Editorial
Convene legislature
for workers' comp
Special sessions of the Oregon Legislature are rare
In fai t, the last one was in l'IH4. Hut it some people
have their wav. lawmakers will meet sometime this
year to do something about the state's < rumbling work
ers compensation system.
Workers' i ompensation has been a lug topic in the
media the last feu months The staleowned SAII (lor
potation whic h provides workers' compensation in
sura in e tor t hot i sands of Oregon businesses, lost an es
timated $.40 million last year file loss ton ed the c om
pain to drop ') M>2 small businesses already, with -in
othei 4.1-H* c ompanies due to lose their polit ies April
1
The issue has reached a cnsis point lor once
Demoi rals and Republicans both agree there are seri
ous problems with workers comp Hut of ionise, both
sub’s disagree on what must he clone.
file Democ rats' task force wants to reduce’ medical
costs t lit out most litigation and be more' responsive to
the workers’ needs Most Republicans want to slash
premium rates, tighten the laws cm defining injuries,
and aliens workers to negotiate benefits with the'ir em
ployers Both want to forte SAIL to take back most of
the businesses it has chopped
Both Democrats and Republicans want to have a
specie 1 session to work things out.
Oregon Speaker (tl the House Vera kal/ (l)-f’orl
I.iikI) is loading tin1 Demur rats' t barge for a special s»;s
sion while attorney general and gubernatorial candi
date Dave 1 rohnmavei is championing the Republi
cans’ cause. Doth have made appeals to (h>\ Neil
(ioldst hmidt to call as session
li\ stale law the governor. 01 the House and Sen
ate ( an ( all a spe< lal session it the need arises Almost
even ve.tr between the regularly-scheduled biannual
sessions somebody ( alls for a spot i.tl one Hut rarely is
the reason as important and necessary as it is
m IW
Oiegon businessmen have enough problems right
now thev don't need to hu t' the prosper I ol losing
their workers' comp insurance. Without that insur
ance many businesses will be forced to fold simply
from the threat of a worker's injuiv
Cioldsr hmidt has gone on record saving he won't
( all a session until lie sees a com rete plan Wanting to
see the l egislature perform (|tii( klv and efficiently is a
noble goal, but (ioldsr hmidt must be careful about
how long he stalls
The problem will only worsen in the next tew
months If something isn't done In April I the whole
thing muld explode in Ins fair; Polite allv. it means
nothing to him Since he announced Wednesday tie
won't be running tor re-election, he has become a
lame-duck governm Solving the workers’ compensa
tion fiasi o would be a fitting way to go out of olfu e
sryiLii
i anvtue''’
educp&mn
WE3PEKH
V
Governor's announcement disappointing
"Pulitn.il surprise" is traditionallv con
sidered an owmnion H\ tin1 lime .111 <iitu.il
announcement 1 s made, it s usu.il!\
nellknonn eithei disc nvered b\ inv<•sti14.1t
iiii; journidists hi leaked In over-anxious
,mlcs Hut (.m Neil (ioldsi limuits dei isinn
lint to run Ini re elei tinll \\ edliesd.n ( .IIIgilt
ne,ii l\ e\ ei vnno unprepared
\s ,1 general rule' im umbent governors
mil Ini re election it the\ 1 .III ()nl\ ll
thev've made se\ere political blunders ni
li.ne alien.iti'il most nt the slate do then drop
nut Despite nb.it some people would have
uni believe (ioldsi lunidt has done neithei
III the last thiee \ e.ll s
ll s impossible In i lit t< i/e someone ini
dropping nut nt a gubernatorial rac e bee ansi*
nt the imminent breakup nt then marriage
Running loi nttire is ditlu.11 It enough with
nut h.n mt; personal troubles c binding the is
sues (iuliischinidt readilv admits he
wouldn't be m the t orrei t traine nt mind Ini
what was shaping up to be a tough cam
paign
(ioldsi lilllidt was skeli b\ nil details
Wednesdav but drawing on pus! statements
and present conditions enables some inter
clH.es to be dlunil I he govnrnoi obvinuslv
made the dec isinn rei entlv Dining his State
nt the State sped lies he talked as a politic al
(andidatr not ,111 outgoing governor lie
nutlmrd Inline |ioli( i«‘s Hr m.ulr pi.ms Hr
spoke like hr would hr ill S.llrm ill 11)01
111r decision has Irtt a politii .il void in
the state particularly in the Democratic par
ts (ioldschmidt has stripped himsrll tit
nun h oi Ins pmvn 1’roplr no longer have to
tear Ins bring in oilier lor another tour
seals Opponents will become more strident
ss ith their ohjei lions.
State politic s tor the next sear svrro i one
pletels turned on end m the space ot one
sen tern e (to Id si lnniilt s polii ies ss 111 suffer
mm h from Kepuhln ans eager to take ndv.m
tage ot the sudden posvei s ai mini.
In the next less dnss and sveeks. there
ssill be rumors, spei illation and (ontroseiss
about ss ho ss ill become the Democrats
i undid.itr Sei retars of Stale Barbara Roberts
is the Inst name that has surfai ed but others
are not lai behind Uhoeser does emerge
bosses ei ssill tome into the i ampaign laps
behind Republican llag-bearei Dave I rollm
mas ei. ss bo has been stumping on the politi
cal trail lor months
llossrsri the situation turns out. it is
still disappointing to see the top Deuioi rat it
ligure m the slate drop out ot the ruimiug
for a job in ssliii h lie ssas i ompletels i ape
blent being el lei I is e
_Letters_
Mind control
l ui -.ii.tv afternoon .is I s.il in
• in iivciIn-.iiril i l.tssmtim ii.r/iitg
ItinKiimlv .it tin- snowflakes
UUtsllit- HIV llllllli VV.IS Stldllftl
lv pulled bar k trum its vv.indt-i
inys lu thu immediate iv.ill/.i
I Hit! Ilf CS.II I I V VV Ill'll I VV ,|s ,l| 111
vvll.lt I VV.ls ilulllg As i! Il.ljl
pvtll'll | VV .IS III .1 I’l llll l|lll'S (it
\11v vrtisiiiv i l.iss .uni mv pm
Ivssui w.is ("vplaininkt market
rescan h. advertising planning
.uni development targeting an
auiliviii v .mi) (list ovi-ring
vv hat their tuitions are
iiv.it t|\ vv In km ill tills 1 lass
is i iimpltt .Hi ,1 hut I II lust sav
it s h,it but hum- I plan lu go
into advertising am time soon
So I ni often distil!lied at vv hat
I ,n learning (though I was verv
aware nt media power before
I in still astounded at linvv ion
si iouslv manipulative the field
is). about psv i hngra
phit s and share of mind
and philosophies like the onlv
valid purpose ot a business is
to i reate a t usiomei
Hut (Ills da\ . ,ls I sal tllel'e 111
i reasingh w arm .mil ansious In
In- outside I was mull
111.in usual .uni glum mg
ilmvn ,il ihc l nn-i,ilil mi im lap
I u .is sli in k b\ Ihc (ilium ms
headline 1‘riesl w .n ils (it
iimiii control t• 1111 u|in-s used
11\ i tills. subtle!! del option
II mi mi ill ;()/!/ I c!i til and
I lie IH si line i il I lie ai l it le
wliu Ii began Willi I lie mispi ml
\ei\ s k imls ill i nils
\\ lialev ei \ (in uni make ol
tins I was |iroliitindl\ elated
when the bell rang and I was
bee in w as I
Man la Dibble
lournalism
Waiting in vain
I bis ma\ seem like old new s
tml I leel lb.it it still needs lo be
addiessed I 111 kill 1 ath llle
I nicr.ild tan an editorial i rill
i i/mg llle AM D s l.u k of in
lolvemcnl in llle Martin l.utliei
hum holid.n I wailed tm some
l\ |>• ui n-li.n Hun in apolng\
lull il iu*\ it i .nni'
Did \uii even t.ikr tin tilin’
mil tn ask am mu- in tin' \St ()
what thr\ v\i■ 11■ planning In do
Ill'll II i' Mill U I ote ll].«l ,111 H li' '
( )li\ intislv mil her .lust' il Min
li.nl you would li.ni’ Imiud mil
tinit u ilhmil their I k -1 p the
Hi.n k Student I Minn would
h.ive iu'Vit lieiTi .ilile lii bring
I )| I I.IITA lulu .lilts In tills i .1111
pus In speak Ini the King In 11 i
da\
Without the involvement ol
A n.l\ < l.ii k .iml the As! I )
si,ill the event would have
iu'mt gotten nit tlie ground I
think voui i Mill ism i mild hesl
lie direi led low.ml those who
have the |iiiwel lu in,ike III
Martin !.other King's bir*hda\ .i
si hool holiday, whuli would
show the resper I that is due In
him I ill.oik the ASl '<) Im t.ik
illg the time out lo help
Krnesl Kniwn
Direr tor
BI at k Student l Hum
Interference
( Inis Kelso supports ,uiti
.ibortionists .ittempts to "pm
liibit .dilution 4>t > iinvniirni e
it )! >1 bill ill ( )ui ipirst inn is
\\ liiui .uni win do women do
i ide to lormin.ite .111 uim.inteti
pmt411.uu t ' I lien piMsoii.il i on
v im 1 it' 1111■ is 1 i’it.iinlx not Ihf
ni.iioi i riterion
riu- woin.iu hersell is the
onl\ person u ho 1.111 i le.irlv
('i'ii>h the re.isons tor .nut
e.4mist tlel plegll.llU \ \o 111.lt
ter hou she (lei lilt's, she ll
h.n e 140111' through .1 lot ut sen
mis thoughts .mil emotions
I he ,n 1 us.ition ill,it women
n ho pre\ mush li.nl .111 .ihortion
.lie more 11 k 1 ■ I\ to he potenti.il
i hdd abusers is ruin ulinis .mil
.m outright lie
111sti‘.id id degrading women
lo sei mid i lass i itizens hr re
fusing them the liglil In dei irle
Inr themselves we should pro
vide an environment ihet gives
a woman the most positive sup
port for w hater ei she i nines to
i onsitlei the appropri<ite dei i
slim ll\ the war no pro-t hoii e
person rules out adoption as a
legitimate i hou e Ini a woman
he 1st i
\obod\ and no government
agent \ has the right to inlerlere
w itli a woman's hod\
kathv Yonker
Soi ioleg\
I’atrii k Forster
Student
—Letters Policy—
I ho Emerald will attempt to print all letters contain
ing comments on topics of interest to the University
community Comments must he factually accurate
ami refrain from personal attacks on the character of
others