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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1986)
Editorial Budgeting by ballot raises student fees The recent ASUO elections brought a significant fiscal and procedural problem into clearer focus. Students, pro grams and departments chose to take a large portion of the incidental fee budget directly to the voters. This "cafeteria budgeting" works well for occasional special allocations, but is generally an irresponsible fiscal management device. Measures to fund the Counseling Center, United States Student Association. Marching Band. Oregon Daily Emerald and OSPIRG won. This created about $300,000 in student fees, including several increases. Had either of the athletics funding measures won. well over $1 million would have been allocated by initiative or referendum. This would have left the Incidental Fee Committee, which supposedly oversees the entire budget package, voting on only half of the budget. The IFC exists to provide a broad view of the budget and to make decisions with this view in mind. "Cafeteria budgeting" renders the IFC next to useless. Next year’s process may see any group that can muster the votes choose to gather signatures for an initiative rather than go through budget hearings. This will result in steadily increasing fees, because fiscal measures taken individually do not necessarily appear excessive. Tuition has increased from $211 to $388 — 84 percent — since 1979. The incidental fee has increased from $36.50 to $61.00 — 67 percent — during the same period. This constant fee increase must stop. Students cannot afford to pay higher fees. ASUO leaders who lobby for a tuition freeze are ad dressing only part of the cost of attending the University. They should work to hold down the incidental fee as well. Some of the fee increase is a consequence of a substan tial increase in 1980 of the portion of the fee that supports in tercollegiate athletics. But the "athletics fee” is only part of the problem Increases occur in part because certain EMU costs such as labor are difficult to keep down and are not under EMU or student control. Increases also occur in part because neither the IFC nor the voting student body is able to vote "no" often enough. The latter problem is getting worse due to a combina tion of ASUO Constitution Court decisions and student dissatisfaction with the IFC. The Court has ruled that groups such as the Emerald and the athletic department can go on the ASUO ballot by initiative. This means that in practice any student group that can obtain about 800 signatures can place a budget request on the ballot. Groups should try to raise more money from their own constituents instead of relying on fee allocations. Fees take money from student pockets just as surely as donations to groups do. Incoming ASUG officials should examine why the pro blem of rapidly increasing incidental fees has come about. They should also analyze the causes of more items going on the ballot. They should develop a comprehensive plan to retain student rights of initiative while regaining control of in creasing fees and fragmented allocation processes. If ASUO leaders do not act soon to bring the fee monster under control, students will begin using existing processes to force cutbacks and limitations. Responsible fiscal management that holds the line on fees will avoid this risk. 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 of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon, 97403 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 Production Manager Classified Advertising Assistant to the Publisher Susan Theten Russell H. Steele Vince Adams Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales David Wood Sales Manager, John Boiler. Jessica Cederberg, Michael Gray, Laura Goldstein, Robin Joannides, Carlos Lamadrld, Marcia Leonard, Shawn Leuthold. Catherine Lilja, Shawna Reed. Kathy Stein, Joan Witdermuth. Laura Willoughby Production Vince Adams, Kelly Alexandre, Lynne Casey. Shu-Shing Chen, Ellen Cross, Stormi Dykes. Manuel Flores, Shannon Gaither, Ross Martin, Mary May, Rob Miles. Angie Muniz, Charts Parker, Ken Parrott, Jennifer Peterson, Geoff Ramvitle, Michele Ross, Alyson Sim mons, Gregory Tipps. Neglected facts I simply cannot stay quiet after the presentation by Mrs. Allende on “Chile’s reality" on Wednesday. April 16. For most students and Americans in general, Chile's history seems to start in 1973. after the military overthrew the govern ment of Salvador Allende. Mrs. Allende has been away . from Chile for 13 years, which seems to make her see things quite differently. For most Chileans, it is clear today that we got the military thanks to the mess created during Ailende's three years in office. ... Some facts Mrs. Allende hasn't and will never present in her speeches: By 1973, Chile had an infla tion over 300 percent, a fiscal deficit of 45 percent over the total expenditure of the national treasury and a decline in the in dustrial production of six per cent compared to 1972. I was 12 years old when I had to stay in line for hours to have access to a supermarket to get some groceries (a situation that didn't affect people belonging to Ailende's party;. they had “special stores" and “special access.”) Classes in school were suspended constantly because of riots and protests against Ailende's policies. The country was full of hate and confusion. We needed and asked for a change. Today, Chile's political and economic standing is far from ideal. We do want real Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Assistant Editorial Page Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Friday Edition Editor Sidelines Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Community/Politics Higher Education Student Activities Student Government University Affairs General Assignment Julie Shlppen Michelle Brence Joiayne Houiz Alan Contreras Scott Harding Robert Coiltas James Marks Sheila Landry Allan Lazo Julie Shlppen Paul Sturtz Andrew LaMar Chris Norred Stan Nelson Kirsten Bolin Mike Rivers Reporters: Tony Ahern, Sean Axmaker, Dan Coran, Kim Kaady, Capi Lynn, Amy Moss, Chuck Thompson, B J. Thomsen Photographers Lynne Casey, Shu-Shtng Chen, Marla Cor vallis, Steve Gibbons, Darrel Hewitt, Ross Martin, Karen Stallwood, Mike Wilhelm. News and Editorial MO-5511 Display Advertising and Business MO-3712 Classified Advertising 686-4343 Production 060 4301 Circulation 6M5S11 democracy and economic .stability, but I can assure Mrs. A Monde and her followers that we in Chile do not need or want another "Popular Unity." Chile needs, to and will stand firm again, without the help of old formulas that didn't.work In the past. *• ’ Half Oberti Chilean Limited view Dear Mr. Duffy. As a student, a musician, and a person under 35 years of age. I fpel compelled to respond to your letter. . .. Contrary to your miniscule perceptions, many students are” interested in classical music. That this university houses one of the larger schools of music in the Pacific Northwest is evidence of this. Your next statement, "college radio sta tions are supposed to be for the student body,” can be disputed also. First, the fact stated above seems ° to illustrate a self » contradiction in your argument. Second, college stations may be seen as having several func tions. Serving the community which houses the University in some cultural capacity is one service KWAX performs, and ° providing a format which would otherwise be absent from the Eugene-Springfield area is another such service. There are several radio sta tions which program rock music in Eugene, as well as a station which programs primarily jazz and other types of ethnic music. There is one country station I know of, although I admit I don’t listen to it. It does not require a great deal of intelligence to find these stations, but if you have trouble. someone wiirhelp.you.' I also from a largo metropolitan area (Washington , D.C.-—. perhaps, you've hoard of it), and I have found Eugene to ' Ire surprisingly full of a variety of cultural outlets fora city of its . . size; . ’ ; • • ; Please; in the future, show uis some of: the, intelligence you; were born with as you haven't ° so far. .'•••'•• • . •*• Beniamin Tomeaaetti .. , 'k Graduate, Music Resistance Thousands of llopi and Nava- • ja;~mainly“traditional;-live~in~ , the Four.Corners area of New Mexico. Arizona. Utah and Col- . oradp. However. ' 10,OOO:;to 20.(NX) of these self-sufficient peoples who raise crops and herd sheep are being threatened with a possible forced reloca tion off of their homeland com ingJuly 8. 1986, because of P.L- ° 93-531. " „ The government and privaje interests such as Peabody Coal and others have found a wealth and abundance of oil. gas and . coal underneath these people’s feet. According to P.L.. 93-531. these people are to be moved off so these resources can be ex- - plotted in this “National Sacrifice Area.” • .. . Of course, the Navajo and Hopi have refused to be moved off and will resist. Please help prevent any further conflict bet ween the government and these people by writing your senators and representatives to repeal P.L. 93-531. The livelihood of these Indian peoples is being threatened. Guy Prouty Anthropology 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.