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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1998)
CONTACTING US NEWSROOM: ADDRESS: (541)346-5511 Oregon Daily Emerald E-MAIL: P.O.BOX 3159 ode@oregon. uoregon.edu Eugene, Oregon 97403 ONLINE EDITION: www.uoregon.edu/-ode EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sarah Kickler EDITORIAL EDITOR Mike Schmierbach NIGHT EDITOR Doug Irving The best of times? A new study shows Oregon’s ‘booming’ economy actually hurts most Oregonians u or the last 20 years,” says Kathy Larin, “the American Dream hasn’t been a reality for many hard-working Ameri cans. A new study from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where Larin is a policy analyst, verifies what is obvious to those who have been paying attention — the rich are the only ones benefiting from Oregon’s economic "boom.” The study raises an im portant question that should have been raised long ago: How do we define what constitutes “good” economic times? After all, the vast majority of Oregonians OPINION haven t seen any sort of economic progress. While income for the wealthiest Oregonians has grown by an average of $12,510 in the last 20 years, a gain of 15 percent, every other group’s income has de creased when the numbers are adjusted for inflation. The poorest quintile of the population took the worst hit — average income fell 21 percent for those who are least able to deal with such a drop. “It’s not that they aren’t sharing in the gains,” Larin reminds us. "The incomes of the poorest families are actually falling.” The promise of a fair chance at the good life — the American Dream — eludes them. Added to the injury of poverty and eco nomic inequity is the insult of media mis representation. The Register-Guard assures us that these are “some of the best economic times in the state’s history.” When jobs are mentioned in the Washington Post (or in The Associated Press, or by virtually any “respected” commentator), it is to empha size our sterling “low jobless rate,” not to wonder why so many of those who work those jobs seem dissatisfied. The new num bers explain the dissatisfaction: Living wage jobs are being replaced with low-wage jobs, so people are working as hard or hard er than they ever have — for less payoff. The results of the new study show that this is true in 44 out of 50 states. This is an economic boom? These are some of the best times in state history? Remarkably, sociology instructor Julia Fox says the new study doesn’t reveal some of the most important numbers. Even more insidious than the growing income-level gap, says Fox, is the huge and expanding di vide between social classes. “If we look at concentration of wealth, it’s even more disparate,” Fox said. In a general sense, this is due in large measure to regressive tax rates which favor the upper classes and corporations. As Fox says, “Income tax rates in Oregon are very high for individuals on a comparative basis. ... Individuals are paying more of a share, corporations are paying less.” For example, although individuals are taxed at a 9-percent rate, corporations are taxed at 6.6 percent. In terms of state and lo cal taxes, ordinary citizens end up paying $1 for every 66 cent corporations pay. Even when the state gives back, it gives to those who aren’t exactly in need. The kicker, for instance, has kicked you and me refunds of 14 percent and 6 percent respectively for the last two years, but has dropped a startling 42 percent and 50 percent into the pockets of Hyundai, Nike and their ilk. This is the best we can do? Sister Chris tine Vladimiroff of Second Harvest, the na tion’s largest food-distributing charity, won dered as much in the wake of Congress’ recent welfare cuts. She noted that though "the economy is booming by most standards we use to measure it,” Second Harvest’s de mand is up and can’t meet the growing need in the face of welfare cuts. Vladimiroff hits on something vital to our nation’s economic strategy: We have more important goals than to help people. The economy is doing fine if the economy is defined as big business. It’s the people who are losing out. This applies to Oregon as much or more than any place in the nation. Even more shocking than the state policies that favor corporations are those specifically designed to cater to the high-technology sector. Our state draws these businesses with unprece dented tax incentives and subsidies — in other words, using public funding to serve the needs of private profit. This socializa tion of costs means the burden is borne by the many, with profits reserved for the few. “High-technology industries tend to em ploy only very highly compensated work ers. Policies that encourage high-tech indus tries to move into a state would certainly exacerbate trends toward income inequali ty,” as Larin puts it. An economy is only useful insofar as it satisfies the needs of people. It is time for Oregon to start rethinking the Faustian bar gain it has made with the high-tech industry and reestablish its social contract with its citizens. Jeff Shaw is a columnistfor the Emerald. His work usually appears on alternate Wednes days. His inews do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Extend add-drop In the first few weeks of school fall term, 2,079 students signed a petition saying they needed more time to evaluate their classes before they were forced to add or drop them. That’s way over 10 percent of the student population. That’s a lot of stu dents that care. This Wednesday the Uni versity Senate has the opportunity to rep resent that desire by changing the policy with which students add or drop classes. The Senate needs to seize the day and do something that helps students. This University exists for students, and while it probably can’t bend to every wish of every student, it should go out of its way to help students get a better education. It’s ironic that an institution that wants to teach people to think asks students to pick courses before they have a chance to see if they are going to teach them the things that they need. This is a simple solution to a consistent problem. If the University can do something to help without costing itself too much money or any academic integrity (and it is obvious that they can), they should do so to help students. Students are not asking for the moon; they just want the services they deserve to get the education they need. Having more time to add and drop classes is a big part of that, and faculty need to be sensitive to those needs. It is not a normal thing to get 2,000 students to agree on one issue; the faculty should be excited about students getting involved in their education instead of resisting the changes they propose. All this turns out to be a win-win situa tion. Students get the classes they want, and faculty get the attention they deserve. It’s a mandate from the masses. The Uni versity Senate just needs to follow the beaten path. Benjamin Unger ASUO Vice President Anarchists can be peaceful Most would agree that our community needs words-promoting unity. I was dis appointed to read Eugene Police Chief Leonard Cooke’s words questioning why “self-proclaimed anarchist groups find ours such a welcoming community" (Reg ister-Guard, Jan. 10). These and other com ments Cooke made before the City Club seemed aimed at polarizing the communi ty against these people. Is this “us against them” rhetoric a precursor to the P.R. cam paign EPD and local politicians will use to encourage taxpayers’ funding of the huge public-safety revenue measure this fall? But does the shoe fit? Are these young people really the demons Cooke would have us believe they are? Undaunted, this middle-aged woman made a point of at tending the “Hellfire” anarchist gathering last summer. I saw peaceful, politically ac tive young people who made me feel wel come. It was incident-free. In past years, there have been incidents of law breaking associated with anarchist gatherings. How ever, run-amok football fans in recent years caused thousands of dollars of dam age parading goalposts through campus. Should all students be condemned? Chief Cooke should have credited last summer’s peaceful anarchist gathering — not play on the public’s fears with widely misunder stood labels. Dialogue provoking public enmity is irresponsible at best, dangerous at worst. Chief Cooke has a big job — one I do not envy him. But I hope he and other city leaders will recognize that many of us will not vote for huge increases in pub lic safety budgets that are predicated on scapegoating any faction of our shared community. Carol Berg Eugene
