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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1985)
editorial ASUO court should rule against measure The ASUO Constitotikm Court will determine Thursday whether University students hove the authority to override Incidental Fee Comnite budget decisions- The court * rul ing will be m response to a petition, recently filed with the ASUO elections board, calling for the revocation of the Oregon Commentator's $6,800 budget allocation for IMS 00. The petition received 1.588 signatures, or more than twice the amount needed to place the measure on the ASUO's April 24-25 ballot. Proponents of the measure say the initiative process they are using is simply an extension of Oregon's initiative and referendum system. That process allows for the resolu tion of state legislative issues by a vote of the Oregon elec torate. But while the system used to place the anti fCommentator measure on the April ballot may in theory adhere to the state’s Constitution, the proposed ballot measure apparently violates the ASUO constitution, by giv ing students authority that they do not possess The incidental fee process Lasts for six months. It com mences in November with program goal hearings, continues through the budget allocation hearings of December, January, February and March, and culminates with appeals hearings in April. Throughout the process, students have the opportunity to provide fee committee members with in put on funding decisions. Students who wish to oppose the allocation of fends to any organization should make their opposition known during the hearings procere. An effective budget process requires predictability and stability. Groups need to know, in advance, who is responsi ble for allocating fends. Presently, the ASUO constitution delegates this responsibility to IFG members. But supporters of the initiative want to usurp this authority. If students are dissatisfied with any IFG decision, they should work through the ASUO electoral process to elect committee members who will reverse the objectionable decision. But supportera of the Commentator initiative are not working within the process. The constitution provides the ASUO president with the authority to veto any 1FC budget decision. But once the ASUO's chief executive has decided to support a program’s budget, no other student entity has the authority to in tervene in the process. Section 6.7 of the ASUO constitution states, "Once (fees are) allocated, there shall be no attempt to attach any further conditions or policies concerning the use of such accounts." The Commentator ballot measure is an attempt to attach "further conditions" on the process. Through the anti-Commentator ballot measure, the in itiative’s backers are forcing the Commentator's staff to jump through an additional hoop before they will be eligible tor funds. Unfortunately for the Commentator’s opponents, they are organizing for an assault that may have come too late in the process. If students are dissatisfied with the IFC’s decision to fund the Commentator, they should vote on April 17 and 18, and elect an IFC that will deny the Commentator funding for 1986-87. But, to reverse the IFC’s decision to fund the Com mentator for the 1985-86 academic year is apparently unconstitutional. And measure’s proponents should reconsider its effect If the ASUO Constitution Court decides that the anti Commentator ballot measure is constitutional, students should work to defeat the measure. The Oregon Commentator speaks for a large portion of the campus population. Although its conservative, right wing outlook may dismay many University students, it adds a healthy and needed voice to campus debates. The Com mentator plays a campus role that is analogous to that of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, the Muslim Students Associa tion. the Black Student Association and the Jewish Student Union. To deny funding to any or all of these groups would deny University students exposure to a wide range of ideas and philosophies. If the University is to truly be a “marketplace of ideas’’, University students should defeat any proposal that will sti fle campus debate. The anti-Commentator measure is both shortsighted and unhealthy. Pane 2A letters tGuiZSZ &u, lJ&GL.VV&U «JN AJfcuNO 10 GRAND APIECE 2 PEETGP CHAIN, Mtttf, AT $3t50G A 1<>CT ONE IRON BRACELET... HOW MANY OP THESE UNITS YOU NEED?' Irresponsible Recently an ad appeared in the Mid-Valley Link urging homosexuals to consider not taking a new test to determine if they have been exposed to AIDS titled. The Test Can Be Almost as Devastating as the Disease", and sponsored by the GMHC, it goes on to state: "Imagine, if your health in surance company found out that your test came back positive, they might cancel your policy. Even your job and home might be at risk." Oh my gosh, that could really be devastating. So what if somebody infected with the HTLV-3 retrovirus might be spreading AIDS to every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the block. Getting one’s insurance policy cancelled justifies not being tested, doesn’t it? Wait, before you answer that consider what might happen if a homosexual with AIDS infected a bi sexual male partner who then carried the virus to the heterosexual community. A woman could get the virus from him and then carry it to one or more men in the future — depending on her sexual (im)morality. Unless you don’t engage in premarital sex, and then only marry someone who won’t commit adultery, then you risk catching AIDS too. It’s a fact that AIDS (formerly known as Gay Related immune Deficiency) is spreading beyond its former host population through prostitutes, bi-sexuals, and blood transfusions. If even a small percentage of homosex uals refuse to get this blood test then expect AIDS cases to con tinue growing at astronomical rates. Bob Wagner Eugene The Dark Ages As we near the end of the 20th century the Dark Ages still per sist. Curses have their place in the minds of many. AIDS we are told, is a curse of God. This lov ing God kills with in discriminate agony, his curse knows no bounds. But. AIDS is not a curse. It is a mutated virus. This virus destroys the immune system of its victims. These victims need our help not medieval voodoo. Lori Parkman has implied that kinky sex causes AIDS. Kinky sex is not limited to homosexuals nor does it cause AIDS. AIDS is usually transmit ted by sexual intercourse with a male carrier. AIDS may be transmitted in other ways. A few cases of AIDS have been transmitted by blood transfusion. Agencies that collect blood, and the. gay community have, done everything possible to pre vent this type of transmission. Ms. Parkman and other homophobics may refuse transfusion or take other precautions. However, we can not legislate discrimination based on sexual preference any longer. Beydnd the issue of AIDS: Homosexuality is natural and occurs in a great many species besides our own. It is here to stay. The only detriment it presents to society is the inane fear it produces in heterosexuals. Homosexuals are just people and as such cannot harm heterosexuals anymore than they can harm themselves. Jesus, the source of the ig norant's curse never spoke a word against homosexuality. He did say, “Love they neighbor...” Homophobics, members of the Middle Ages, heed Jesus's advice, " it will make your life so much easier. Scott Elliott Law Letters Policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters con taining fair comment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style. Letters to the editor should be turned into the Emerald office, Suite 300, EMU. emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403. The Emerald operates independently of the Universi ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Brett Pickman, Tim Swillinger, David Wood. Production: Kelly Cornyn, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Grant Keltner, Rob Kraft, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, Kara Oberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tremaine, Hank Trotter. 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