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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1985)
Editorial City takes positive approach to agenda The proposed citywide income tax was shot down by a margin of more than 4-1 at the polls Tuesday. But rather than scrap plans to contend with some serious Eugene short comings. the City Council indicated that it will reinvestigate the issue and find another way to raise funds. Following apparent defeat, Eugene Mayor Brian Obie said that he detected public support for expansion of the Mahlon Sweet Airport and improvements to the Eugene Public Library. We agree with his perception. We think that most area residents would like to see these important facilities brought up to date. Therefore, we agree with Obie and the City Council’s in terpretation of the rejection as an objection to the method of obtaining the funds rather than an objection to the proposed use of the funds. We did not support the tax for this reason and suggest that the council’s next attempt to collect funds, whether by income tax or by increased property taxes, be by a proposal structured to levy a tax on the appropriate people for the ap propriate projects. For example, because the airport is used by people throughout the county, the city alone should not be responsible for footing the entire bill for expansion. Lane County Commissioner Peter OeFazio’s proposal that the pro ject be directed to the Urban Services Policy Committee, a county-representative governmental body, was a positive starting point. By the same token, because the Eugene Public Library primarily serves only people residing in Eugene, city residents should bear the brunt of library improvement costs. Other objections may have contributed to the measure’s defeat. The tax would have been levied on anyone earning an annual income exceeding $7,500 within the city of Eugene, which includes many non-Eugene residents. Because only Eugene residents were able to vote on the pro posal, charges of "taxation without representation" were raised. In addition, controversy centered on the amount the tax would raise erupted between city and county officials, and some of the designated plans for funds generated by the tax were unclear. But even though we and the greater part of the city did not support the measure, we do support the procedures on the part of the City Council that culminated in the proposal. Obie took office in January and with the City Council formed the Eugene Agenda, a comprehensive plan to im prove the airport, the library, city streets and other public projects. Before the income tax proposal, designed to finance Eugene Agenda projects, was put to the voters, the City Council spent a considerable amount of time guaging public opinion. During the summer, the City Council conducted surveys throughout the city and held 50 public meetings to give the citizens the opportunity to voice concerns. We appreciate the sense of responsibility to the public demonstrated by the city officials. Even though the campaign was unsuccessful, it is clear that the council is dedicated to improving the city of Eugene, and improving it to the specifications called for by the people of Eugene. Letters Free speech It would seem that the recent controversy over the showing of "Rarabo" has become blown out of proportion. One of the implications of the concept of freedom of speech is that people are entitled to choose the movies that they view, even if one of these films happens to be an outrageous example of mindless and gratuitous violence. Perhaps alternatives could be offered, such as a series of classic films including movies like "Gaslight" with In grid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Richard Bruce Wright II Eugene Too much noise I am writing this letter during the class for which 1 am a teaching assistant (History 201, 9:30 MWF. 231 Gilbert). I do not normally while away class time composing diatribes. To day, however, I find ample op portunity to do fust that, for the pounding of jackhammers and the whining of power saws, due to the construction project of 13th and Kincaid, makes listen ing to a lecture on the American Revolution an impossibility. And I am sitting in the front row! Finding a solution to the problem of how we can ensure a student her/his right to hear a lecture (for which she/he has paid for, no less) is not my task. Rather. I only wish to point out Oregon Daily 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 or Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 07403. The Emerald operates Independently of the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press The Emerald is private property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. General Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Russell Steele Classified Advertising Vince Adams Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: David Wood Sales Manager, John Boiler - Intern, Michael Gray, Robin Joanntdes, Carlos Lam ad rid, Marcia Leonard, Shawn Leuthold, Julie Lewis, Catherine Lilja • Intern, Brett Plckman, Anne-Marie Vranizan - Intern, Laura Willoughby. Production: Vince Adams, Kelly Alexandre, Shu-Shing Chen, Ellen Cross, Judy Dieringer, Stormi Dykes, Manuel Flores, Steve Gibbons, Rob Hare, Jim Marks, Ross Mar tin, Mary May, Mary McGonlgal, Rob Mites, Angie Muniz, Kara Oberst, Charla Parker, Ken Parrott, Jennifer Peter son, Geoff Rainville, Michele Ross, Atyson Simmons, Peg Solonika, Gregory Tipps, Colleen Tremaine, Steven WalL Editor Managing Editor New* Editor Editorial Page Editor Editorial Page Assistant Sports Editor Photo Editor Graphics Editor Friday Edition Editor Sidelines Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Higher Education Community General Assignment Administration Student Government Student Activities Julie Shlppen Diana Elliott Joiayne Houtz Michelle Brence Matthew Dodson Robert Colltas Karen Staflwood Ross Martin Sheila Landry Allan Lazo Scott McFetndge Gary Jimenez Scott McFetrldge Unda Hahn Kirsten Bolin Mary Llehtenwalner Julie Freeman Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dan Coran, Karen Engel, Frale de Guzman, Deborah Janes, Kim Kaady, Andrew Lamar, Robert Oakes, Barbara Shaw, B.J. Thomsen. Photographers: Kamila Al-Najjar, Shu-Shing Chen, Steve Gibbons, Rob Hare, Jim Marks, Ross Martin, Steven Wall News and Editorial 6M-5S11 Display Advertising and Business 6M-3712 Classified Advertising 6M-4343 Production 6M-43S1 Circulation 6M-5511 that this should not be a prob lem. That is, a student’s rights in the classroom in this regard should be a given. Administra tion, why do you allow iackhammers and power saws to infringe upon our rights? Do you see this noise as just a tem porary inconvenience that can be borne by the students for the sake of progress? (That IS if destruction of a small parkland of trees, shrubs, grass, and wild animals' homes for the con struction of another building can be categorized under the term progress. But this is another question. Or is it?) Peter G. Borg GTF. History Great music Those who packed into Beall Concert Hall last Tuesday (Oct. 29) heard some of the best con temporary music that Latin America has to offer, during a concert featuring Chilean singer Isabel Aldunate The concert was all the more special because Ms. Aldunate dedicated some of the songs to the Chilean women who march ed the following day in San tiago to demand Gen. Pinochet's resignation. Herself a human rights lawyer, Aldunate was finishing a con cert tour and preparing to return to Chile where she is represen ting people whose rights have been violated. Several more cultural events featuring outstanding Latin Americans are being planned during the academic year by the Council for Human Rights in Latin America (located by the U of O Bookstore) and the ASUO's Latin America Support Commit tee. We appreciate the efforts of the many volunteers who work behind the scenes to bring these people to campus. Jacques Kapuscinski Council For Human Rights in Ijitin America Work together I find it offensive that some people among the women's movement deem it necessary to stereotype men as not being conscious of women's problems or rights. The use of a van to transport women for their safety is nnlv rinriinllv ucufui if it serve* certain individuals. It seems to me that women on this campus need special privileges because they fear be ing raped or violated. The groups supporting the use of the van seem to feel that women are the only ones in need of protec tion from violence. Unfor tunately, this is narrow-minded and discriminatory. Women are not the only ones that can feel afraid for their well-being Sometimes walking home from school late at night, I have felt scared for any number of reasons. Yes, men can feel frightened too. Maybe there should be a van to transport people. Some pro ponents of a transport vehicle for women feel that women will support women if it is used ex clusively for and by women. If people use the van then people will give support to people, building up human beings that help each other instead of in dividuals. If this were the case, then women would not have to say they are forced to be depen dent on men and hence become self-sufficient human beings. It's obvious that what we need is people working for and with each other. This is the solution to the problem — stop thinking in terms of minorities and think about majorities. Blake Louis Sliter Political Science Crazy headline It was with considerable dismay that I read a headline (ODE. Oct. 28) that said. "Proposed ASUO shuttle could present alternative to women." I can understand nutritionists presenting fresh fruit as an alternative to junk food, and I can understand pacifists presenting peace as an alter native to war. but what on earth is the proposed ASUO shuttle presenting as an alternative to women? As I read further. I discovered that the proposed ASUO shuttle was not presenting an alter native to women. Rather, it was presenting .women an alter native to walking alone on cam pus. Somehow, that made me feel much better. |im Scott Knulisll
