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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1985)
W • m • W editorial Questions remain on research-park plan Throughout the 1970s, Oregon, and Eugene in par ticular, developed a reputation for being anti-business. Late Gov. Tom McCall publicly stated his opposition to new businesses locating in the state, while the state Legislature developed one of the most stringent land-use programs in the country. But with the statewide unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent. Oregonians have attempted to earnestly develop the state's industrial sector. The proposed Riverfront Research Park, which is a joint effort by the University, the city of Eugene and local businesses, is one example of this effort. Proponents of the park, which would be located on land adjacent to the Willamette River, argue that the facility will pump thousands of dollars into the Oregon economy, while creating hundreds of new jobs. They also say it will enhance the University’s reputation as a leading national research facility. This all may be true, but Eugeneans must strive to main tain control over the project. In other towns, projects of this size have traditionally raised community excitement to such new heights that com munity leaders have bent over backwards to ensure the pro ject’s success. City councils conduct uninspired hearings, land-use bodies waive many of their rules, and it all happens so fast that potential opponents are given little time to organize. We hope that the Eugene City Council and Mayor Brian Obie will consider all of the park’s ramifications before they give it their full support. There are many questions to be considered. What type of research will be conducted at the facility? Will it be classified or de-classified? Will the scientists at the facility conduct military research? The Unive»3ity. which will lease to park developers about 80 percent of the facility’s land, must place a stipula tion in the lease outlawing any classified research. A university should not be a branch office for the Department of Defense. We are not in the business of developing weapons. Similarly, no University land should be used for such research. We hope that University President Paul Olum will fight for this stipulation in any lease, because once the land is leased out, we will have very little control over that land. We must also ask: Who will have ultimate control for ensuring the community’s safety in case of a major accident at the park? Will the park increase pollution levels in the Willamette River? If yes, then what will be the nature of the pollutants? Eugene must attract new businesses. Anyone who has recently looked for work in Eugene knows this to be true. When people are unemployed the tax base shrinks and the community cannot provide adequate services. But this does not mean that we should prostitute ourselves to any new business that offers to locate in our community. In stead, we must carefully examine the pluses and the minuses offered by any new business. It is our hope that through a sincere effort on the part of all the actors in the park’s development, Eugeneans will be allowed to examine the pluses and the minuses of the pro posed research park. Until this happens no one should make a final decision on the park’s fate. TAX CONSULTANT Xxjktxxkxms ALSO SKWADODRi ALUMINUM SOWS SPBOAUSTS souwsrenMs wh« wu siimimu wlan iu ™ ; v wi * letters Clarification During this year 1 have been very pleased with the reporting of Mary Lichtenwalner on the Incidental Fee Committee and ASUO in general. However. 1 do not feel that Tuesday’s (ODE. June 5) article on the Davis ad rninistrat ion accurately reflected my opinions of that administration, and specifically the performance of John Drees7.0n with regards to the Athletic Department budget. While 1 agree that the ASUO Executive did not communicate as effectively with the IPC as I would have liked; the IFC did not communicate with the ASUO Executive as effectively as | would have liked either. Furthermore, it was rot John's unpreparedness that was a problem, but rather the lFC:s unwillingness to explore the Athletic Department’s budget in great detail. I do think the ex ecutive's lack of presence at many of the meetings hindered the process, but 1 also think it iff* important to present the whole picture in this case. Lastly, when asked about the accomplishments of the ASUO Executive, 1 was comparing the Davis administration to the Hot chkiss administration which is « difficult measure for any ad ministration to measure up to because of the overwhelming accomplishments of the Hot chkiss administration. 1 hope this clears up the situation. Adam Apaiategui Incidental Fee Committee emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald Is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Dally 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, Michael Gray - Intern, Robin Joannides - Intern, Carlos Lamadrtd - Intern, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Brett Pickman, Laura Willoughby - Intern, David Wood Production Kelly Comyn, Storm! Dykes, Manuel Flores, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Jackson Haring, Susan Hawkins, Kirk Hirota, Grant Keltner, Rob Kraft, Ross Mar tin, Karin McKercher, Laurl Neely, Kelly Neff, Kara Oberst, Curt Penrod, Michele Ross, Aiyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Karen Stailwood, Colleen Tremaine, Hank Trot ter, Mary VanCura Production Manager Classified Advertising Russell Steele Vince Adams Jean Ownbey Assistant to the Publisher Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Friday Edition Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education Politics ASUO Student Activities Community Features Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Kulaga Costas Christ, Dave Berne Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Michael Duncan Sheila Landry Jolayne Houtz Scott McFetridge Paul Ertelt Mary Uchtenwalner Diana Elliott Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer Reporters; Sean Axmaker, Kirsten Bolin, Michelle Brence, Robert Collias, Julie Freeman, Thomas Henderson, Robin Joannldes, Allan Lazo, Adam Worcester. Photographers: Dean Guernsey, Kirk Hlrota, Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Karen Stallwood, Hank Trotter News and Editorial 6M-SS11 Display Advertising and Business MS-3712 Classified Advertising SM-4343 Production 8SS-4381 Circulation 686-SS11 Tragic date As the Soviet •' Invasion of Afghanistan enters Its sixth year. It would be appropriate to remember another, earlier vic tim of Soviet aggression. This )urie 14 marks the 44th anniversay of the Baltic Holocaust, the most tragic event ill the history of the Estonian. - Latvian and Lithuanian people On this date, in 1941. the Soviet -Union began mass e*termina tion and deportation of inno cent men, women and children from these three previously in dependent nations.. During. the night of )une 13-14. Soviet secret police went from house to house and. ar rested entire families, herding them into railroad cattle'cars bound for Soviet slave labor damps in Siberia. In Latvia alone, -almost' 16,000 people disappeared in one night. In the ensuing months, nearly 600.000 Baltic citizens — 10 percent of the Estonian. Latvian and Lithuanian ° populations " were eliminated. Oblivious to international law, the Soviets brutally, supressed the Latvian people and annexed this once free and independent nation to the Soviet Union. To this day, the United States has never recognized this -illegal occupation. ■ The tragedy of this event is compounded by the fact that its perpetrators have never been brought to justice, and their crimes continue to oppress the people of these Soviet-occupied countries even today. Elita Hill General Science/Psychology Chances are The Emerald begins its argu ment (ODE, May 24), against the recent Senate vote to renew domestic production of chemical weapons with the following misleading assertion. "Since the late 1920s, a vast majority of the world's coun tries have refrained from either the production or the use of chemical weapons." What the Emerald dutifully neglects to tell us is that Soviet Union is now the world's leading pro ducer and user of chemical weapons. In the May 9 Register-Guard ^ • syndicated columnists Rowland Evans and Robert. Novak reviewed a "presidential com mission's report.on the extent of. Moscow's chemical war - plans..." along with other fin-’, dings on this subject published, in a new book, "Soviet Military Supremacy." ..Apparently, the Soviets have "14 chemical weapon produc tion facilities 'operating at fuU capacity' (arid eight biologicaP . warfare, plants). The United States has none of either “ Also, • in’ addition to using chemical .weapons against Afghan guer .rillas. the Soviets, may have-' "conducted lethal chemical and .biologicaj tests against men and • women tied to stakes in target ’ M ' areas Now .for a few questions,: ' Why. after watching the United^ States observe a 15-year ... moratorium in,,this area,'do the Soviets continue producing these dastardly weapons? Fur- f ‘ thermore. why do the Soviets ^ who solemnly avow their abhor rence for chemical weapons drop them on hapless Afghan. peasants?. Could it be that Soviet war-^ mongers are contemplating first-use of chemical weapons in a European war, and therefore are hoping that the United States will continue to renounce the most effective, deterrent to such usage — the ability to retaliate in kind? Tom Visoky Journalism Bad impression My sporadic reading of the letters to the editor of the Emerald gives me the frightful impression of having been transplanted to a backwater col lege town in the Bible Belt. What is Eugene and the University coming to if religious zealots and right-wing extremists dominate the public arena? I am very concerned about the negative impression created by this bigotry on the thousands of students and guests in our community from around the world. Hans Tschersich Eugene
