EDITORIAL Legislature, voters of different minds last Tuesday’s election — and subsequent maneuver (ngs by the Oregon Legislature — proves there is a vast difference in perspective in Oregon. The past week has highlighted just how big a differ ence there is between voters’ minds and those of their duly-elected representatives. Case in point: The Oregon Citizens Alliance sponsored six local anti-gav measures throughout the state trying to accomplish at a city and county level what it failed to do in the 1992 election with Measure 9. All passed. I)ospite this, lb© Legislature is continuing in its attempt to pass some sort of gay rights legislation. The most recent example is a bill passed by the Mouse Judi ciary Committee last week that would forbid local gov ernments from passing measures that ’’singles out citi zens or groups of citizens” because of sexual orientation. While it is unfair to judge a state on the actions of a few zealous loc al bigots, the difference between the two sides means Oregon is shaping up to have yet anothor pitched battle over gay rights. A more concrete example of voter-representative dis crepancy occurred in iho local properly tax levies over whelmingly trashed by voters and the sales tax measure approved by the Oregon House Friday. Obviously, the representatives aren't listening to the voters, or the vot ers aren’t paying attention to the fine print of the candi dates come legislature election time. The sales tax mea sure passed 39-21 — nowhere near unanimous, but a large enough margin nonetheless. It does not take a polit ical genius to figure out the chasm between Oregon's government and citizens is growing ever wider. Despite the overwhelming need for new revenue, it is apparent Oregon voters are unaware or obstinate about the need for change. The mantra of "cut spending, not raise taxes" is a wonderful progressive in theory, but while citizens wait for the Legislature and executive branches to take up the knife. Oregon lurches ever clos er to financial oblivion. Salos tax proposals aren't too successful when they go in front of the voters. If recent election patterns are accu rate forecasters, the House plan is destined to become number nine. The logical progression of things will set! the sales tax proposal going down to a thumping defeat this fall. Fin ger-pointing and accusations will follow and public schools will begin shutting down with alarming fre quency. 3 The Oregon Or*iy Emerald n putneNeO tS.i i Monday through 1 nday rKmng the «cnt» „ea> and Tuesday and Thursday dunng the summer by me Oregon Daily Emerald Pulisfurg Co Inc at the Un.ve- • iy ol Onn/- f ug«n« drag** The EmwaW operate* indepe'vien!!, ol the UnnnrrvSy mth oltx.es at Sort* 300 ol the Eft) Memorial Unron and • a member o' the Ayv. Pro** the Emerald r» private property lire until*4.' removal or jrrr ol paper* r* proaecutapte Editor Pal Maa' Pholo Editor; Anthony lorney Aaaociete Editor* I d Carton Mjrt n I roe* Scot Oemen* Night Editor PatMaiacn General Manager Judy *t«* Adver1r*rng Director Mark Wane- Production Manager M fw Rosa Advertising. I r«ne Brv Je»emy Mason Van V O Bryan II Ang.# w.ndherm Paine* Wong Claaaihed line* y Merchant Ato/sager Bu*rne*» hathy Carbone. Supervisor Production Ingrid Whit* Pnxfccfcon CoorcAnaf.u Stacy Mtchaf Jennder Roland Newsroom 344-6511 Display Adverting 144-3712 Busine** Oftrce 144-5512 Classified Advertising 344-4343 Oregon Dtiih B3 I TUiHK WC SE/VT SADDAM A PD£TTV £FP£CT<^£ MESSAGE. WWTM0W PIAM CUNTON TIMOR MMMSM4T PI A forest compromise? Get real An old political adage is that if you come up with a compromise plan everybody hates, you must be doing something right. President Clinton must hope this is the r ase The alternative — that people have a legitimate rtHtsun to hate the idea — could well Ih< the crushing blow to an administration daily gaining notoriety for political setbacks, blunderings and screwups Clinton’s forest plan, unveiled Thursday, has done little to ease the friction la-tween loggers and environmentalists. Both sides art* still moaning, Facifu North west congressmen are squealing, and |ust about everyone has an opinion — mostly negative liven before the gala opening, the plan was drawing crossfire. Clinton ( hose to draft the pro posal in secrecy. With only vague details leaking out. oppo nents !>egan to sni|H- at the plan Thursday did nothing to blunt the criticism. Opponents of the president — old and new — are lining up You i an assume Sen. Bob Dole (Carnivore. Kansas) is sharpen ing his utensils for another serv ing of Roast Bill. By the time the plan lias been digested, pulled apart and spit bai k. out. Clin ton's popularity rating will nosedive from abysmal to oh my-God-what-do-ward o-now To those doomsayers, 1 say: Lay off That's right. Me, who has crit icized Clinton for everything from his pul it teal views to his saxophone playing, genealogy to hairstyles, is backing Bill in this case. I won't debate the particulars of the plan — like most of the population. I don’t fully fathom them in fact, the specifics have very little to do with the criti cism In a world where truth is sub jective, here is a sad, cold fact No matter what Clinton came up with, people were going to he unhappy. Hill was snan hing for a com promise between folks who don't want one Environmental ists seek a world where no trees are cut down, while the timber industry won't be completely satisfied until it again has free rein over Northwest forests, like it did in the Reagan era When both sides of on issue staunchly refuse to bin k down and piously proclaim them selves on the side of angels, compromise not only becomes untenable, but laughable A Soloman Bill ain't. Put in the unwinnable position of hav - ing to reach an accord where none could exist. Clinton did the best he could Opponents on both sides will claim presidential neglect and produce their own versions of a "compromise " It will he as il Clinton has never opened his mouth. A be-damned situation if ever one existed. Facts of the situation Logging cannot continue at present lev els, nor can environmentalists I km ompletelv satisfied. Oregon, for letter or worse, is inexorably tied to the timber industry. To try and cold-turkey the state from its logging fix would rip apart the economy like a torna do. Gov. Barbara Roberts, whose approval of the plan didn't even reach the tepid level, said Ore gon had a "stable" economy that could lobby the drastic cut in logging the Clinton plan would create After a comment like that, one wonders if Barbara has moaeyed out of her office lately, or perhaps, Salem exists on a more ethereal plane than the rest of the state Be advised. Oregon's econo my is going to suffer Timber jobs will be lost, and the cost of replacing those jobs or retrain ing the workers is going to be substantial Clinton must hav« known he w.is going to take* heat lor the compromise; it's in his job dost ription But faulting him for doing so, or crafting the plan behind closed doors is ridicu lous. Sure, if Clinton had chosen to do the plan publicly, things would have been different. For one thing, the date on this i ol unin would be July 6. 2047. So Hill. here's est you could in a dreadful situation Trying to compromise between entrenched foes is impossible. You were elected to make the tough d« isiuns, ami you did so Finally. Take a how. Bill. You done good Don Peters is a columnist for the Emerald Unfortunately, Sadi am doesn't cKeck Kis messages. Vi *or>c£0 Hi 0*0* f SIT w