Skin is this
artist’s canvas
See Page 6
Oregon Daily
Emerald
Thursday. November 8. 1988
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 88. Number 48
State tops national average
in voter turnout on Tuesday
By Dennis Fernandes
Of the Emerald
The Oregon state elections of
fice has released a "very rough
estimate" that 71.38 percent of
Oregon voters visited the polls
Tuesday night, substantially
higher than the predicted na
tionwide average of 35 percent.
Reasons indicated for this
year’s large number have in
eluded the emotional ballot
measures and a popular guber
natorial race, but other elec
tions, such as the state elections
figure of 78.7 percent in the
1984 election, have been just as
substantial.
It is a widely held notion that
Oregon has a special knack for
getting its citizens interested in
local, regional and national
politics. In fact, this is the state
where initiative and referen
dum originated
The reason for that notion, ac
cording to Secretary of State
Barbara Roberts, is extensive
voter accessibility to the polls.
“Any time you do something
to accommodate the voter, any
time you don't put in a
roadblock, and make people
feel a part of the system, you get
a large turnout." Roberts said.
According to 1985 statistics,
Oregon's population is
1,975,921. Of that number.
1,448,781 are registered voters,
according to the latest estimate
in September.
"That is an indicator that
Oregonians very much treasure
the accessibility to cast their
vote." said Stephen Ponder, a
University journalism professor
who worked for five years as a
political writer for the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer.
However, with Tuesday's
passage of Ha I lot Measure 13.
one of those roadblocks that
Roberts referred to may have
been created. It requires voter
registration 20 days before elec
tions. as opposed to the accom
modating pre-election day
registration Oregon voters have
enjoyed for the past 10 years.
Continued on Page 3
Olum, Davis enthusiasitic
about election's outcome
By Cami Swanson
Of Ik* Kaxrild
Following the slate's elec
tions on Tuesday, University
President Paul Oluin and Hud
Davis, chancellor of the State
System of Higher Education, ex
pressed their joy at the results,
especially at the defeat of ballot
measures 9. 11 and 12.
"I’m absolutely delighted,"
Olum said. "What concerned us
most were the ballot measures.
•'All of the measures
represented serious threats to
higher education funding. And
they were all defeated more
strongly this time than last,” he
said, referring to similiar tax
measures on the ballot in 1984.
Ballot Measure 9 would have
set a limitation upon property
taxes for 1987 at 1.5 percent. It
was defeated at the polls by ap
proximately 64 percent of the
voters.
Ballot Measure 11, which
would have exempted part of
the value of an owner s home
from property tax, was defeated
by approximately 61 percent of
the voters.
Ballot Measure 12 would
have restructured the state's in
come tax system and was
William Davis
defeated by approximately »>7
percent of the voters.
Glum believed the measures
were "a bad mistake," saying
the money to fund the measures
would eventually have been
taken away from the school
districts.
Likewise. Davis was “tremen
dously encouraged by the re
sounding defeat of the tax
measures." He was also im
pressed by what ho culled the
"discriminating judgment” of
the voters.
Both Olum and Davis said
they are looking forward to
working with Neil Goldschmidt
as Oregon's new governor.
Comparing the gubernatorial
race to u good football game iti
which either team could emerge
as the winner, Davis called
Goldschmidt an "aggressive,
dynamic leader."
Olum also expressed his con
fidence in Goldschmidt. Referr
ing to the fact that Goldschmidt
is a University of Oregon
graduate, Olum said, "Obvious
ly. we will be able to work very
well with Goldschmidt.
However, 1 think we would
have been able to work well
with Paulus as well."
Oregon now has a Democratic
majority in both its Senate and
House of Representatives;
however, both Olum and Davis
stressed the fact that higher
education receives strong bipar
tisan support.
"I don't think that the
Democratic-Republican dif
ference is what is important in
Continued on Page 3
Pholu bn Snu-Shinn <h«n
University President Paul Olum discusses upturning
legislative priorities be fori• the University Assembly
Wednesday.
University well-off
despite pay needs,
president explains
Hv Stan Nelson
Of iKe Kmcrald
The University’s number-one priority for the upcoming
state legislative year is increased faculty salaries, said
University President Paul Olum at his annual State of the
University address before the University Assembly on
Wednesday.
The University’s faculty salaries are W8th among tl)7
doctoral granting institutions in the nation, and our faculty
demands higher wages than what they are currently receiv
ing, Olum said.
Progess was made during the IttHS legislative session, but
further increases are still necessary to bring faculty salaries to
equity with colleagues at other academic institutions. Olum
said.
‘The University is getting more well
known ... and that can be attributed
to straightforward, prime-time
advertising,'
— Paul Olum
A doctoral-granting Institution by definition is an
academic institution that grants at least 30 doctoral degrees a
year for at least five consecutive years in at least five different
areas.
The University is surely one of the lop 20 academic institu
tions in the nation, and faculty salaries should in part reflect
that fact. Olum said.
Additional funding for increased student enrollment is the
University's second priority for the upcoming year. Olum
said. Unrestricted general funding is necessary to compen
sate the rapid student growth.
A commitment to increased funding of the humanities ami
social sciences and related professional areas also is
necessary, Olum said.
The low salaries of classified staff are also a concern to the
University and need to be addressed. Olum said.
Clerical staff and other low-paid employees should not
have to rely on federal assistance to support even a small
family when they are employed full time, Olum said.
Student attitudes have been more upbeat and positive this
Continued on Page 3