Editorial
IFC loan to preschool
should be put on hold
The Westmoreland Cooperative Preschool raised some
eyebrows last week when it submitted a request for a $400
emergency loan — and two days later requested an addi
tional $129 — from the University’s Incidental Fee
Committee.
These requests raise some serious questions as to
whether the IFC should even be funding loans for private in
stitutions and whv the loan is needed in the first olace.
The state notified the preschool late last year that it has
owed back taxes since 1982. The current curriculum co
ordinator and the president of the preschool maintain that
they thought the school was exempt from taxation.
Although this turned out to be true for 1982. it was not ex
empt for the years following, hence the reason for its finan
cial troubles now. The fact that the preschool did not know
it owed taxes illustrates glaring mismanagement and
negligence.
Each year the school elects new officers who help make
decisions for the preschool. Westmoreland holds these year
ly elections because most of the parents who use the
preschool’s services are University students, and there is a
high turnover rate.
While the yearly elections are good in and of
themselves, they an; also part of the problem because tin;
preschool lacks any management continuity. We do not
doubt the preschool's ability to provide quality day care,
and Westmoreland’s curriculum coordinator, and its presi
dent are not completely to blame for the preschool's current
tax woes. But they could have demonstrated greater finan
cial foresight and responsibility.
Our suggestion to Westmoreland is that it establishes a
permanent position for someone in charge of the preschool’s
finances, or at the very least hire a temporary consultant.
Not only is the preschool’s management questionable,
so too is its request for an IPC loan. and. more importantly,
whether the IFC intends to lend the money.
Westmoreland was to receive $959 from the IFC for the
current fiscal year, but the preschool is not an accredited
day-care institution recognized by the state, so serious
liability questions must be answered before Westmoreland
ever receives that money.
The IFC was correct in holding that money up. for the
University may be partly liable in the unfortunate event of
an injury, or something of a similar nature, while a child is
at the preschool.
While the question of liability still remains unresolved,
the preschool’s request for the $529 emergency loan should
also be put on hold.
Moreover, “emergency loan" may be somewhat of a
loaded term. The preschool has already paid $150 of its
overdue taxes, and all indications show that the preschool is
capable of paying off the remainder.
University students would in effect be subsidizing
Westmoreland's tax payments if the IFC were to fund this
loan.
We believe this totally falls outside the IFC's jurisdic
tion. The fact remains that the Westmoreland Cooperative
Preschool is a private organization whose only ties to the
University are the preschool’s 20 pupils whose parents are
University students.
The IFC would do better to expand and improve day
care facilities and faculty here on campus, rather than put
itself in the business of funding private child-care centers.
&ca*svmwi matter
Letters
New group
The staff of the Oregon Daily
Emerald should l>e very proud
of their newspaper. The articles
are very well-written, non
haised and extremely profes
sionally presented.
When I was interviewed on
behalf of the Westmoreland
Cooperative Preschool. I was
very pleased. However, when I
read the results of that interview
in print (ODE. )an. 15). I was
very distressed.
In December 1986, the
preschool was notified by the
State of Oregon regarding taxes
in arrears. This situation was
unknown to tin; present
organization, and I feel that the
word “we” was used carelessly
throughout the entire article.
The organization at the time
the errors were made is the
responsible party, not the pre
sent. The Westmoreland
Cooperative Preschool parent
council is currently trying to
resolve this situation to the best
of its ability, which by the way
has not been an easy task!
Also, when contacting the In
cidental Fee Committee regar
ding help and resources on our
1986-87 school year funds, it
was never once mentioned to
the present organization regar
ding the budget “note" which
has frozen funds allocated for
Oregon Daily
Emerald
The Oregon Dally 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 o» 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 Wayne Michael Lottinville
Classified Advertising Alyson Simmons
Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey
Advertising Sales: Peter LaFleur/ Sales Manager
Teresa Acosta. Brent Collins, Beryl Israel. Janelle Heit
mann, Laura Goldstein. Catherine Liija. Rick Martz.
Joseph Menzel, Peter Miller. Joan Wildermuth
News and Editorial 686-5511
Display Advertising and Business 686-3712
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General Assignment
Michelle Brence
Lucinda Dillon
Michael Rivers
Curtis Condon
Stephen Maher
James Young
Michael Drummond
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John Giustina
Lorraine Rath
Stan Nelson
Jolayne Houtz
Shawn Wirtz
Chris Norred
Stan Nelson
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Tonnie Dakin
Dennis Fernandes
Reporters: Sean Axmaker. Mary Courtis. Karen Creighton.
Gary Henley, Carolyn Lamberson, Scott Maben, Janet
Paulson, B J Thomsen
Photographers: Sherlyn Bjorkgren, ShuShing Chen
Maria Corvallis. Derrel Hewitt. Bobbie Lo, Dan Wheeler
Production: Michele Ross / Ad Coordinator
Kelly Alexandre, Elizabeth Asher, Ronwin Nicole Ashton
Virginia Baniaga, Sandra Bevans. Sara Briscoe. Shu
Shing Chen, Janet Emery, Lisa Haggerty, Donna Leslie,
Curtis Lott, Kelli Mason. Mike McGraw Rob Miles!
Angelina Muniz, Julie Paul. Ingrid White, X Kang Xie
the 1986-87 school year!
Furthermore, as head teacher
and curriculum coordinator for
the preschool. 1 am hired to
teach young children, not to
assume any financial respon
sibilities to the school or for the
school. I was asked by a former
parent council member to
research the problem and come
up with a solution, which is ex
actly what 1 did.
It saddens me that in a time of
need, an innocent group of peo
ple trying to make up for an er
ror made years ago under
another group and organization
(a group of people not even
available for comment), should
1m; exploited in such an inap
propriate way.
Julie McFarland
Head teacher.
Curriculum coordinator
Pay raises
The faculty at Oregon's
higher education institutions
are asking the Legislatue for a
significant salary increase in
order to bring them in line with
faculty at other similar
institutions.
Classified employees also
need an increase in pay for the
same reason and also because
certain jobs within the current
wage structure are not compen
sated equally with other jobs
demanding comparable skill
and experience.
We also need to consider that
the state, which includes our
system of higher education, is
one of Oregon’s largest
employers. Therefore, it follows
that a healthy wage scale for
state employees will contribute
directly to a healthy economy
for the state.
In order to accomplish the ob
jective of pay equity, we need to
put our case before the
Legislature as they begin to
decide where to allocate
available funding. A rally in
support of pay equity is set for
Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. on
the steps of the State Capitol
Building. All classified
employees are urged to attend.
A bus will be leaving Kugene
at 9 a m.. People will also be
forming car pools for the rally.
If you would like to attend or
would like more information,
you may contact Lisa Sieracki at
686-3056 or 343-8242.
Susan E. Cook
Staff
Victims
Jan. 22 is the 14th anniversary
of the Supreme Court ruling
that gave women the right to
abort their children at any time
during pregnancy. The effects
of that decision have been felt
by us all. While 20 million in
nocent victims have paid the
ultimate price with their lives,
society as a whole has paid as
well.
With talk of “unwanted
children” and how they should
be disposed of. we have seen
the rise of a new generation of
young people. Children who
have been taught that the shed
ding of innocent blood should
not stand in the way of self
gratification. Avoiding respon
sibility for one’s actions has
gone from being reprehensible
to respectable in little over a
decade.
We heard talk of eliminating
child abuse by “making every
child a wanted child.” What we
got was a ballooning child
abuse rate, hardly a surprising
by-product of a policy of
violence towards our young.
Life, once sacred in itself,
now gains worth only through
the assesment of others. Un
wanted equals worthless. We
have become faced with the in
evitable as each year many han
dicapped infants are legally
‘‘allowed’’ to die by
withholding medical treatment.
The American Medical
Association has taken the next
step by ruling that food and
water are now considered
“medical treatments.” A chill
ing message is sent to the han
dicapped among us. The elderly
are surely next.
It is time to change the violent
path we have taken. While it is
too late for 20 million, our
society can still be saved.
Jeff Hoyt
Junior, accounting