EDITORIAL
(
Voter approval not
needed for tax plan
Tax. The word strikes f« .ir in the human heart, it
even scares politicians. Yet without taxes, the govern
ment cannot function, and the public could be left
without essential services schools, fire and police
protection, roads, etc.
In a moment of mass insanity, Oregonians amend
ed their state constitution to reduce the amount of tax
es the state could collect, without also providing alter
native sources of revenue.
State government took the passage of 1 ‘i'.KI's Ballot
Measure 5 as a mandate for inaction It has refused to
submit a tax plan to the
electoral*!. House Speaker
I jjrry (Campbell. R ICugene,
has refused to call a spe
cial session of the I.r-gisln
lure. Gridlock is alive and
well in Oregon.
But it doesn't have to
Ik;. Article 5. Sec. 12 of
the Oregon (Constitution
gives the governor the uu
thority to "on extraordi
nary occasions convene
The people of
Oregon have
demonstrated
time and again
their lack of
concern for the
well-being of
their state.
the Legislative Assemoiy
by prut damation." If a $1 2 billion budget shortfall is
not an "extraordinary occasion." what is?
Once convened, the Legislature is nut required to
submit a tax proposal to the voters. Article 1. Sec. <2
states, "No tax or duty shall he imposed without the
consent of the people or the Legislative Assembly.
The key word is "or." The consent of the people is not
required.
Of course, imposing a tax plan without voter con
sent would do tittle to increase the popularity of legis
tofurx with the public. But politician;, are elected to run
the state, not to make friends.
There are two ways to deal with the budget short
fall. One is to cut Si 2 billion (I? percent) from state
government and services. The other is to increase rev
enues. The state cannot survive a 17-percent budged
cut, pure and simple. Replacement revenues will be
found, and they will be in the form of new taxes
Article 9, Se« 2 and Sec. fi require the state to raise
revenue and levy taxes sufficient to operate If the cuts
can't be found, the revenue must, and will, be raised.
The pen
oplc of Oregon have demonstrated time and
lack of concern for the well-being of their
time for the Legislature to get off ds col ec
Oregon Daily
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Multiculturahsm s clear message
By Kev.n Was?'' ;)'.on
When 1 first road Ryan
HI,ii ket tor's artic le in the
l.nx'rald (Nov. 10), mv
first response was to tfisniiss
his concern as that of yet anoth
er individual who feels threat
ened b> the rec ent blossoming
of edtjc ational diversity that is
sweeping across tins country
However, as I analyzed his
commentary. I soon rea 1 ized it
was more than pist fear that
compelled him to c riticize tiic>
revolution of multic ultural en
lightenment and ethnic pride.
In his commentary. Mr
Him ketter warns the reader that
tac.ial insensitivity is not
unique to Kuro-Amertruns He
.is- mullic ulturallsm exac
erbates rac ial tension, and its
advoc ates ate often guilty of in
tolerance as well
Then he went on to criticize
black personalities such as
Leonard felines of New York
(dls College, the Rev Jesse
Jackson, black rap aitist Sister
Souljah and poet Wanda Cole
man
Hefore continuing 1 would
like to point out that most of
Mr Blue.ketter s criticisms were
directed explicitly toward
blacks I am not certain if his
intent was deliberate or )ust for
the sake of argument
\, vertheless, his condemna
tion is a tut misguided Ho in
correctly assumes these- people
are pro p o n e rt t s o I a
multicultural agenda, that the
aim of multicultural enlighten
ment is to integrate the teach
ings of nonhuro American cul
lure- with that of liuro-Ameri
can, and finally, that the
multicultural experience- seeks
to exc lude, dismiss or berate
the historical accomplishments
accredited to whites.
Building an argument on
these false premises only serves
to dec i-1x e those who are unsus
pecting and insults those- who
toll endlessly to credit ate such
misconceptions
With the exception of the
Rev (at ksun. the persons in
dieted in Mr Hlacketter's arti
cle have never publicly en
dorsed or acknowledged a
multicultural agenda It is just
as much a disservice to the true
multicuiturallst to associate
with those persons who are not
speaking on their behalf us it is
to the individuals implicated
Fearing Kuroct-nlric convolu
tion and domination, some
multicultural educators nnruin
from advocating an Integration
of the historical ideas and (its
i overies they subscribe to with
those of the Western world
in fact, most wish to empha
size and distinguish the quali
ties, histories and influences of
various cultures. Nor do they
shrink from espousing what
they believe as a more accurate
depiction of European and
American histories even if it
is unsettling to some
Nevertheless, they do have
an obligation not to intentional
ly distort the records and show
an unsubstantiated bias against
any group This would contra
dict the causes they champion
But i! evidence shows that
(ioluminis did not discover the
Americas with its already
existent indigenous population
only that he merely explored
what was unknown to him and
the rest of 15th century Europe,
then let it lx? told
This is not a rejei lion or con
demnation of Euro-American
history and culture This is
what scholastic enlightenment
is all about I-or hundreds of
years Americans have been in
undated with a narrowly de
fined account of world history
at the expense and subjugation
ol countless other contributors.
Proponents of multicultural
education should not he repu
diated for bringing a fresh angle
to the debate
Though many cultures and
rates have enriched and en
hanced this society, to merely
exist in the t inted Stales every
individual is required to lie ex
posed to and accept Euro
American ideas and culture in
place of their own, from Ian
guage to eating habits
If anyone is in doubt, reflect
on the late author Alex Haley's
historical account of the conse
quences suffered by his ances
tral father when he refused to
forsake his tribal name in e\
t hange for the one fort ed onto
him by his slave muster. This
reference exemplifies Mr
Blacks already
understand — it is
and has been a
‘"white thing” for
the last 400 years.
They need not be
reminded.
Biacketter’s warning about the
perils of not accepting "West
ern culture."
Mr Blacketter attempts to
imply that white students who
sport the "l-ove See No Color'
!' shirts are more inclusive and
tolerant of racial diversity that
their black counterparts who
sport the 'it's a Black lTting
T-shirts He even ponders the
outcry that would result si
white students dunned shirts
with .1 similar slogan in refer
ence to their rac e
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint
him, but there is no need for
white students at this Universi
ty or anywhere in this coun
try to advertise! such slogans
Blacks already understand it
is, and has been, a "white
tiling" for the last -t(H) years
They need not lie reminded.
Anyone who doesn't compre
hend it should open his or her
eyes and take a look around
In regards to any culture,
racer or creed, one has to re
member that each is unique
and that each has contributed,
as well as detracted, from the
whole of civilization.
But as with a family, one
must learn to love them for the
mistakes that were made as
well as those that weren't I
don't ask any person from urn
culture to be ashamed of their
heritage )ust to respect oth
ers' perception ol it
I implore Sir Blackotter and
those who share his sentiments
to do the same.
Kevin Washington is an ecu
ttomit s major at the University
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