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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 1987)
Editorial Action needed now to reduce the deficit The stock market’s greatest plunge in history focuses new attention on the negligent economic policies of the Reagan administration toward reducing the federal budget deficit. According to Wall Street analysts, the market’s crash has been caused partially by a large trade deficit and by a huge, out-of-control budget deficit — a deficit that has in creased dramatically during the Reagan administration. The mendacious Reagan administration can no longer make the empty rhetorical promise that it will take measures to reduce the deficit and balance the budget, a promise Reagan made an integral part of his 1980 presidential and 1983 re-election campaigns. If the administration is to help the market recover fully, it not only must pledge to take action, but also must do it. Furthermore this action must take the form of an increase in taxes and a decrease in military spending. For the administration, it can no longer be business as usual; it’s time to rethink the economic policies that landed the market in such an unfortunate predicament. In previous years, the administration has refused to raise income taxes; instead, it made across-the-board cuts in domestic welfare spending. The savings incurred from these cuts, however, nave been offset by wasteful, unnecessary increases in military spending and foreign policies requiring an excessive pro portion of the federal budget. By attempting to stamp out the red threat in the Third World, the administration's foreign policies have con tributed to placing the budget further in the red. The Reagan administration s 1988 budget proposal, for example, calls for increasing defense spending by about $14 billion to $312 billion and international affairs spending by $2.9 billion to a total of $18.1 billion. The administration, however, proposed spending only $28.9 billion on educa tion. jobs and social services. Nevertheless, after pressure from Monday's crisis. Reagan has considered meeting with legislators at an "economic summit" to discuss policies for reducing the deficit. At this domestic economic summit, if it indeed takes place, the Reagan administration must compromise with congressional democrats if it is to solve the current crisis and avoid a future one. So far. however, the administration has refused to com promise. placing the blame on Congress for its own in competence toward reducing the deficit. The result of this reluctance to compromise resulted in an economic crisis that poses the possibility of a new recession. America currently faces a crucial choice: either accept a tax increase now or accept the economic costs of a deficit induced recession later. If the American public accepts the latter, or is forced to accept it by the continuing negligence of the Reagan ad ministration. then the long-run costs of the deficit in terms of a recession will outweigh significantly the short-run reduction in wealth from an income tax. Without a tax increase and appropriate spending cuts. Americans will further suffer from economic neglect and mismanagement. Life Expectancy Statistics Hitt m a: CITIZENS: 40 WRS FReSIWNTlAL CANWDWES 6 MONTHS • • Letters Unfair seating If all students are required to pay a tee along with tuition that is to go toward free admission to University athletic events, shouldn't everyone who pays have access to the free tickets? With only 6.000 football tickets reserved for more than 17,000 students. 11.000 or more students are paying for nothing There must be a better way to allocate these tickets. 1 realize that the incidental fees charged at registration are reasonable for anyone who plans to attend a few events. Maybe it would be Iretter to charge a higher in cidental fee to students who want free tickets, but not re quire that everyone pay if they do not plan to use the free tickets. The students who pay the fee would have free tickets available to them if they want to claim them, and those who don't pay the fee would have to pay for general admission tickets if they decide to attend. What really upsets me about this plan is the seating ar rangements at the football games. Students who get fret* tickets are restricted to certain seating sections, while other students who pay for their general ad mission tickets must sit in another area. I went to the USC football game Saturday with five stu Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Dally Emerald la published Monday through Friday except during exam wee* and vacations by the Oregon Dally Emerald Publishing Co . at the University of Oregon. Fugene. Oregon. 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and Is a member of the Associated Prase The Emerald Is private property The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law Qtninl Staff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Michele Boss Classified Manaoer Kelli Mason Assistant to the^blisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Tart Boring. Gary OeLossa. Tom Leech. Catherine Lilia. Rick Marti. Laura McKinney. Heather Mull Joann Nelson. Julie Paul. Barbara Rogers. Scott Thorkildson. Joan Wlldermuth News and Editorial 8*6 5511 MS-3712 Letter Perfect Graphics 68*5511 Production Circulation Mil Stanley Nelson Scott Maban Eden Qodbey Angela Muniz/Steven Hoenlsch Aaron Knox Shu Shlng Chen Lorraine Rath Kelly Kortekaas Entertainment/Sports Segment Editor H C Hutto Night Editor Carolyn Lamberaon Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editors Sports Editor Photo Editor Graphic Design Editor Special Issues Editor Aiioclilt Editor* Community Stephen Maher Higher Education/Administration Michael Drummond Student Government/Activities Carolyn Lamberson General Assignment / Entertainment Wilt Holbert Reporters: Betsy Clayton. Paula Green. Frale de Guzman, Craig Harris. Gary Henley. Andrew LaMar. Jett Morgan. In grid Petersen. Caml Swanson. Kelvin Wee Photographers: Shertyn B|orkgren. Marta Corvallis. Andy Cnpe. Dusty Etzel. Darrel Hewitt. John Glustlna. Bobbie Lo. Ross Martin. Andre Raniert, Dan Wheeler. Michael Wilhelm Production: Sandra Daller l Ad Coordinator Kelly Alexandre. Ronwtn Nicole Ashton. Virginia Baniaga. Laura Carhart, Ellen Cross. Eva Cohen, Stephanie Drynan. Dolores Ferreo. Shannon Gaither. Use Haggerty, Stephanie Holland, Deirdre Kally, Eliot Knight, Chris Knox. Jung Lee. Bobble Lo. Ross Martin. James Mason. Angle Muniz. Ted Sltepier. Linda Sperling. Lisa Svanevlk, Ingrid White. Mike Wilhelm. Kelly Williams. Serena Williams. X Kang Xte deni friends, but only two of us were able to get free tickets. The other four paid for general ad mission tickets. We tried to get seats in the student section, but the ushers would not let the people who purchased general admission tickets sit in that area. So we went to the general ad mission taction, walked past an usher who did not check our tickets, and sat down. During the first quarter, 1 left my seat to get a drink. When 1 tried to return to my seat, the usher asked to see my ticket. I showed him my "student" ticket, and he told me that 1 could not return to my seat... I would have to go to the student section. I think that charging a one time per-term fee for free admis sion to athletic events is a great idea, but everyone who pays this fee should have access to free tickets if we can't work out a fair allocation system, students who get free tickets should at least be allowed to sit with those who are unable to gel their tickets for free. Turn lohnson Student Confronting Local humanist. Laurence F. Hawkins letter. "Faith vs. reason" (R-G, Sept. 23). describes Sir (and "Saint”) Thomas Store’s suggestion in his book "Utopia" that a "young couple wishing to marry should be compelled to confront each other naked, lest either find the other unattractive." Newspaper reports lead us to know that not only did several of our Christian presidential candidates follow that sugges tion. but as one could expect, found it as difficult to "look but don't touch." as it is to “show but not tell." Humanists who know the history of American social mores are inclined to smile in dulgently at the sanctimonious posturing of Christian moralists in this regard. Ethnologists may find it of in terest to know that for many hundreds of years, until but a few generations ago. it was the custom in many Slavic coun tries for rural bachelors to gather together naked on the frozen surface of local ponds and rivers in mid-winter, in the presence of area maidens and their mothers, to plunge into the icy waters in a riotous display of vigor and courage. The women thereafter dicussed the qualities of prospective suitors; it was believed that sur prises thereafter were apt to be pleasant. Women were exempted from this ordeal Polish gallantry recognized the blush of the maiden belonged on the upper cheeks and not the lower Bert P. Tryba Eugene Needed service Sunday afternoon, at approx imately 4:30, 1 was headed nor thbound on 1-5 when I was driven off the road by a semi truck that obviously thought it too much trouble to look before changing lanes. After gathering my wits. I managed to get the license number of the truck and report the offense, loiter I called the police back to find out if anything had come of my com plaint. Absolutely nothing! The officer was very sym pathetic, told me that there had been numerous complaints that day about truck drivers, but there was nothing they could do. There was only ONE patrol car available between Eugene and Albany and it was already tied up! I’m not angry with the police. They did all they could. But 1 find it appalling that the citizens of this, and other areas, do not find it necessary to sup port those organizations which are essential to the welfare of our communities. Time after time, we fail to pass budgets which are badly needed in order for these organizations to function effec tively. The police department is one such organization. 1 am angry because a careless driver got away with almost causing a very serious accident. Please .. the next time the police department needs money. PASS the budget! Julie N. Rawland Student
