EDITORIAL
Measure 11 a wolf
In sheep’s clothing
Measure 11. the issue that would give tax credits to
those who choose to educate their children outside the
public schools, would also allow parents to choose
which public schools to send their children. This
measure is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The measure would do lit
tle to improve the public school
system; rather, it would gut a
system that already is in dire
need of improvement.
Supporters of the measure
argue that allowing parents to
choose a public school for their children would create
a competitive market where the best schools would get
the students, and therefore, the tax dollars.
The problem is that some families do not have the
resources to transport their children across town to the
"best" schools. Those children would be left in neigh
borhood schools that are underfunded because of a
lack of students wanting to attend. Through no fault of
their own they would be receiving a second-rate educa
tion.
Because schools would be operating on a competi
tive basis, the most popular and well-funded schools
would be in the position to pick and choose whom
they accept
Do Oregonians really want primary-school-aged
children competing for the best schools? Children In
these formative years should not he labeled, as they
would be. by what school they could attend.
Measure It ts also being opposed by the Associa
tion of Retarded Citizens of Oregon because of the tax
breaks it would give to people who educate their chil
dren at home or through private schooling.
Because private schools do not need to accept dis
abled or special education i hiidreu. the kids who need
the most costly educations would be left in the under
funded public: schools.
Giving lax breaks fur private school tuition is also
unfair to lower-income students Because private
schools can ask for tuition up front — usually several
thousand dollars — students whose families could not
afford the price would again be left going to public
schools with incredibly shrinking tax bases.
It is true that the public school system has become
lack-luster and needs revamping. However, sacrificing
underprivileged and disabled students at the altar of
school reform is not the answer.
He fair to lower-income and disabled students.
Vote no on measure 11.
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Measure 5 will cripple state services
Measure 5, the property tax limitation
measure, must he defeated. While most Ore
gonians agree the state must relieve property
tax burdens, a hatchet is the wrong tool for
the job.
Property taxes
help fund many ba
sic services includ
ing schools, police
and fire departments,
libraries, ambu
lance services, road
repairs, parks, universities anu community
colleges.
Measure 5 requires the state to replace
the lost revenues of schools, but not for any
non-school services.
While Measure ,ri would lower property
taxes, it does not provide alternative rev
enues to fund the services to hi* cut.
But what happens in the meantime are
higher income taxes or a sales tax.
A sales tax could replace property tax
revenue, but Oregon voters have not histori
cally favored sales tax measures.
Higher income taxes would probably re
place property taxes as the main revenue to
fund the non-school services. The state cur
rently spends 27 percent of its general fund
revenues (mostly from income taxes) for lo
cal schools. In the fifth year under Measure
5, this amount would jump to 73 percent
without the state gaining any additional rev
enue to replace property tax dollars.
Measure 5 would reduce property taxes to
$15 per $1,000 of assessed property value —
an obvious temptation to individual home
owners.
We do need property tax relief, but what
we don't need is a draconian measure cut
ting vital governmental services.
Measure 5 is not tax relief. It is for peo
ple who neither need nor want the majority
of vital services funded by property taxes.
Vote no on 5.
LETTERS
Yes for LCC
On November li. voters will
be fin ed with ii decision of vital
importance to the future educa
tion of our community: wheth
er or not to support the l-ane
Community College tax Iwise
proposal.
In relation to the educational,
economic and social value LCC
brings to the community, the
price tag of this tax base is a
wise investment Although
property taxes in this area are
relatively high, the LCC request
is not only urgently needed,
but very reasonable and afford
able
If this tax bast* is established,
the owner of an $80,000 home
would pay an estimated addi
tional $23.20 per year for IXX.'.
Surely the future of our com
munity is important enough to
justify this increase.
1I1C is only asking for
enough funds to maintain the
services it currently provides
With the expected need to re
train displaced timber industry
employee’s in future months.
I .a: must receive the support
of all those who < :re about Ore
gon's future.
1 strongly urge all students to
support tin* IXX' lav base
Andy Harris
Politic al Science
The real thing
In the editorial section (O/W-,'
Oct. 2;t). you have encouraged
us to "boycott Coca-Cola prod
ucts in the EMU and residence
halls ”
Then we should boycott all
other companies or corpora
tions represented on campus,
also. lait's slash the tires of ev
ery Toyota. Nissan. Ford. Hon
da. Peugeot, Mercedes Benz.
Mazda. Audi. Honda, Volks
wagen and BMW parked on or
around campus.
Move off campus with picket
signs to the local Kentucky
Fried Chickens, Pizza Huts,
British Petroleum and Shell sta
tions Boycott Japanese and
German products because their
respective governments supph
the South African Defense
Force with much of their mili
tary equipment
If the soda we i hoose to
drink is a politic al division,
then so is tile choice of what
car we drive, where we eat.
when* we fill up with gas. and
with whom we choose to asso
ciate with.
Last I heard. Mandela had
been released and the national
state of emergency had been
lifted (first time since 1‘ttifl).
South Africans still face the
Group Areas Act (the heart of
apartheid), but with the current
trend and the desires of F.VV.
OeClerk. that will be lifted
soon. too.
It seems that some of the po
litical decisions we have made
have paid off (to a certain ex
tent. I realize all is not well
there, but...).
Yes. ('oca-Cola is still sold in
South Africa. It is also sold in
Chile. Israel, the U.S.S.K., and
as far as 1 know, in Iraq Kach
of tlu’se places persecute peo
ple for their political and reli
gious views
Yet. Co< a-Cola is sold here in
the United States, too. where
the latest trend shows us revert
ing back to harsh racial disre
gard Hut does that mean Coke
is the drink of people of ha
(red? 1 don't think so.
Jeff Knglehorn
Student
Forewarned
Hefore voting on the Trojan
measure, people should read
"Mineral Resources and the
Destinies of Nations," by Wal
ter Youngquist.
In the 1020s we were
warned, given our oil reserves
and rate of consumption, that
we were headed for economic
disasters and possibly war.
This is a good time to under
stand why.
The Middle East can meet
present demands for oil for 100
years. As other countries mod
ernize. this demand will in
crease and supply will rapidly
decrease, increasing the poten
tial for war
LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all
letters containing comments on topics of interest to the
University community. Comments must be factually
accurate and refrain from personal attacks on the char
acter of others.
There are major problems
with all alternative sources of
energy. Before closing the Tro
jan plant it is advisable to know
the problems you choose, so
you can at least lx; prepared for
them.
Our government prepared bv
militarizing the Middle Hast at
tax payers expenses before
Suddam Hussein. Hello, eco
nomic disaster and possibly
war.
Our only good choice is pop
ulation control and strict con
servation. but this is not an
uninformed public's choice
Hopefully, students will be
come well-informed and give
us better choices in the near fu
ture. We desperately need an
informed public and better
choices fast.
Carol Seaton
Springfield