Measures
could impact
University
Tiffany Smith
Oregon Da^y ( marakl
Of the 1H Ballot Measures on the N'o\ H ballot,
several will have a fiscal impact on the l Jniversity,
according to the Oregon State System of Higher
Education and University officials
Ballot Measure 5 seeks to amend the (freytm urn
slitution barring new or increased state and local
taxes, certain foes and certain charges without vot
er approval.
According to Kevin ('urn . membership dins tor
of the Oregon Taxpayers United, the measure is
economical for the state
"I think the government has Ixxm nit kel and dim
ing us. All we're saving is if you're nusing fees to
cover cosls. fine But il you're raising hx-s to make
some extra money, no But n to a vote.' he said m
a telephone interview.
University tuition and fees are not considered
taxes or tax increases and are exempt from a vote
in order to raise fees and tuition
Randy McDonald, director of legislative and com
munity relations at the I Ini varsity, said the Uni
versity will lie fiscally affected by Ballot Measure
five because it will put more pressure on the state's
general fund.
He said it will, "force us to freeze issuance of
new bonds ns the treasurer did hist time Measure
5 passes."
McDonald said that will probably mean a post
ponement of some major projects that depend
bonded financing.
Curry said he didn't know where thev (Unives
sity officials) got that from. "Our Ixmd rating is still
as strong as ever,” he sud
Ballot Measure B seeks to amend the Oregon
constitution to require public employees to pay t>
percent of salary toward (tension and bar (tension
increase from unused sic k leave.
Ac cording to the Voters' Pamphlet, once exist
ing la!sir contracts expire, direct sate exjjenditures
for personnel would lie reduced by St 17.4 million
annually and total direc t expenditures for person
nel by public schools, community colleges and
local governments would be reduc »xl bv $2.'K! mil
lion annually.
According to McDonald this measure affects
everyone who works for the University. He said,
"It's a salary cut on top of o period of salary
freeze."
McDonald explained that there are no budget
Increases in the next biennium for salaries and
employees will be asked to pay tor what was a
negotiated benefit, thus a pay cut
Tin* Oregon State System of Higher Education's
The Hoard flullftin said the effect of Ballot Mea
sure H is an across-the-board puv reduction of <>
percent and could result in litigation over whether
the change is a breech of contract agreements
between the state and its employees
"f orty percent of us in the private sector don't
CAST YOUR VOTE
PoJls open Tuesday at 7 a m.
and will close at 8 p m
0 Precinct 231
South Eug#n« High School
Includes areas 18th
and 22nd avenues and
between £ merald and
Amazon streets This voting
site is not handicapped
accessible Please call lane
County Election, 687-4234. to
have a ballot delivered
O Precinct 325
Grace Lutheran Church
Includes areas between !8th
and 22nd avenues and
between Amazon and Lincoln
streets
O Precinct 327
Oily* PUm
includes areas between 11 ih
and 18th avenues and
between Mill and t awrence
streets
O Precinct 329
C*ntr»l Presbyterian Church
Includes areas between 11 th
and 18th avenues and
between Kincaid and Mill
streets
O Precinct 331
Ert> Memorial Union
Includes areas between
Franklin iioulevard and 18th
Avenue and between Agate
and Kinc*»«1 streets
O Precinct 333
C«*mW Campbell Center
Includes areas between ?nd
and 11 th avenues and
between l awrence and AkJe<
streets
O Precinct 429
Condon School
Includes areas between
franklin Boulevard and 19th
Avenue and between Agate
Street and Facres! lane This
voting site is rxit t.andtc.ujped
accessible Please call Lane
County flection. 687 4?34. to
have a ballot delivered
have a pension. Should we pay 1(H) |ien «*ni of the
oust of the public se« tors pensions?" Currv said
Hallo! Measure IS seeks to amend the Oregon
constitution to set minimum stale funding of
schools, community colleges Inis**! on funds avail
able from listed sources m 1993-95 biennium
Auxjrdmg to the Voters Pamphlet. i unroot direct
state expenditures of Si.45 7 billion annual for pri
mary and set ondary schools and community col
leges would increase $71 1 million annually to
$2 172 billion annually Future annual costs must
tie adjusted for inflation and props led student pop
ulation growth.
Mi I konald said tlte passage of Ballot Measure 1 '•
would i reate a budget reduction of SHU million
on top of the SUM) million reduction based on the
proposed governor's budget lor higher education
S'here are only a couple ways for the Universi
ty to deal with the budget cuts. McDonald said One
would lie ma|or program cuts and the other would
be increased tuition and lees
Linda Preston, former president of the Kugene
(education Association, said, "} feel if the estimates
the opponents of Measure 1 5 are tn.e, the $700 mil
lion is there in the general fund and lottery "
tl.diut Mcanuir 70 seek > lo amend Ilia Oregon
(.(institution to create an equal tax on transfer of
property, goods, services to replace current state
and lotail taxes
Auxin ting to the Voters' Pamphlet, the dins i ns
enue loss to state and U* a I government would lie
at least S-PM) million fis< al \<ar til*in
Mi Donald said. All the state agencies would
have to close dow n for .1 w hile until we figured out
our new tax svstem
Hie lioanl Pullet 111 said the measure will impm t
OSSHK in three ways firs! it would reduce rev
enues to state and loud government hy an estimated
$4'JO million in fiscal year I90t>. secondly it would
eliminate the use of main fees that support many
(activities on campuses, and Ifurtl. it would elimi
nate OSS1 IK's ability to issue hoods
Proponents sav the measure will provide $8 mil
lion for adequate education and government fund
ing w hile eliminating property lax and state income
tax with no assessments on property
University students, public educators clash over Measure 15
Tiffany Smith
Or egon (testy BmerskJ
A group of graduate students conducting an
independent analysis of Ballot Measure 15
found the measure to he reactionary' They ret -
onunend tax reform as the answer for the state s
financial woes
"We have to admit that we have to increase
taxes." said Lisa Bigaouette. one of the dime stu
dents involved in the study “If the taxes aren't
there, the services aren't going to he there Real
ity's going to hit people in the face "
Bigaouette with Kali Neville and Bobby Lee
wrote The Other Side of 'kid* hirst' Ballot Man
sunt.
"We believe kindergarten through communi
ty college should get funds," Lee said "But
there should be truth and equity in allocation.”
Bigaouette said. 'When Measure 5 passed (in
1990), everyone panicked This is kind of a
quick fix solution It doesn't take into consid
eration odier programs ”
Linda Preston, former president of the Eugene
Education Association, said Ballot Measure 15
is justified because public edut-ution took some
of the biggest flits as a result of 1990 Ballot Mea
sure 5, especially the 4-1 School District
11 i mis > I I IW »
Sfiat the Oegor Constitutor set mwmjm
stale '■xo-jg o' scxo ana cormx/vty
coeges oawc on 'unas ava»ao«9 fom
sleo sauces in t'a 1993 95 tamivrri?
8a ot Measure 15 a coMMutonai
amendment guarantees scnoois • ■<m
garten irvougn !2m gracte ana cornu
mty conges me sane amount oI money
"•ey a-e now ’ece. ng Qkjs aOjuStmoms
lor inRawr ana changes n enrolment
The cunent 1993 95 v«>< serves as me
oase win aOjusmenis naoe every two
years
Unoer me measure the 19959? ooer
aiing outgo for nmoergarien- I2in grade
ana community colleges warnd iota
aoou? J6 1 D> on .V moot Ihe measure
me outgo! *x« icxa aooul $5 5 t*»<sn
TQPRaTd
She said the additional $700 million that
would bo earmarked for public education is
there in the state's (.eneral Fund and lottery
However, according to the report Corm tions.
human services und higher education will be
faced with severe cuts
"Nearly ©very stiitn program that services chil
dren will fact’ serious cuts It may not matter
nun h how good the si hools are. if the students
are in poverty, sick, abused, dependent on drugs
and alcohol, involved with gang activity, or
homeless If these programs aren’t there to serve
the children who need them, the teachers may
have to fill that role, threatening the quality of
education for all children."
Neville said they studied literature from both
camps and found that the numbers they were
basing their information on were skewed.
The Planning, Public. Policy and Manage
ment students were troubled that this issue lias
divided educators
"1 am concerned about the number of options
my students have not received.” Preston said.
“All I am is pro student ”
"The fact that (it) percent of resources are
devoted to one group leaving the other groups to
fight it out is bad policy." Bigaouette said
Lee said it is bad policy for Oregon's future.
"The Oregon economy is changing The type of
work fore© will be primary service based instead
of natural resource based,” he said The need for
a coilege degree will Ih> greater.
Streetwise
What Is your
opinion on
Ballot Moaauro
15?
NICOLE WASKO
■
i would definitely
vole no on 15
doc a use I'm an
■ _■ st ite st i
dent and I don't
want my tuition to
increase
THOMAS MCCARTHY
sophomore
l1'%s people art)
going to bo able to
go to school It w
only be available
to the elite tippet
Class while tmiting
people's options
by making higher
education less
accessible
WARREN KENNEDY
graduate
I (hmk it's urilair tor
people who can!
afford it Iho stale
should Imd a way
to pay for school
funding
<imptlfd by Ol 1*1 Kayirn