EDITORIAL
Measure 5 offers
no tax alternative
Oregon voters dealt the state government a severe
Mow Tuesday when they passed property tax limiting
Measure 5. The measure will cripple the state's in
come-raising system.
Proponents of the measure say Oregonians are tired
of having some of the highest property tax rates in the
country, and this vote is a signal that citizens want a
change.
It is more probable that this is a signal that voters
don't care enough to educate themselves on the issues.
it seems Oregonians got caught up in anti-tax hys
teria without investigating the real effects Measure 5 is
going to have. This is most likely the result of the 30
second-sound-bite politics that is the rule for today’s
campaigns. Voters make their decisions from partisan
television ads rather than taking the time to research
the issues for themselves.
The right way to effect change is to come up with a
solution first and then implement that solution as you
reform the old system. Oregonians have sent the state
into what will be a huge deficit situation, without of
fering a solution. It would be like shaving your head
because you don't like your hairstyle; rather than look
ing for a style you like.
One solution to the inevitable budget crunch is ac
ceptance of the sales tax that has been defeated several
times in the last 12 years.
But there is no guarantee this will happen. And
given the anti-tax trend currently in vogue, it is likely
that there will be no new taxation method adopted.
Gov. Goldschmidt is going to have to take a strong
stance and call the legislature back into special ses
sion to decide how to keep the state and many pro
grams afloat.
One positive aspect is that Oregonians elected Bar
bara Roberts as governor. If anyone has the motivation
and work ethic to tackle the challenge, it is Roberts.
However, it is too bad she will have to put ail other is
sues on hold as she battles the budget crisis. A lot of
time and money could have been saved if Oregonians
would have just hired an accountant for the governor's
post rather than going through the campaign process.
The next year is going to be an important one for
all of Oregon. Hopefully, the effects of Measure 5 will
wake Oregonians up to the fact that they have black
mailed themselves into accepting the long-avoided
sales tax.
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Students must be active in tax reform
The sign on the door said, "The ASUO
extM olive is clusril today due to the passage
of Ballot Measure 5."
It would have meant more to close their
doors and symbolize the problem of Measure
5 before the elections, but nevertheless, it
may be a sign of things to come.
After Tuesday's election, not only is it
time for the ASUO to buckle up when thev
drive their cars, it's also time for them to
buckle down and get to work.
We have confidence that the ASUO will
get to work lobbying the Legislature. Co
president Kirk Hailey promised to send bus
loads of students to the capitol in Salem for
the legislative session. Until then, students
can set up phone banks and call every legis
lator in the state 100 times a day.
The Oregon Student Lobby should get
busy writing letters and lobbying the Legis
lature to confront the problem immediately
and equitably. They must work closely with
community college organizations because
there has to be as many college students as
property owners.
And it's about time that Gov. Neil ' The
Oregon Comeback” Goldschmidt called an
emergency meeting of the Legislature. Ore
gon faces bankruptcy, and now is as good a
time as any to start looking for an answer.
But Goldschmidt believes it s not bis prob
lem anymore.
Now it's our problem. Most, if not .ill. of
the legislators at the fairgrounds Tuesday
night agreed that solving the budget mess
left by Measure 5 is the state's number one
priority. So we say. get to work.
We need a fair and progressive way of
funding universities. Higher tuition is not
the answer. Maybe a sales tax is.
If the ASUO and the OSL can unite stu
dents across the state to demand fair treat
ment for higher education, we can show the
state that students aren’t going to take it
anymore.
LETTERS
No reason
Kon Williams' "non” reason
ing is the reasoning of fear I
can only hope that graduation
from the University will bring
enlightenment: otherwise, all
whites, gays, blacks, lews,
women, Christians. Muslims.
Hindus. Native Americans
had better use your time at the
University to prepare yourself
for a life of criticism instead of
acquiring knowledge to deal
with the critical problems that
all humanity is facing at this
time.
Kent|une
Student dependent
Apology needed
The group of students at
Stanford University which is
referred to as a band is a dis
grace to the institution they
represent. As a graduate of
Stanford. Class of \'t7, I feel
nothing but embarrassment
each time they appear at any
public function.
Why the university powers
that be allow this puerile, juve
nile behavior, often insulting to
the viewing public, to continue
is someth inn ' am unable to
comprehend. However, if the
school is going hi permit this
kind of activity, then Stanford
also owes an apology to the
many whom they offend with
every performance, most re
cently the University of Oregon
and residents of Eugene.
Harold Hanzlik. M.D.
Stanford alumnus
Appearing Dead
It is not the Dead the admin
istration seeks to ban. hut
Deadheads! Whatever hap
pened to "cultural diversity?"
What is the difference between
racism against African-Ameri
cans or Deadheads? They Ixith
judge people! basted on their ap
pearances!
(ackie Straw man
Eugene
Lesson learned
I hope Amy Mope has learned
her lesson and everyone takes
heed of the warning inherent in
her letter. Do not mess with
('.reeks To avoid experiences
like the one Hope had, just
leave the “’reserved" seats
alone That way no one gets
hurt
Fred O. Koellig
Student
Too live crew
1 was extremely pleased to
see the Ducks' home season
end on Saturday not only with
a win. hut with a thrashing of
the security crew by the stu
dent body.
It is not a secret that most
people at football games de
spise them. All season they
have made a nuisance of them
selves. They have been intent
on throwing people out of Aut
zen for minor offenses and have
had a belligerent attitude to
ward all fans, especially stu
dents. They seem to cause more
trouble than they prevent.
Hopefully, the beating they
took Saturday will convince
them to relax their policies.
They should realize that people
come to football games to get
rowdy and have a good time,
not to get harassed by a bunch
of rent-a-cops on a power trip
The atmosphere at a football
game is borderline anarchy and
the harder security tries to
crack down, the more people
will rebel. It will only get
worse next season. When that
happens they will have to hire
their own security guards.
Mike Simonilch
Student
Poor judgment
On Nov. :t 1 had the pleasure
of joining my wife, my son and
his fiancee at the UO IIC1.A
homecoming game. Since we
are from the state of Washing
ton, we had no ties to either
team, but were treated to a
spectacular comeback by your
Ducks.
Unfortunately, there were
some aspects of this experience
that loft me embarrassed for
your university.
While I realize the signifi
cance of the game was high, so
were many of the students we
saw before the game. I'll never
understand what is "cool"
about public displays of drunk
enness.
We also watched the security
personnel swarm over some
poor fan who touched the foot
ball after a field goal This was
a grown adult with his wife
who was walking up the aisle
for a i oke when a football t ame
flying through the air at him.
Me caught it and threw it fur
ther into the crowd, similar to a
balloon toss.
Before he could turn around,
several security personnel mili
tantly grabbed him. treated him
like a criminal and promptly
escorted him and his wife from
the game. The entire area
pleaded with the security peo
ple to let him stay, but no way
We all appreciate the need
for proper control of tin; crowd,
but this is carrying it too far.
Couldn't we have fun, and how
much does a football cost, any
way?
Finally, this post-game goal
post thing frightens me. Each
year we hear of trampling
deaths and injuries in the name
of tradition. It seems to boil
down to the students vs. securi
ty. and people get hurt.
Why not make disposable
goalposts and let the tradition
go on safely?
I.es Anderson
Vancouver, WA