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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS editorials. opinions, utters to the editor Government employees working again, for now ■ OUR OPINION: federal workers go back to tftee jobs, but a long-term budget »s still needed Even though moil younger people will proba bly never see or benefit from the kind o! supplementary Income paid to retired citi jtens through So« ial Security taxation. Congress will tm making « major mistake if it dec ides to move too quickly to dismantle (or drastically cut hack) the kinds of pro grams Americans have law unto so incredibly, and in some case* unfortunately, dependent on in (he short run. the recently resolved govern ment shutdown will put fur loughed government workers track to work *— but with an added twist They will actually get Okinawa, though under* standably upset over years of abuse and disrespect at the hands of American ser s it o member*, dot** not to ho a throat to national or international security, so it might l* wise to taka advantage of this window of opportunity and bring some of our people l»t k to the states Not only would this plan reduce the incredible cost* of living related to the hous ing and feeding of a military stationed overseas, hut it would allow more active duty service members to perform where they are needed more Bosnia is one such hot spot that tomes to mind This ’ moving of the troops" would also lesson the burden (financially and otherwise) increasingly being felt by America's Reserve and Guard forces. paid. However, if Congress « hoove* to focus only on ihe immediate need of making sum iho paycheck is doliv* «md It) the thousands of fed eral workers who depend on that income, then the alter nate choice may be one that hurt oven mom Americans later on when other needed nram* are severely w aled or cut altogether. We hope that Congress makes a hid for the future and looks into cutting pro grams that could stand a tit tle trimming Defense, though an entity that has experienced mas sive cutbacks for the past several years, could still remain strong and healthy with ionher reductions. Thanks to the recent U.S, Marine-induced troubles on the Japanese island of Oki nawa. some military experts and critics am saying that it may indeed be time to bring some of those thousands of military members home Another idea tomes from a former high-ranking Air Porte official: Turn NASA's space shuttle program over to the military’ — the Air Fort e to bo exact It's no secret that Air Force pilots routinely com mand and fiy the shuttle and that often, the shuttle's {rayload is nothing loss than yet another spy satellite — or some other piece of top secret "military' hardware,” This official's idea pre sents an interesting argu ment (Jet NASA out of the costly military business so that it can focus on space exploration Whatever Congress ends up cutting, they, like Presi dent Clinton, will be facer! with never ending criticism When it tomes to making decisions that will keep this country and its government running, politicians will always be damned if they do. and damned if they don't. Emerald #0 KOI MM tuM'Mt WMWDW **■ flaw* tm> t-tmm «in—mm Wt m*»m« «*•»•»►**»«, «•**»•* hmmuw IV idK >..«« «. »w* w *. .>•)!» ;■»! t *»•>» U fc • Mt WWW**** M >«* i«#im Map» « MM * — marao* »w» — twuM *w— rUMMani rf f» jmmnm m» IR*M*M MMmM Ml SMMR M Ha InauM IMMI Mar?* MM**I <WMMA <MMIM Sn MP*n ’ <• ln« a |t ■.*• f. -.«*"* •<« ma, ■ wwa » «• tf (•><»iwm. aw* *» *» IIWaCNI OMtlM ■»>»i»lMar Cawaaaas on*. NM NsriwJWwi HMM t4MMv f t4MK'>niw •mmhMa Mama i«m» a*».» JkiMt t>* M*M> MM* Om|*M( l*Mt '<«M>*M<aN all «*•<*>• Maatrnat MMa* I*** flt *■ tb w^Mr *. > -a «««* tte -O®# wlitui MNK1' w«t *4 < taunt l**l Mi MmkMW MM SMwat Can Ana M • «/■ n«ai>*i ;v*» i*a Mh Awa M» Omani *"** to* V *• ■innnii *ni»» mw Miaa Ata «* ."mo* K» Awa mm Maw Cam* MiMa «* %» MR MM •w» mm. S*tM *»*.'«« tuv aaww» ■ «* iMiawm". i«i»m *•**<*•* «. '«* •. s* -4****. .-VM** ®'*M uaitIWliXMMiaM. OalMa Mm **■* «»fc»m.C*rV tn—a WMa iiwwiw* MMf C*M* MUM M*» iamMi CMMM t*i MM <WM •RAM* m MlawCi' M iMM -MU JMr* DMaUwMi Will) (MaMMaiw, Mtmi M*»H M»MU me A/ON EiSCNf/AL C^PloV€6S &<>r scwr aoMf a seccwo me BvT n4€V PAID foR TVeiR nr«£. of* it's u*c£ £xtra vacation Ar expense m l '** m iffyi [ that's Got n> Be Bad foR morau? r KNOW r mgaa/t mv morale I y*r <*»*»*> i TkkT *&*•«»*, I N0w(ufvr>Ai f*AovttS . . \«>rw Mttf QQW r (0«C 6vn Not fair The editorial "Smith u«n tan refund to buy voter*' support" [ODK. Nov. 30) wai one of the most ridiculous thing* I have ever rend Why should the state government he abb to keep tax payer*' money' The state make* a predict ion a* to how much in taxes it will collect, then construed* a bud get accordingly II there is a sur plus led over, then the money should be relumed to it* right ful owner you and me The argument that "Annie studentV refund check it >Her than hit mourn'*" check i* also absurd Annie student pay* significant ly less m taxes than Ms Glam our*. so why should slut not get less back? If the argument is reversed, and everyone should be returned the same amount, then should not everyone pay the seine* "Tin* would not be fair,” you Mid Let'* look at it in another perspective A< < orduvg to your logit, if you rantvD an *A" in a class and l receive a “C* in the win (.lets. I should get some of your "A " It's only fair While I do agree that some thing needs to be done about education, there are trotter ways in which this can l>« accom plished lhan by raising taxes To suggest that this excess tax payer money should be put to u«» to “lower the tost of higher education," while our basic education programs are in need seems somewhat selfish l do not usually wrrle letters, hut something about this edito rial made me stop and wonder lust how the author would feel about this issue when he i« out there in Ihe real world I bet his feelings will have changed, especially if he finds himself In the Mme position.as Ms Clam aura In short, I am just fed up hearing people whine and com plain about not being able to get anything for free anymore J Lindsay Political Sc*WX» & Finance Comrade Kevin I found the quotw made by Kevin I lorn buckle [ODE. Nov 28) rather interesting *1 am a member of the Communiil party Ihxjiuh . it stand* for economic justice " l am curious if comrade Kevin ic aware of the outcome of 70 years of “'economic jus tice" in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics families living in apartments of MX) square feet, bread lines, meat line*, milk lines, military takeovers of other countries, a large industrial complex that pollutes far more than this country, a police (one that mal treats people worse than the Los Angeles Police Department ever could, medical technology 20 years older than ours, crop* that rot in the fields, a military conscription, a dozen inmates per prison cell, and all through out this, a black market that nourishes and politicians who are sinister with power and wealth U this the *wt ottomn (unit e" <Dmmde Kevin refers to' If it U, then I prefer this nation's fonn of economic justice I earn a lot; work hard, and earn at much economic justice as you want Kimberley Witchey Eugene ROTC courtesy This fall I enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University tn so doing. I inadvertently added myself to some people's hate list. My fallow cadet* called this to ray attention by warning me to be cautious when wearing my uniform Almost overyone related a story about an unfriendly encounter with hip pte types who gave them trou ble One cadet was spit upon as he walked down the street the first day he donned the uni form It never occurred to him that a stranger would commit such a disgusting act merely because of the ( lothe* he wore Even worse, this is not an iso lated occurronte; it happens often Spitting i* the assault method of choice for cadet-haters. This is usually preceded by verhal insult Many foul words come front the mouths of these bel ligerents, hut "baby killer” seems to be a favorite. Accost ing cadets with such an unfounded slur shows the fool hardiness of those who direct this unpist animosity toward us. We are college students for God sakos! None of us has killed or attempted to kill any one. let alone a haby. Hippies have always been enthusiastic in their opposition to stereotyping people by their appearance Why. then, do they assault ROTC students for wearing a required uniform' Evidently, some hippies are hypocrites. They only know that cadets are associated with the military and must therefore he evil. I do not aspect everyone to like me or the choices i make The problem comes when I am treated with disrespect by igno rant people who still — even in this day of increased education — allow stereotypes to govern their actions These people think it is then responsibility to coerce others to five and art as they do. So far. the worst I’ve experienced has been ugly stares as I walk down the street But I worry that one day. I too. will meet someone who feels the need to "correct- others The next time you see a per son dressed in an Army uni form. don't show yourself to be a fool by shouting erroneo ** insults at him or her Instead, extend to him or her the same courtesy you would for any civilian-clothed stranger Do not assume that those who wear uniforms on the outside must all be the same on the inside Remember: The military is a* diverse as the society on which it draws to fill its ranks Jon Ladra Joumaiam LETTERS
