, they
get destroyed. If he votes for the
‘'right” candidate, Atiyeh wins.
Sounds like the lyrics for a blues
number.
Through the observance of
America's freedom of choice, I
can choose to put on my head
phones to Michael Morrow's
pessimism; it is as enlightening
as the Pioneer Cemetery. So
what if I drain my dad of his
million? Tuition is like an up
elevator with my dad pushing
the buttons Actually he sends
me money for a worthy cause; I
will not have to sulk during the
night in a cave with a group of
socialists Money is fun and
comforting; I can buy textbooks
I can spend it on supporting a
candidate and spend my time
putting up lawn signs
Time and the Cro-Magnons
may destroy your symbol of
freedom but time is on my
side,” but of course
Get happy, Michael, the elec
tions are not the end of the poli
tical process. Maybe two years
from now your candidate will
win
James Kirkland
Against grain
Apart from its appropriately
semi-illiterate aspect, a
letter from Rick Galliher
contained a glaring contra
diction, and a not uncommon
misconception The contradic
tion warrants no more than
repetition to demonstrate how
confused was Galliher s rea
soning He said, ' Everyone
should have the right not to
register” and "I would like to
declare my support of the U S
governments's decision to pros
ecute and incarcerate these
people '
The misconception lay in his
apparent acceptance of the na
tionalistic line of pap that there
is something unpatriotic, even
un-American, about draft resis
tance On the contrary, a strong
objection to involuntary servi
tude has been part of this
country’s popular ethic since its
independence was established
by a volunteer army and
especially since the civil war
Conscription is not only mor
ally objectionable, it goes
against the grain of freedom
loving Americans.
The present government s re
establishment of draft registra
tion for 18 to 22 year olds —
those too young to have a clear
memory of the cost of the unde
clared, unpopular, and unjus
tified Vietnam war and how it
was resisted; young enough,
perhaps, to have not yet learned
firmly that as adults they have
the obligation, as well the right,
to decide for themselves when
to kill and offer themselves to be
killed — was one of the xrass—
examples of American political
pragmatism in recent history
A draft register does as much
to "preserve our way of life" or
"defend freedom in the western
world" as any U S Marine
Kyle DeBord
Wasting time
This letter is in response to
the article in Tuesday's Emerald
which was about the seventeen
member citizen's group that
filed a lawsuit that protests the
naming of the performing arts
center
Many more important things
exist than wasting ones time on
a lawsuit of this kind These
"citizens" should complain
about the economy, the non
passage of the equal rights
amendment, or the effects of a
nuclear war
The people who initiated the
lawsuit should be honored that
"their" performing arts center
was given $3 million extra in
which to operate, instead of be
ing angry about the fact that
Eugene is not in the name of the
center.
Although the following was
not a factor (according to the
donors) in the Hult's decision.
I'm sure that if any of these ci
tizens donated this large
amount of money to a center,
the benefactor would want the
center named after them.
Considering two of the points
argued, that the “defendant
failed to give at least twenty-four
hours notice of the meeting
and “the notice given by the
defendant failed to adequately
inform news media,” is the reai
issue that the “citizens didn't
get a vote,” or is it that the
lawsuit initiators are jealous of
the Hults because they didn't
have $3 million to donate?
Manny Hernandez
freshman, theatre
Well-done, but
First, congratulations to you
and your staff for generally fine
and thorough election coverage
— before and after It was well
done, and hopefully cured some
apathy
But was it necessary for you
to mention what clothes Margie
Hendriksen was wearing to
Harris Hall that night? Margie is
a fine legislator who ran a
strong and efficient campaign
for Senate District 40 s seat It is
important to her constituents
that she will be in Salem working
for us It is not important that
she wore a blue cocktail dress
on the night of her victory.
Or if it is important to know
that, is it also important to know
that George Wingard wore a
brown tweed blazer, or Ross
Anthony a navy blue one?
Please, women in positions of
authority are important, but it is
not for their outfits Continuing
to make fashion reports on them
aids neither their credibility nor
yours
Kathryn Olney
Office of the Librarian
Oregon daily
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letters policy
The Emeiald will attempt to print all letters containing fair
comment on topics of Interest to the University community
tetters to the editor 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 office The Emerald reserves
the right to edit any letter for length, style or content
Vour turn' is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by
members of the University community. "Vour turns" must be
limited to 500 words and typed This editorial column will not
be edited by the staff, but selection will be based on appro
priateness
Letters to the editor and "Your turns" should be turned into
the Emerald office, Suite 300 EMU
Unsigned editorials appearing in the Emerald are based
upon the majority opinion of the editorial board
Friday, November 12,1982