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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1993)
EDITORIAL Cease fire called; truce nowhere near If you're* unn of those people who has a fetish for labels, you could call House Bill 3500 a cease fire in tho war over Ray rights. If the responses from opponents and proponents is taken into account, Armistice Day is still a Ioor way off. The bill, passed 38-21 Tuesday in the Oregon House, would prevent local governments from enforcing or enacting laws that would single out people on the basis of sexual orientation. The immediate result of the mea sure — if approved by tho Senate — would invalidate all the anti-gay statutes around the state, including those passed just a week ago. ... Sponsored by Eugene Rep. Jim Edmundson, IIB3500 is a double-edged political sword. Not only would il prevent discrimi nation against gays and les bians. but would also keep local governments from awarding "special rights" Once again, ‘special rights’ has been left to Individual interpretation. _ r_ — (ho ambiguous, caicn-ail pnrase ion over irom me Measure 9 hystoria. Once again, "special rights" has been left to individ ual interpretation. It'S obvious Kd round son's plan is a compromise, but not only between Oregon Citizens Alliance supporters and gays and lesbians. HU3500 is a thinly-veiled politi cal twig to the House Republican Caucus, which didn't want to vote on the Senate-passed anti-discrimination measure. In political parlance, that sort of backhanding is called "giving the other guy an out." Of course, just like other recent, notable compromises. HB3500 has fallen flat. The OCA. gearing up for Son of Measure 9 in 1994. has already come out against the bill. The reaction pro vides stunning Insight into the political maneuverings of the group. During the Measure 9 campaign, the OCA piously proclaimed it was not seeking discrimination, but just trying to prevent gay and lesbian special rights — something HH3500 guarantees. If there were any vot ers out there who still bought this idea, the post-passage frothing of the (X;A leadership should erase all doubts. The next battleground will be in the courts; surprise, surprise. Concern over whether the Legislature is usurp ing power from local governments has judgos from around the state warming up their gavels. Those who take perverse pleasure in watching this pitched battle can take heart; there appears to be little chance that this war will end anytime soon. Oregon Daily Emerald IN. Oregon Da.-, I mn.jkl .» puhtVwd daily Mo.«da> through I-nay dm-vj the «choe year ana Tueiday and Thu'tdoy during the jummet by the Oregon Oaily Emerald Inc « me Un.vwHy crl Oregon Eugene Oregon the Emerald operate* .ndependentty o< t'w Un.vao.ly with oMicm ai Su*e 300 ol the j ,tj Mnn.o..a( Union and r* a memt» ol the Ajsooated Pr»M The Emerald,» pnvaie property The umawtui ramov** or u*e o' paper* » pro*ecuta»e by Editor Put M*ac* Ph0«O Editor Anthony Forney Auociato Editor*: Ed Car»on Marin I .*h«. Scot Daman* Night Editor: Pm Malach Oaoaral Man agar: Judy Max* Adverting Director Man. Walter Productloti Manager: NAcheie Adverttalng Frel.me Be* Jeremy Ma*on van V OBryan II Ange W.ndhemv Pan** Wong ClaaaMad: Ba«y Merchant. Manager Buamaa* Kathy Ca-bona. Supene*or Production: Ingrid Wh.le Production CoonAnattv Stacy WChaK Jann.ia. Roland Newer oom 340-551 l Otaptey Adverttalng 14S-1712 Buainaaa Otltca ..J«*-»St2 CtaaaMtad AdvartlaJng. vecrf* HOAiOfi, w£ CAN'T SUM Jt> <y£T A PAIQ MEA0WV& OP OOg S»OE OP 7W£ SECONDHAND S/aoke ccwtoov^osv. ®**t) ’wf w«?(Vi'Tlk. rut t h ific ctw€ </j£ <* wc rr COMMENTARY Rent-increase story obscured facts By Shanta Kamath and Eileen Traylor In response to Marlin Fishor's art it In and the editorial from tIn* June 29, Emerald vve would fik<r to familiarize the authors and their readers with some facts those pieces obscure Out of a $20 monthly increase for Amazon, only $4 is to In* used for maintenance Vet the second sentence of Fisher's article lupins. "The increased rents are due to routine maintenance costs ..." as though this wen* the pri mary cause of the 13 percent increase for this year Added to last year's $14 increase, this makes a i emulative 23 percent increase since Sep tember of 1992. The editorial in the same issue said, "A sad, cold fact of inflation is that os time goes hv. things will be more expensive." The rote of inflation may be bad, but 23 per cent? In fact, the "percent i hange" column on a detailed Amazon budget contains 23 (out of 33) categories with no detailed increase or decrease under "ser vice and supply expenses " It is clear that maintenance is not the reason for the rent increase. The "Administrative Assess" column, which refers to Univer sity overhead, contains a 427 |»*r cent increase. Since 1947, Uni versity Housing has had a commitment to provide access to higher education through low income housing. As a self-supporting auxiliary. Family Housing was not estab This makes a cumulative 23 percent increase since September of 1992. lished to subsidize the Universi ty. In fact. eligibility requirements were just revised to formally de< lare Family Housing to be for lower-income students After such a move, tbe rent increase constitutes a special tax for Uni versity-wide services to !»• paid only by the students who meet the low-income guidelines An additional S'* of the $2U will go to the debt service on the 18th Avenue and Agate Street project. Most people familiar with the project believe these 20 overpriced units fall far short of the criteria for family housing The bedrooms are 20-square-feet smaller than Amazon’s, and the increased floor space of the over all unit is lost in corridors Yet if their rents had to service the entire debt, rates would need to be set at $fi50 a month for a two-bedroom This is far out of the range of any family-housing resident, so the University expects residents in existing housing to pay 42 percent of the service to make up for adminis trative bad planning so they cum rent at (not under) market rates (No wonder the housing depart ment doesn't include that project in its deceptive graphic alxnit the relationship of the increase to market rates). These facts should make any one question the use of $1 A mil lion in bonds designated for low income housing to build the apartments at 18th Avenue. The June 29 editorial states. "At issue is not so much the rent increase ..." Someone seemed to get the idea it was not the money but where the money was going that is causing the outrage Well, guess again folks The issue is very much the rent increase Per haps to the editorial writer. $240 a year does not sound like much, but to a single mother with four children, or a GIT making $833 a month, it's a lot — an awful lot. The Emerald should ho the voice of the students. Well, these students were speechless at the Emerald s ignorance of the com plex issues surrounding this rent increase We do not see jeopar dizing Family Housing as the "periphery" of the problem, and we believe we have choices oth er than "weary Acceptance." Marlene Drescher. ASl JO advo cate. and a unanimous vote by the Family Housing Board (including two housing admin istrators) have gone on the rec ord against the increase We hope the Emerald will be more inclined to dig a little deeper and check the facts the next time it is confront ed with these issues. Eileen Traylor and Shanla kamnth are residents of Family Housing it also mas gratuitous sexual content. 'us IT ALSO COM JAWS SENSATOMAUZEA DiSTOtfJfb INfOQHATlON DESIGNED TtJ BE STtMLAA7/A/6 QATUU) TUAN EDUCATIONAL IS TWS A WABN'A/6 Oft A Pftowvo ? U it *30 4 PflOUm . on * iHCM -J, J j