EDITORIAL
Issue tax credits,
not refund checks
In a move certain to provoke debate in Salem and
throughout the state, the Oregon Senate voted
Wednesday to refund excess tax dollars to Oregon tax
pavers later this year. But while some taxpayers may
be a bit richer by December, everyone is going to lose
in the end
State law currently requires refunds if tax revenue
exceeds expectations by 2 percent or more The state s
current $313 million surplus exceeds the legal limit
requiring refunds.
However, there are a number of ways that the
Legislature can accomplish this goal. They can issue
refund checks to Oregonians, at the cost of just under
St million, or they can refund the money through tax
credits in future years.
While the money mqst eventually be given back
under state law, the method that the state takes could
determine the ecoitJTfifle future of a number of pro
grams and services, im hiding crucial a reus such as
education.
It would bo a tragedy for the state to give up the
$311 million now whan at hooia sod prisons are more
c rowded than In years past. It would bo wrong to
return the money Immediately when some continue to
wonder if the state can really.afford to give state
employees .* raise. And it would be criminal to refund
money to taxpayers under the guise that it isn't desper
ately needed by tile state* it is
To his credit. Gov. John Kitzhabor believes that the
refund should be returned to taxpayers through refund
checks the normal method of returning excess rev
enue Through a spokesman, he vowed to veto the hill
if if reaches his desk
Senate supporters of issuing refund checks state that
sending the money to taxpayers helps to make govern
ment more accountable to the people. Returning the
money, they claim, is a tangible way of demonstrating
that government doesn't and shouldn't spend
more money than it needs.
However, the reality is that programs need the
money now. While the "excess" revenue is designated
as such because it exceeded slate revenue forecasts, it
doesn't mean that it exceeds the needs of the state, its
programs and services Does it make more* sense to
send checks to taxpayers or to add money back to state
services, many of which have been cut to the bone in
the past several years?
Some would twist tho effort to keep the money as a
political decision as a way to make those who care
about state programs look like habitual tax-and-spond
politicians. However, that would be inaccurate at best
Those who work to ensure that state programs are
funded to the bast ability of the state should be com
mended instead of condemned.
The Senate should look again at the cuts to state ser
vices before deciding to send checks to state taxpayers
in December. Oregon can't afford to be Santa Claus to
its residents.
Oregon Daily
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Ok un Review
^ SECURITY procedures
One AAOflt T>m€
■ LETTERS
Unfortunate
The rt* ent uw of ti-.ir ga« by
Iht! Eugene Polio* to break up a
campus party was an unfortu
nate incident. However, it pro
vides us with an opportunity to
address problems for the future
before they arise
The incident highlights the
!iu|><irtani of a dose working
relationship between the
Eugene Police and the students
of the University The Campus
Community Relations Task
Force was set up to facilitate
this process ntid vs e plan to
work to expand the lines of
communication between the
students and the community
We empathize with the stu
dent renters of the house who
had uninvited guests However,
vs e need to stress that the
ad ions of those people present
do not represent the 17,000 stu
dents of the University We are
thankful that no one was
injured in such a dangerous sit
uation and we encourage the
citizens of Eugene to look at
this as merely a one-time inci
dent that will not lie rejieated
On Mas 2fi. the Assoi iated
Students of the University of
Oregon, the Dean of Students
Office. Panhellemc Council,
Carey Drayton from the Office
of Public Safety, the
University's Environmental
Health and Safety Department
and the City of Eugene all
worked together to clean up the
i hemical residue left at the stu
dents' house where the party
started This cleaning was nec
essary to allow the students to
prepare for finals and to return
to their home.
Only through community
unity can we begin to move for
ward and look toward solutions
for the common problems that
iiit e all residents of Eugene. We
hope this incident will spur
better relations between the
i ampus and the City of Eugene
and help us look at ways of
solving our community prob
lems together.
Jennifer Williamson
ASUO President
and three co-signers
Dwindling
Some parting thoughts
I used to read the Emerald
for two reasons: It was free and
it refler ted the corncrus and
sensibilities of tin* University
community in general and stu
dents m particular.
Well, it's still Irtst
It seems, of late, that every
time I pi< k up the Emerald, I
think I'm reading the paper of
some religious Midwestern col
leg**. not tin* paper of a progres
sive university
I've heard students talk about
the environment, teachers,
music, drugs, sex, relation
ships. rental ripoffs. tests and
lin k of money {not necessarily
in that order), but I have never
heard a student say. "Get the
government off my ba< k." — or
anything like it
I don't know who's in charge
at tin* Emerald, but it appears
some of its editors and writers
take themselves and Kush
Limbatigh too seriously. They
are out of touch with their
readership — most of whom
depend on government largess
for their funding, paychecks,
grants or loans.
And a readership, according
to students I've spoken with,
that's dwindling
Leslie Weinstein
Journalism
Change mind
1 have to admit. I rarely read
anything beyond “Calvin and
Hobbes" in the Emerald
However, rny roommates,
knowing 1 strongly advocate
hemp agriculture and produc
tion. strongly encouraged me to
read Brian Womack's “opin
ion' (ODE. May •»}. 1 had
already seen the headline, but
because his past articles have
always seemed misinformed, 1
passed it up. Unfortunately, I
was under new obligation to
read Brian's show of ignorance
It s unfortunate because this
brought on another nagging
responsibility to respond to
such an opinion I'd rather just
ignore it.
With all due respect for
Brian. I've seen him around
campus and have spoken with
him. To ail you stirred Stoners,
he s not a bad guy. He does,
however, misunderstand the
difference between hemp and
Brian’s confusion exemplifies
why 1 have chosen not to sup
port the Hemp Coalition. Actu
ally 1 feel tin* coalition props
gates such confusion. The local
Hemp Coalition has put forth a
petition for initiative that would
legalize marijuana for persi.u.ii
use and medic inal use (already
legal in some cases) under the
"hemp" banner. They are com
bining marijuana with hemp on
the same ballot' This is a had
idea tiecause hemp and marijua
na are separate issues The mar
ijuana issue alone is a bagful
that only complicates a very
simple "hemp" issue- This is not
to say that marijuana doesn't
have its own merits and/or
detriments, hut it's a completely
separate issue and should
remain so. I suppose one could
smoke hemp but I'd say they
were already high if they think
it's going to get them higher
Hemp is one of the most
important fiber producers on
the planet today that could
realistically replace nearly all
our paper needs (not to men
tion numerous other uses such
as clothes and food). Hemp's
rapid growth rate and overall
utility could and would signifi
cantly reduce the amount of
trees ineffic iently used It dis
turbs me to see our trees
bleached and filled with coffee,
or handed out for free in dis
pensers to dry our hands, or
wiping our mouth at the din
ner table. There are many of
reusable resources that could
replace this consumption (i.e
curbside recyclable plustic
mugs, reusable washable tow
els, air dryers, bidets, and the
list goes on and on where sub
sistence can easily replace con
sumerism) So there you have
it.
Another opinion Generally, I
find it a burden to share my
opinions because 1 allow them
to change so often I end up dis
agreeing with myself down the
road My values, however,
c hange very little, So when it
comes down to protecting our
giver of live, the Garth, 1
become so inclined to voice
myself. So to those who vio
lently oppose- Women k. and 1
know you're out there, chill out
and allow him to perhaps
change his mind.
Bryan Altus Avery
International
Studies Spanish