EDITORIAL
Is California folly
Oregon's future?
Oregonians must begin to see the effects of Meas
ure 5 before replacement revenues can be justified. At
least, that is one of the excuses used by the Oregon
Legislature to justify its ostrich impersonation in the
face of Measure 5.
Fortunately, we need wait no longer. The great
state of California is proudly serving as a role model for
the soon to be not-so-great state of Oregon. Just as Cali
fornia has plowed the way for fashion, entertainment
and lifestyles, so now it leads Oregon down the road to
fiscal self-destruction.
California began its fiscal year on July 1 with emp
ty coffers. Currently $10 billion short on cash, the state
has been paying workers with lOUs, which banks so far
have agreed to honor, assuming that the crisis would
soon be solved. It hasn't been, and the banks may soon
stop honoring the lOUs.
How does this relate to Oregon? The primary
causes of the California crunch are Propositions 13 and
98. Prop. 13, enacted in 1979, iimits property tax col
lection by the state. Prop. 98 guarantees nearly 40 per
cent of the state's general fund to schools. Combined,
the two propositions equate to Measure 5.
The primary difference is that California's econo
my has been large enough to delay the effects of Prop.
13 Oregon, with a drastically smaller economy, stands
to experience similar problems not later than 1995,
when Measure 5 takes full effect. Already. Oregon has
announced 4,000 job cuts and the possible closure of
prisons and other drastic service cutbacks.
Four California universities have announced that
they will no longer accept new students, and plans arc
being made to cut as many as 8.000 university jobs
throughout the state, while remaining staffs working
hours may be reduced by 25 percent. Here at the Uni
versity, 200 layoffs are possible within the next year,
ulong with a 20 percent budget reduction, increased tu
ition and decreased enrollment.
Those who were duped into lining the pockets of
business and increasing the public tax burden by vot
ing for Measure 5 continue to spew forth their misguid
ed rhetoric, claiming that Oregon must cut waste and
learn to live within its means. Yet, they fail to identify
exactly where the alleged waste exists (the occasional
highway crew standing around ull day is not a valid ex
ample), and whut exactly should be done about it.
Oregonians, along with their slumbering legisla
ture. need to pay close attention to the crystal ball that
is California and recognize the errors of their ways be
fore the “Welcome to Oregon" signs are replaced with
"Out of Business."
Oregon Daily
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LETTERS
What’s special?
Is ll a "spocial righl" to visit
a loved one in tho hospital? It is
a basic right my partner of 16
years and 1 are not entitled to
tiocause wn are not entitled to
recognition ns a family unit by
stale law In the event of an
emergency tho! requires hospi
tall/.ation, we am not granted
tho basic: right to make critical
decisions for one another or
even tie by one another's side
in times when only “family” is
permitted.
Is It a "special right” to fall
in love, to develop a relation
ship of caring and financial in
terdependence, and have that
relationship treated with re
spect and dealt with fairly by
law? Not if that relationship is
with a person of the same so*.
Is the right to jointly acquire
property or the righl to inheri
tance a "special right"? These
rights are not “special rights,”
but are basic rights of citizen
ship tho Oregon Citizens Alli
ance intends to be suro my
partner and I never have.
1 believe voicing my con
cerns ubout the lack of legal
recognition for someone I re
gard as my spouse is minding
my own business. It is not an
attempt to impose my sexual
orientation on anyone, nor is It
an attempt to gain any "special
rights." This is a difficult idea
for some people to grasp: espe
cially in a society where merely
holding hands in public with
somoono I love is viewed by
many as a threatening political
expression of "militant homo
sexuality."
Ron Schllttlor
Studont
Validation
I am writing in response to
Pat Smith's letter (OUE, July 7).
I don't remember over playing a
"victim role," as Smith so elo
quently put It However, as a
lesbian woman, I do feel that I
have been victimized and ha
rassed by many individuals
who fool that it is their right to
comment on who I should or
should not sleep with, or how I
can or cannot express myself.
Smith, whatever your (>olnt
was about using (Hiller-like)
models of action. I am really
surprised at you. We all know
what happens when you make
generalizations about a sector
of society based on the remarks
of one individual. I would nev
er dare say that ovory “G-D
fearing Christian” follows the
word and letter of David Duke
or every African American en
dorses Louis Hamikhan. As a
Jewish woman. I am offended
by the idea that anyone would
try to sway opinions by using
the Holocaust as a point of ref
erence. or should I say re
search?
What I find interesting is that
the "sexual orientation" that
Smith so happily endorses is
tho same orientation that leads
to ono woman being battered
every fiftoen seconds, ono
woman being roped every min
ute and tho multi-billion dollar
a year porn industry. I think
you really are not listening to
your opponents. I don't want
special rights. 1 want tho rights
you have. I want to enjoy the
social and economic luxuries of
a state-recognized union. 1 want
to lie recognized and validated
And I want the OCA off my
bark.
Soshanah Oppanhaim
Volunteer Coordinator,
Project Safer Ida
Laurel
We would like to take this
opportunity to publicly ap
plaud Leslie Warren and Tarra
Withers on their publication of
"Don't Get Left Behind: Booklet
of Scheduled Multicultural
Classes." All students should
utilize this wonderful reference
when coordinating their class
schedules.
Multicultural curriculum has
been slow in coming to this
campus and can be difficult to
find. As my fellow students
have so eloquently stated, the
booklet "is a shortcut to finding
coursers dealing with race and
culture issues." Many of us
have been searching for ways to
expand our education in non
traditional ways to addross
some of the hidden rifts in our
community.
Wo express here heart-felt
gratitude for the work of War
ren und Withers. So often lau
rels are not given to people
who work hard to make this
world a belter place for ull of
us.
Nall Sunned
ASUO Finance Coordinator
Christl Orua
ASUO Unlvaraity Affalra
Coordinator
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