opinion
OSPIRG constitution
case regrettable
The case against the Oregon Student Public Interest Group
to be heard by the ASUO Constitutional Court is regrettable on
a number of points.
The first regrettable point is that the student lodging the
case, Richard Burr, is adhering to the strict letter of the law
without adequately understanding that laws exist also in spirit.
The second is that Burr, by his own political posture, is infecting
an inherently beneficial organization with a pestilence of his
own.
The basis for Burr's case is the incidental fee funding
OSPIRG receives. University students voted during last spring's
election to fund the group $1 per student, per term, for two
years. This is a change from an annual vote for continued
OSPIRG funding.
Burr is taking the case to the constitutional court as an in
dividual. He is not affiliated with the national College
Republicans, nor with its chapter at the University. Yet, Burr's
tactics are right on-line with the conservative PIRG-busters in
that national group. Burr's strategy so far seems to be to break
OSPIRG by having the constitutional court declare it a
"political” organization and therefore making it unconstitu
tional for them to receive incidental fees.
According to Project Inform, a national conservative group
out to bust PIRGs, a campus anti-PIRG group or individual "can
pre-empt the whole problem by re-structuring the student fee
process. Some schools have passed resolutions outlawing any
student fee money going to any 'special interest' group." This
sounds suspiciously similar to Burr's case.
We wonder why PIRGs are the target? PIRGs are intended to
survey public opinion and aid voters and concerned citizens
with information to make an intelligent choice. PIRGs canvas for
issues of public concern. Oregon's "Lemon Law", protecting
new car buyers, was the result of OSPIRG lobbying efforts in the
Legislature. The ends don't justify the means, but within the
context of the PIRGs the ends are, for the most part, to the
greater good of the whole.
OSPIRG is the tip of the iceberg. The case also calls for a
review of the Survival Center and Students for a Nuclear Free
Future. The impact of Burr's case, if successful, would send
shockwaves through student groups on this campus and
perhaps the other campuses in the state system.
Why shockwaves? Student groups, like the Black Students
Union, Jewish Students Union and Moslem Students Union,
receiving incidental fee funds, would be scrutinized for any
political inclination. These groups could not stand without a
shadow of doubt in the glaring whiteness of Burr's criteria.
Burr has a point, however slim. Student groups receiving in
cidental fees should not be avowed to any political stance.
Although, Burr's rationale that political is "taking stance on
public issues" is an amusing generalization. Every public issue,
invariably, has a political side. It's naive to think that public
issues can be evaluated in a pristine non-political light.
Tsk tsk, sounds
kind of familiar
We are looking forward to the bi-weekly publication put out
by the ASUO, but we doubt it will be the fun-loving, tongue-in
cheek "yellow" publication we once knew as "Not the
Emerald." The ASUO is trying to give our disreputable past
publication a new set of clothes and a whole new respectability.
Mary Hope, ASUO publication coordinator, really hits the
nail on the head as far as this newspaper goes. According to
Hope "As a daily newspaper (so true), the Emerald can only
cover everyday stuff (too true, we bring you the 'everyday stuff'
everyday)." The ASUO publication will give more long-range
coverage and provide more "concept" reporting concerning its
programs.
We are very interested in reading "concept reporting" —
perhaps what it is will then become more clear.
Best of luck to the ASUO's bi-weekly publication, even
though the name sounds a little too familiar.
Oregon daily _ .
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald » published Monday through fn
day except Airing exam week and vacations, by the Oregon Daily
Emerald Publishing Co., at the University oi Oregon. Eugene. OR.
97403
The Emerald operates independently of the University with
offices on the third floor of the frb Memorial Union and is a
member of the Associated Press
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letters
Crime free
On behalf of the students who
hold office hours at Taylor's, I
would like to inform you that the
University was declared an official
"Crime Free Zone" in a Taylor
wide election last night. The
measure was approved by 100 per
cent of the inebriated patrons.
The measure prohibits the
"planning, attempting, or the ex
ecution of any form of criminal ac
tivity" on campus. Any other
research involving the criminal
element is also prohibited.
We request that the University
campus be officially and per
manently removed from the
criminal target list and the Univer
sity security force be abolished, as
we pose no threat to other
peoples and do not feel secure or
protected by their weapons.
We denounce the use of and
threatened use of weapons as a
defense.
We believe that this declaration
and our request to be removed
from the target list of criminals
will contribute to individual and
campus life and security.
If other taverns, universities and
cities will make such a declara
tion, I beleive that not only will
crime be eliminated but
thousands of dollars can by saved
with the abolishment of law en
forcement agencies.
We trust that you criminals will
give this your immediate attention
as this is a matter of local and na
tional importance.
William Wright
business, management
English?
In regards to "Student
challenges OSPIRG's funding," on
the Emerald's front page Sept. 28,
I would like to ask who taught
English to Frank Shaw, Emerald
news editor. Brooks Dareff, night
editor and the copy-editors. The
plural words, "complaints" and
"Republicans" do not require
apostrophes. Periods should be
placed inside quotation marks,
not outside them. No journalism
professor, and especially no prac
ticing editor, would accept the
opinionated 44-word lead that was
printed.
By the way, Richard Burr's com
plaints are like those in other
states, not "indicative" of them.
Dane Claussen
senior, journalism
Solomon
I feel compelled to point out
some factual errors in your
editorial concerning the Solomon
Amendment. The Amendment re
quires that any person who
wishes to receive financial aid of
any sort certify that they have
complied with the regulations of
the Military Selective Service Act
(MSSA) or that they are exempt
from its provisions for one of a
number of reason. This, in
essence, requires a person to cer
tify, under penalty of law, that
they are not guilty of the crime of
non registration and to provide in
formation that will allow that cer
tification to be checked against
Selective Service records. Any per
son who refuses to so certify is to
be punished, without any
recourse.
In additon to the violations of
Constitutional right that occur as
a result of the requirements
discussed above, the entire finan
cial burden of enforcement is
placed upon the already strained
University budget. The Financial
Aid office sent out over 6000 let
ters, had an additional table at the
registration, and suffered an in
creased and unnecessary burden
of paperwork as a direct result of
this Amendment and its
regulations.
On balance, the Solomon
Amendment has caused mass
violation of well established legal
rights, unnecessary financial
burdens on colleges and univer
sities, and personal dislocations
for many people.
William Kittredge
director, OSA
Overplayed
Judging from the Sept. 28 article
on the OSPIRG case, I have been
linked — not too well — with a
subversive organization. The arti
cle harps constantly on possible
links but never proves them. The
questions were fair but
overplayed.
One would think, because of
the article, that the case matches
Rich Burr, with the enormous
monetary resources of the College
Republican National Committee,
against the small, helpless
OSPIRG, which is just trying to
make a living on the public
payroll. In fact, I have prepared
the case alone with scant help,
while OSPIRG can fall back on its
resources of tens of thousand of
dollars and numerous staff people
and helpers.
College Republicans at this
University, to my knowledge,
have never been unlawful or
malicious. Reporter Jim Moore
fails to explain the "less-than
ethical" tactics used in the 1972
presidential campaign by national
College Republicans and their
relevance to this case, although
the point was thrown in the lead
sentence.
I'm glad that guilt-by-less-than
substantial-association journalism
does not exist on campus.
Why was not the case brought
up before? Because I was an
associate editor of student
government for the Emerald at the
time and still was bound by the
bonds of objectivity.
On another note, ASUO Pres.
Mary Hotchkiss is sadly mistaken
if she thinks students approved a
nuclear-free-zone measure last
year. Former Pres. C.J. Balfe an
nounced that it was just a poll
question to gather student
response, just as questions on the
quarter and semester systems
were intended to gather student
input.
Now, this does not mean that
students should go running for
the bomb shelters, even though
Yuri Andropov, who apparently is
bound by University measures,
still is free to bomb the University,
despite Hotchkiss' attempt to
calm the masses. Why bomb a
university with an expensive
warhead when the Soviet army
can round up all the passive
resisters on the streets and throw
them in jail? Not that such a
nuclear-free-zone measure would
have much weight in a country
that shoots down unarmed
civilian airliners.
Richard Burr
senior, political science
journalism
Continued on Page 3
Correction
A name was inadvertently
left off the letter entitled
"Dear, Yuri" published in
the Emerald Sept. 28. Bar
bara McCarthy, of Students
for a Nuclear Free Future,
also authored the letter to
Pres. Ronald Reagan and
Soviet Pres. Yuri Andropov.
We regret the ommission.