Co mmentary
Monday, January 9, 2006
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Building
disrepair: an
issue that
cannot wait
A ARON D UCHATEU | I LLUSTRATOR
■ In my opinion
Bush’s budget needs less
fo r the buck
B ANG
When it was drafted last year,
President Bush’s 2006 budget proposed
to increase U.S. security, restrain spend-
ing and attempt to cut the federal deficit
in half by 2009. Formidable goals, con-
sidering the current deficit of more than
$8 trillion dollars, unplanned expendi-
tures thanks to hurricane season and
the ever-growing number of baby
boomers looking to take advantage of
such federal services as Social Security
and Medicare. In 2006, how will Presi-
dent Bush meet his national defense
and financial restraint goals while con-
tinuing to offer his nation’s citizens an
appropriate level of anticipated, primari-
ly domestic services?
A bit of number crunching reveals all
the answers, or, at the very least, reveals
Bush’s pretense of a solution to a Repub-
lican administration hoping to cut taxes
and restrain spending while sluggishly
ending a war we started for reasons later
deemed the result of ineptitude.
The first prominent figure under
Bush’s “Highlights of Program Increas-
es and New Initiatives” is $35 billion—
otherwise known as the amount of
money slated to be spent between now
and 2011 on reorganizing all Army forces
as well as increasing active Army com-
bat brigades by 30 percent. In five years,
the U.S. Army will occupy 30 percent
more of the world — good news for
weapons industries and global outsourc-
ing opportunities.
The number 35 billion is so large it
takes a minute to comprehend what it
really means. There are 1,000 millions
in a billion. That is akin to 1,000 $1 mil-
lion stacks of money. And $1 million is
a sizable stack of money.
Needless to say, 3,500 stacks of $1
million is an even more sizable
amount. If the federal government
could do, say, a 20- rather than 30-per-
cent increase of Army troops, the left
over money would be astounding.
The federal government could still
show its support for the military by re-
AILEE SLATER
FURTHER FROM PERFECTION
versing its decision to decrease the
budget for the Department of Veterans.
Instead of letting the Department’s
budget reach its lowest point since
2004, Bush could easily pony up the $1
billion necessary to give the Depart-
ment of Veterans a more reasonable
amount of funding. Especially during a
time of war, it is of the utmost necessity
to remember that a country of PTSD
veterans is toxic to national morale.
With part of the remaining, non-
Army dollars, President Bush could bet-
ter uphold his promise of placing edu-
cation at the forefront of U.S. policy.
One analysis of Bush’s 2006 budget
proposal points out that programs in
education will, as a whole, lose $1.3 bil-
lion in funding. This dip in financial
support includes the reduction of schol-
arship programs, as well as menial
funding for certain secondary educa-
tion opportunities. If the education poli-
cies once stripped of their funding were
to regain that $1.3 billion, it would
mean easier access to higher education
for low-income students and a boost of
support for secondary institutions serv-
ing underprivileged populations.
In Oregon the welfare program Tem-
porary Assistance for Needy Families
will be flat-funded in 2006, a financial
loss of about $4 million. Although
TANF is a flawed welfare policy (the
state spends most of its time figuring
out how to get people off TANF, thanks
to the fact that federal funding remains
unchanged regardless of increases in
caseload), reducing federal funds
means that welfare caseworkers will
take on heavier client loads, less money
will be available to assist poor citizens
attempting to gain an education and the
cycle of poverty will be once again
passed on to future generations. If the
federal government gave that $4 million
back to Oregon and another $4 million
to every other state for similar programs
that experienced a funding cut, the total
cost would be only $200 million.
The 2006 Bush budget certainly
needs to reallocate money, and not just
from military to non-military spending:
The president has directed TANF funds
away from childcare and toward pro-
grams to promote healthy marriage,
ignoring the fact that in most areas,
more than 50 percent of welfare users
are single mothers and many have
children under the age of 5.
Ironically, after so much talk about
helping small business, Bush cut job
training and employment investment in
Oregon by approximately $4 million.
Once again, for just $200 million, every
state in the nation could receive $4 mil-
lion for similar programs that offer as-
sistance to low-income citizens at-
tempting to train for an occupation.
For $2.5 billion (less than 10 percent
of the federal dollars slotted to increase
and reorganize armed forces) the
White House could continue funding
veterans services at a steady level, put
back the money that was cut from edu-
cation programs and give every state in
the nation a boost in welfare and em-
ployment resources. Considering the
fact that the U.S. Army is trying to leave
Iraq, it is mind boggling to think that
five years down the road will bring little
more than global encroachment by the
United States. Just like the years before
it, 2006 will be gone in the blink of an
eye. Perhaps only then can the nation
evaluate whether this year’s federal
funds have been wisely spent.
aslater@ dailyemerald.com
The yellow tape surro unding bulging,
water-damaged floors in the EMU’ s east wing
should signal caution both to passing pedes-
trians and to state law makers: Building
repairs, especially preventative maintenance,
are not receiving adequate funding.
With a backlog of more than $123 million
in needed repairs ( “ Campus maintenance
costs total $123 million to date” ODE Dec. 5),
maintenance needs from broken steam pipes
to leaky ro o fs plague o ur buildings. Recent
water damage to the EMU alone will cost an
estimated $75,000, and five or six other build-
ings may have suffered rain damage during
the winter break.
Maintenance presents a dirty, costly prob-
lem, but it’ s a burden that no bo dy wants to
pay fo r. Facilities Services, the department
that oversees campus buildings and grounds,
receives only about $5 million each year from
the University general fund to maintain about
5 millio n square feet o f building space. The
University also receives some money from the
Oregon State Legislature through the Oregon
University System, but that money is used for
larger repair projects.
Hence, about $9 to $12 million in repairs on
campus buildings is deferred each year. The
EMU, Athletics Department facilities, Univer-
sity Ho using and the Student Recreatio n
Center are not included in that figure.
Further, donors would rather have a shiny
new classro o m co mplex named after them
than be known for financing a new roof. New
buildings often don’ t receive gifts to cover the
costs of long-term maintenance.
W hen fo ul weather o r o ther fo rces create
the need for emergency repairs, students can
be left to help foot the bill. Recent water dam-
age will be lumped together and billed to the
state’ s insurance entity, but the University
w ill still need to pay a $2,500 deductible.
Student money will fund part of that bill.
Catching up o n this maintenance backlo g
and performing more preventative repairs will
be difficult as the Legislature continually fails
to emphasize higher educatio n. There are
many demands for the state funding received
by the University, and on paper, maintenance
looks like an easy place to skimp.
But an ounce of prevention really is worth a
pound of cure, and legislators should priori-
tize at least planning a way to pay-off deferred
repairs. Donors should also consider mainte-
nance of future building projects.
The lo gic behind prio ritizing repairs is
simple. Fo r example, if yo u ow n a car, yo u
don’ t wait until it breaks down to change the
o il. Delaying maintenance o nly co mpo unds
inevitable future problems.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Parker Howell
Editor in Chief
Shadra Beesley
Managing Editor
Jonah Schrogin
Design Editor
Ailee Slater
Commentary Editor
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