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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1994)
EDITORIAL Don’t use Measure 8 to reform pensions Forcing Oregon's public employees to pick up 6 per cent of the state's contribution toward their retirement plans is a concept too long in coming. The Public Employees Retirement System is too gen erous compared with the average private-sector retire ment par kago and bogs for reform. Ballot Measure 8 is an attempt at reform, but it fails in its simplistic and dangerous approach. It deserves a no vote Nov. 8. The problems started in 1979 when state agencies negotiated contracts with public employee unions for which the state picked up the 6 percent contribution in lieu of wage increases. Collective bargaining agree ments have maintained this clause ever since. Over the last 15 years, the 6 percent pickup, coupled with steady wage increases, has placed public employ ee aggregate [toy for ahead of average private-sector compensation. The collective agreements reached after 1981 when inflation began to drop never included a "sundown clause" — where the state would give employees wage increases while decreasing its contribution to the retirement system. Measure f) seems more like a punitive action than a carefully considered solution to this complex problem. The measure would create a constitutional amend ment requiring an estimated 115.000 public employees and 60.000 retirees to contribute 6 percent of their gross salary to the retirement system. This action would save taxpayers more than 5347 million per year. While such a scenario seems tantalizing to taxpayers, the consequences of the crude measure would be extreme. Measure 8 amends the constitution. Such a multi faceted issue is wholly inappropriate for a document intended to protect our basic freedoms. The authority to set pension benefits and wages for public employees should Ho with the legislature. The ability of state agencies, including the University, to attract quality employees could he seri ously hindered under the measure. If the constitution forbids any wage increase to offset the loss of the PERS contribution, adnqunte compensation packages won't exist — and neither will top-notch professionals in stale employment. Ballot Measure 8 will discourage talented people from entering government service. The intense debate generated by this topic will hope fully persuade the 1995 legislature to reform the sys tem if the measure loses. But if the Legislature fails to take action, whether because of intense lobbying by the public employees unions or the standard gridlock to which wo have become accustomed, an initiative on the scale of Measure 8 would be in order. Measure 8 is the right idea at the right time. Unfortunately, its specifics will do more harm than good. Vote no on Measure 8. Oregon Daily Emerald »o ooi )m fuofMf TNi Qriyc#» Ofrfy Ifmaratf i pubfeahed darfy MixvWiy through F 'Oi*y dunng !ha «d»OOi y#a» and Tusftdfy an<J Thursday during lha luffmw by lha O*agon Da*!y Eme'ald PutAihing Go . Inc . ai th# Onrvarsrty of Oragon. l ugena, Oragon Th« opa-ratos *xJapandar>tty cJ t»>a Uru-v^vt> mt* o**ca* at Su*a 300 O* tt>a i ft) Memorial Un*on and is a mamber ol Lh« A*JkX»alad Pf**s Th« inMn&tci » pfTvala proporty Tha unlawful ramovai or um o4 papa** t* proescutab*# by law Edftor-ln-Chiaf Kaiy Soto DsvkJ Thorn Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor Fraaianc# Editor tn-Oapth Editor Joa Harwood Jah Paatay A) ana Baum Ed Kioplanaton Naws Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Suppiamants Editor Night Editor Rahacca M«rr»»t Chris M«ri NAchaw SNncSar Tnsta Noai David Thorn Assoc lata Editors: I nadanch von Carp. Student Goverrvnar* Acf?>*he* Marcatana Edwards Convnynrfy. Tittarvy Smifh. A4gh«* £ ducatew Adm*rk*Aranon Naws Staff: Ion Baltina**-. Wilson Chan. Amy Colombo T*»hs Eichansahar, Aba EsUmada. Pnmo Fontana. Gayta Forman. Chnatophar Fo». M*fl Gwton, Gary Grass. Sarah lianderson. Krt» Manry. Tfavcv Kavnay. Adam K*nchar. Mar* Me Tyre. Ban Moat*u*. Antxi Mi-vw Kornlato. Shorty Ra»nay. Rot**a IWvtr* Lja Saiocoa, Paul Van Scan. K«m W«**y Dan** wmi. Brian Worn** Oanarai Managar Jody Reef Advarttamg Director M41 Walter Production Managar: M*he*e Ross Advertising. M.» co Ch*rvg. Tony fo«. Erin Harsher. N*coia Mar*mad, Jeremy Mason KAchaei MtfHaha. Sara?' Mtcbd Tom Mne»sta**J Ka<*«> WeAe« Classified: 8ec*y Merchant. Managar Job Sa*on. Jod Was Distribution: John Long, f aranc RaAocn. Ftegma /supntfc Business: Kaihy Ca/bon«. Supervtsor Judy Conno&y Production Dehua McCobb. Production CoortAnafor Shawns Abe*n. (Wag Daamond. laa GauAnay. (Vad Joss. Jarvwtar Roland, Raft Thangwpt. Dayton Yea Newsroom ..346-5911 Dispiay Advartlsing _346*3712 Businass Office.— 346-5912 Classified Advertising . 346-4343 Why Voters A^E Angry Shut(pOOMfcwSi Woir tmtNl //' I CAUfO kP+,-VO HOUBS MjO- STHX no CO**6«1V*An to u*tf> vu C> W»i TV*'S ”> I ! (o*tO#*iSt**+* yontj Few Hu& (JWMNMlNf {HNPNfr P»A*tf, Pl*J MV $M«M fllVMK ACmMi«Wiom to** (MKX ij On.^/ urtr W CAR My (ONfafcfoMN -' CAisit Foa&HtfN Mi$ (onSt.tuwt5' / OPINION A nation of whiners and victims We in this fino country have a nasty habit We love to whine. Front complaining about Home Improvement being moved to Tuesdays to complaining nltout the new one week limit on droit ping ( lasses, it happens all the time The problem is that as we con tinue to whine, the more we think everything is a right and not a responsibility, ABC broadcast a program. The Blame Came, on this problem Wednesday night A good example is a man who got too (risky with his female employees and claimed it wasn't his fault because he had "fondling disease." Of course, there's that retired women from the Southwest who sued McDonald's and was award ed $20 million by a jury. The rea son? She burned herself when she spilled some coffee on her lap I guess she didn't know fresh coffee was something you shouldn't apply to your skin Kvervbody's a victim Another man sued a bicycle company after he got hit by a car at night He says he thought reflectors would lie suffic ient in the* dark 1 fe won a whopping $7 million. A transient couple in New York is suing tin* transportation department They got hit by a subway train while they were having sex on the tracks They say it's the government's fault that they were hit, and they're suing for $10 million I could get into the issue of lawyers and how they drive this on, but that probably would be beating a dead dog I'll just quote Shakespeare "First, we kill all the lawyers." With this attitude of victim hood in America, we'd hope that the government would once again not be part of the problem. Hut it is. Because just about anything can lie claimed under the guise of a disease under the Americans with Disabilities Act. the system is Iniing taken for a ride. One man says he's a victim of alcoholism, so he can't help him self. The interesting thing is that he's a school administrator who has been caught driving drunk twice, once during a cross-dress ing episode. HkUS Wom V( k Bui sun i! he's an alcoholic (at least at the time of the arrests) and, more intportantlv, a victim, lu* demanded $200,00(.)-plus and a nice pension from the school board. He won fx* nuse the board just didn't have the money to fight it lawsuits are killing business es. too Many are settled out of court because legal costs run into tens of thousands of dollars if the case goes to trial. Business just can t kis*]> up if all these lawsuits continue piling up But 1 guess people have got a right to whatever they want. lake drug addicts, for instance. They're sui king off the public coffers so the\ con keep up the habit In the ABC program, one addict says, “We shouldn't get it. but w hat are you gonna do about it'" He used his ch«< k to buy drugs so he could resell them for a profit One of my favorite quotes is from an addict who says. "I think everybody should got one (a check).” A dependent class of people is growing. I know someone hack in my hometown who got pregnant out of wedlock. She has a question able background and is not qual ified to be a mother, as everyone around her says. She won't have an abortion because of bar beliefs. But she will have the kid and not give it up for adoption because she can get a check from Uncle Sam. Just another great example of the government getting involved and messing things up. More than anywhere else, we see that government has been a destructive force in minority communities. When people are continually told they are victims of racism instead of how they should over come their problems, they’ll have difficulties ever breaking free from poverty. It doesn’t help when the government makes sun' there's no good reason to get a job because the check's alway s there at the first of the month. The claim of racism just doesn't seem to hold up for the poor black communities anv more. just look at all those other groups that have done well here in the states. Asian-Americans have actually surpassed whites in many areas. For instance, the University of California at Herke ley cupped the percentage of Asians that can he accepted. Caribbean blacks are statisti cal K' more likely to have jobs and are less likely to be on welfare compared with their native bla< k counterparts. The welfare state has made parts of the black community more dependent so that they just won't (can't) get out and get a job For six months this year, I worked at a wood products ware house. The pay usually ranged from $5.50 to upward of $0-10 per hour. The low-skill work was by no means glorious, it was dirty work It was hard work. But many worked there to help support their families. Many plan on leaving the company to "move up," and some did while I was there There wore a few blacks who worked there. About half ol the workers were first-generation Hispanics who could barely speak the language but know how to work. They had taken responsibili ty for themselves. Blacks would be a step ahead b«;ause of their knowledge of the language and the culture. 1 real ize there's racism out there That's undeniable. But as one (Caribbean black quoted in the TV program said, when that hap pens. “just move on." Rising above racism is the answer. Wallowing in it is not the answer. Some blacks have done this The black middle class has increased in strength in the last few years. But a vast amount of blacks live in poverty, which they shouldn't be in. Whining doesn't work. Taking responsibility for yourself does. Brian Womack is a columnist for the Emerald.
