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Email: editor@dailyemerald.com
Online Edition:
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Tuesday, November 5,2002
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Commentary
Editor in Chief:
Michael J. Kleckner
Managing Editor
Jessica Richelderfer
Editorial Editors:
Salena De La Cruz, Pat Payne
Editorial
Communities
should pressure
richest citizens
to help homeless
Homelessness has come haek on the public radar
screen in a number of cities in a big way, and now is the
time to stop the current treatment of homeless people.
In Philadelphia, public officials have started urging
tourists not to give change to panhandlers. In New Or
leans, all the benches in Jackson Square have been re
moved to keep people from sleeping on them. In San
Francisco, a small welfare stipend to keep homeless
people fed and clothed is on the chopping block in to
day’s election.
Even here in Eugene, a battle against homeless peo
ple is being waged. It’s illegal to camp in the city limits,
and homeless protesters have been rallying in down
town for the city to address the problem. Some of these
people have moved into the West University neighbor
hood seeking shelter.
We think society should be blamed for not doing
enough, and society may have an answer. Some people
are homeless because they need a job, while others may
be without an address because of mental problems or
drug addiction. Neither can be helped by being thrown
into jail or being driven out of the city.
Instead, communities need to expand programs offer
ing treatment or job retraining. We need more facilities,
more outreach workers, more food and blankets and
medicine. Habitat for Humanity, well known for building
single-family homes for low-income families, should build
apartment complexes in cities with homeless problems.
With something as ambitious as trying to reduce
homelessness, the question always exists: How will it be
funded? The solution we offer, as modest as it is, might
be a way of making such a program fiscally solvent with
out raising most people’s taxes: We propose an excise on
the ultra-rich.
If homelessness is so troublesome to big-citv dwellers
and so worrisome to those of us who believe in a social
safety net, then communities should put pressure on
those who have benefited the most from our society to
help out.
We’re sure that a Ted Turner, or a Kenneth Lay, or, say, a
Phil Knight can easily spare S30 million to fund a massive
expansion of athletic facilities, er, homeless programs.
CLARIFICATION
The article “Accidents at UO intersection raise
concerns," {ODE, Nov. 4) should have stated that
Oregon Department of Transportation reports show
that at the intersection of Onyx Street and Franklin
Boulevard from 1999 to 2001, four accidents have
occurred involving only vehicles, three accidents have
occurred involving vehicles and bicycles or
pedestrians, and nine people total have been injured.
No joy in Mudville
I am excited that sometime before to
day is over the votes will have been
counted and the state will have a new
governor and new or re-elected senator
in office.
I am not heartened by this fact be
cause of any belief that the previously
elected officials were doing a poor job.
In all honesty, I think that they did a
fine job. The reason I am so happy is be
cause it means I no longer have to deal
with the advertisements. I’m so damn
sick of the ads that run on television, on
radio and in newspapers. They attack
my senses and
leave nothing sub
stantial that I
would want to take
with me into the
voting booth.
With increasing
frequency in the
last few months, I
have found myself
inundated with
ads for one politi
cal candidate or
another. More of
ten than not, these as are in place
purely to shed a negative light on the
candidate’s opponent.
“Mudslinging,” as these ad campaigns
are often called, is irritating and diverts
the public’s attention away from real is
sues going on.
I know these ads are just part of the
game politicians play, but that fact
doesn’t make me any less sick and
tired of them.
This year’s senate and gubernatorial
race reminds me of high school and the
race for student body president. For
weeks before the election, signs would
be posted throughout school for one
candidate or another.
Instead of outlining the said candi
date’s stance on issues important to
the school, the signs were funny
rhymes and colorful adaptations of the
other candidate — a more humorous
and clever way to sling some mud.
State candidates could at least intro
duce humor to these commercials to
keep me entertained.
The campaigns were just glorified
personal attacks that left most of the
student body indifferent and neutral
when it came time to vote.
I think the negative ad campaigns
each of the candidates have been run
ning are doing something similar, but
on a larger scale. The advertisements
are leaving the voters with a bad taste
in their mouth, potentially fostering
apathy about who becomes the next
governor or senator. I’d guess that, like
me, the voting public is going to be
glad when the advertisements are no
longer being run.
Kate
Petersen
In other words
Steve Baggs Emerald
Excessive amounts of negative ads
are common but leave a lot to be de
sired in the way of information. In a
majority of the advertisements that I
have seen, heard or read, a candidate’s
credentials are left unstated and in
stead, the opposition’s inadequacies
are accentuated.
This is an especially important elec
tion year, seeing how we are in the
midst of an economic crisis and the pos
sibility of war is looming in the near fu
ture. Through the ad campaigns, what
has the public truly heard on any of
these topics?
Voting shouldn’t be about whose
smear campaign is best. It should be
about taking a stance on issues that
could potentially affect you — about
choosing an elected official that
best represents you and your ideals
in government.
Unless a debate is being held, there
should be little or no commentary from
one candidate about another candidate.
The mudslinging needs to stop, and real
issues need to be addressed.
Contact the columnist
at kathrynpetersen@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily represent
those of the Emerald.
Letters to the editor
Mannix campaign
clearly shows
Kulongoski is more fit
With last week’s death of Minneso
ta Sen. Paul Wells tone, the average
working people of America have lost
one of their most important repre
sentatives. This makes it even more
important that we do everything
possible in Oregon to keep right
wing corporate lackeys like Kevin
Mannix out of office.
Mannix currently has several con
vincing ads on television that make
use pf an effective manner of reach
ing people: lying. You’ve all seen the
poor lady in the grocery store who
won’t be able to buy groceries with
Ted Kulongoski as governor. The ad
talks about all of the legislation for
the sales tax he has pushed. The fact
is Kulongoski never has proposed
any sales tax legislation. When Ku
longoski’s campaign approached his
opponent’s camp, Mannix said, in ef
fect, “Oh, yeah, that’s true. Sorry.”
Yet he still runs the ads.
The Republican candidate is
promising increases and improve
ments in social and educational
programs across the board while si
multaneously promising tax cuts.
How he will do both without plung
ing Oregon further into enormous
debt is a mystery.
Mannix plans to raid the Educa
tion Endowment Fund and the Com
mon School Fund. Rather than pro
vide an actual answer to Oregon’s
budget shortfalls, he proposes to im
mediately use money meant for the
long term. A more poorly thought
out attempt to provide funding
would be hard to devise.
Labor, the environment, education
— all democratic strengths that make
Kulongoski the obvious choice. Re
publicans tout themselves as authori
ties on the economy. Kevin Mannix
has proved them wrong.
Jared Mason-Gere
junior
undeclared
Measure 23 infuses
saved dollars into
schools, agencies
Nonsense! Tim Dreier (“Measure
23 hurts Oregon’s economy,” ODE,
Oct. 31) of the conservative Ore
gon Commentator was all wrong
about Measure 23. It would save
state agencies and schools millions
of dollars with its 11.5 percent cap
on payroll taxes. They are now pay
ing health care insurance premi
ums of 15 to 20 percent.
The following schools figured
they would save the following
amounts if we had Measure 23 in
place this year: Eugene 4J:
52,272,481; Corvallis: 8496,627; N.
Clackamas: S3,359,712; and Port
land: S9,475, ()()().
The elected Oregon Comprehen
sive Health Care Finance Board will
be responsible tor the S20 billion
budget and make adjustments to re
quire efficiency and will not allow
the funds to be part of the general
state budget. If Measure 23 fails, we
will still have a medical care budget
in Oregon of S20 billion, but it will
only serve the insurance companies
and only those who can pay the ris
ing costs of their premiums.
All Oregonians deserve better.
Vote yes on 23.
Kevin Franken
second year
law