It
i
MONDAY: Opinion
TUESDAY: Politics
WEDNESDAY: Opinion
THURSDAY: Politics
FRIDAY: Opinion
a voters guide to the 1996 election and life on the campaign trail
Do you identify most
with Democrats,
Republicans or
Independents?
Let us know.
Political parties head into election week
■ LIBERALS: College
Democrats say students
relate more easily to the
Democratic party
By Shana Cohn
Politics Editor
More college students iden
tify with Democrats because
they support human rights, the
environment
and women's
rights, said
Karen Head,
chairwoman
of College
Democrats
on campus.
“The De
mocrats be
lieve in more efficient govern
ment, but we don’t want to cut
government at the expense of
the people," said the 21-year
old senior in political science.
“We’re just the better party.”
With about 40 active mem
bers, the College Democrats
meet weekly to discuss candi
date endorsements and in
volvement with political cam
paigns.
Although many differences
exist within the Democratic
party, Head said the group’s
beliefs are fairly uniform.
“We tend to agree on candi
dates to endorse who will best
represent the Democratic par
ty," she said.
Jon Lucchese of the College
Democrats said he would have
likely followed in his Republi
can father’s footsteps if it
weren’t for his belief in left
wing values.
Democrats, Lucchese said
support the opportunity of all
instead of protecting the status
quo.
“I very much root for the un
derdog,” said Lucchese, a 20
year-old political science ma
jor. “The Republicans see the
government as a majority-rules
body. I see it as a body to pro
tect the minority.”
Because of the diverse stu
dent body, Lucchese said it’s
easier to be liberal than conser
vative at a public university.
Universities should actively
seek those outside the usual
student makeup, said Lucch
ese, a strong supporter of affir
mative action, which the U.S.
government implemented in
1972.
“Before affirmative action,
student bodies at public insti
tutions were largely white and
male,” he said. “Affirmative
action has definitely helped
bring more minorities to cam
pus. Before 1972, there wasn’t
even funding for female
sports.”
Lucchese also said students
relate more with the Democra
tic party because they address
issues important to them, such
as education, civil rights and
poverty.
“Students tend to be pro
gressive and Democrats tend
to be progressive,” he said.
To get involved with the
College Democrats you can
join their next meeting on
Wednesday at 7 p.m. in EMU
Cedar Room E.
They also have a table set up
today in the EMU Breezeway.
OREGON STUDENT POLITCS
About 600 students from the seven Ore
gon State System of Higher Education in
stitutions were surveyed about their politi
cal identities:
You are registered as a...
What is your age?
What is your
gender?
1 It
Male
45.9%
SOURCE: Oregon Student Association
DENNIS BOLT/Emerald
■ CONSERVATIVES: College
Republicans say students
are thankful to have an
open political forum here
By Shana Cohn
Politics Editor
Some Republican students
were grateful and downright
relieved to see their candidates
represented in the EMU this
week, at what they believe is a
predominately liberal campus.
“People think this a com
plete liberal homogeneous
zone,” said Joel Thompson,
chairman of the College Re
publicans and a senior major
ing in political science. “It’s
comforting to some people that
we’re here.”
As the Nov. 5 election ap
proaches, Republican students
are loading up on red and blue
Dole/Kemp stickers from an
EMU table and commenting
on their minority status on
campus.
“They come up and say,
‘Thank God you’re here,’” said
Thompson, who sat at the Col
lege Republican sponsored
table. “People know it’s a liber
al university and they don’t
feel comfortable having open
political discourse on cam
pus.”
The College Republicans
meet weekly to provide a place
for students to discuss the can
didates and the issues. Within
the group of about 20 active
members, differences are
prevalent and accepted.
“We don’t like to be real pro
life or pro-choice because we
have both in our group,”
Thompson said. “We don’t de
sire to be a homogeneous
group among ourselves.”
Regardless of differences,
Thompson said the gatherings
provide a place for students to
express their views without
coming under attack from
campus liberals.
“It’s easy to be a Democrat on
campus, but it takes guts to be a
Republican,” he said. Although
many students come to campus
with strong political beliefs,
Thompson said others join the
College De
mocrats to be
part of the
majority.
“It’s
tempting to
come on a
politically
active cam
pus and go
with the way the wind s blow
ing,” he said.
A main difference between
the parties, he said, is the Re
publicans associate themselves
with values the country was
founded on, such as free enter
prise and less government con
trol. Democrats focus on the
role of government to provide
and promote general welfare,
he said.
But despite conflicting
views, College Republican Pe
ter Enslow said importance lies
in young people educating
themselves about the issues.
“Political action is so impor
tant,” he said. “If you’re not
knowledgeable about what’s
going on in politics, it’s like
saying ‘I’m not an American.’
There’s so many ways to be ac
tive that there’s no excuse not
to be.”
To get involved with the Col
lege Republicans call Joel
Thompson at 346-9391. Or visit
their table, which is located on
the main level of the EMU and
open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Fri
day.
P-0- BOX 3159. EUGENE. OREGON 97403
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Fri
day during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the
summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the
University ot Oregon, Eugene, Oregon A member of the Associated
Press, the Emerald operates independently of the University with of
fices at Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private
property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by
law
Editor-In-Chief: Steven Asbury
Managing Editor: Jennifer Carter Night Editor: Steve Asbury
Community: Jennifer Schmitt, editor Jean Bond. Christian Hill
Entertainment: Nicole Kreuger. editor Jesse Stephenson
Higher Education: Tamyra Howser, in-depth. Laura Cadiz,
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Opinion: Ashley BuOh, editor Chris Hutchinson, illustrator. Brian
Diamond, Larry Haftl, Sonia Sherwood
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Copy Desk: Thom Schoenborn. copy chief Trevor Kearney,
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A look at some of the 23 ballot
measures in the November 5 election
THE MEASURE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
Would require that public employees' earnings
be expressed as costs borne by the employer for
the employee’s benefits. Those costs include
base pay/salary, benefit package, vacation,
clothing allowance, rest and meal breaks, holi
day pay, personal leave, Social Security and
Medicare taxes, retirement, federal unemploy
ment taxes, family and sick leave, bonuses, mer
it pay, overtime, child care, compensation time,
employer tax, continuing education and state
unemployment taxes. Measure makes complete
information regarding employer costs available
to the public.
ARGUMENTS FOR
Measure makes public all the
tax money spent on public
employee salary and bene
fits. Although this informa
tion is already public record,
neither legislators nor the
public has ever been able to
get the exact numbers. The
public is entitled to know
what is spent on its govern
ment , and the measure ex
plicitly outlines the costs.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Would clutter the Oregon Constitu
tion by adding unnecessary and
confusing accounting require
ments. Would require that salaries
and benefits — including uniforms
and unused disability — be twisted
in an odd dollars/hours worked
amount that could not be used to
make comparisons.
THE MEASURE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
Would require annual testing at the beginning
of the school year of all public school students
in grades 4-12. Individual results would be re
ported to the student and his/her parents and
total results from each school would be report
ed to the Department of Education.
ARGUMENTS FOR
The annual testing would test
the total system of education
as well as individual students.
Parents and students would
know better how they are pro
gressing and how their edu
cation compares to that of
others in the state. The cur
rent system of testing every
other year can allow students
to “fall through the cracks.”
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
A testing system already exists that
is a valuable, accurate tool for eval
uating student progress. Testing at
the end of the year, the current
practice, rather than at the begin
ning, is a better way to assess stu
dents progress. This requirement
is better handled by statute than by
constitutional amendment in order
to make necessary adjustments as
the educational system changes.
SOURCE:The Oregon Voters' Pamphlet