Oregon Daily
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6. 1995
Professors question enactment of Measure 8
Contribution: Employees raise their
eyebrows at the latest order to give up a
portion of their earnings to retirement funds
Marcelene Edwards
Oregon Omy Eme/ak)
University professors nil over campus have expressed
doubts about tne fairness of Measure H, the ns entlv passed
ballot measure thnt requires public employees to con
tribute 6 percent of their salaries to their pensions
"It stinks." Associate Professor of Physics Raymond
Frey said.
It makes music theory Professor Robert Hurwitz want
to M ream Others share-similar feel the imple
mentation of the measure becomes a reality in their lives
Three legal challenges have been filed to block Mea
sure 8.
One of the main debates surrounding the measure has
las-n the possibility of constitutional violations
T think there are serious constitutional questions
involved with the measure." Hurwitz said But. ho said,
(he legal challenges filed should tie allowed to mn their
courses quietly.
“It is more likely to be suo essfuI if wo are allowisl duo
pro*.os*.” Hurwitz said.
Others argue the measure was not appropriate for as
ballot measure from the start
"Tlvore are some very odd things about it Unfortunately,
it was i ouched as a constitutional amendment." said A
Dana Johnston, professor of geological m ience
A ft percent contribution by government to public
employee pensions, whit h has now lx*en eliminated by
Measure H, was first implemented in the t‘»7ik when state
employees had a j»a> freeze Most stall* employees viewed
it as part of their salary or at least part of their benefit
package
With the state conlrihution taken away, employees are
required to contribute t> peri ent from their own salary It
is essentially a 12 pert ent reduction in the salary pack
age. Johnston said
Members of the Faculty Senate will meet Wednesday.
)an 11, to discuss whether to endorse a request to the
state Hoard of Higher Education to offset the effects of
Measure H
On IVt If.' 1'et.j the Inter institutional I n lilts Sen
ate met with the txiartt to ills* uss the effects of Measure
H on the faculty
Anthony Wilt os. a professor at Oregon State Univer
sity. spoke at the meeting saving that "Measure tt is the
proverbial straw that breaks the faculty's ls« k " He i ailed
for a raise in salurv for university professors citing the
(Vt tfl, t'lu-t issue of The Chnwicle of Higher Education.
whit h reported that Oregon had the largest reduction in
fat ullv salaries of all the states in the last two years. He
.ilso saitl that Oregon faculty is paid “approximately 20
pert ent less than faculty at comparable institutions in
other states ”
Johnston >-t bowl that sentiment, saying that when ha
rev lew s grant proposals from other universities he alvvay s
notices that other professors are earning more than the
ones in Oregon.
"There is no doubt we are way behind," he said
OAH'f <>RASS.t
University of Oregon freshman Travis Ferguson lost control of his car during Ns morning commute to astronomy class Thursday
Brief cold spell brings snow, ice to Eugene
Weather: Changes in temperatures create
unexpected conditions Thursday which may
lead to some travel problems this weekend
Ban Moebius
Oeecn Daily ImaraM
Snowmen and siiumImII fights were not quite possible,
but the ground was covered Thursday with a light layer
of late Christmas cheer
Temperatures dipped below freezing during the night
bringing some ice and snow to Eugene. The brief freeze
caused a few accidents on Lane County's roads, accord
ing to State Police Captain Rusty Wolfe
"Most of the nci idents were minor fender-Umders." Wolfe
said, "but we did get alxmt sis to eight calls tiefoni 10 a m."
Wolfe predicted that the police department would be
responding to at least as many calls today with tempera
ture* expected to drop below freezing again overnight
"It could even turn out to be worse." Wolfe said "With
the melted snowfall from the day before, there might be
more ice."
OAKY ORAS&f nwatl
The (-5 bridges can be dangerous when temperatures tall below freezing
Employees
contest
pension
measure
Argue: Courts will now
determine the constitu
tionality of Measure 8
Tiffany Smith
Ooy*1 CU •> l "Was/
A legal challenge was filed
Thursday in the lainti County Or
cult Court that seeks to have Mea
sure H. which requires puhlic
employees to contribute 8 per
i ent of their salaries to their [elu
sions. dei I it rod unconstitutional.
Among the plaintiffs are two
former Oregon governors and a
former chief justice of the Oregon
Supreme Court
According to University Pres
ident l Vive Frohnmayer, the con
stitutionality of the measure
comes down to three pure ques
tions of law.
Because Measure H was craft
ed under the initiative process
and not through the legislature,
Frohnmayer said it violates the
Guarantee Clause of the U S. Con
stitution, which provides for a
republican form of government.
Turn to MEASURE. Page 3A
■ GOOD MORNING
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Actress Marilyn Monroe will grace
a U S postage stamp this year,
with the design being otticially
unveiled today at Planet Holly
wood in New York
The 32-cent Monroe stamp
will be the first in a series honor
ing legends ol Hollywood, postal
officials said.
The stamp carries a reproduc
tion of Monroe's signature and
artwork based on a movie star
image that post office publicity
describes as epitomising "the
explosive combination of talent
and vulnerable beauty that con
tmues to enrapture America and
the world."