EDITORIAL IFC spending binge will hurt students The Incidental Fee Committee is deciding next year's budget. IFC members are currently deliberating over which groups should receive increased funding and which groups should receive less. Once thn money is delegat ed. the IFC will decide how much students will have to pay next year in student fees. Hold on to your pocket hooks. The IFC is spending next year's money at an unbe lievable clip. Of the It) groups that have come before the committee, 14 received increases, three stayed the same, one received a decrease and one was funder) for the first time. The group with the declining budget, t arn pus radio station KYVVA. actually asked for the cut. The meetings of Fob. 15 and Fob. IK produced seven budget increases. As a whole, the nine groups at the meet ing rot eived 18.7 percent more than last year, an increase of almost $27,000. That's real, money It comes out of real student bank accounts. And despite the fact that the majority of Uni versity students don't belong to any of these groups, they will be paying more for the groups' existence, That's not to s.n some groups on this campus don't deserve .m increase. Students for htpial Across, for instance, received a 4Hr> percent raise for its work with disabled students. Although 485 percent may seem extreme, this year the group received only $100 — in oth er words, it was a substantial increase percentage wise more than money wise. The group is deserving because it's using the money for a good cause. The problem is that nearly ovary group on campus lias an argument for more money. And the IFC isn’t deciding among them it s granting increases to nearly every group. The committee has a responsibility to Universi ty students to manage their money with skill and energy. Hat h budget must bo (list ussod and debated rationally. In other words, the IFC shouldn't blindly hand money to every group that comes along. The Lesbian. Gay and Bisexual Alliance ret eived a 300 percent increase - $15,000 in real terms Though the group may be respon sible with the increase, can the IFC justify spending that much money on an organization that represents only a small segment of students? Diversity, of course, is the IFC argument. The more money various student groups receive, the more they can promote a multicultural community. Hut what can an organization like the Oregon Commentator expect? its viewpoint is different, especially at this University. Will the IFC give it an increase comparable to the Student Insurgent's 80 percent increase? Probably not, because the Commentator doesn't necessarily represent the opin ions of IFC members. Ed Carson excepted. Simply put. the IFC isn't proving itself competent to handle student funds. It would l>e nice if everyone could get more money, but it isn’t realistic. The committee can't simply wait until the EMU or the athletic department i omes up to make its cuts, though it probably will. So far. the IFC has been a runaway train — a crazed consumer with no credit limit. It will have to come down to Earth some time. Unfortunately, the students will end up suffering. Oregon Doily PO IPO* fcuGfHf QftlGO* »?4U3 The Oregon 0**Y l £m##aid Put**Nna Co Inc at th« Urvv^vty 0< Oregon. f uQtno. Oagon Tn# t momic) oporftiM inckipomJontiY d Vm IM'vtp'vty w*tb oH*c©s ai Su M»v*v, '»on and«% a myKntw*# o< INI Asaooatad P* Dauiyn Trappe Commumfy Colleen Pphlig Hghrtr f dbcaeory AGn iidPaeon How* Suit: Scott Andi*. Cheater Alton Mott Bender. Juktin Brown, Sarah Clark Oytiif Coulter Meg Dodotph Amy Devanport. Amanda forme Teresa Muntsmger Lisa KnorHor t 5<1 Ma..- Dem.nn Metean Hebecca Men tt Steve M.m*. T.ttm, MooMe' tr.»ta Hoe‘ Mathew Schuster I ion Shaw M*h##l Shoder EnCk Sludemcka. Moron Sorter kAchete Thompson Aguiar, Amy Van Tuyt. lodd W-niam* General Manager Judy Moot Production Manager: Me here How Advertiwng Tom leech Sharon Vat Sates Manager* Shawn Bemw' <>Ve Manager j»y# Irola Teresa taabek*. Ph.»p John»on It. Chr.j Kanott Joremy Maso- Van V OBye "detrimental to business." City councils in Albany and Cottage Grove also resolved to oppose OCA plans for their towns The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce emphat ically decried the (X.A's dump ing dissension in its communi ty. All of these civic leaders rec ognize that bigotry is more than just "bad for business;" it's bad for the very soul of their towns. When peace and goodwill are encouraged between citizens, towns thrive spiritually and emotionally Hut when suspi cion. self-righteousness and intolerance sneak in. communi ties stumble It's lawn an inspiration to wit ness these leaders put their communities first. They stood in united opposition to the OCA's plan to have others pay the eco nomic and social bill, a price that would have surely been paid for with OGA greed and political ambition. Hut instead, these leaders sent a clear, strong message to the OCA: "Not in our towns you won't!" Good for each and every one of you. May the other towns on the OCA's hit list follow your fine examples. Carol Barg Eugene