EDITORIAL
Finance committee
stops fee growth
Kudos to the ASUO Programs Finance Committee for
meeting the zero percent increase benchmark for student
incidental foes.
it is the responsibility of the PFG to make sure stu
dents don’t incur higher fees because of increases in
budgets, and they have truly done their part.
The benchmark, set by the Student Senate last fall,
was set to try' to stem the growth of the fee#.
At a time when education costs are rising, it is nice
to know that at least part of the student government is
working to keep the incidental fees down.
The $119 per term fee In plac e now is a lot of money
for students, money that could be spent on focal or rent.
After the meeting Thursday night, where the commit
tee? heard from OSPIRG, the PFG was under its goal by
nearly $10,000 or 0,5 percent. This could mean that inci
dental fees would stay the same for next year or possibly
go down, said Joey l.yons. committee chairman.
However, file PPG budge! i*. no! the only far tor m < at
dilating the fees. The ballot measures on next week s
ballot could increase the incidental fees students pay
each term.
The finance committee hat been attacked by many
groups this year. They have iiad to cut funding for some
groups and give zero funding increases for others That’s
a hard job
Other group leaders agree that the PIC has a tough job
It isn’t easy to make decisions on money issues for other
people But, tome groups didn't seem to understand that
the goal of tliis process was to keep costs down
When the ASUO executive came l»fore the committee
they asked for $15,000 more than they received this year.
T his group of loaders should have been the example for
the rest of the groups. They are leaders of the student
government, and they knew the goal of the PFG was to
meet the benchmark. Yet they asked for an Increase any
way What does this say to other organizations' It basi
cally says these rules apply to everyone but them.
Groups such as Musical Arts and Dance Oregon bad
the right idea. They went before the RFC with the same
budget they had this year They got the message about
savings and trimming the fat that was sent out by the
senate and the finance committee. They really should be
the example for other student groups.
The PFC's frugal ways left more money for groups
who because of growth or special projects needed an
increase.
The Jewish Student Union received an increase in its
funding because the members showed the committee
that they needed more money to fund their Holocaust
remembrance week, but they were only one of a few
So just in case no one else says it. good Job!
Oregon Daily
Emerald
po aot m* cugcme OPfGON»?*aj
1N» Orwgon {>*»*, f *>&&&f <* pufc***h«cl d**>y tA?«vta> dveygP f rrdOy during she *cNxv
><M*f a*** I UWadtty and thu>*3«y (Surmo tha MWhp try *h*> O«g0« Ott% I W***(fc3 f\45fc*Pmg
Co Ine a! th# U^vtmtrty ol C> agon. fugone. OaQQh
The £**&*&/opt#*to* mdopimijoripy o* tfto wSfc off*:** at Su4t MO ©* th«
lit; Mp--'-: • .*1 Un»or\ and t* a mamba* o< tho AjMMX-^t«d f*»«n
TN» E’mamAT t» prrvuitt property f N& unlawM taffipvftf or uM) pt pop** ft <* pmUfi iti*h*||
t>, $*w
f(Ww-m Chi«t *.afy Solo
Managing Editor
Editorial Editor
Maw* Art E ditar
f ra*i*rvc« Editor
Oavxi Them
f VrtfcHft Ifeww
Pa*i«,
Ion »««**«*■
Htw, Editor
Sport* E dltor
Supptamant* Editor
Might Editor
>W«*A «
Chft* MWx
T nsta Moer
CoAaan Pahig
Aiiaciit* Editor*. Am, Gotumdo. Snud&nt GiU'wn.’menAi^r'hm, M»>, «^«ne Edward*
Cipwmuftfy Co*aan PoNg. ragoor £ £Ax~<*fcoo4drnax<fraaor
Maw* Stott S?r*vw Aabtay N-ogna Brow*' MiOody Conroy, Am, L Dewwnpod. P«m© Toman*,
<*oyA» f armao M,rt Gorton. Jo* Harwood Km Henryr T»«vo* K«mamoy Shannon KjfcMT Adam
ArrtcOar S;v*Nr*t\* Mon .-• Man ttrflrdft Mar*. Mi Tyre Pa*'* * M-- *c^d ik* M *** . •* Ma?*-.*
Moragumary. Arvw fcAnov KornMAi HP**-, liar1*, Natasha $h«ph«d Pouf van 5w>k» Saar
5vn4P Mod**** Mora Shoo. Jommy Sanson. Kwr< ft*r**. ftn*r» \Atemac*. la* Zac.*«*
Ganarai Manager A*?, EU*j
AdvarttsJng Oracle* Mot ft*** Production Man agar M • «w H&*»
Advarti*ing: Ann* Amador An*ta BtMMi Marco Chrg Too, f ©.*, ffcoote HarymarV K«A,
lyon Joromy Mason Sarah Mfc-hofl. Torn M-*t«**tjMgJl. K.***#y ftpaa
CtaaaJBod Bocfcy MwachanE Manager * >k» Davt*. Je& S«*en
Distribution. John long, f or or* Hafrocti. Graham Simpson
IKism#** Mthy Cdrtx>ftO, SugM^vaiot Judy C<*vv-fy
Production Oohfca McCofot. Prodbcdpn OdonSnafor Shaw\a Aba* Tara Gau*n«y Brad
Jo**. M • McConU. Jar»x*ar HotonO. Ci*yfc»r> Yoa
Mawvoom 340-SS11 Display AdxarOotng J40>37t2
BuWntti OfHca M6-5512 Oaaaiftad Advartiamg
I TPLD Vou ^
To LEAV^ /T ON
if r
Stav our c* LAK}
■ OPINION
Power of Executive office inflated
Jot mR\UHH>
II wins that every s«<.sr during
the spring student elui lion
swsoii. daring duos espousing
change ooze from the University
woodwork to make a run at the
ASl!Q Ksecutive. proclaiming
grandiose plans to end student
apathy as we know and love it
Tin* erudite and spunks politi
cos make promises they cannot
keep, jiander to can t (ms media in
a manner that would embarrass
even Don King and spend pre
cious beer money on fliers and
brochures no one really reads
The campaigns resemble fed
eral and stale elections mainly
through using rhetorical spooch
of ambiguity Phrases like
"greater accessibility” and
"affordable education" become
summon buzzwords and colorful
power-verbs tike "improve, build,
retain and restructure" override
truth and substance to cover
holes in empty and meaningless
platforms.
Too bad for students that the
candidates don't embrace the
mud-slinging tactics of the pro
fessional politicians, that would
he fun. Character assassination
and defamation really comple
ment that first cup of coffee in the
morning.
Am 1 cynical? Hell yes.
In all candor, the ASUO can
didates promising to "keep edu
cation affordable" reveal a seri
ous lack of understanding con
cerning Oregon's budgetary woes
The cost of attending the Uni
versity has more than doubled
over the last four years, and Gov
John Kitzhaber is pushing anoth
er 4 percent tuition increase for
the upcoming biennium. About
the only way to really keep edu
cation affordable is to introduce
a now tax, and that has as much
chance «f passing as Dan
Williams has of being chosen
Man of the Year by th<< zealots of
the Save Amazon Coalition.
Fighting for cheaper tuition is
certainly meritorious However,
implying that a student body
president has the power to elic
it budgetary redirei tion toward
higher education is simply a lie.
Just take « look at some of the
candidate platforms and notice
that most are chillingly similar
in their utter lack reality
• Chris Kantrowitz Niki Si ott
Plan to keep education afford
able. strengthen student groups
and restructure the ASWO. Ho
hum Why not liquidate the
ASUOand uw the office space as
a distillery or micro-brewery?
Better yet, obtain a mass pre
si; ription for steroids and dis
pense them intravenously to
weak student groups
• Nat Fiimani/Fh Klder Keep
education affortlahle. renter's pro
let tion and improving the rela
tionship between students and
the Eugene police department.
Wow! These two promise to rein
in Eugene's "disrespectful** police
fort e which allegedly subsidises
its two-down [>er day donut habit
by ticketing bit m lists who blow
stop signs. Even more ridiculous,
they vow to institute price con
trols to bring down rent in a mar
ket with less than a t pert unt
vacancy rate Maybe they will
also advocate for peasant land
seizure and armed insurrection
while stepping all over the free
market
• Kenya l.uvert Build bridges
between the University and the
community. retention of students
of color and First Amendment
protection No comment, won't
even touch it
• lustin Good and Thom
Schoenborn Make all fees
optional, create a rnii ro-brewerv
to augment the KMW budget and
increase parking. These two
downs also want to log the old
growth on campus and make a
parking lot out of the graveyard
at ross from the Pit Unfortunate
ly. the Oregon Liquor Control
Commission is upset with both
for a recent statement made in a
campus publication and has
vowed to never issue either a
license.
• Jennifer Williamson and
Zachary Kelt on: Quality educa
tion. greater at:i essibility and the
t real ion of a i ommunity of tol
erance and respect Perennial
insiders from Suite 4, both push
their past ASUO experience,
claiming it will bring tangible
solutions to little problems like
tuition increases and federal cuts
in financial aid Their flier even
claims that Williamson’s per
sonal clout was responsible for
saving this year's federal finan
cial aid Ouch Is it also true that
Kelton parts the Red Sea in his
spare time?
The problem with most of the
executive i anduiates is they tend
to over inflate the power and
importance of student govern
ment. Students really don’t care,
as evidenced by low voter
turnout every year (less than 15
percent).
The bottom line is that the can
didates for ASUO executive have
no power to follow through on
many of the promises they make
and the office itself is relegated
to mere ceremonial status
Remember that if you get around
to voting next week
Joe Harwood is a columnist for
the Emerald.
■ LETTERS POLICY
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters
c ontaining comments on topics of interest to the University
community.
The Emerald reserv es the right to edit any letter for length or
style.