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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS fPHORIAlS OPINIONS UITIHS 10 IHf I 0110R Government and greed: Why we ran out of gas ■ OUR OPINION: The g,r tax is both a political and an economic issue Though it might be diffi* cult to believe. ihe original intention of the gas tax was not In punish consumers or sweep them into a political baltlo between conservative* and liberals Unfortunately, the gas tax has had both of these negative effects The history of the gas tax is just about as attractive as the political debate that now surrounds it. All of this chaos started in 1993 with the |Missing of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which President Clinton managed to pass without a single Republican vote. The goals of this bill wore to reduce the deficit and provide additional funding for minimum wage ini mac es and education through the attachment of a 4 3 cent gas tax on specific types of transportation Six years later, the defic it is still growing, minimum wage has not been increased and education is suffering more than ever. Since 1993. we have watched our government throw more tantrums, stage more childish stand offs and propose more an ban legis lation than any other previ ous administration. Some examples are the govern ment shutdown, attempts to rt>|>eal social security and, well. Newt Gingrich. But it is incorrect to assume that every lime you puli up to the pump you are paying for another failed attempt at reducing the deficit. The extraordinarily high tax is a result of those wonderfully capitalist it and greedy organizations known as oil companies as well Yes, the gas tax controver Since 1993, we base wait hed our gowmment ihnrw more tantrums. stage more childish stand ttjfts and pnspose more archaic legislation than any other precious admmt stratum ---ff •y in related to the pursuit of pm ft Is ** well u govern* men! legislation Last January Iraq wu negotiating with the United Nation* The dual involved an oil-furfood transaction Oil refiner* observed this negotiation and became very (Tightened that this transac tion might result in their not making as much money became a flood of Iraqi oil would make their Invento ries lea* valuable However, these negotiations disinte grated and now we suppos edly have an oil deficiency But that is not the final factor involved In this com plins issue concerning a sun- j pie tax Both liberals and c onservativm am using the controversy around the gas tax to slab their political opponents in the back Both Dob ami Clinton are trying to look like they are defending the consumer Dole is the driving font lathi ltd the repealing of the four cent tax. while Clinton is taking credit for releasing oil from the nation's petrole- j um reserves However, the Omnibus Appropriation* Bill itself mandates the sale so the Department of Energy can study the cause of price increases. That cause could very well tie right under their nos**: self-centered politicians snd insensitive corporations (MtlWMO (Mil M»tm MHWUU 1 TU£R£ is NO secStar Plot ! < . GASOtiAJE PplCfS. \ IT /S S<mP£.V A s»*W/£w of DE**ND €\cee&NG SwPPtV AKJO I AK Pftofbs^ £U*WAWG n<£ H 34 CLitJTbrt GAS TA^tC. I awD TUAT WIU. QEjDyce 0EM4A/0? ■ \-----—' r vcs oc t/oreifc FoR CLiwTbM > we MoPr. Landscape needs to reflect diversity hank you far your quick coverage (OOfc April 30} of th* iwmi "Power and I Pin*," workshop who** participant* JL created *av*ntl art installation*. or Inter vwliuiw. around campus lata laai month I was interviewed by phot** for (ha Kummld article and I apologise if my i«nmurat» muled •b* reporter Soma critical addition* and urn Mom need to be mad* about thi* important weekend Thi* uma not an *v*nt (ixuiml solely on land •cap* anhitm t* Tb* organising commuter included prof****** from four departments in th* Allied and Applied Art* detoarttnent Work *hop participant* included students from throughout AAA, ataff from Dragon Hall and mwitban of the community at tog* Th* thorn*. 'Prow and Plat* ' relates direct lv to a tagiitw at th* bottom of all University nnnimanti "An equal opportunity, affirms! iv» action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliant* with the Ammruan* with DUabili lie* Act." Throughout th* workshop, w* explored whether or not th* University* physical or "built" environment express** that laglm* and wbethet Of not people of minority group feel welcomed and enabled by th* design of thi* campus Universal Design is a tool or a way of thinking which help* m hi*v* th* expression of equal opportunity in th* environment ft originated from the development of barrier>(nw design fix th* use of people with impaired mobility In time, many of us who use wheelchair* realised that "disabled acre**" when meant entering bv th* back door, or being shunted atida. resulting in social isolaiion and second-class acxonunoda Uon As in the Civil Right* movement, w« saw that "separata but equal" only meant separate, but not equal Universal Design means universal access. COMMFNTARY •octal integration and use by nil. By its inclusive nature, issues of age. gender, ethnicity and ail sorts of disabilities can be addressed This was the spirit of the "Power and PI Ate* weekend. An important lesson was shared by speakers who have visual impairments. If we design for ail the human senses, not just for sight, we auto mata aily expand the integration and participa <i‘*n of many persons previously excluded by the built environment. Each of the seven art installations included multisensory elements as well as wheelchair access. Universal Design is l«*»»t achieved by includ mg minority populations in the design process If we design "with” people rather than "for" them, we distribute the power of making dec! •ions and our result is more inclusive. This is raw reason why the workshop itself purposeful iy recruited participants outside of the design Cnfetstuns. as well as people of minority pupu BOOS. The art installation, which wrapped the Pio neer f- at her, and made connection to the Pioneer Mother, addressed issue* of gender as they are expressed in the landscape of the University What do these campus toons have to say about power on campus in past and present tunes* Finally, a common misconception is that Uni vwrsal Design will toad to a bland, homogeneous landscape In fact, the opposite is true Tim wonderful variety of art installation* built over that weekend demonstrated that int lusiveness produces a richness and depth of experience in the built environment A welcome is truly extended to all, not just in the words of a tagline, but in the landscape Dume/ G Hunter it a graduate student in the landscape architecture department IfTTfRS Emerald a no-show On May 22. (ktrdon Smith visited the University, but you would not have known that if you toad the Emerald. Smith wanted to meet stu dent* and answer questions that they might have of him and hi* candidacy for ih* U S Sen ate He did meet student* and wa* quite clear in answering their quest ton* at a rally for him in the EMU Courtyard Why didn't the Emerald find his visitation to bo important enough to cover? Every TV news station and news radio station in Eugene (as welt as The Register Guanf). found his visit not only significant but informative and worthy of cov erage. Last fait Smith was accused of avoiding the University and now after ne walked right into the heart of our school, the Emerald didn't seem to care. Why Is that? I think it is unfair for the rwadw* of the EnwraM not lo be at least informed of a political candidate'* presence at our school. Smith was and is trying to reach students at the Universe ty. and he will be hack to answer more of our questions Hopefully, next time our school newspaper will find Smith's visit important enough to cover and report on to the students of this campus Ryan Pape Pre-Busmaas Admmatmtton
