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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