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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1994)
EDITORIAL There’s more than a library in proposal The voters are the rabbit and Eugene's proposed library is the carrot dangling in front of the rabbit's nose. Voters will be asked Tuesday to approve $56.2 mil lion in general obligation bonds, financed through an increase in property taxes. The new library is the cor nerstone of the proposal, but it is loss than half the cost of the measure. The most expensive part, maintenance of city build ings. eats up $33.8 million of total cost to voters. The library, the second most costly item, has a proposed cost of $19.1 million. Activating the Hailey Mill Fire Station will cost taxuavers $800,000 Tho maintenance part of the proposal provides $2.8 million a year to maintain city buildings throughout Eugene. New construction is not an option in the pro posal. Tho funding would last for to years, paying for modest cosmetic changes as well as making buildings handicapped accessible where it's needed. The flagship of the measure is the new public library. Occupying tlx; old Soars building downtown, coupled with a now addition on the east side, the library would provide 100,000 square feet of needed space. The fourth floor of the east wing. 23,000 square feet, would be reserved for city offices until the library needs the area for future expansion. The current library functions with 35.000 square feet, and many of the seats in the existing library have been traded in for books with a six-fold growth in text since tho library opened in 1959. Moused In the new library will bean impressive com puter sj stem that will offer personal < omputers to the public. Residents will be able to use library services from their homes via modem. Putting the Dailey Hill Fire Station into service is the third part of tho bond proposal. The station would put area residents within four minutes of lire and medical services. The bond does not include operating expons es. Approving tho proposed measure will result in increased tax rates for proporty owners. For every $1,000 In assessed property value, owners can expect a 75-ceut increase in taxes. Tho bond proposal uses tho library as a lure. Taxpay ers would shun a tax increase to maintain city buildings or open a fire station. However, taxpayers, when polled, havo already said they would approve a tax hike to pay for a new library. Using the library as a vehicle to pass less appealing tax increases is nothing short of politics and it's expected. Eugene makes good use of its library. Last year. 62.043 people chocked out material from tho library 1.4 million times. The current facilities are operating in the dark ages and a now library is needed. Maintenance for city buildings and a fire station In Bailey Hill are services tho city needs, but taxpayers would be slow to respond without something appealing, such as the library. Approving the bona proposal on Tuesday would be a good move by area residents. Ail three parts of the measure would serve taxpayers well. The Eugene area is growing, and passing this measure would continue to stimulate growth. Oregon Daily Emerald PO 80um fUCCNC OAEGON*?*GJ TN» Otpon l '**Qr&k1 >a pubfe&h©CJ daily Monday through f r<itty du<mg fh* v f> * * y©a> and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Da 'y E«r.e<aid l The c'/t otbcm a! Sv/de 300 o* the Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Freelance Editor '■'Hv.itf operates *ndependentty of the UrwvSrely wrt t rt> Mr*nv;',r ,»i U-'ion and t* a me*' be* o? the Associated Pres* The fmarmf i* pmot© property The unM«*4\ii remove or use ol paper* >s proaeriitaMC by law Editor-In-Chief Ja*e Berg Caikry Anderson Sports Editor Steve M>m* Dawi Thom Editorial Editor J©n Pc* h«d! Jeff Pesioy Photo Editor M*,ha» $r» AJjefta Baum Supplements Editor Ka?y Soto Night Editor Rebecca Merrin Associate Editors Edward Akjp*en»tem SfuOmnt Government Act*-*as; Rebecca Merritt. Community, Heather to iSmes. Hgher fdbca&cn- Ad’mmshahon News Still Lori Bettnesto. W*t*on Chan. Dave Charbonneou. Amy Colombo Jm Dav~* Meg Dedoiph, Amy Oevenpert. Tanh« F«chen*aher Ma-a Field*. Martin Fi»her. Sarah Render ton. Y»n Lena leong. Su/anne Marta. Many* Meiand. Tn*ta No*i. Elisabeth Reenstyama, Robb** Reeve* Kate Sabou'.n. lia Sa*CMX»a. Scon S*monson. Stephen** Srtson. St*iave Siemens. Mkhe*e Thompson. Amy Van Tuyl. Den** We-*! General Manager Judy Rkkji Advertising Director Mar* Walter Production Manager Mcheie Rom Advertising Bran Da* ». Sub*» Duita. fhcoie Her/mar* T«yeva »*ab©« e Jeff Ma'*on, Jeremy Mason. Mchar* MSehe. Kelsey W«*eti Classified; Bachy Merchant. Manager Veto# Mapa, S*m T/e Tec* Distribution: John Long, i erenc Rafcocxt. Graham Scmpeon Business Kathy Carbone. Supervisor Judy Connolly Production: Dee McCobb. Phadbcfton CoonAnakv Shewn* Abeie. Greg Desmorxi. Tara Gaultney. Brad Joss. Jerwler Roland. Natl Thanghf*. Clayton Yee Newsroom....*4+4611 Display Advertising .344-3712 Business Office --->44-4512 Oeeaifted Advertising.MMM) WlVI&OT'b ►nwviNff (w*. C**h jjOOHffcalfo* B^6 § —— srM . WMIN a* we GCHN6 Tt> INTWtNf * iw untco $rare$ 7 LETTERS Logical? lor I hi- sake of upenmin ded ncss. Mr. Crawford. I'd 1»* inter ested in hearing your "very log it id and reasonable arguments" with which you claim to be able to back up your statement, "homosexuality is 'wrong' both morally and ethically” (ODH. May 10) Especially since you employ several non-"reason ohle" tactics in your essay You decry the "propaganda of the liberal left" while at the same time you use such propagandis ts words as "insidious trend" and "thought cleansing": you clearly misinterpret the intent of the arlu les by l.ia Salt it t 1a and Tashn hit henseher in order to back up your argument (merely making yourself appear defen sive): you justify your queasi ness about what homosexuals do beneath the sheets with the questionable assertion that it has been a "normal human reaction for most of society throughout time" (This strikes me as ironic, considering how you seem to be criticizing a follow-the-herd mentality). !'m a little more openminded than you think in other words, you'll have to try using slightly more "logical and rea sonable arguments tb make me understand your point of view John Todoroff Music Education Applause 1'hank.s and applause for pub lishing Stephen Crawford's thoughtful and appropriate coni nientnry [ODE, May 10). Stephen, I congratulate you for being brave enough to say what should hove been said long ago 1 believe that everyone has a God-given right to choose his or her own lifestyle, as long as it does not harm others I am het erosexual and have strong reli gious beliefs which do not con done a homosexual lifestyle Many of my friends are gay. These people are my friends because we respect each other's personal freedom and our right to believe as wp choose. No con flicts arise among us merely because they are in a societal minority and I am not I respe< t tint Hmfraid's efforts to fairly represent minority amt rai.ial issues in its daily cover age Perhaps wo of tho majority could encourage the editors not to neglect or distort issues that concern us Please don't make me feel guilty or out of touch merely because I happen to let a white heterosexual upper-class woman. To those people everywhere who are members of u minority group, whoever you may be: Remember that every human being has a lifestyle and a her itage. and a right to live in free dom and dignity. May we live in mutual respect and love because of, not despite, our differences. In other words, I honor your diversity. Won’t you honor mine? Rebecca M. Foster Theater Arts See all colors 1 always felt there was an advantage in seeing in color. As a kid I full sorry for niv dog. who could only son in shades of gray. And I was envious of certain hugs who could see in ultravio let. For those bugs it seemed as though a whole new world was opened up to them The other day I went outside to meet the spring and a town in bloom It was then that some body walked by in a "See No Color” T-shirt I took in the thought, as I looked at the flow ers around me. and began to feel frustrated. For I had seen the effort to push these T-shirts and the concept behind them. I began to wonder what was wrong with me that I couldn't accept this shirt's message I began to wonder if my response was all that rare Was there something I wasn't supposed to see? Was there something wrong with the abili ties that I had? Suppose there existed a bias for or against tri anglos. Then the T-shirt would have read "See No Shapes " A difficult demand, especially for those geometry majors. I am all for "Assume Nothing" to whatever degree that can bo achievod. Yet. I don't under stand encouraged color-blind ness Black, white, pale, brown, red, tan, and how about those unexplored regions of the color spectrum I want to see it all and to "See All Colors.” I'll be waiting to see that on a T-shirt. Jake Blei Psychology Anyone Hu is the proud owner of an AK and many other assorted deadly weapons He's a macho stud that runs on beer and enjoys an occasional bar brawl. He is an ex-husband of mine. Recently a tragic family funer al brought my ex and me togeth er briefly. After the funeral we drank, beer and talked. My law suit against the University came up and be was curious to know what had happened. I asked him if I could demonstrate physical ly the assault that I endured in George Kokis' class He agreed to a re-enactment I instructed him to relax, recline and pre tend 1 wasn't there When ho seemed relaxed 1 pounced on top of him like a lion going in for the kill 1 had a fixed fero t ious stare as 1 growled and shook him savagely For the first time in the 20 years I've known him. fear flashed in his eyes, which turned to a stone-cold glare of anger as he forcefully pushed me off. Rubbing his shoulder with a perplexed, pained expression, he said, "No shiftin', that's what he did to you?" "Yeah, I thought he was a crazed rapist." "1 would have killed the motherfucker" I shared this story in order to prove Jenifer Beckett wrong iODt:, April 2H). In her letter she claims that my furious reaction to being assaulted in class was caused by the fai t that 1 suffer from post-traumatic stress. The fact is. the manner in which 1 was uttacked would terrify and traumatize any human being, like my ex. regardless of person al history. Devon Gray Eugene
