PFC budgeting closes
The Program Finance
Committee presents its
budget to the ASUO Student
Senate on Wednesday
Jennifer Bear
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
The long, complex process of dol
ing out the dough to more than 120
student groups and University pro
grams has finally come to a close, and
the members of the ASUO Programs
Finance Committee can now put up
their feet and indulge in a little rest
and relaxation.
Well, almost.
One final task remains unfin
ished — PFC must present its
budget to the ASUO Student Sen
ate at its final meeting of the term
on Wednesday. Originally, the
committee was slated to appear
before senate on Feb. 19, but PFC
asked for a one-week extension so
it could hold recall hearings for the
Emerald and the Career Center.
Then last week, a technical prob
lem prevented PFC from being
able to approve the minutes for a
number of its previous meetings,
and the committee once again had
to postpone presenting its budget
until next week.
After working long hours and la
boring about budget allocations,
this year’s PFC members say they
have proved their commitment to
the positions. PFC Programs Ap
pointee Joy Nair said the current
committee is unique because no
members have quit — a rarity for
PFG — and she added that within
the past few years, there has never
been a full committee of seven
throughout the whole process.
“I’ve never seen that happen,
and I’ve been here for four years,”
Nair said.
PFC also has distinguished itself
from last year’s committee by dol
ing out a larger number of high
percentage increases and decreas
es than was given for 2002-03.
This year, six groups were given
increases of 40 percent or more,
while last year only three groups
received such substantial increas
es. For 2002-03, only one group
received a decrease of 40 percent
or more, while this year PFG gave
six groups decreases of at least 40
percent.
The Native American Law Stu
dent Association received the
largest percent budget increase for
any group over the two years when
PFG gave the group a 230.33 per
cent increase for 2003-04. The
Asian Pacific American Law Stu
dents Association received the
largest increase last year, 97.28
percent, but still did not come
close to this year’s NALSA budget
boost. PFG Chairwoman Kate
Shull said the committee decided
to increase funding to the ethnic
law group because it had raised
thousands of dollars to bring the
Navajo Supreme Court to campus
this year and had proven it was fis
cally responsible.
Additionally, this year PFG ap
peared to be more generous be
cause it zero-funded fewer groups.
Last year 10 groups were zero
funded, while only six groups this
year stopped receiving funds. Nair
said fewer groups were zero-fund
ed this year because PFG members
worked to connect with every
group to determine if participation
in the program had disappeared
before deciding to remove funding.
She added groups have done a
good job of spending their allocat
ed budgets and ensuring transition
between leadership positions from
one year to the next.
Austin Shaw-Phillips, co-direc
tor for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer Alliance, said
this year’s PFG was thoughtful and
considerate, a major change from
how past committees have be
haved toward student groups.
“Our experience with PFG this
year was surprisingly positive,” he
said. “I’ve seen the committee be
really rude and condescending in
the past.”
LGBTQA’s other co-director,
Kristina Armenakis, also said PFG
was more professional and easier to
work with this year. She added
committee members’ relations with
' one another were more cordial this
year, while last year’s members reg
ularly argued among themselves.
“We were just really amazed at
how nice they were,” Armenakis
said.
Contact the senior news reporter
atjenniferbear@dailyemerald.com.
Legislators fuel gas alternative
The H2 GROW Act will fund
the development of vehicles
that run on hydrogen fuel
Ali Shaughnessy
Environment/Science/Technology Reporter
With the slow depletion of fossil fu
els, some say the need for sustainable
energy sources is ever growing.
On Feb. 11, Sen. Ron Wyden, D
Ore., and Rep. Christopher Cox, R
Calif., unveiled new legislation called
the H2 GROW Act, which stands for
Hydrogen Transportation Wins Over
Growing Reliance on Oil and seeks to
make hydrogen-powered vehicles
marketable alternatives for con
sumers within the next 10 years.
“Senator Wyden believes Ameri
ca can do more,” Wyden’s spokes
woman Carol Guthrie said. “The
key now is to make it more afford
able for average Americans.”
With raising gas prices and the
possibility of an oil shortage, hy
drogen-fueled vehicles offer a non
mainstream alternative.
Wyden and Cox are taking an ap
proach not previously seen in similar
environmental legislation. They plan
to use federal funding to get hydrogen
fueled vehicles on the road, produce
hydrogen fuel and create the fueling
infrastructure. Past legislation has fo
cused only on funding research and
development of hydrogen systems,
which are designed with environmen
tal concerns in mind. A hydrogen sys
tem’s primary byproduct is water va
por, and it does not produce carbon
monoxide or the other poisonous
fumes characteristic of conventional
gas-powered engines.
General Motors, Toyota and the
Natural Resources Defense Council
are all strong supporters of the pro
posed act.
Daniel Lashof, a representative
of NRDC, said it was his opinion
that hydrogen-fueled vehicles were
an up-and-coming technology.
“I think (hydrogen-fueled vehi
cles) are very promising ... there’s
a lot of public interest in clean air,”
Lashof said.
Toyota has designed vehicles with
fuel systems composed of four
5,000-psi hydrogen fuel tanks. Hy
drogen gas is fed into the fuel-cell
stack where it is combined with oxy
gen, creating a chemical produced
by the fuel cell which is then used to
power an electric motor.
Martha Voss, a representative from
Toyota, said she was optimistic for
the act, especially because of all the
companies working together.
“Nobody can do it on their own,”
she said.
H2 GROW implements a mix of
tax incentives and tax breaks to
dramatically improve the market
and infrastructure for hydrogen
fuel and the vehicles it powers.
Consumers who purchase a hy
drogen-powered vehicle will re
ceive a maximum tax credit of 25
percent of the sale price, with a cap
of $50,000, according to the act.
The credit will steadily decrease
each year, until it becomes a five
percent tax credit with a $10,000
cap in 2012.
Companies that manufacture and
sell hydrogen refueling equipment,
clean refueling properties or pur
chase hydrogen fuel cells intended
to be expanded for vehicle refueling
will also receive tax incentives.
Wyden is pushing the act with
the hope that America will embrace
hydrogen-fueled vehicles by 2012.
Contact the reporter
atalishaughnessy@dailyemeraid.com.
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•Harvard: 14.7 lbs.
• Miami: 13.9 lbs.
• Ohio Univ.: 9 lbs.
• Western Michigan: 6.7 lbs.
• Ohio State: 2.2 lbs.
• Wash. Univ. St. Louis: 1.4 lbs.
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The President’s Office & the 0 of 0 Senate present
U of 0 Task Force on Athletics - Open Forum
Wednesday, March 5
4:00pm to 5:30pm
150 Columbia
Members of the Task Force on Athletics invite you to an open campus forum to discuss current issues regarding
intercollegiate athletics. The panel particularly invites your questions, comments and views on the compatibility of
intercollegiate athletics with the U0 academic mission and the national athletics “arms race.” How are we doing at
the U of 0 on these issues and how do they affect us all? Let your voice be heard.
Panelists from the U of 0 Task Force on Athletics
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
Suzanne Clark, Professor of English, Co-Chair of Athletics Task Force
James Earl, Professor of English
Jim O’Fallon, Professor of Law, Faculty Athletic Representative
Martin Smith, Head Men’s Track Coach
Margie Paris, Professor of Law, Co-Chair and Forum Moderator
Interested faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate in this forum.
To view the recently released Task Force statement on U of 0 Student-Athlete Welfare, go to http:/
darkwing.uoregon.edu/~vpadmin/taskforce1.html or call 346-3003 to request a copy.