University of Oregon
Thursday, January 9,2003
Since 1900
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 74
Decision time
WmBm MaBare^iMl *
Martell Nair Sherman
Danielle Hickey Emerald
PFC members James Tilford, Michael Sherman, Kate Shull and Mike Martell listen to student groups Tuesday night in the EMU Rouge
Room as they decided howto spend the University's money.
Meet the PFC
The Programs Finance
Committee has started to allocate
student group funds for 2003-04
Brook Reinhard
News Editor
The pilgrimage has begun.
During January and the first week of
February', groups that rely on student
incidental fees must make their way
down to the EMU Rogue Room and
face the wrath of the ASUO Programs
Finance Committee.
It can be tedious, but it’s really not
that bad.
“Good evening, and welcome to
your PFC budget meeting,” begins PFC
chairwoman Kate Shull.
Shull, a sophomore and business
major at the University, is virtually un
flappable in her leadership role as she
patiently walks each student group
through the hearing process.
The chairwoman, who got a first
hand look at PFC last year as an admin
istrative assistant for the group, will
complete more than 70 hours worth of
meetings with the six other PFG mem
bers to decide how to spend almost $5
million in student incidental fees.
The decision has been made more
difficult by a March 2000 Supreme
Court decision called Southworth, in
which the high court ruled a university
doesn’t violate students’ First Amend
ment rights by funding groups that oth
er students oppose.
So groups such as the LGBTQA, the
Jewish Student Union and the Oregon
Commentator are all funded by the
same student incidental fee.
Another potential obstacle is making
sure each of the student groups has a
proper mission and goals statement,
which the PFC checks thoroughly to
ensure the statement complies with af
firmative action rules. In December,
100 student groups had their mission
and goals statements approved, and at
least 10 others were temporarily
benched by the PFG. Those groups will
have their goals re-examined some
time this month.
The committee is also working
hard this year to avoid callbacks.
During the 2001-02 school year, PFG
made an “accounting error” that mis
stated available funds by $536,000,
resulting in many groups being re
called and having their funding
slashed by thousands of dollars.
“Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming,”
Shull said. “But at the same time, hav
ing seven people that are very involved
with the University and have strong
ties to the groups involved gives us a
good chance.”
The chairwoman will divide her
time between 30 hours worth of PFG
research and meetings, 12 credit
hours at the University and 19 hours
a week working at Pentagon Federal
Credit Union.
If all goes well, PFG hopes to have a
Turn to Round-up, page 12
PFC approves severed increases
Ali Shaughnessy
Freelance Reporter
Bundled up in hats and scarves because
of a lack of heat, the Programs Finance
Committee met Tuesday night in the EMU
to distribute funds to nine different groups
that gathered to ask for money.
While there was triumph for more than
half the groups that presented to PFC, some
of the groups came away from the meeting
with significant decreases in funding.
Among the groups that enjoyed an in
crease was the Oregon Marine Students As
sociation, which received a grand total of
#4,645—a30.99 percent increase over last
year’s budget.
“We’re trying to get back to where we were
two years ago,” said Mike Berber, the repre
sentative of OMSA present at the meeting.
Another clear winner was the Pacific Is
lands Club which, while forced to wait
longer than expected, walked away with
#300 for their first year. Being a new club, it
received strong support from both the
ASUO Executive and PFG.
Controversy, however, sparked when the
Oregon Law Students Public Interest Fund
stepped up to the plate.
OLSPIF, represented at the meeting by
second-year law students Annie Mortland
and Tina Ching, was repeatedly probed af
ter the ASUO Executive discovered the
word “fundraising” in the budget proposal.
The controversy arose when PFC ex
plained it has a rule that prohibits funding
expenditures for the purpose of fundraising.
“We originally were going to give them
the #35 they requested,” board member
Beebee Tan said. “However ... if you no
tice, it says that OLSPIF uses approxi
mately $25 for stationery and envelopes
for fundraising purposes.”
OLSPIF organizes fundraisers — from
which the money is distributed in the
form of stipends to help pay off student
debts — for law students who perform
public interest work.
“I don’t understand why this is being
brought up now,” Ghing said, adding that
the PFG has been supportive of OLSPIF
over the past ten years.
After more than an hour of debate,
with the chair of PFG even suggesting
the event be tabled for the time being,
the group decided to give OLSPIF part
of the money requested to ensure the
Turn to Meeting, page 4
Mayor voices
concerns on
city issues
In his seventh State of the City address,
Mayor Torrey spoke on issues including
transportation, economics and education
Jan Montry
City/State Politics Reporter
“It’s called the State of the City address, or the State of the
City speech, but I frankly look at it as an opportunity to just
talk to you about things that I think are important,” Eugene
Mayor Jim Torrey said.
Torrey delivered his seventh State of the City address
Wednesday, touching on three key issues he considers impor
tant to Eugene’s future while praising city
accomplishments of the previous year.
The address, which took place at the
Hilton Eugene & Conference Center, in
cluded transportation, economic and edu
cation issues. More than three hundred peo
ple attended the event, which took place
after new city councilors were sworn in and
annual community awards were distributed.
In his strongest rebuttal of the day, Tor
rey accused the Oregon Public Employees
Retirement System of being “broken” and
responsible for cutting other government
services throughout the state.
“In Eugene alone, our PERS costs for
this year are going to increase by 47 percent,” he said. “Just
think what we could do if we could equitably pay our employ
ees, provide them with a responsible retirement benefit and
medical and health benefits — and I think we can do it.”
Second, Torrey asked the staff of the city, under the direc
tion of the city manager and the library director, to find a way to
provide library access to all children in Eugene. According to
Torrey, 4,000 children in the Bethel and 4J districts are not al
lowed to check out books in the new library because they don’t
live in a house within the city limits of Eugene.
“If a child can’t read, that child can’t succeed,” he said. “And
we can do something to help them.”
Last, Torrey stressed the importance of road maintenance in
Eugene and Lane County.
Torrey explained that if all the cities in Lane County could
agree on a formula for distributing road maintenance funds and
lump all the money in one fund, he would consider a repeal of
the $7.4 million road maintenance fee the Eugene City Council
passed in December.
“Roads are important for economic development,” he said.
“We have no choice but to maintain those roads.”
Torrey also reviewed some milestones for the city last year,
including the building of the new Downtown library and the
completion of the Broadway project, which revitalized several
blocks of the Downtown street.
“Last year, this beautiful new library — I am not going to say
any more than go to the grand opening Saturday, walk in there
and it will speak for itself,” Torrey said.
Addressing Eugene’s business climate, which he said has a
“bad reputation,” Torrey announced the progress of an on-go
Turn to City, page 12
Weather
Today: High 45, Low 35
Morning fog and clouds, then partly clear
Friday: High 45, Low 35
Morning fog, otherwise mostly cloudy
Looking ahead
Friday As the annual Japan Night celebration
nears, students hurry to make final preparations
Monday Students and faculty charge race
discrimination at Northwest Christian College