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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1983)
State System budget studied By Michele Matassa Of ttw EnxraU Tfie State System of Higher Education probably will sustain $4 to $8 million in cuts before its budget process is completed, according to a House Ways and Means Education Subcommittee member. But apparently the committee — which works on the biggest portion of the budget today — isn’t just taking higher education, chewing it up, and spit ting it out. Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, says the $4 million is a figure agreed upon by members of the House Revenue Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, and the state system. And Monroe thinks the cut will be closer to $4 million. Tuition is one budget item that should fare well today, as the subcommittee deals with the allocation to colleges and universities, he says. “From the hearings and the discussions we've had I feel very strongly that the committee’s going to support the governor’s recommendation that tuition be frozen,” Monroe says. The subcommittee also is "looking favorably” at Gov. Vic Atiyeh’s recommendation to “beef up high tech," he says. “Higher ed won’t be cut any more than other departments are being cut, human ser vices and so on." Some of these cuts are due to a recent discovery of an unexpected shortfall in the general budget, Monroe says. The House Revenue Committee discovered Fri day a $68 million shortfall in what members thought was a balanced budget, so additional cuts must be made. The $4 million estimation is the higher educa tion department’s “share of reduction taken by all state departments," says a press aide to Sen. Ed Fadeley, D-Eugene. Monroe blames the shortfall on decreased revenue from corporate taxes. Corporate tax revenues are "coming in” slower than expected, causing a $22 million decrease in projected revenue. Also, because of declining interest rates, the Legislature will gain $40 million less revenue than ex pected from a continued tax adopted during the 1982 special session. Despite the discovered shortfall, legislative fiscal officer Bill Barrows doesn’t contest Monroe’s optimism for higher education’s outlook. "It looks like a pattern is developing and it’s one that is very protective of the colleges and univer sities,” Barrows says. He adds that so far the sub committee is supporting Atiyeh’s $560 million recommendation for higher education. Faculty salary adjustment was passed from the subcommittee to another Ways and Means subcom mittee on salaries, which dealr with all state agency salary adjustments, he says. Apparently, Barrows is right about a developing pattern of support for higher education. Fadeley’s press aide says “Senator Fadeley has vowed to continue to fight to hold the remainder of the restoration funds,” and a legislative aide for Rep. Grattan Kerans, D-Eugene, said the House Speaker still wants to “restore some of the damage that's been done.” Housing director named V.P. The University will ask the State Board of Higher Education to approve the appointment of Daniel Williams as vice president for administration, the Emerald learned Tuesday night. Williams, 42, is a 1962 Universi ty graduate and a native of Astoria, Ore. He was associate dean of students and director of Stanford University’s student union from 1973 to 1980, when he returned to the University as director of housing, the position he now holds. Williams will replace Ray Hawk, who retired Dec. 31 after 32 years of service. The appoint ment begins July 1. He began his professional career in 1963 as counselor supervisor and later assistant director of dormitories at the University. In 1967, he was ap pointed assistant dean of students at Stanford and filled various assignments before be ing promoted to associate dean for residential education in 1970 and union director three years later. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in political science, Williams has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco and has taken additional studies in law and industrial relations. He also the 1961-62 ASUO president. As housing director, he has been responsible for administer ing a $7 million budget and a staff of 275 career and student staff members. His new position will involve administering areas ranging from the physical plant to the student health center. Williams has served on numerous committees since 1980, including the President’s Committee on Retention, the President’s Committee on Academic Planning, and various search committees. He also has been a University representative to a state system coalition for Dan Williams labor contract negotiations. A member of Rotary in Eugene, Williams was active in communi ty affairs in the Palo Alto, Calif, area, including service on downtown revitalization and fair housing boards. Lane voters reject two tax levies From Emerald and Associated Praia Report* Lane County voters Tuesday re jected two of three major levies facing them in special elections — despite heavy advertising ad vocating the proposals. Voters rejected, 27,180-14,516, the proposed $6.25 million levy aimed at patching together Lane County’s ailing general services budget, according to unoff'cial final results. But voters approved, 11,219-6,047, a $190,588 levy fun ding free parking in downtown Eugene through a tax on area pro perty owners. In other measures, voters turn ed down, 24,774-16,724, a $425,800 levy that would have maintained a county bookmobile service for residents outside city library ser vice areas. Voter turn-out was almost 32%, elections officials said. Margaret Mahoney, county general administrator, had said late last week that the county’s already sparse law enforcement and court system would be cut even further by a defeat of the ma jor levy. Almost 100 workers will lose their jobs, she said. Other departments hit by cuts would include public health, general administration, land management, assessment, finance and management, and the county commissioners, Mahoney said. Voters statewide gave a mostly chilly reception to ballot measures seeking money for schools and county governments. Incomplete returns late in the evening showed most measures to raise property taxes across the state were defeated decisively. Non-money matters had mixed reactions. Most large school districts who went to voters seeking money were turned down, said Larry Austin, a spokesman for the state Department of Education. Austin said Corvallis was the only large district where passage of a school levy seemed assured. State School Superintendent Verne Duncan attributed the poor showing to “voter uncertainty” about what type of tax package would emerge from the 1983 Legislature. “And I can understand why all those people wouldn’t want to put their money down right now,” Dun can said. In Josephine County, a $3.1 million levy was headed for a near ly 3-1 defeat. In Jackson County, voters rejected a $3.8 million levy by almost 2-1. Curry County voters rejected a $438,000 levy by nearly 2-1. Street Faire set to open Food and crafts booths will dot the closed-off section of 13th Street Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for the ASUO-sponsored Spring Street Faire. Students and faculty may browse through the booths of such refreshment sellers as "The Great Falafel” and student political groups’ tables from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Fees from the merchants and other unregistered University groups go into a fund controlled by ihe ASUO president’s office. Reagan promises to veto any spending increases WASHINGTON (AP) — President Reagan said Tuesday night “it is time to draw the line” in his budget battle with Congress and vowed to veto any bill that would raise taxes while the na tion is emerging from recession. Fielding questions at his 17th formal news conference, Reagan posted the same warning against spending in creases that might “rekindle the fires of inflation and high interest rates.” Reagan is confronting Republicans as well as Democrats as Congress works to complete a fiscal 1984 budget that cuts deficits below his own plan. In an effort to trim deficits below the $189 billion level proposed by Reagan, the Democrat-controlled House has ap proved a plan calling for a $30 billion tax increase in fiscal 1984. The Senate still is trying to break a deadlock over the size of a new tax increase. Reagan told reporters he’d wait and see whether to accept the virtually cer tain vote of Congress to repeal the withholding of income taxes from in terest and dividend payments. Earlier he had threatened to veto repeal, but he said now, “I understand there's talk of a compromise. I'm going to wait and Pres. Ronald Reagan see what they come up with on the Hill.” On other points, the president: • Said “a pretty good hatchet job has been done on us,” as to his ad tion’s concern for problems facing black Americans. Reagan said he believes the federal government has an obligation to protect constitutional rights “at point of bayonet if necessary." He hasn’t abandoned black voters, Reagan said, adding, “I have perfect confidence of our chances if we could get the truth to them.” • Declined to say whether he will reappoint Paul Volcker as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. • Said "We have great suspicion” that the Soviet Union has violated arms control agreements by testing new missiles, "but we don’t have solid evidence.” He said the United States is not sure this is the same weapon or that they’re testing two weapons... but we have reason to believe they are in violation of the SALT agreement.” • Reaffirmed his optimism that Syria will eventually withdraw from Lebanon despite its hostile attitude toward the Lebanese-lsraeli accord. He noted that Syria has promised to pull out its forces once the Israelis agree to leave. In addition, he said, a number of other Arab countries are urging Syria to withdraw, adding, "I don’t think Syria wants to be alone, separated from its allies.” • Said his message to Nicaragua is that if that nation will “quit trying to subvert your neighbors, we’ll talk all kinds of relations with you.” He said the United States is not trying to over throw the Sandinista government, and that if Nicaragua will mind its own business, it can get along with all the other American states. • Said that he received no recom mendation for the pardoning of Watergate figures other than Eugenio R. Martinez, convicted as one of the burglars who entered Democratic Party headquarters in 1972. He said Martinez was not a ringleader and hadn't com mitted a crime before, adding: “He served his sentence and since then he has lived up to the full extent of the law... so we pardoned him.” Jeb Stuart Magruder and E. Howard Hunt had sought pardons for their Watergate convictions, but Reagan said he received no such recommendations. In an opening statement, Reagan said he was “gratified that a bipartisan consensus on arms control is emerg ing." Earlier in the day, the House Ap propriations Committee heeded Reagan's lobbying and voted 30-26 to permit development and testing of the MX missile. Reagan told the news con ference: “I look forward to prompt ap proval by both the House and Senate."
