Editor in chief: Jack Clifford
Associate Editors: Rebecca Newell, Jeff Smith
Newsroom: (541)346-5511
Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu
Thursday
August 3,2000
Volume 102, Issue 13
Emerald
Residents and businesses sur
rounding Autzen Stadium are right
fully concerned over proposed ex
pansion plans, especially in light of
the fact that the University is seeking
to increase seating capacity at the
venue without offering more on-site
parking spaces for those extra 12,100
fans.
But administration officials and
city planners have worked diligently
to ease those worries and we ap
plaud their efforts — with a few
caveats.
The University’s goal is to lighten
the parking space requirement via an
amendment to Eugene’s Land Use
Code — Section 9.586 for the
purists, which requires one parking
space for every 4.4 seats in the stadi
um. Even with a current 50 percent
reduction allowance in place, the
University would have to find a way
to provide 1,375 extra spots on-site,
and with expansion costs already es
timated at $80 million, the less mon
ey spent, the better.
However, as anyone who lives or
owns a business within a mile radius
of Autzen knows, congestion is al
ready a nightmare in the area on game
days. Mobile quacker-backers spill
over from the stadium site and park
in just about any empty space they
can find, creating headaches for prop
erty owners and residents in the area.
To tackle the issue without throw
ing extra cash into a parking struc
ture or some other unsightly alterna
tive, University architects and a
private traffic consultant firm in
Portland have designed a Trans
portation Demand Management
Plan. The strategy received its first
official OK Monday when the Eu
gene Planning Commission voted
Points to ponder prior to
praising parking plan
unanimously to accept it as sound
and ready for consideration by the
City Council.
The 74-page document is geared
toward highlighting several travel al
ternatives for fans making their way
to Autzen, including a focus on mak
ing pedestrian access safer along
Centennial Boulevard, creating more
convenient bicycle access for those
inclined to arrive on two wheels in
stead of four and encouraging more
people to use public transit. In fact,
the plan aims to increase that usage
from approximately 6,000 spectator
bus trips per game to 11,200 specta
tor trips.
All is good with the plan to this
point.
The problems — those pesky
caveats referred to earlier — arise in
exactly how to accommodate the in
creased transit patrons. In its TDM
Plan, the University has done what
seems like an adequate job of provid
ing for the extra service. There are
proposals to expand by anywhere
from 34 to 39 the number of buses in
operation to shuttle fans from off-site
park-and-ride facilities.
The University would also devel
op an effective signage plan on major
approach routes to Autzen, so that
out-of-town fans could be directed to
those lots. There was also discussion
at Monday’s commission meeting
suggesting that those bus rides be
made free to fans.
However, once in the Autzen area,
the plans take a controversial turn.
Three options focused on bus stag
ing areas — places where the buses
would discharge fans before the
games and pick them up post-game
— are offered in the TDM Plan. Two
of the choices are on University prop
erty, either along Leo Harris Parkway
or in a lot just northwest of Autzen.
The third alternative — and the
one that both University officials
and city planners prefer — would be
situated on city property currently
leased by the Willamette Science
and Technology Center.
Two potential wrongs are attached
to this third plan and we all know
about the “two wrongs” cliche.
Firstly, WISTEC has for the past
several years been generating rev
enue by selling season parking
spaces to football fans; under this
option that money may evaporate
and WISTEC will suffer.
Secondly, the bus staging area as
designed could affect East Alton
Baker Park, a habitat for native vege
tation and wildlife. The park is situ
ated close enough to the bus area
such that diesel fumes from idling
buses and general noise pollution
might impact the environment and
disturb park-goers. (Yes, people do
engage in other activities not related
to football on game days.)
University and WISTEC officials
both say that they would like to ne
gotiate a fair deal in regards to the
parking lot issue. City Manager Jim
Johnson has met with both the Uni
versity and WISTEC to help hammer
out a deal, although the two princi
pal parties have yet to sit down and
discuss matters.
We have not seen nor heard any
information to the contrary, so we
expect the University to be fair and
just in its meetings with WISTEC.
The Autzen Stadium expansion
plans already suffered one major
public relations disaster when Nike
CEO and President Phil Knight with
drew his financial pledge to the proj
ect; we don’t need another negative
situation to occur.
We also strongly recommend that
the University reach out more to
members of the East Alton Baker
Park Citizen Planning Committee,
the organization in charge of park
maintenance. At Monday’s meeting,
at least one committee representa
tive said he thought school officials
could do more in fully understand
ing the issues surrounding Alton
Baker Park.
In general, there is not much op
position to the city granting the Uni
versity’s request for a parking code
amendment, which goes before a
public hearing on Sept. 25. And as
far as bulky, official documents go,
the TDM Plan is easy to follow and
heads in a direction that the commu
nity-at-large should embrace; less
dependence on automobiles in get
ting fans from Point A, home, to
Point B, Autzen.Stadium, to cheer
on the Ducks.
Along the way, however, Universi
ty officials should make certain to
stop,Jook and listen to all those in
volved in the party planning.
this editorial represents the view of the
Emerald editorial board. Responses may be
sent to ode@oregon.uoreeon.edu.
Similar to Monica, President Clinton sucks at politics
President Clinton can be a lot of
things to a lot of people, but he al
ways was and will continue to be his
own worst ene
my.
After being
impeached and
besmirching a
presidency that
otherwise
would have
been recog
nized by histo
ry as one of
great prosperi
ty, Clinton will
again harm his
legacy by pre
venting Vice
President Al Gore from being elected
this November by continually inject
Bret
Jacobson
ing himself into the campaign.
Clinton’s most recent intrusion
into the presidential campaign came
through a mocking of Texas Gov.
George W. Bush’s run for the presi
dency. Clinton mocked the affable
nature of the governor and the
younger Bush’s ties to his father, who
incidentally has grown in stature in
the minds of Americans since being
voted out in 1992.
But Clinton’s efforts to help his col
league will only end up damaging the
legacy the president has been said to
hold so precious. It is clear that
Americans don’t want to change di
rection, but they are tired of having a
negative, attack-orienfed leader who
reminds them that we no longer have
any integrity in the White House.
And by attaching Bush to his father, a
now-popular past president, Clinton
is only drawing a clearer distinction
between his administration and the
governor.
So every time Clinton pops up
with his antics, it seems Bush’s poll
numbers rise. It makes sense. What
doesn’t make sense is why Clinton
keeps trying.
There is another reason for Clinton
to keep quiet.
There is a long tradition of Ameri
cans thinking of their vice presidents
as yes-men and men not suited to
ward leadership. This is obviously a
direct result of the demands of the
position — to be an attack dog, a par
ty whip and a yes-man to the presi
dent. But when it is time for the veep
to convince Americans he can be
their leader, it takes time and an un
derstanding boss who will get out of
the way and let the vice president
demonstrate his abilities and ideas.
But when Clinton keeps acting as
the attack dog, as he is this week
while Gore vacations in North Caroli
na, he reminds voters that he is still
in charge and Gore is still number
two.
None of this is new, however. Clin
ton always is a slash-and-burn politi
cian and will always be his own
worst enemy. This time he will hurt
his legacy by ensuring Gore won’t be
elected.
Bret Jacobson is a columnist for the Oregon
Daily Emerald. His views do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald. He can be
reached at bjacobson@gladstone.
uoregon.edu.
Thumbs
To the Post Office
for finally realizing
the magn itude of
online transac
tionssuch ase
mail.TheU.S.
Postal Service is
testing a variety of
e-services for
Americans, includ
ing assigning
everyone an e
maiI address based
on their address
and a I lowing cus
tomers to pay bills
online through the
USPS web site.
To police over
time ruses
Portland police
who worked Cen
tral Precinct drug
missions were
coached by ser
geants on how to
be discreet claim
ing overtime yet
finishing work
early. An investi
gation by Internal
Affairs found
problems, includ
ing officers who
did not show up
to work were list
ed and paid as
having worked,
and ieaving after
roll call.
Editorial excerpts from around the United States and the world
July 29, The Columbus (Ohio) Dis
patch, on Fourth Amendment protec
tions:
In the United States, the Fourth
Amendment of the Constitution protects
the homes, effects and persons of citizens
from unreasonable searches.
That applies in Ohio, too, unless you
want to buy more than four kegs of beer.
Under a new rule promulgated by the
Ohio Liquor Control Commission, any
body who wants to buy five or more kegs
of beer, for a wedding reception, company
picnic, block party or the like, must agree
to surrender his or her Fourth Amend
ment protection.
As a condition of purchase, these keg
buyers must sign a form giving state offi
cials and police carte blanche to crash the
party to see whether anybody is doing
anything illegal, no warrant and no proba
ble cause required.
The new rule is well-intended but ill
conceived. No Ohioan should have to give
up a basic constitutional right in order to
throw a party or drink a beer.
State officials would do well to rethink
this one.
Aug. 1, Los Angeles Times, on Napster
and the Internet:
From the days of player pianos to radio
and now the Internet, copyright holders
— those artists and others who produce
creative works — have looked on new
technology as a natural enemy. They have
confronted the source of unauthorized
copying and tried to litigate or legislate it
out of existence.
The recording industry’s lawsuit
against Napster, the San Mateo (Calif.)
based online music swap meet... will not
erase the technology that Napster has
made so popular. As is always the case,
copyright owners and the new technology
will have to learn to live with one another,
and that’s where their energies should be
directed.
The Internet does, indeed, pose a threat
to the recording giants and their iron grip
on the distribution of recorded music in
various forms. Freely available MP3 com
pression technology has made download
ing music easy and fast, and ... putting
Napster out of business will not end the
peer-to-peer music swaps that the compa
ny pioneered. Already, half a dozen or
more other Internet... (sites) offer similar
services....
Clearly, the recording industry, rather
than mount a legal assault on the new
medium, should look for ways to team up
with it, while preserving artists’ rewards.
... A new world is opening for sound and
picture distribution that, cannot be
stopped by litigation.
Aug. 2, The Nation, Bangkok, Thai
land, on American foreign policy toward
Southeast Asia:
With the Republican National Conven
tion in full swing, one issue that is not fea
turing all that much is foreign affairs. Dur
ing a teleconference held yesterday at the
U.S. Embassy (in Bangkok), Stephen J.
Hadley, foreign policy adviser for the
George W. Bush campaign, spoke from
Philadelphia. He did not shed any light at
all on the overall directions of Bush’s poli
cies towards most of Asia...
The next U.S. president has to pay more
attention to Southeast Asia, the region
where the U.S. has been able to safely
maintain a military presence since World
War II. Throughout the Clinton adminis
tration, Washington has failed to come to
grips with the changing political land*
scape in this area, which has resulted in a
growing groundswell of anti-American
sentiment... If Southeast Asia continues
to be ignored or taken for granted, the next
American leader may find a different ide
ology flowering in the region, one into
which it will not easily fit or be able to in
fluence.
Associated Press