Ducks narrowly defeat USC in overtime
7
Oregon
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www.dailyemerald. com
Since 1900 | Volume 106, Issue 114 \ Friday, March 4, 2005
Democrats
lobby to
maintain
tuition rate
The plan calls for a two-year
tuition freeze at Oregon public
universities; republicans protest
BY ADAM CHERRY
NEWS REPORTER
The ASUO’s tuition freeze campaign found
support in the state legislature Tliesday,
when Senate Democrats released their
2005-07 state budget.
The Democratic budget, which includes
a two-year freeze at Oregon public universi
ties, was hotly contested by some Republicans
for its total revenue estimate. Democrats
have predicted that revenues total $12.5
billion, about $300 million more than the
Republican estimate.
Both parties’ budget numbers have been
in flux since Feb. 25, when a new estimate pre
dicted an additional $200 million would
be available.
House Speaker Karen Minnis, R-Wood Vil
lage, announced Tuesday in a press release
that she was pulling House Republicans from
the Joint Ways and Means Committee, which
works on the budget, effectively grinding
the budgeting process to a halt. Reportedly,
the two sides have since come to an agree
ment to proceed, and hearings will resume
on Monday.
“There’s no point in the Joint Ways and
Means Committee meeting until the Senate
Democrats decide to get serious about what
revenue we have available,” Minnis said in
the release.
A Minnis spokesman said Thursday the
speaker hadn’t taken a position yet on the
tuition freeze.
Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, co-chair of the
Joint Ways and Means Committee, cited a vari
ety of funding sources for the $300 million
difference in the two estimates.
“We’re basing our programs and services
funding level on the revenues we expect to get
over the next two years,” Schrader said.
“Based on my observations, we really have
turned a corner in this state,” he said of the
economy. “We’re actually able to move forward
on this without a general tax increase.”
Rep. Wayne Scott, R-Canby, Joint Ways and
Means Committee co-chair, commented in a
press release.
“The only way to raise that kind of money
is by digging into Oregonians’ wallets,” said
Scott. “Oregonians are tired of the legislature
putting its hand out, and the House won’t
stand for it either.”
The Democratic proposal includes the
elimination of $25 million in tax breaks.
“I think every Oregonian is ready to get rid of
these tax breaks that don’t benefit the general
Oregon population,” Schrader said.
“You’re finding your Senate Democrats are
very cognizant of the high cost of tuition for
these young men and women,” he said, adding
that public college enrollment has begun to lev
el off or decline. “It doesn’t do any good to have
the best universities in the country if (students)
can’t afford it.”
Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, chair of
the Ways and Means Subcommittee on
TUITION, page 12
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
The use of a dental dam is demonstrated as part of the HIV Alliance promotion of safe sex at the 0 Bar & Grill
near the University Commons Tuesday night.
WRAP IT UP
HIV Alliance's mascot, Captain
Condom, is campaigning
for safe sex at Eugene bars
BY SHELDON TRAVER
NEWS REPORTER
Belting out tunes such as “The Safety
Dance” and “Brown Eyed Girl,” Captain
Condom made a second appearance at
the O Bar on Tliesday, singing and dancing
while patrons cheered and enjoyed the drink
special, Sex on the Beach.
Captain Condom, the mascot for the HIV Al
liance’s “Wrap It Up” campaign, was created by
Allen Hall Public Relations through the School
of Journalism and Communication.
The life-sized condom will make another ap
pearance at Rennie’s Landing tonight and Sat
urday at 10:30 p.m. as part of a three-day tour
through local bars meant to inform people
about safe sex and HIV and to distribute protec
tive devices such as condoms and dental dams.
The mascot was first introduced Feb. 14,
National Condom Awareness Day, to distrib
ute condoms and information about HIV
awareness and testing.
HIV Alliance’s Youth Program Director
Niki Martin said the campaign is about grab
bing people’s attention.
“If you make it funny, it’ll make people lis
ten,” Martin said.
AHPR Account Executive Kelsea Michael
said humor was the point of the mascot.
“We figured getting a condom from a con
dom would help people remember,” she said.
Michael said 50 percent of new HIV cases
each year are diagnosed in people ages 15 to
25. She added that people who get tested typ
ically change their behavior. She hopes more
sexually active University students will take
advantage of the easy test.
SEX, page 12
LTD/ATU
meeting a
final try for
resolution
If the parties do not come to an
agreement today,; the union will
strike on Monday of Dead Week
BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
Bus service will likely cease in Lane
County on Monday if today’s mediation ses
sion between the Lane Transit District and
the Amalgamated Transit Union Division
757 does not produce a contract agreement.
ATU has declared a strike date of March 7,
the first day of Dead Week at the University.
If bus drivers strike, the University will be
sharing a free shuttle service with Peace
Health Medical Group, open to anyone with
a University student identification card.
The shuttle will leave the Lane County Fair
grounds at 796 W. 13 th Ave. and arrive at Sa
cred Heart Medical Center, 1255 Hilyard St.,
every 10 to 20 minutes from 5:20 a.m. until
11:30 p.m., according to a memo from Depart
ment of Public Safety Interim Director Tom
Hicks addressed to University faculty and staff.
Hicks and ASUO Community and Housing
Coordinator Scott Lu said students and staff
are encouraged to either ride bikes or walk to
campus to avoid an influx of vehicles.
“Parking in the area is already severely con
strained without the added demand for park
ing for those who normally ride the bus now
driving to campus,” Hicks wrote in the memo.
“The ASUO exec is really trying to recom
mend that students ride their bikes or walk
because of the influx of cars,” Lu said.
There will be specific parking spots reserved
for carpools, and carpool parking permits can
be picked up at no cost from DPS, Lu said.
Parking will also be available free of charge
at Autzen Stadium from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday for the duration of the
bus strike. Security personnel will patrol the
LTD, page 6
Group to ask for public arena hearings
West University Neighbors Chairman Drix Rixmann, left, and board member Don
Goldman, center, listen to community activist Zachary Vishanoff at Thursday's
West University Neighbors meeting.
The West University Neighbors also approved a
resolution to ask for improved services for parolees
BY MEGHANN M. CUN1FI
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
University, city and county officials will soon be presented with a
request from the West University Neighbors to hold public hearings
to allow citizens a voice in the administration’s plans for a new
basketball arena.
The neighborhood association unanimously approved the resolu
tion in a two-hour meeting attended by more than 30 people Thursday
night at Central Presbyterian Church.
“It’s a multifaceted issue,” community activist Zachary Vishanoff
said, adding that a public process for a project like the arena is “com
mon sense stuff that should have been happening anyway.”
The resolution, proposed by Vishanoff, was modified to include the
University in the request for a public process at the urging of Ward 3
City Councilor David Kelly.
Kelly said a demand for a public process is best directed at University
officials because city zoning laws can only require the University to an
swer the question of how it will mitigate potential traffic problems.
“It is not the city or the county that will be a decision-maker,”
Kelly said.
The association also passed a resolution asking for improved services
to parolees living in the neighborhood after hearing a presentation from
Richard Green, chairman of the board of directors for Sponsors, Inc.
Sponsors, Inc. is a non-profit organization that aims to aid prisoners
WIIN, page 12