Return of measures
earns Nelson praise
ASIJO President Steve Nelson gets our salute for putting
three ballot measures back on the general election ballot. His
decision for doing this may seem like a political move to
some, but whatever his reason, we’re glad to see tin*
measures back on the ballot.
Ballot measures 5, 7 and ft were removed from tin? ballot
last Friday by the Constitution Court. Measure 5 supports
preserving the Southbank Riverside Field from development
and construction; Measure 7 proposes an increase in fun
ding lor the marching band; and Measure t) proposes an in
crease in funding for non-revenue sports.
Incidental Fee Committee member Bob Baldwin created
a stir last week when he approached the court and asked it to
declare unconstitutional all measures placed on the ballot by
referendum. The court agreed with Baldwin and declared all
signatures gathered by sponsors of tin; measures “null and
void.”
The court’s decision was technically correct. Sponsors
of tin? three measures had failed to get wording of their pro
posals approved hy the court before soliciting signatures for
their measures, a violation of Section 1 :i.r» of the ASIJO Con
stitution. But late approval of ballot measure wording hy tin;
court is not a new thing. Last year tin; court altered the wor
ding of some measures after signatures had been gathered.
The court was not following its own precedent regar
ding this issue. Furthermore, the court restricted voting
rights inappropriately by interpreting the constitution too
narrowly.
Sponsors for these measures were not totally at fault for
failing to adhere to the constitution. They had been acting
under the assumption their measures would be placed on
the ballot, and wording of their measures would lx; approv
ed later. Elections Board Chairman Carlton Clark and ASIJO
Vice President Caitiin Cameron assured the sponsors their
measures would be placed on the ballot and gave the spon
sors a standard referendum form. The signatures, then, were
gathered in good faith.
Sponsors of tin? ballot measures in question should have
demanded the court approve their measures’ wording before
they solicited signatures regardless of the assurances they
received from Clark and Cameron. That would have saved a
lot of time and frustration.
The ballot measure sponsors received little sympathy
from the court, however. The court should have upheld Sec
tion 11.1 of the constitution, which maintains that ASUO
elections “shall be conducted in a manner consistent with
the best interests of the student body.” Allowing these
measures on the ballot is in the best interest of the student
body because access to the ballot should be defined as broad
ly as possible. The measures should not have been removed
by a technicality.
We agree with the dissenting opinion, written by Con
stitution Court Chairman Andy Clark, who stated “blind
adherence to specific constitutional provisions will not
serve the goals of consistency and fairness which are the
benchmarks of any judicial system.”
Vocal opposition to the court’s decision may have push
ed Nelson into putting the measures back on the ballot. That
issue is moot, however. The important thing is the measures
are back on the ballot, and students will have the choice in
seeing them pass or fail.
Letters
Charleton
Is it really possible to be a
political science major at the
University and never read a
newspaper? One might easily
get that idea from reading some
of Dan Goulet's letters.
No. Dan. the current backlash
against Oral Roberts is not
because he uses his position as
self-appointed head of his own
religious organization to extract
money from a gullible
American public — he’s been
doing that since day one.
What you obviously haven’t
heard is that Mr. Roberts’
claims that God has told him he
will die unless he raises a
specific amount of money by
the end of March.
Even the conservative bible
belt Oklahoma television sta
tion which carries his regular
pregram found this claim so
outrageous that it banned him
from the air unless he would
stop making it.
If Oral Roberts truly believes
his own words, then his first
motivation, whatever ultimate
ly becomes of the money, is
selfish rather than charitable:
i.e. he wants to save his own
life.
On the other hand, he may
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simply be one of the most un
conscionable r e I i g i o u s
charlatans and con men of re
cent times.
Hiawatha
Music: graduate
Toxic issue
OSPIRCi is being sued. It
seems like every time we try to
get something accomplished,
there is massive disapproval
regarding our methods.
1 fail to see how writing a let
ter to a legislator or researching
a report or holding a news con
ference on issues such as clean
water, clean air or the potential
dangers of hazardous waste ac
cumulation — issues which af
fect every member of society —
can Ik? considered by certain in
dividuals as partisan political
activity.
It the suit brought against
OSPIRG is successful, it will ef
fectively bring an end to such
activities.
Partisan activity is that which
is adherent to a particular
political party as opposed to the
public interest at large. The
Oregon Student Public Interest
Research Group works on issues
serving the public interest;
that’s our middle name.
OSPIRG gives students an op
portunity to become involved in
creating a cleaner and healthier
society for the future. Our
detractors intend to curtail our
efforts by disallowing us
funding.
It is a case of harassment by
an elite few with extremely
limited student support. Should
such individuals be somehow
privileged to prohibit a publicly
supported organization from its
Letters Policy
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comment on topics of interest to
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Letters to the editor must be
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freedom to work in areas advan
tageous to society as a whole?
Ken Petri
Coordinator,
OSPIRG Toxics Project
Far right zone
After reading her letter (ODE,
April ti), 1 would like to think —
or at least hope — that “Thelma
Crimp’’ (who is not listed in the
phone hook) is someone’s idea
of a carefully-crafted practical
joke.
In that respect Ms. Crimp
bears an extraordinary (but pro
bably only coincidental)
resemble nee to Brandon
Shepard, Michael Cross, Dan
Goulet and other implausible
denizens of the Far Right Zone.
Michael E. Stamm
Graduate Secretary
English Department
Our Choice
This letter is in response to an
article published in the ODE on
Friday, April 3 entitled
“Organization offers alter
natives to destruction of
substance abuse.”
Although generally pleased
with the content of the article,
there is one major clarification
of misinformation that arose
which we feel must be cleared
up.
Attributed to Glen
Synoground was the statement
that Our Choice had met with
“administrative resistance.”
This is not the case. Here at the
University, Our Choice has
been constantly encouraged by
the administration and feels
very good about our current
relationship.
1 would hope that in the
future, any comments given by
members of Our Choice are
stated in the proper context and
with the additional details that
could alleviate such situations.
Glen Synoground
Public relations
Our Choice
Carine Green
Our Choice President