EDITORIAL
Council must push
harder for new tax
Eugene's proposed restaurant tax want down in flames
last week, leaving the City Council with one pressing
question: Now what?
The council had little choico but to put the restaurant
tax on the ballot because the tax was the only tangible
result of the Eugene Decisions survey. Eugene Decisions
cost about $400,000 and was supposed to reflect the voice
of the populous.
It clearly did not. as the tax lost by a 60 percent to 40
percent count. Just as naysayers warned, the survey was
filled out only by citizens concerned with finding a tax
alternative, not by people content with the status quo.
The City Council now has to find an alternative rev
enue source. It isn't quite dead in the water yet. although
it mane a dir mistake not
putting its full weight
behind the restaurant
tax.
Mayor Ruth Hascom
said tiler*' will he anoth
er revenue measure in
September or Novemtxir.
as well as more cuts in
local services. In the
past, the council kicked
The council is
going to have to
accept that voters
won*t rally behind a
new plan until the
council itself does.
around ideas for an energy tax or a progressive income
tav — both promising, yet unlikely, ideas, i he council
must now reconsider these ideas or develop a new one
— and then stand behind it.
Voters have proved time ami time again that they don't
want new taxes. Thev've defeated a sales tax, reduced
property taxes and now nixed a restaurant tax. I hey think
fat needs to be cut from the budget Unfortunately, the
only fat that's loft is in the voters' heads.
Reducing the city’s deficit could come at the expense
of Eugene's sen ices — swimming pools, the I iult Center
or the Eugene Celebration. Although these services may
not be entirely necessary, they all make Eugene a more
enjoyable place to live.
If the council is truly committed to finding replacement
revenue rather than Increasing(u(backs, it needs toeon
vince voters by rallying hard behind one particular tax
solution. When the majority of council members support
a proposal, the entire council needs to stand firm, what
ever tax solution they pick. Dissension among specific
members won't help anything, it only increases doubt in
the voters' minds when the council itstdf can’t agree on
a tax.
The council also needs to focus the funding more, a
problem it has already recognized. A new tax measure
must tell voters exactly where the money will go. Citi
zens are distrustful of money that goes into a general fund.
They believe the city will use it in the usual wasteful
ways. But if the measure were to specify exactly where
the money is going, voters would fuel slightly more at
ease.
The City Council still has a lot of work to do. But before
it gets anywhere, the council is going to have to accept
that voters won’t rally behind a now plan until the coun
cil itself does.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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COMMENTARY
Students need instructor support
While wandering through
my college t areer here
at the University. I have
been discouraged again and again
from pursuing my dream career
magazine journalism Professors
tell me IVn good, but not good
enough.
Sitting in classes in the School
of Journalism. 1 constantly listen
to stories of how hard it is to find
a journalism joh and how ready
I should Ih> for the mailroorn or
secretary's desk when 1 graduate
M\ personal favorite is. You uan
try and try and try again and still
may never find a |ob."
This warning of preeminent
failure scared me into applying
for internships the summer lie lore
mv senior year I asked a profes
sor if he could connect me with
anyone in entertainment jour
nalism in 1-os Angeles.
I wrote a letter explaining what
I had done and what I want to do
when 1 graduate and sent it to my
professor's friend Mv letter and
resume wore passed on to three
entertainment magazines, all of
which were interested in meet
ing me while 1 was in LA lor
spring break
I interviewed with three enter
tainment magazines in Holly
wood. inquired about internship
opportunities and future open
ings in the field, and shared my
journalistic experiences.
The response I received from
these professionals was
astoundind They were excited
about me taking the time to vis
it them over break and assured
nte they were always looking for
new talent, just like any other
field. They were impressed by
mv initiative to hunt down edi
tors and ask about internships, as
well as jobs.
They liked my writing style.
unlike mv (irotessors. and
assured me I would not have
trouble getting a job in magazine
journalism !*•< auso of mv initia
tive. motivation, love for the field
and talent They told me there are
jobs out there After four vears of
journalism si hooting. 1 was final
ly assured 1 was ()k
Two of the magazines offered
me internships — one paid, one
volunteer — and the third
em ouraged me to apply lor a
liegmmng position that will open
in August
The moral of my story Don't
let people discourage you. even
those who seem like they should
know, suc h us a professor There
is a fine line between pushing
students to do better and dis
couraging them altogether.
As a peer adviser for the School
of journalism. I have seen u great
deal of discouragement and its
effects on the students. How do
we. as students, know that we
aren't good enough7 Didn't Robin
Williams teach us anything in
Dead Poets Society when he told
us to "seize the day'1?
Think for yourself Question
authority Don’t let anyone tell
vou you aren't good enough You
are as good os you let yourself be.
If I let my self iielieve what I was
told. I would never have met
those people in I.A. nor would I
have a summer internship with
my dream magazine It's all a
matter of what you're willing to
believe about yourself
Professors need to encourage
us where we have strengths, in
addition to helping us with our
weaknesses We aren't paying
$900 to $2,700 a term to be told
we aren't good enough and that
we'll never get a job when we
graduate.
We students need to be
reminded of our strengths Too
much criticism con destroy a very
talented person’s confidence.
There will tie rough times out
there for some of us. but leaving
this place with the belief that we
will fail only hinders us This
goes for everybody, not just jour
nalism majors.
.some people an; hicks enougn
to have companies visit the Uni
versity looking for talent There
an- hundreds of jobs out there for
even employer that comes to
campus. (I'm not counting Ploy
boy, tins week’s v isitor.)
Start calling afpund early Got
internships or other forms of
experience that help you build
toward vour career Internships
can help you decide what you
like and don’t like while you’re
trving to decide on n career
These things look good to future
employers and show that you are
a responsible person with initia
tive, a desired asset in employ
ees.
The most important thing to
remember while wandering the
campus grounds and pushing
through those degree require
ments is believing in yourself
Don’t let anyone make you
believe you're not good enough
I can't stress this enough Too
many people have left school
because of these feelings.
Go out and meet professionals
ill your future field or the fields
that you’re interested in. Most
will lie more than happy to invest
a few minutes We are the future,
and they know it Show them
what you’ve done. Get their feed
back Ask how your resume
looks.
Is there something you can do
while you’re still in school to
help you get a fob when you grad
uate' Are you on the right track?
Ask professionals what you could
do to better prepare yourself for
the job market and raise your
chanc es for getting a job.
Don't depend on what your
professors say as the final word
I felt like a tietter journalist talk
ing to professionals than 1 ever
did in the classroom.
When it comes to your shot at
a career, talk to the experts — the
current professionals in the field
lei i Pi 11 son is n reporter for the
Emerald.