EDITORIAL
Save our schools;
yes on Measure 7
Ballot Measure 7 isn’t a final answer to Oregon's
tux dilemma. Hut given the Oregon Legislature's reluc
tance to Introduce a sales tax before the voters. Meas
ure 7 is essential for keeping Oregon public schools
well-funded.
Measure 7 would create a "split roll tax" to fund
Oregon schools. Non-owner occupied residential prop
erty. which includes businesses and rental property.
would bo chargtxl $20
per $1,000 in property
taxes. Owner-occupied
residences would con
tinue at the post-Meas
ure 5 property tax limits of S10 in 1993*94, down to S5
in 1995-98.
The purpose of the measure is to balance some of
the effects of 1990’s Measure 5 And although it’s not
enough, at l«!ast it’s something
Oregon public schools are in a damaged state. Ac
cording to some reports, state funding for schools
could be reduced by more than 40 percent in the next
three years. That, in addition to cuts already levied
against schools and other social services, is difficult to
swallow.
Measure 7 at least addresses the problems our
schools are facing. It recognizes that schools need mon
ey and provides a large chunk of that funding. Optimis
tic groups say the measure will recapture anywhere
from 50 percent to 70 percent of the revenue lost by
1990's Measure 5. Even if it only returned 20 percent
or 30 percent, it would be worth it if schools could re
gain some of what they’ve lost.
What Oregon really needs is to restructure its tax
system. A sales tax would aid all state programs and
put Oregon back on sound financial footing. But until a
sales tax is implemented, which could take years, vot
ers should enact Measure 7.
The battle should not stop there. Voters will need
to continue to pressure the Legislature for a permanent
solution. Neither the voters nor the Legislature should
be led off the hook. Measure 7 is short term; passing it
oidy plugs a hole.
Another concern is the effect Measure 7 will have
on small businesses. This is a legitimate concern be
cause the health of small businesses goes hand in hand
with the recovery of Oregon’s economy.
While it's true that small businesses may have a
harder time under Measure 7. it may be a necessary
sacrifice for our public schools If anything, it could in
spire business leaders to pressure the Legislature for
tax reform. The Legislature has already proved itself in
capable of coming up with a tax plan on its own. May
be business leaders could make a difference.
And even if Measure 7 is passed, businesses would
still pay less property tuxes than they did before Meas
ure 5, Businesses survived fine before 1990. and they
will survive after Measure 7.
Oregon has a quality public school system. We
need to make sure it has the money to continue that
tradition. Vote yes on Measure 7.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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COMMENTARY
Editorial not clear on concept
By Jonathan Schell
Your editorial on Oct 23
shows either an alarming
naivete or an outright bias
about local Democratic politics
The assumption that a local
volunteer staff's inability to
foresee a huge rally turnout re
flects Bill Clinton's ability to
"organize the country” is ab
surd Although i certainly un
derstand the disappointment of
Clinton supporters who were
turned away at the unusually
large rally, the nor ess I ty of set
ting blame on OPS. KPL). volun
teer event coordinators, the en
tire Democratic Party and Bill
Clinton is ridic ulous
To make voting a decision
based on faring turned away at
a pep rally illustrates an embar
rassing lack of judgment
As for the Emerald's and
others’ moral Indignation at al
lowing ignorant non voting
school children the nerve —
to participate in this "civics
lesson" please The Emanld
assumes that undecided voters
started lining up before 10:30
a m so that they may. once and
for all. decide whether to vote
for Clinton based on what they
were going to hear at the rally
This assumption is unedu
cated ami unqualified The
children had to wait in line and
t ame like everyone else, on a
first-come, first-served basis
Also, many parents and grand
parents (I interviewed them in
side) took children out of
school so that they could see
the next president of the United
States. This exhibited a refresh
ing enthusiasm that has been
missing from politics for many
years.
As for not putting the event
in Autzen Stadium There was
no RSVP from the state of Ore
gon as to how many people
were going to show up. I inter
viewed people from all over
Oregon, as well as other west
ern states, who drove unci flew
great distances to come to this
rallv. taking time off from work
and school.
Thev came earh and waited
in line Sure, it would have
been nice' if everyone who
The Emerald's
personal editorial
shows an obvious
lack of objectivity.
came to see Clinton got in, got
gocxi seats and was personally
greeted by him or his staff.
However, I don’t think it is re
alistic or appropriate for such
indignation
As for "security not being a
deciding factor”: I assume the
staff at the Emerald exercised
its high quality investigative
skills to research this question
by calling up the local FBI of
fice or the Secret Service in
Washington, DC. The flippant
tone would indicate otherwise.
Mv mother stood in front of
two fraternity men who insult
ed officers' judgment in hold
ing back the crowd, made ma
cho remarks threatening the po
lice officer and bragged they
could "get a good shot at him"
(how clever) Although the Se
i ret Service is not known for
having a sense of humor in
such trivial matters, they un
doubtedly make an exception
in this case
As for the "moil outside"
my mother was part of that
“mob." and it is an outrage that
you would challenge her char
acter in such a thoughtless
manner She told me that it
would have been a good idea to
have .1 speaker system outside
But all in all. she was very de
lighted to see such a high turn
out and an enthusiastic body
politic. The Emerald wanted
"Slick Willie" (gee. could this
be going a little too far? Unless
you are stumping for Republi
cans?) to get out of his car and
work tiie crowd Again, the Em
erald knows more about securi
ty than the Secret Service If ed
itors on tiie Emerald staff were
old enough to remember the
tragedy of tile assassinations of
the 1'ttiOs, studied a little secu
rity policy or worked on the
str»*«*t as a law enforcement offi
cer. then they would under
stand why the Sec ret Service is
cautious
The Emerald wrote that
"nearly 10,000 voters were giv
en the impression that thev
didn't count and left the scene
foiling dojoctod ... questioning
their alliance to the Democratic
candidate." Did the Emerald
take a poll? Was there a sudden
chango at the University toward
Bush or i’erot? Because, obvi
ously, they would have hud the
judgment to have the event at
Aut/.en Stadium; or they would
have prohibited schoolchildren
from the rally; or they would
have hud the decency to pul
speakers outside?
The Oregonian and The Reg
ister-Guard reporters inter
viewed people in the overflow
crowd. People wore disappoint
ed, but there was no likely radi
cal political change of support
Perhaps some people were
outraged because they were
"treated like cattle" and sus
pected that Clinton was part of
an insidious plot to treat them
poorly. This illustrates a naive
te that would be remedied by
political involvement They
would then set; tile enormous
amount of work that is done bv
an all-volunteer staff to put on
u hastily organized event like
this.
This isn't a rock concert
with a bunch of disappointed
lit ketholders who pay S3S and
expect a good show I bis is na
tional politics If citizens (in
t hiding editors and journalists)
don't care enough to volunteer
any of their time to a cause,
then it would not be a surprise
that they fuel left out of the pro
cess Yes. there was a herd feel
ing to the event there were
10.OOO-plus inside and 6,000
outside. There was mayhem,
vigilant S« ret Service agents,
high-strung volunteers, rowdy
school children, relieved union
representatives, awe-struck
moms, raucous college students
and excited professors and
GTFs It was a big, big, thrilling
circus.
The Emerald’s personal edi
torial shows an obvious lack of
objectivity. If the editors at the
Emerald want to vote for and
endorse Bush, they should do it
up front Don't cloud your edi
torial judgment with an obvi
ous lack of journalistic integri
ty.
fnniithan Si hell is ,i student
majoring in musu at the l ni
versify.