opinion
Democrats deliver
expected package
Surprises often are nice to receive, but sometimes the
expected makes the best gift. Such is the case with the
package delivered from San Fransisco Wednesday — the
awaited announcement of the Walter Mondale-Geraldine
Ferraro ticket.
We applaud the Democrats’ choice because it’s high
time a woman was part of a major ticket. More importantly
to the nation, however, it appears this combination might
well be the Democrats’ best shot at unseating Pres. Ronald
Reagan.
It’s almost unfortunate that Ferraro is a woman, for that
undoubtedly will become her most notable characteristic.
She is, regardless of gender, a quality, viable candidate.
Mondale said he would select the most qualified running
mate and he did.
The presence of Ferraro adds an air of mystery to
November’s election. Political prognosticators rely heavily
on past trends to make predictions and Ferraro removes that
luxury. While no one can say for sure what affect she will
have, some of the possibilities she brings with her bode well
for the Democrats.
Ferraro may tap the huge resource of women voters. If
all eligible women registered and voted in a block they
could elect the candidate of their choice.
Certainly, that will not happen but, according to
statistics, there are millions of women who ignore the voting
process. Those women that are drawn to the November polls
won’t be drawing the curtain to punch Reagan’s name on
their ticket.
Add that influx of voters to an expected increase in the
turnout of blacks and other minorities, courtesy of the Rev.
Jesse Jackson, and the gap between Reagan and Mondale
narrows even before Mondale and Ferraro begin campaign
ing. Further, Hart’s call for a unanimous nomination on
Wednesday, Jackson’s stirring, tear-provoking unity speech
on Tuesday and New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s rousing
keynote speech Monday appear to have pulled together the
factions of the Democratic party.
The Republicans have long profited from the very fact
that the Democrats represent so many views. The
Republicans have profited by accusing the Democrats of be
ing so broad-based that they wind up representing no one.
Yet, it has become increasingly clear that it is the
Republicans who represent much too small a portion of this
country’s population. It is the Republicans who have shut
out too many voices from their party.
With the apparent uniting of the Democratic party, the
anticipated increase in voter turnout and the viability of the
Mondale-Ferraro ticket, it just may be that Reagan will find
himself unemployed. For America’s sake, we hope so.
Learning to delegate
will lead to success
Delegation is one of the more important words in an
elected official’s vocabulary, and it pertains to more than a
group of semi-crazed, placard-waving delegates. It also
means one person assigning another person the authority to
act on their behalf — to trust someone with responsibility.
An elected official who cannot delegate usually fails
because the job, whatever it is, usually requires more
decision-making, more paper-shuffling and more red tape
than one person can handle.
There are quiet rumblings emanating from Suite 4 that
ASUO Pres. Julie Davis is doing little delegating, that she’s
personally involved in virtually all executive decisons.
Since many of those decisions are made informally and not
in public meetings, we can’t be sure those claims are correct.
But that there are rumblings-at all is enough to create
concern.
Davis is not only the ASUO president, she also is a
third-term law student and recently became the chair of the
Oregon Student Lobby. Each of these tasks is a full-time job
in itself. Unless she delegates, Davis probably will flounder.
It might be argued that because of the mellow tempo on
campus in the summer Davis can afford all-out involvement,
that she can wait for the crush of fall to begin delegating.
However, delegating and carrying out delegation are not like
some dice game that can be mastered in a flash; they are
more like an art form that must be repeated and practiced.
We are confident that Davis has the ability to excel in
her job. We’re confident that she has surrounded herself
with a capable staff and we are confident that she could
delegate and succeed. But the Suite 4 rumblings make us
wonder if all that will come to pass.
We hope Davis succeeds; if she delegates she wil(l.
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letters
Opposes plan
I am a member of the design
committee for the proposed
Sixth and Seventh avenue
widening project between
Washington and High streets in
Eugene.
After six months of meetings
focusing on finding ways to
mitigate potential negative im
pacts to the pedestrian character
of the street, community valued
trees and adjacent businesses, I
stand opposed to the project.
We have been working under
the assumption that the propos
ed widening will improve traf
fice flow. Last January, in its
editorial, the Register-Guard
supported the proposed widen
ing, claiming that failure to pro
ceed would be selling Eugene's
future short. 1 srongly disagree.
As a professional planner and
educator whose work has been
strongly oriented to progressive
development, 1 believe this pro
posed widening proposal is the
wrong solution to the traffic
situation. The traffic planning
models used by state and city
engineering staff give us the im
pression that traffic flow
through the corridor will be
vastly improved by an addi
tional lane of traffic. Their
analyses, in my view, fail to
consider the weakest link in the
transportation chain — that is
the approaches and exits to the
Ferry and Washington street
bridges. Congestion at these
points caused by accidents and
r
vehicular break-downs stymies
traffic flow, reducing Sixth and
Seventh to being akin to an
automotive reservoir.
After making several on site
analyses under various weather
and time conditions and
reviewing materials given by
the state and city, I am convinc
ed now, more than ever, that the
proposal to widen Sixth and
Seventh avenues would be a ter
ribly expensive and wasteful
mistake at this time.
Several colleagues on the
design review committee have,
at various times, asked that
other less costly alternatives to
massive widening be con
sidered (these are part of official
record). But our suggestions,
based upon our professional ex
pertise, have not been seriously
considered by the staff and the
city council.
The proposed widening study
should include a thorough
analysis of conditions at the two
bridges and explore and test
reasonably low cost implemen
table traffic management alter
natives that prove or disprove
the viability of the proposal.
While our committee has
been reviewing ideas for
lighting, cross walk paving pat
terns and new tree planting, we
have been directed to stay away
from examining the larger pro
blem. I fear that we may be con
tributing to an even larger pro
blem than a reasonable
solution.
1 sincerely hope my fellow
citizens will renew their efforts
to urge the city and state to
reconsider this project.
Gene Bressler
Sixth and Seventh avenue
Design Review Committee
Full-time fees
The other day I was stopped
cold at the entrance to Essl
inger. It seemed that 1 did not
have an extra $10 fee sticker
stamped on my summer I.D.
card. 1 was shocked to find out
that 1 either had to pay the $10
fee to use the facility or pay $1
each time.
1 think it is apalling to require
a full-time student who sup
ports (the University) and pays
tuition in excess of $1,400 year
ly for more money. I think that a
full-time student during the
year should have the use of all
the University facilities during
the summer without having to
pay an additional fee.
Should we also have to pay an
extra fee to use the library or the
EMU? Let us not be so hardened
to the financial reality our state
is in. We who have been and
continue to be students at this
university have shared the
financial burden. Let’s be
understanding enough not to
squeeze more from students
who get financially squeezed in
so many other ways.
Remove the Esslinger fee for
full-time students who pay to
use that facility during the
academic year.
Jeff Willensky
Senior, P.E.
Oregon daily
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