EDITORIAL
City needs money
from restaurant tax
On March 23. voters will decide whether a 3 percent
restaurant tax is in Eugene's best interest. The tax would
be used to balance next year’s city budget.
The city would tax food bought in restaurants or from
caterers and certain grocery store items, such as ready
ta oat hot food or salads from salad bars. Other store
bought items would be exempt.
The City Council estimates Eugene will pull in $4.25
million the first year and an annual average of S5.3 mil
lion during the first five years.
At first glance, there are many reasons to be wary of
such a plan. Opponents argue that eating out is not a lux
ury and that fine dining constitutes only 13 percent of
meals purchased outside of the home. This means that
most meals are purchased out of necessity, such as a
quickie lunch bought during a break. Certainly buying
lunch at .i restaurant is not always a matter of choice
Another argument is that charging for restaurant food
is unfair to Individuals with disabilities or seniors who
lack the strength to shop for grocery items. Again, this is
a valid concern; people who can’t make their own food
have little choice but to go out.
However, these arguments ignore the fiscal realities of
the situation. Eugene has an imbalanced budget. With
the closure of the Trojan nuclear plant, the city could
lose an additional $3 million during the next couple of
years. The City Council also has a few projects in the
works that will hopefully rev italize the Eugene Mall,
which would in turn help the local economy and bring
more money into the city's budget.
The council has tried to come up with alternatives to
a restaurant tax. such as a progressive income tax or a
decrease in services. But voters would destroy the
income tax proposal; they believe it's just as bureaucrat
ic as a property tax because it's taken directly out of
one's paycheck. And decreasing services, such as the
Eugene Celebration or local swimming pools, would
make it pointless to live in the area in the first place.
The restaurant tax is the only sensible solution for a
pressing dilemma. While it is certainly true that it sin
gles out people who eat out a lot. it’s also tme that 3 per
cent isn’t very much. It would cost an extra 30 cents for
a $10 meal. A $40 dinner would bring in an extra $1.20
for the city. And although it doesn’t translate to much
money for the consumers, once it’s added up it could
help the city immensely.
A few opponents argue Eugene should wait for the
state to solve our problems, presumably with a sales tax.
However, state legislators haven’t demonstrated any
problem-solving skills so far. Rather, they’ve created
more. Eugene needs to take action to save itself before
it’s too late.
Certainly a restaurant tax isn't an ideal solution.
Nobody wants to pay more money for the same products.
The question, however, is whether citizens are willing to
give up their city’s livelihood for a few cents every meal.
Oregon Daily
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LETTERS
Bad taste
What democracy has given,
bureaucracy may takeaway
Oregon legislators recently
mandated the use of [littering
agents in antifreeze For half a
cent, antifreeze (a lasts poison)
can he made so hitter children
can’t drink it Legislation was
necessary; U S manufacturers,
who embitter sshat they sell in
foreign markets, have refused to
protect our children
It s important. Antifreeze kills
In 1991. three died in Indiana
after drinking it The country
coroner said a flittering agent
could have saved them
The problem: An antifreeze
firm is quietly lobbying for an
exemption. It must not lie grant
mi Please write to the Poison Pre
vention Task Force. Oregon
Health Sciences University. 3161
SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Port
land. Ore 97201. Support terri
ble-tasting toxins. The child —
and the guilt — you save may be
your own.
Edith Harrison
Salem
No change
In the season of the birth of the
Prince of Peace, himself from the
Middle East, a group of Pales
tinian men was taken blindfold
ed and handcuffed by the on u
pying Israeli army to a barren
no-man’s land in Lebanon. The
next day. Doc tH, the United
Nation’s Security Council passed
a resolution condemning the
deportation of those men from
their ancestral homeland
The U S State Department
document on global human
rights states the Israeli armed
forces' killing of Palestinians
increased 62 portent in 1992
from the previous year. Israeli
practices such as the transfer of
prisoners outside of the otiiupied
territories and demolition or seal
ing of houses as a form of "col
lective punishment” violates
international law.
The men, 396 of them, contin
ue in misery in the no-man’s
land. And Israeli soldiers con
tinue to kill Palestinians and
demolish their homes.
Aside front condemning and
reporting the atrtx dies. the new
American administration has not
changed the old order. But does
anyone care? Where are those
media pundits, professors and
lawyers hungry for justice?
M. Reza Behnam
Eugene
Bike fees
If you’re one of the many peo
ple who commute by bicycle, or
someone who simply cares about
the environment, this letter con
cerns you
Recently, there's been a bill
referred to the General Govern
ment Committee that would
establish u bicycle registration fee
and collections system, creating
a new bureaucracy within the
Department of Transportation.
HB 2430 would not create any
new bicycle facilities or alleviate
the state's budget problems Its
implications are obvious.
It would lie costly to collect the
fees and enforce the registration,
and as if that's not bad enough,
all of the money generated would
go to street and highway main
tenance. Requiring people to pay
a fee to register their bicycles
would curtail commuting by bike
at a time when environment
friendly transportation should be
encouraged I hope you agree that
MB 2430 is a bad bill.
There is something you can do
about it. I urge you to write: Rep.
Cedric Hayden. State Capitol. H
4H0. Salem. Ore 97310. Express
your disapproval of HB 2430. If
you have any questions, ( fill
OSPIRG St 34K-4377. or come to
one of the Sustainable Energy
Campaign's weekly meetings on
Tuesday nights at 7 in the KMl rs
Century Room B.
Matt Vassallo
OSPIRG
Glad to leave
What a shame lhat David Wag
ner will be forced to leave the
University this summer. I still
remember the exuberance and
dedication with which he taught
on introductory botany class a
couple of years ago.
One “lab experiment" was
making curry (to learn about
seeds). Another was a field trip
to the McKenzie River trail.
1. for one. am selfishly thrilled
to be graduating in spring. Iiefore
1990's Ballot Measure 5 steals
any more fine professors and
classes.
Koalanl Roberts
Journalism
Letter of love
Sin is anything that separates
us from God. Lust, greed, deceit,
homosexuality, boastfulness —
these are a few of the sins that the
Bible mentions.
I am a sinner. If we're com
pletely honest with ourselves, we
have all sinned (1 John 1:8, 9). I
am a sinner “For the wages of
sin is death hut the free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ )esus
our Lord" (Romans 6 23). Lucky
for us God hates sin but loves the
sinner.
This letter is not a letter of con
vict ion. but a letter of love — the
greatest love anyone can expe
rience I see so many people on
campus every day hurting and
searching lor peace and purpose
in life Hopefully this has pene
trated your heart Don't miss out
on God's plan for your life.
“If you confess with your
mouth Jesus as l-ord, and believe
in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, vou shall be
saved” (Romans 10:9).
Aaron James
Pre-Journalism
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