Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1979)
opinion Z”............ ................ ..................... . Heads down Boycott the eclipse, now, before its too late! Refuse to acknowledge its existence by sleeping in on Monday morning. If you’re riot Strong enough to do that, then “eyes to the ground” for you on that day. We believe that the coming of the eclipse represents poor planning on the part of some unknown political activist against solar energy. We can’t afford an eclipse during our energy crisis. Think of how much money will be spent during that time of darkness on unnecessary, costly energy. Besides, what good is having an eclipse if you can’t even look at it? “We’re really sort of unhappy with all these people trekking over to the Eastern countries,” an annoriymous environmen talist said. “It’s another one of those cultist regimes, dominated by index card carrying eccentrics.” We at The Print think “heads to the ground on Monday” is the slogan. It’s an informal protest to let people know that we will not be led astray because of this extravagant ploy. WB-'RE AJOT 4&AÎN5T AJUCLEftR fWR - 50M A rW - BUT MIO io W5 guest shot Editor’s note: This editorial was reprinted from the Torch, Lane Community College’s weekly student newspaper, by Steve Myers of The Torch Did you know that one of the laws protectin‘g| your basic rights- as a consumer is being violated by a state agency here in Oregon? The law?—The Sherman Anti- Trust Act. The agency?—The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). Some of you may have had run-ins with the OLCC but for those of you who haven’t, let me refresh your memory about the commission and the law being violated. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was a constitutional amen dment established shortly after the turn of the century. The law guarantees the consumer—you and me—that his/her choices in the market place will not be limited to a product controlled by only one firm. It also forbids the fixing of prices so as to disrupt competition essential to the free market theory. This anti-monopoly law has been upheld time and time again by the U.S. Supreme court, yet monopolies still do exist—one here in Oregon. The OLCC is a state-funded agency established shortly after iprint 19600 S. Mollali« Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon 97045 Office«: Trailer B; telephone: 656-2631, ext. 309 or 310 editor Cyndi Bacon * news editor Scott Starnes arts editor Leanne Lally * sports editor Mark McNeary photo editor Kelly Laughlin * staff writers Happie Thacker, Mike Koller, Elena Vancil, Brenda Nolan, Don Ives, Tommy Clark, Ramona Isackson, James Rhoades, Brian Rood staff photographersGreg Kienzle, Charlie Wagg, Pat Carlson * cartoonist Mary Cuddy production manager Janet Vockrodt business manager Mark Barnhill* professional adviser Suzie Boss The Print, a member of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, aims to be fair and impartial journalistic medium covering the campus community as thoroughly as possible. Opinions expressed in The Print do not necessarily reflect those the CCC ad- mihistration, faculty or the Associated Student Government. Page 2 the prohibition act was repealed in the early 30’s. It controls the wholesale and retail liquor sales industry for the entire state of Oregon. It establishes uniform prices for hard liquor throughout the state. The agency also strictly supervises the sale of all alcoholic beverages. There is a clear conflict bet ween the agency and the law. The agency is a monopoly in the state of Oregon and it does set prices. Yet, the law forbids monopolies and price fixing. Lets take a closer look at the OLCC violations: First,the OLCC has a monopoly on the Oregon wholesale/retail liquor stores even though the store can be privately owned. (Owners are paid on a percentage of gross income.) Because of this price fixing policy, there can be no com petition among liquor outlets. The consumer has to buy hard alcohol from the OLCC at its prices. The agency also doesn’t pass along discounts it receives for volume buying to the public. It limits personal import of hard liquor from cheaper, out-of- state stores to one bottle per person. In fact, Oregon has higher prices and they operate under a similar system. OLCC policies and its'con trol over the liquor sales in the Sherman Anti-Trusti which insures us a hoic] marketplace. I I propose that the OLC| out of the liquor businl should enforce dnnkiJ regulate distribution H liquor, but it doesH government price fixing« What can we do aboj Pressure is already ■ placed on the agency ail sure to be a topic in III coming state iegil sessions. So make:] feelings known to you] representative and don] an OLCC card—or sen] back with a nasty note ata to it. 1 feedback To The Editor: Sincd Iran has cut off all ex ports of oil, the OPEC oil sour ces have had to increase their output by five million barrels of oil per day. The sad thing is that America has been plagued with oil shor tages for years, many of which could have been created to raise the price of oil in this country. And now we have a real shortage on our hands and with everyone crying wolf for so long, many people will not believe it. ' In a few weeks the energy department is going to present to Congress a set of contingen cy plans that will range from voluntary conservation to gas rationing. If all other measures fail, the rationing plan will be put into action and motorists will be. issued quarterly ration coupons which will entitle them to buy gas. What people don’t know is that millions of the coupons already exist. They were printed by the Nixon Ad ministration .' There also might be forced car pooling. If your license plate number ends in an odd number you could only drive every other day.and m with even numbers woiil on the days that the odl not. I In addition, the' co] gasoline is going upj estimated that by mid-suj gasoline will be almp^B gallon. The long-reacH fects of this is that the H] prices of some goods »!■ because the cost ofltrafl ting them is going um H consumer can only sit an® ch as the Value oflhfl earned money decreffl® Ton« Clackamas Communit^H