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 VTH>*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.