EDITORIAL
Programs too costly
for most students
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, students will vote on
nine student-sponsored ballot measures. Five involve
increasing incidental fees Although each has merits,
only one of the five should pass.
Measure -I asks students to pay S6 per term for an LTD
pass Finn Off-campus students deserve cheap trans
portation to and from s< hool. And if other students don't
use the pass, they can got a full refund shortly after the
term starts, or a partial refund within the term.
The other four fee measures aren’t as justifiable, not
because they aren't conceptually valid but because thev
involve increasing noil-refundable student foes, which
this paper soundly opposes.
Students must pay $103 every term in student fees
already . in addition to S8Q4 per quarter for tuition, the
level of which has inc reased steadily — about 30 percent
sine e ttHiO's ballot Measure 5. And tuition will con
limit’ to skyrocket as
higher education adjusts
to this newer. l»*ain*r tax
base.
In other words, many
students ran hardly
afford to attend si hoo!
anymore Some have to
postpone their educa
tion to earn money for
tuition, others quit
completely Increasing
student fees along with
tuition just doesn't
make sense.
As was the case
with the now
defunct columns
near the entrance
of University
Street, the image of
saving money can
often be more
important than
saving money itself.
Proponents uf the
measures will say that each program requires a relative
ly small increase. True. However, several small increas
es add up to one largo increase. The four measures
would add a combined $4 13 per quarter. $12.39 for the
year. And keep in mind that incidental fees could be
higher next year, depending on the this year's IFC bud
got allocations. It adds up.
In addition, it would l>e wise symbolically to level fees
rather than raise them. Every year, students campaign for
ASUC) and IFC positions by saying that student foes will
go down. If they actually do decrease, students will be
grateful that even a little burden is being lifted. For once,
it will feel like student government genuinely identi
fies with the student body- As was the case with the
now-defunct columns near the entrance of University
Street, the image of saving money can often bo more
important than saving money itself.
The Multicultural Center, the Sexual Assault Exam
Fund, the Family Center and the Non-traditional Student
Office are all valid programs and offer needed support
for various campus factions. Hut all need to find alter
native sources of funding, whether it comes from
fundraisers, alumni donations or outside grants. Student
fees are high enough.
Emerald
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Action needed now on Measure 5
Ask the
President
Myles Brand
//oh- do you feel the Legisla
ture is handling the current
budget problems with respect
to Measure 5? Explain what
students can expect in the com
ing years with the changing
scope of slate higher educa
tion.
There t% a large i loud over
head. 1 am speaking figu
ratively and not about the
rain cloud* we have seen in the
past few weeks The name of that
i loud is "Measure 5."
Measure 5. for those who have
been asleep, is the property tax
limitation legislation that was
passed in November 1990
through the initiative process
Without detailing all the partic
ulars of this complex legislation,
it suffices to say that it results in
significantly decreased funding
to all state agencies Higher edu
cation is a state ageni v
At the University, the
decreased funding from the state
resulted in closing most of our
teacher education programs, the
College of Human Development
and Performanc e and the down
sizing of 20 other programs, plus
substantial tuition hikes All of
that occurred in the first bienni
um Measure 5 was in effect The
cuts increase geometrically for
the next few biennia, and the
cuts for the third biennium,
1995-97, are so draconian that it
is almost impossible to think or
talk about them
To solve this problem, there
must !«• tax stabilization that
is new legislation that holts the
decrease in state revenues. That
<an occur in either of two ways
the State Legislature taking
m tion or Oregon voters approv
ing another initiative
Unfortunately, many are
beginning to doubt the Legisla
ture will be able to break out of
its current gridbx k With the
currant split lietween the House
and Senate and the divergent
ideolugu al stances of the two
political parties, the opportune
ts (or i omprotnise and action is
not great I hope the immediate
future proves me wrong, but do
not count on it
No one. however, should con
clude that the only remaining
option available to us is to
Ihm ome depressed and tune out
or drop out, either metaphori
cally or actually. Although the
Legislature itself may not
resolve the crisis, it can help
open the door for voters to
resolve the issues though the
initiative process
Legislative leaders cun work
with the private sector, espei ial
!y the business i ornniunity. and
the public sector, it* iudmg the
schools, higher education and
labor, to craft a proposal ac< ept
able to the general public Sur
veys have shown that the most
ai l eptable tax stabilization plan
is one that involves a soles tax
dedicated loedmution (primar
ily the schools, but perhaps also
higher education), with the
exemptions needed to make it
progressive, such as exempting
food, shelter and medicine. Leg
islative leaders also need to
assist in assuring I hat such a
proposal is voted upon sooner,
rather than later A good out
i time would he a tax stabilizn
lion’proposal on the ballot this
fall
As a growing number of peo
ple liegin to realize the depth of
tile problem, we are seeing some
movement toward a solution,
though we are not ye! there. We
need to continue to find ways to
encourage that important
change of outlook I pledge to do
all in mv power to bring about
tins change and to hope e\erv
one at the University will con
tinue to t.ike advantage of even
opportunity to he helpful in
resolving this crisis
We can each help by continu
ing to remind our elected state
officials that we want to lie able
to vote on tax stabilization in the
very near future. When our
( banco comes, when a good
alternative finally reac hes the
ballot, we should t>e prepared to
work for its passage and to
VOTE.
I! is up to us, all of us. and not
untruly to the statu Legislature,
to fix the problem. What the ini
tiative process has wrought, so
i an the initiative process repair
After all. only all our futures
depend on it
Afv/es Brand is president of
the l 'imersity
Kditor's note: Hrnnd agreed to
lake part in the "Ask the Presi
dent" columns, in which the
Emerald forwards a question to
the President's Office for
Brand's response
LETTERS
Agenda exposed
The Emerald's attacks against
the Incidental Fee Committee
and its chairman, Steve Masat,
seek to promote a political agen
da aimed at taking power away
from students. The Emerald's
news reporting on IFC affairs
this year has been characterized
by bad reporting and outright
misrepresentation to suit the
ends of a few student editors.
Its diatribes against Masat are
especially wrongheaded and
misplaced Masat is one of the
few voices of sanity in a student
government characterized by a
profound lack of leadership and
direction. Under his leadership,
the 1FC has provided minimal
financial support for numerous
programs that serve and empow
er students.
At the same time, the IFC has
attempted to save students'
money and promote empower
ment by taking a critical look at
the KMU's super top-heavy man
agement structure and its long
term plans to fire student work
ers and bust the union at the
EMU.
Masat and the IKC deserve our
support. These are the people
who havo been fighting for the
interests of all students.
Jason Moore
Editor, Student Insurant