Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Editorial Editors: Bret Jacobson, Laura Lucas
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Monday
April 3,2000
Volume 101, Issue 122
Effierald
rx ^
Now that the ASUO elec
tions have at long last
been finalized, it is time to
reflect upon the many or
deals and grievances put upon the
student body and ferret out the im
portant lessons that we can take
away from the often frustrating situ
ation. Above all else, this year has
proven, once again, that having the
largest campaign war chest doesn’t
necessarily equate with victory. And
that’s a great sign for student govern
ment.
Jay Breslow and Holly Magner
were announced victors in the
ASUO Executive race Thursday,
winning by a sizable margin, despite
being outspent by front runners C.J.
Gabbe and Peter Larson. Gabbe and
Larson shelled out about $1,500
compared with Breslow and Magn
er’s $530.
This is not the first year the heavi
est spenders have failed to attain the
executive office. Last year, Wylie
Chen and Mitra Anoushiravani were
outspent by about $550 dollars on
their way to a victory in the primary
election for ASUO Executive.
Those results are ample evidence
that money doesn’t equate with vic
tory in ASUO elections, meaning
that candidates’ messages are
weighed seriously by student voters.
Whatever the reasons, it is the best
assumption to say that students are
actually listening to the ideas of the
candidates and vote their con
sciences that way. And when stu
dents prove they are informed and
listen to ideas rather than being
swayed by who can create the most
noise, whatever mandate they issue
at the voting booth must be respect
ed.
While it may be a valid argument
in national campaigns to say that the
candidates who raise the most mon
ey from individuals prove they have
the will of the people behind them,
such an argument appears faulty
within the University’s political are
na. Rarely do students give money to
their favorite executive hopefuls,
which makes it difficult to deduce
Letters to the editor
Frohnmayer leaves Workers’
Rights Consortium hanging
In spite of all the glowing rhetoric
about “working together,” “shared
governance” and “community voic
es,” University President Dave Frohn
mayer (ODE, March 29) fails to con
vince me he is willing to make the
tough, moral choice — by stipulating
that the Workers’ Rights Consortium
monitor those factories that produce
University apparel.
Ironically, while Frohnmayer in
sists that the entire University com
munity be involved in coming to a
consensus on this issue, he would
deny those communities where the
garments are made a similar consen
sus. Since the WRC — composed of
women, worker and human rights
which candidate is the popular
choice prior to the election. This
makes our informed electorate very
important as they can ignore popu
larity factors in favor of the candi
dates’ intelligent visions of the fu
ture.
The process of actually studying
the positions, talents and passions of
executive candidates helps the dem
ocratic exchange of ideas on campus
by making sure that the viewpoints
groups and non-governmental organi
zations — better represents their com
munities than the industry-backed
Fair Trade Association, isn’t it consis
tent that he choose the WRC to moni
tor these factories?
For an issue so straightforward, so
crucial to the integrity of the Univer
sity, so morally compelling, why has
n’t Frohnmayer already agreed the
WRC is best suited to insure worker
rights are respected? Could it be that
his agenda is being dictated by the
likes of Nike co-founder Phil Knight
and other corporate sponsors of the
University, who are making it clear
that if Frohnmayer chooses the WRC,
it will adversely affect their largesse?
And does Frohnmayer think that by
delaying his decision until the end of
the academic year, he won’t have to
account to the students and faculty
who have left campus for the sum
of the average student are represent
ed by their elected officials. Instead
of having to assume that as happens
too often in American politics the
richest candidates win, it is hearten
ing to know that there is a great deal
of viability for any serious student
candidate should they be motivated
to run for office.
For those who remain skeptical
about the entire political process,
there is encouragement to be found
mer? If so, he makes a mockery of the
very community consensus he claims
to champion.
Peter Ferris
Eugene Resident
Sizemore missed invite to debate
I never showed up because I was
never invited.
Your March 3 story about the de
bate regarding Harry Lonsdale’s initia
tive to reform campaign financing
stated that I was a “no show.” The sto
ry implied that I made a commitment
to show up for a debate and then
flaked out.
Truth is, I was never invited. Harry
Lonsdale, the author of the measure,
thought the students putting on the
debate were going to invite me. The
on our campus.
If this trend of the weightiest cam
paign coffers failing in elections to
less funded, better political minds,
there is ample reason to believe that
University students will continue to
be represented well by their student
government.
This editorial represents the view of the
Emerald editorial board. Responses may be
sent to ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
students apparently thought Harry
was going to invite me. Neither did.
Otherwise, I would have been there.
Had I been present at the debate I
would have criticized the measure for
its gross unfairness. Fact is, there are
two major spenders in Oregon poli
tics: corporations and labor unions.
Harry’s measure completely stops cor
porations from contributing money to
political campaigns but allows labor
unions to spend without limitation.
The result would be a one-sided, left
wing debate with voters only hearing
one side of the story.
Campaign finance reform must be
fair for everyone, not just the political
left.
Bill Sizemore
Head of Oregon Taxpayers United
_iHi wmm
Thumbs
To the bright White
Paper.
Last Wednesday,
the University Sen
ate Budget Com
mittee offered its
final draft of a plan
to hike faculty
compensation at
the University,
which has been
about 18 percent
below the average
of similar universi
ties. The plan was
passed unani
mously in three
separate votes by
the University Sen
ate.
To the return of a
campus favorite.
The Collier House
reopened last
Tuesday, offering
three new eateries
to be run by Uni
versity Housing.
The restaurant had
been closed for
nine months after
the Faculty Club,
the previous man
agers, couldn't op
erate it any longer.
To a questionable
cal!.
The US. Supreme
Court ruled in a
way that will en*
able local govern
ments to regulate
nude dancing. The
Court did so by
claiming it was an
effort to combat
crime related to
adult entertain
ment.
To stiff penalties
for a bad doctor.
Oregon doctor
Steven Gabriel
Moos, 30, has been
put on probation
for 10 years by the
Board of Medical
Examiners for pre
scribing the impo
tence pi II Viagra
and other medica
tions over the In
ternet. The prob
lem, the Oregon
board said, is that
patients weren’t
being examined
properly before
being prescribed
the medications.