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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 2, 1994)
EDITORIAL Welfare advances into computer era The Clinton administration hopes to usher America's ailing welfare programs into the next century with the introduction of a nationwide computerized benefit dis bursement network. The plan will utilize existing bank ing technology to deliver billions of dollars in benefit* via a government-issued ATM card. Developed under the auspices of Vice President Al Gore, tho system, known as Electronic Bonefits Transfer, will issue welfare benefits and food stamps through ATMs and retail polnt-of-service outlets. Socinl security and vet eran's benefits would eventually bo integrated into the system. The administration says the transfer system could even tually distribute up to Sill billion a year nationwide. The cost to expand the system over the next throe years is estimated at $B3 million. Despite tho price tag. pro ponents of tho new system say it could save ns much as $195 million a year when fully implemented. A first-year review of Maryland's transfer system revealed a moderate decrease in overhead costs and a 42 percent decrease in fraud. Development of a national sys tem prototype will begin later this year, with initial test ing slated for nine Southern states. Tho administration says standard transfer system services should be avail able to all recipients by 1999. The now computerized system will drastically roduco rod tape and the burden on the already overwhelmed social service agencies. Another benefit lays in the abil ity to electronically audit individual wolfare benefits — making the tracking of fraudulent claims easier to track, document and eventually prosecute. This instantaneous computer auditing ability will certainly wreak havoc on those who abuse tho current system. After all, Mary land's incidence of fraud dropped by almost half in just one year under tho transfer system. Tho real winners are legitimate welfare recipients. Many do not possess bank accounts where funds can be direct ly deposited. Check-cashing companies prey on these individuals, ofton charging exorbitant fees to cash wel fare checks. Costs to taxpayers should also decreaso. The sheer vol ume of paper generated in the federal and state welfare programs is astronomical. Keeping the information dig itized will save tons of paper and end the writing of tons of thousands of welfare benefit checks each month. But the system is not without pitfalls. Details have yet to be provided on whether tho government will uti lize existing, privately owned ATM outlets, or if separate, welfare-specific automated machines will be furnished at substantial cost to taxpayers. If the latter is the case, tho projected $195 million In savings becomes a moot point. Additionally, undercurrent law. consumers whose ATM cards aro lost or stolen can ho reimbursed for all but the first $50 if they report tho theft or loss within two days. The Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Feb ruary exempted transfer system cardholders from that statute for three years. This leaves the system wide open for the fraud it purports to curb. Oregoti Daily Emerald PO BOl )1M» (UGfHf 0«tGO**MGJ l VeyK*1 O.V> f mwa**»s (XAM&fted djfcrfy Monday through f nday during fh© school y«a' and Tuesday and Thursday during the »umm#i by the Oregon Da*fy Emerald P'i<AWv<vg Co . tnc . a! the University ol Oregon Eugene, Oregon The rmmma operates independently o< the Onrvaratty w*h office* at Su4e 300 o< the f rt> Memory Umoo end <* a member ol the Associated ihe-ss The £ * prtveJe property The unlaw* V/i removal or use o» paper* <s prosecuteb*© by Menaging Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Freelance Editor Editor-In-Chief .»;** rj {Vera Ca*©y Anderson Sports Editor Davd Thorn Eduortei Editor J«h Pavay Photo Editor Au» rxa Baum Supplements Editor Night Editor Dave Cherbor^-eau Steve 14m s Jett Pick herd! Mchaef Srvotjfter Katy Soto Associate Editors: t Kk>p4©n*?o*n Student £kverrvw*rsi Acfrv t.es Bebecr.a Men.•«. Commurvfy Heather to times, tkgher f dbcafaw Ac*m*n«3?'0fo/i Nears Stall ton Bett<ne**' W.‘son Owv Dave Charbonnaau. Amy Colombo J?m Oflnns Meg Osdoiph Amy Devcnport Tasha E«:hen*eber Ma a F«e*ds Martm Fisher Sarah Henderson. Yin Lena laong. SuJftnne M#ts. Manus M«:and Tr,»ta Noe*, i sabeth Reenstftma. Bobb* Beeves Kate Sabourvn. t«a Satccoa. Scott Simonson Stephanie SiSSOrt. Susarvi# Steffen*. Mk:h©»© Thompson. Amy Van Tuyi. Owa* Wes! General Manager Judy IWt Advertising Director: M,v\ Water Production Manager Mchete Hots Advertising B ,»n Davis Sutvr Dutta. N-e: >n M©rjm.ir* Teresa l**t*w;e Je« M » Je»emy Mason Mmhaei M>i*«h© Kelsey Wmefl Classified iiecky Men.hant. Manager Victor M»* 4. S-ro T*e Tack Distribution John long. Ferenc RaaoCb, Graham $*mp*on Business Kathy Carbone. Supervisor Judy Conno&y Production: Dee Me Cobb Prodbcffon Coon* natty Shaema Above Greg Desmond, Tas Gauffney. Brad Joes. Jennifer Boland. Nah Thangv^l. Clayton Yen Newsroom 344-3311 Display Advertising_ 344-3712 Business Office 346-S512 Classified Advertising 344-4343 1 I p Voo B£Au-V CAP ED A Boot 7U6 Booft, V*oo'0 ADftBGU TUt tSWC TUAT WtLfABC, U>**G qKH(.t . UuJATI TU* PO©« r OKAV W£ CLlf>MAJATFD VJfcLRAH | SOfjovO'-JWArs Voy« SOcuT)o« ^ rt> me pro&-r^ rwe POO* CMJk ' Mt II Mm|w »»W The VWfare Trap & y l V4WY HUH AT r^CTif -ui/ OPINION Your education is up to you LIA JtALClCCIA I'll spare you the sentimental retrospective. I'm t.orlain that you'd like nothing less than to read a self-indulgent trip down memory lane regarding my fun and wacky days os a columnist at the Emerald. You aren't interested in the fad that I really do like men and that I'm the only one in this office who ever opens the windows. Besides, there is too much to say without reflecting on the past Our present and our future deserve attention Kspet lally when it comes to education. After three years at this institution, I realize that higher education is a frai tion of what it could be, and we all are suffering for it. You don't need a fat tual rundown of Measure 5 or gloomy statistics about literal \ rates in the U S to know that our generation is getting the educational shaft We need more money in every level of education and we need it now1, hut guess what' We aren't getting it any time soon The odds are against us using our university degrees for any thing except material for intelli gent bar chatter. But the choice is ours whether we are going to let those over whelming odds stack against us and force us into a humdrum and complacent existence. Wake up. Nobody is going to make sure that you are educated enough to survive m the world hut yourself Nobody is going to teach you what you need to learn in order to he an intelli gent and employed human being Everyone is too busy Irv ing to teach you what they think you should know If you aren't getting the edu cation you want, if you are Inired in school, if you think you are wasting your money, it s your fault. You are not alone, hut it is still your fault. Your mult lor letting people lake away your dreams, your fault for settling on a mediocre existence. How dare they take thousands of your dollars in order to provide an environment conducive to daydreaming in class? How dare you let them? Feminist theory teaches us that underrepresented and oppressed people must reclaim their own education and loam on their own about the cultures, histories and theories that the writers of textbooks don't think we should know Magic teaches us that if we conceive and visu alise a thing with enough perse verance. we will imagine that thing into reality. Now is the time for the strung of heart to imagine our reclaimed education into exis tence and for the vigilant to carefully guard that dream. The world is changing. More significant for us right now, the country is changing. Whites and men will have to compete with people of color and women for jobs more than ever before The work force of tomorrow will look and sound a lot different than that of today, and it's up to us to keep up In order to sur vive, the students today will have to share space with people who not only are foreign, but are also people with whom they morally disagree Universities have responded with multiculturalism ns a way to help everyone understand each other. Hut for as many peo ple that there are who toss around the word "multicultural ism.” there is a distinct theory about what the word means and how it will lie implemented into education. 1 worry that at this school, multiculturalism will be vet another opportunity to discuss negative stereotyping of under represented people and nothing more I worry that it will be an exc use to concentrate on these negative stereotypes and then to lay blame on all the bad people who perpetuate them I worry that at this s< hool multicultural ism will, instead of encouraging understanding of different cul tures, divide those cultures fur ther. It's a tricky thing to teach peo ple how. people are thu same ami also how people are differ ent But in the realm of the imagination, where the vigilant soul wakes up and takes charge of its own education, all of these things are possible. But it starts with a fundamen tal change in the way that peo ple receive education. Sure it would be great if the way it was given (large, boring lecture classes, standard multiple choice tests, very little teacher student interaction) could change, too But by the time that happens it will be too late for those of us in school now. What if everyone in class started asking the questions they really wanted to ask hut wore afraid to? It's hard to Ihi assertive in a classroom, espec ially if the instructor looks bored with your feedback or if there is a general air of complacency and apathy in the room Imagine a world where we all asked what we wanted to and forced informa tion-givers to he accountable for what they spout. As of now, we nod, take notes, memorize facts, assuming that they are true because someone behind a lectern says them. Imagine a world where we got involved with our education and challenged the assumptions of that mind tiehlnd the lectern. Where we brought our own overlooked knowledge into the class. Where we dare to sav things that are not politically correct and are challenged by others who are offended by it Where communication wins over prejudice Where debate wins over complacency. Where critical thinking of what we are taught rises victorious, and con formity takes a hike. 1 will repeat for the last time that you are the sole person in i barge of your own education Don't be too blind to the politics that influence what goes on in your classroom. Don't make the mistake of letting your education push you hack into a chair, tell you what to think and then lull you to sleep Rather, get into its face, grab it hv the collar, shake it roughly and growl, "teach me.'' After all. we’re paying for it Ua Salcicaa is (nasi a colam nisi far the Emerald.
