Editorial
War Powers lawsuit
forces accountability
On Friday, IJ.S. Heps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.. and Mike
lxjwry. D-VVash., alung with 112 other legislators, filed suit
in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. against President
Reagan. The lawsuit regards the administration's Persian
Gulf policy of escorting Kuwaiti tankers with U.S. naval
ships.
Specifically, the lawsuit aims to force compliance with
the War Powers Act, which requires the president to report
to Congress within 48 hours anytime U.S. military forces are
introduced into imminently hostile regions.
The Reagan administration has argued that hostilities
are not imminent in the region, and therefore, the War
Powers Act does not apply.
However, considering the volatile nature of the gulf, the
continued assault on oil tankers by Iran and Iraq, the almost
daily threats from the Iranian government of military and
terrorist action against U.S. forces, the hitting of a mine by a
U.S. flagship, and an attack on a U.S. naval vessel, the Per
sian Gulf is a region where hostilities are not only imminent,
hut manifest.
Thus for the Reagan administration to claim hostilities
are not present in the Persian Gulf is absurd.
The Reagan administration also has argued that because
the United States is officially neutral in the war. the War
Powers Act does not apply in this case. But, because Kuwait
is aligned with Iraq in the war. the United States is in effect
supporting Iraq.
Because the Persian Gulf presently is a hostile region
and the United States is supporting Iraq indirectly in the
war. Congress has the right to advise and consent, possibly
helping the Reagan administration to avoid a political em
barrassment in the future.
The lawsuit is appropriate action, and DeFazio and
l.owry should be commended for their efforts in forcing the
administration to uphold its constitutional responsibility of
informing Congress when U.S. forces venture into
dangerous areas.
Search for official home
can benefit legislature
The search for a house in Salem for Gov. Noil
Goldschmidt has been a hot topic, especially with
spokespeople for the homeless. But while their concerns are
appropriate, the issue should not be ladled down to a home
for social events vs. money for the homeless.
Historically. Oregon never has had an official
governor’s residence. i*revious governors have lived in
state-owned homes near the capitol or in their own houses.
Goldschmidt currently lives in Portland and commutes to
Salem.
The one-hour commute from Portland to Salem is time
consuming and inconvenient. Because Salem is the center of
legislative activity, it is important that the governor is near
by and available.
The Governor's Residence Advocacy Committee has
taken the initiative to find an official house for the governor
independent from the Goldschmidt administration. It also
has solicited funds from the private sector to pay for the
house. No tax money will be used.
Advocates for helping the homeless have criticized the
search, but the house will be beneficial to the workings of
the government. However, the homeless issue should not be
ignored. If there is extra money, it should be donated to
community programs.
Moving Goldschmidt to Salem is a worthwhile idea, but
it should not overshadow mom important issues or become
too extravagant.
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Commentary
Deregulation: not only problem
The same day the Oregon Dai
ly Knterald printed its editorial
on airline deregulation. Aircraft
Owners and Pilots Association
President |ohn Baker spoke to
the Associated Press alsmt why
he was in Washington. D.C.,
lobbying Congress.
"There's been a national
dialogue of escalating tone and
vehemence going on." he said.
"Unfortunately, the one voice
not being heard is (that of) the
experts on the system, the
users."
Commentary by
David Atman
I am no air industry expert,
but as a "user" with roughly
75.000 miles flown the last 1H
months I do have a few com
ments about the Fmerald's July
:t() editorial
First, though the editorial ac
curately describes the theory of
free enterprise providing
greater route selection and
keeping prices down, it judges
that. "Unfortunately, it hasn't
met this ideal."
Results have been ambiguous
with regard to greater route
selection (some areas better,
some worse). Rut as anyone
who flew commercially before
the airline industry was
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deregulated in 1978 realizes,
prices today are regularly less
than half of what they wens
then.
Evidence of this was in the
editorial's next line, "Mori!
people did start to fly as a result
of the new companies ." Na
tion's Business Today reports at
leust B4 percent more travelers
last year than in any year before
deregulation.
Then, adding the greater
number of planes in the skies
with President Reagan's firing
of the striking air traffic con
trollers in 1981. the editorial
properly sums up, "Unless
something is done soon,
somebody will get hurt."
It is debatable if the presi
dent's decision to fin; PATCO
members was in the public's in
terns) But it is inexcusable that
his administration did not then
train and hire enough qualified
replacements to handle the na
tion's growing use of air flight.
Like the Emerald. I take
vigorous exception to the. at
best, shaky assurances from the
airline industry and the E'ednral
Aviation Administration paid
assuagement. But let's lay the
blame at the feet of the truly
culpable!
The FAA collects a flight tax
on every ticket sold in the
United States. This money feeds
a fund that originally was in
tended to enlarge and upgrade
airports, to improve controller
computer and airport security
systems, to install existing
equipment to detect and pre
vent deadly phenomena like
wind sheer and to seed research
to develop other safety devices,
Letters Policy
The Emerald will attempt to
print all letters containing 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
to establish tougher instrument
requirements for small planes,
and to provide adequate FAA
staff to implement and enforce
these improvements.
Instead, the Reagan ad
ministration raised its rhetoric
on the need for “greater safety
in the skies.’’ while
hypocritically keeping more
than $4 hill ion raised by this tax
in the Federal Treasury's coffers
simply to give the illusion that
the federal deficit is $4 billion
less than it otherwise would be
As the Fmerald said, some
stricter regulations on air safety
and maintenance are needed.
Hut what good are new laws if
the FAA refuses to use already
available funds to employ
enough agents to enforce ex
isting laws?
These problems were not
caused by deregulation. They
are the result of the luhotnmi/.ed
priorities of White House
policies.
It should also be remembered
that, statistically, flying is still
the safest mode of travel. Even
with all the problems Delta
Airlines recently has had. not
one death occured due to these
mistakes. Gin you think of any
other transportation system that
would get this amount of
adverse press without a single
fatality?
I disagree with the editorial’s
conclusion that. “Deregulating
the airlines was a noble goal.
Hut no matter how good it look
ed on paper, it hasn't and won't
work in reality."
Deregulating the airlines is
not a goal, it is a system. A
system that gives more
Americans the freedom to fly
farther, cheaper, and more often
than ever before. It works as a
system that allows the l>esl good
for the most people when given
a wist* discipline of federal
oversight
It will never work when the
president condemns the FAA to
mask various blunders and
political sins of his too often ir
responsible leadership.