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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 2002)
Newsroom: (541) 346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union PO. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: editor@dailyemeralci.com Online Edition: www.dailyemerald.com Oregon Daily Emerald Editor in Chief: Michael J. Kieckner Managing Editor: Jenni Schultz Tuesday, July 2,2002 Oregon officials end special session, agree on fix for $860 million shortfall The budget package includes a gradual income-tax break and a delay of a payment to schools By Jan Montry Oregon Daily Emerald With a collective sigh of relief, the Oregon Senate and House ended their third special session early Sunday af ter agreeing on a budget to fix an $860 million shortfall. The package will now go to Governor John Kitzhaber for consideration. The new bipartisan budget pack age includes: a gradual phase-in of Measure 88's income-tax break, delay of a $267 million payment to school and community colleges, reduction of the state general fund and use of Oregon’s ration of the national tobac co settlement. Budget committee member Sen. Roger Beyer, R-Mollala, said the Re publican budget plan proposed this past week would have been more ef fective at balancing the budget than the budget passed Sunday. “I think it was unnecessary to raise taxes,” he said. Before the budget crisis can end completely, however, voters must approve the Legislature’s plan to raise cigarette taxes by 60 cents in a September special election. Voters will also decide whether to with draw $150 million from an educa tion endowment converted into a rainy-day fund. If passed, the fund will help schools balance their budg ets but will not be available for use during the 2003-05 biennium. House Democratic Leader Deborah Kafoury, D-Portland, said the bill benefits K-12 but hurts higher education. “We cannot call this session a victo ry when we are filling a huge portion of the budget hole with credit cards,” she said. “This budget borrows $225 million in bonds to cover basic servic es and shifts $265 million of this year’s school and community college payments into next year.” In an interview with the Emerald this past week, Sen. Tony Corcoran, D-Cottage Grove, also said aspects of the bill will hurt higher education in the future, especially converting the endowment fund into a rainy-day fund. He also said voters would only accept the proposal if it were below $220 million. Legislators could face another spe cial session in fall if voters defeat the cigarette tax and endowment conver sion; the two measures are pivotal to the current budget plan. Another looming problem is the possibility of Kitzhaber vetoing the plan. While he has not directly threatened a veto, Kitzhaber has said he disagrees with a short-term plan that relies on one-time revenue and borrowing. “We won’t have anything until ear ly next week,” Kitzhaber spokesman John Coney said. Contact the reporter at janmontry@dailyemerald.com. Annual Butte to Butte offers inexpensive fun, exercise for 3,000 local participants The 10-Kilometer Run and 4.5 Mile Mayor’s Fitness Walk span between Spencer Butte and Skinner Butte Park By Brad Schmidt Oregon Daily Emerald Over the course of time, someone coined the phrase “fun run.” Come Independence Day, a non participant might wonder just how many of the expected 3,000 entrants of Eugene’s oldest and largest road race are truly enjoying themselves. But for those involved, it isn’t even a question. “It’s darn good exercise,” said Eu gene Mayor Jim Torrey, who will briefly lead the 29th annual Butte to Butte 10-Kilometer Run and 4.5 Mile Mayor’s Fitness Walk. “It’s got a lot of history and sup port in the community,” Torrey added. The run starts at 8 a.m. July 4, be ginning near Spencer Butte at 43rd Avenue and Donald Street and end ing some 6.2 miles away in Down town Eugene at Skinner Butte. The less-grueling walk will begin min utes later. Race co-director Tom Jordan said there is fairly even participa tion in the two events, with about half enduring the run and the oth er half opting to walk. Although the walk doesn’t begin until about 10 minutes after the run ners have left, Jordan said the last of the walkers and runners will finish at about the same time. The event is expected to end by 10:30 a.m. Jordan said he expects fewer than 100 University students to partici pate but added that many Eugene natives who attend college else where will partake in the trek. In general, Jordan said, the activi ties have turned into a family event that spawns recidivism. “We find a lot of people who say, ‘Well, I’ve been doing this for 15 years,’” he said. Race co-director Barbara Kousky said a majority of the participants will range from 20 to 40 years in age. “We’re seeing more and more people who are walking for their health,” Kousky said. The cost of the event is $16 with a T-shirt and $10 without. Registra tion for the event is from noon to 6 p.m. today and Wednesday at the Eugene Hilton. Participants can also register on the day of the event until 7:30 a.m. at Spencer Butte Middle School. Same day registration costs $22 with a T-shirt and $16 without. Children age 12 and under accompanied by a par ticipating adult will be admitted for free. All profits go to the Ore gon Track Club. Contact the sports editor at bradschmidt@dailyemerald.com. Butte to Butte Race Course News brief Man drowns in Willamette River The Eugene Fire Department re moved a 22-year-old man from the Willamette River near Arbor Drive on Monday, according to Eup ^Mce Lt. Mike Galick. The man * ^'o nounced dead at the scene. EPD had earlier received a phone call from a person reporting that their 22-year-old friend was missing after going swimming. Police are still investigating the cir cumstances of the man’s death. Offi cers received differing information, in cluding an on-scene account that three teenage girls swimming in the same area — near a popular rope swing — had lured the man into the water by pretending to need assistance. The girls swam to shore safely. The man has been identified but his name is not being released until next of kin have been notified. — Michael J. Kleckner Two unions file charges against Register-Guard The organizations claim that, among other things, the newspaper changed benefits without first consulting its employees; the newspaper denies the charges ByJillian Daley Oregon Daily Emerald Two local unions have again filed charges against The Reg ister-Guard. The Local 206 Teamsters Union filed charges with the Na tional Labor Relations Board when the newspaper company’s chief negotiator canceled a mid-May bargaining session, say ing he had an “urgent situation.” The union later discovered that the company’s representa tive, L. Michael Zinser, an attorney from Nashville, Tenn., was attending another bargaining session in Hawaii. The Hawaii meeting had been scheduled since early April. Teamsters representative Ron Teninty said the company is using cancel-and-delay tactics to avoid meeting with them, and the cancellation “sparked our unfair labor practice charges. “When it’s that blatant, it’s easy for us to go to the NLRB,” he said. Register-Guard human resource director Cynthia Walden denies the charges. “That’s not accurate at all,” she said. “We wouldn’t pur posefully or knowingly commit unfair labor practices.” Teninty said the union is levying additional charges against The Register-Guard. The Teamsters have filed charges alleging that the company changed health and welfare benefits without consulting em ployees, so it costs more to maintain the benefits, Teninty said. “They are not allowed to do that without bargaining,” he said. The union has also filed charges claiming that the compa ny failed to provide necessary information for bargaining, Teninty said. The Eugene Newspaper Guild has also filed charges with the NLRB against The Register-Guard, Guild president Adele Berlinski said. Most of the charges were filed, Berlinski said, because Guild members are frustrated with the bargaining process. Guild employees have been working without a contract since May 1,1999. “We just aren’t willing to accept unfair proposals, espe cially when we’ve been willing to compromise so much,” Berlinski said. The company maintains that it is working with Guild members to come to a consensus on the contract. “It’s taking so long because we’re unable to reach agree ment on a few outstanding issues,” Walden said. Contact the reporter at jilliandaley@dailyemerald.com. News brief Lane County Fair holds talent show Calling all baton twirlers, magicians and singers: The Lane County Fair is looking for contestants for its inaugural talent show August 15,16 and 18. Show organizers are looking for a maximum of 60 acts, which can be anything from poetry readings to dances, musi cal performances and magic acts. Organizers are not allowing large bands and rock ensembles with electric instruments be cause of the extensive setup time required. Introducing a talent portion into the traditional jams, flow ers and prize pigs of the fair makes Lane County something of a latecomer in this respect, talent show coordinator Gina Pixler said. “The Multnomah County Fair has been doing (talent shows) for years. They made the suggestion to us that we do it at our own fair. We haven’t had anything like this in Lane County,” Pixler said. Two “Grand Supreme” winners of the talent show — one drawn from the three under-16 age groups and one from the over-16 group — will win $300 and get the chance to com pete at the Oregon State Fair’s talent show in Salem on Aug. 25. Entry forms for the competition can be picked up at any Lane County Bi-Mart store. Completed applications are due by July 12. For more information, call 682-4292. — Pat Payne for the Emerald
