EDITORIAL
Veto override came
four years too late
Congress has finally found an issue worthy of over
turning a presidential veto. After four long years of up
holding vetoes on such silly ideas as civil rights, family
and medical leave or imposing trade sanctions on Chi
na. Congress found something close to the heart of
middle America. •*
Cable television.
Certainly no issue has been more pressing, and so
ciety has no greater problem than the spiraling cost of
cable TV. By a 382-139 margin. Congress overturned
President Bush's veto of the cable bill on Tuesday, the
first override of Bush's presidency.
Whether the cable bill is good legislation is not the
point. Congress has spent the last couple years rocked
by scanaai ana ineputuoo.
It has failed miserably to
represent the true interests
of the American people.
Rather than pass legis
lation dealing with the
stagnant economy, health
care and the education
system. Congress has been
too busy bailing out its
Certainty...
society has no
greater problem
than the spiraling
cost of cable TV.
buddies in the SAL scandal, losing control of its check
books and making asses of themselves on TV. And, of
course, guaranteeing every American’s fundamental
right to MTV and the Home Shopping Network. Why?
Obviously, it is an election year and Congress de
cided that fooling the American public into believing it
actually has its concerns at heart would help in the
polling booth.
Lobbying by the broadcast networks and the enter
tainment industry also certainly played a significant
role in deciding the vote. Congress votes where the
money comes from, pure and simple. If the only lobby
ists in favor of the bill were consumer protection
groups, the bill wouldn’t have stood a chance.
It is also likely a good number of Republican sena
tors and representatives voted against the president in
a last ditch effort to distance themselves from what has
clearly become a sinking ship.
Cable TV is not a fundamental right and should not
be treated as such. If Congress is truly concerned about
controlling cable monopolies, there are adequate anti
trust laws to serve that purpose.
Hopefully, when citizens cast their votes Nov. 3.
they will measure their candidates performance (or
lack thereof) over the last several years, and not on one
vastly overrated, unimportant vote.
ft
Oregon Daily
PO BOX US* (IK.IM OHIGON9MOJ
The Oregon Oarty Emerald a pupaanad a•*/ Monday through Friday during I ha achooi
yaw and Tuaaday and Thumday during lha urnmm by tna Oregon Oa.»y l maraid PuWehmg
Co Inc . al lha Unrvaraay oi Oragon, Eugene. Oagon
lha EmwaJd opwaiae independently or lha Unr**r*«y arth ono» a Sula 300 o< ma
E rtJ Memorial Unron and a a mam Oar of lha Aatoctaud Prata
The EmaraU a pnvaa proparry The unlawlm removal or uu o! paper* a proaeaxaNe
^ Eddor: Pa Maiach
Now* Editor Jan* Barg Fraalanoa Editor Don Pawn
Editorial Ednot Martin EWiw Edit oral Editor Fdvar* Januan
Graphic* Editor Jed Paalay Sport* EdBor Data CharOonnatu
Entertainment Editor Frey* Horn Supptomanta EdMor
Night Editor: Dwalyn Trappa
AmocBI* Edloct
Studara Goyarnmant Adhrllaa: Tammy Batay Community Tan Nall
Higher EdueelietvAdmtntMrailon: Coaaan Pohfag Peduea: Ran* OaCaa
Wapertora: Chaaiar Alan. Mandy Baucum. Mas Bandar. Sarah Cam. Donna Gann. Laa
KnaaM. Damian Mdaan. Slava Mara. Enc* Siuoarucha. Jacguaana Woge
Copy Eddera: Juaim Broom. Amanda Famw. Alma Ferrari. Tharaaa Huraatgw. Mary Warn.
Ttrtm Muaaar Treia Noal. Eton Shae. Manor Suaor. Amy Van Tuyl
Photographer* Kan Nguyan. Mchae Shmdtor
QrapMa Artel: Haalhw 2«wuw
Dam roam TaahnWana: lha HaggarTy. Mai Mom. Mchata Thompaon Aguw. Todd Wd
tone
AdvatlMng: Shaam Barvon. Scon Dana. Janmtar HucMne, Jana Iron Cure Kanofl. Tom
Loach. Jaramy Mwon. Oman Oh, Duam Slade. Sharon Vat. Anga Windham
n*a«Wail Peggy McGmn. tlanagw Barry lagan. Sharon Saute. Suaan Updegral
Buadtaaa: Kathy Cwtione. Sppwvaor Judy CormoPy
Piaducllon: Ingnd Whaa, Production CaonJnatir Knama Granger. Da* McCoOO. Slacy
latch**. Jarwtar Ftoiand. Jannrtw Smih. Anna Siaphanaon. Dwalyn Trapp*
Oarwfal Mtnagw Judy Radi
Advancing Dimeter Bryan R Coppadga Praduetion Manager Mcnw* Roe*
Mawarawa_Sdd-MTt Dtaplay Advartlalng-J4A-J7I2
Bualnaaa OMoa-Md-SSIl Claaadtod Advancing-MB4M3
V Comor+tk ADVOCATIS
^ SAV CA8L£ TV ftAT£f
4^£ OUT Of CONTROL.
LLGISLAVON IN
WASMW^ToW WOlA-D
CE-AE60U0E CABLE
pAoPoNtN7j SAY
ftATES ZOVLb 60
qomU SofAtU/^AT
OPPONENTS SAS» IT
WOULD MAK£ CABLE
rates &o £vfN Higher.
J
^oiy££S SAY JVE Consumer /i
LSS£fJ77Aay WtESS, VJITH NO
WAY TO EtrECVrtty
CONTROL CABLE COSTS. .
1
K
r»
,ne\i\
r*j>**l TV* &**» ^
'm
V<XI (*ȣAN IT'S HOT ~tQOO ft
CU>TH>*K,,SH£LUDt,CABLC*
Our mistake
Wo. the members of iho Sur
vival Center, would like to
apologize for planning our gen
nrnl interest mooting for
Wednesday. Oct. 7. At Iho time
wo planned it. wo did not roul
I/o that day was Yotn Kippur.
If thnro wore any students in
convenienced by this mistake,
wo would like to invito them to
contact us at 34f>-4356, or to
come to Suite One of the EMU.
We am an environmental and
social justice group
We hope you had a good hol
iday.
Shasta Willson
Survival Cantar
Burrows deeper
Mayoral candidate Kuth Bas
coni continues to uses rhetoric
that ts disturbingly similar to
the; Oregon Citizens Alliance
“back to the closet" campaign
goals Bascom supports an indi
vidual's right to inihavn us they
wish "in the privacy of their
home " Virtually all other can
didates questioned ubout (XIA
campaigns in a survey last
spring hud far. far stronger
words in opposition to the
OOA's attacks on Orogon ho
mosexuals.
Bascom told me that she did
vote along with the rest of die
Eugene council to oppose CX'A
campaigns against guys. It's not
Iho same thing — to go along
with peers — as it Is to take a
strong, personal stand as a may
oral candidate. Her rhetoric Is a
tepid stance aimod at pander
ing to any OCA voters.
On the other hand, her oppo
nent. Mary Burrows, leavos no
question about her firm opposi
tion to discrimination and big
otry. Bascom's literature makes
nary a mention of opposition to
attacks on human rights, at
least not the literature she dis
tributed at the Oct. 1 ASUO
Street Falre.
Burrows understands this is
Eugene she seeks to represent,
not Springfield. Eugene resi
dents will not tolerate bigotry.
Strong stands are needed
against the ugliest issue that
has over hit Oregon. I'm voting
for a leader, Mary Burrows,
who understands the values of
Eugene.
Vote No on 9.
Carol Berg
Eugene
All together
After reading your story on
Jackie Bulzor and her appoint
ment ns an administrator devot
ed completely to the needs of
gay, lesbian and bisexual stu
dents. I wondered whether or
not the position Is really need
ed or financially feasible.
('■ay, lesbian, and bisexual
students already have very uc
tivo support groups and issue
councils at the University. The
addition of the administrator is
a good example of the special
rights, privileges and opportu
nities being grunted exclusively
to homosexual groups.
If tho sumo theory is taken
further, there should be an ad
ministrator designed to cmutu a
better atmosphere for political
ly conservative students, also
in the minority at the Universi
ty. Anyone can tell you,
though, that tho latter position
is fur from being created.
Whut anyone, heterosexual
or homosexual, does in their
bedroom is their business, not
anyone else's. However, when
badly needed resources are be
ing spont bused on sexual be
haviors for services already
provided, that penalizes ovory
ono at the University who is
not a homosexual.
Even homosexuals are penal
ized because the money and
manpower spent on the new
position provides no new ser
vices — It only duplicates other
services offered by numerous
organizations at the University
and around Eugene.
In these times of tough budg
et-cutting and compromises In
the quality of our education,
rather than concentrating on
"homophobia workshops" and
liaisons between guy students
and the University, let's con
centrate our resources on im
proving tho education and at
mosphere for all students, not
just a few.
Aaron Ray
Journalism
You’re joking
I um writing to express my
true disbelief of tho naivete ex
pressed by Darrell Fuller in his
CX:A commentary on Oct. 6.
Tho Oregon Citizen's Alli
anco is clearly a controversial
group. However, Fuller seems
to forget what the OCA is striv
ing to achiovo. Should tho (X1A
succeed in its desire to pass
ballot Measure 9 through legis
lation, the lifestyles of gays and
lesbians are not the only thing
at stake.
Should the I>testyto ot the
gay and lesbian community bo
denied, who is to say that,
eventually, the lifestyles of
Catholics, Jews, and women
will not eventually be denied?
If a group such as the OCA
gains the ability to legally prac
tice segregation, wouldn't it be
possible for any other group to
fall victim to the same injus
tice?
To parallel such men as Mar
tin Luther King, Jr. or Abraham
Lincoln and their goals to the
goals of the OCA is ludicrous.
The OCA is not another "radi
cally revolutionary" group as
Fuller claims. Rather, they are
radical imbeciles.
Mr. Fuller, I encourage you
to disregard your religious be
liefs and consider a more hu
manistic approach to life. Ev
eryone has a right to choose
their own lifestyle.
H»kJI Print*
History/Eng I Ish
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than
250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the
writer must be verified when the letter is submitted.