EDITORIAL
Student
Opinions:
Should people over 60 be re­
quired to take their driver’s test
over?
Photos by Julio Church
Yes,they should be required to
take the test every other year after
the age of 60 in order to keep the
roads full of eligible drivers. The
maximum speed limit has increas­
ed, younger drivers and drunk
driving accidents have increased.
It wouldn’t be right to let a elder­
ly, less-responsive, individual
drive on the highways.
—Eric Lepire—
Clackamas Community College
Tax base solution:
Tax base pointless:
Consistent source Too convenient
for administration
of funding
by Heleen Veenstra
Editor
by Michael L. Walker
Co-News Editor
Clackamas Community College needs a tax base. The college
needs to have a consistent source of funding.
. Right now Clackamas college is on a two year rate base serial
levy. The disadvantage of this system is that it is very insecure.
Each election the college needs the approval of voters for their
budget.
With a tax base the college will have stable funding. That means
that the college can budget based on the tax base. The college will
not have to go through the hassle every two years to base an elec­
tion. And there will also be less of a burden on the tax payers.
Besides having a consistent source of funding for the college, a
tax base has another big advantage. Every two years money is spent
on campaigning to pass the election. With a tax base that will not
be necessary, since there won’t be a rate base serial levy that needs
to be passed.
The disadvantage of a tax base is that property owners will get a
tax increase of six cents, but it’s worth it!
Clackamas Community College is an institution that provides
good education to the community and it helps out small businesses
in Clackamas County. With a tax base the college can determine its
purpose better than without a tax base. Besides that, the communi­
ty gets back a lot for those six cents they put in.
For everything Clackamas Community College does for this
county, should the tax paying public do something back for the col­
lege? The answer is “YES” and a tax base would be the solution.
Clackamas Community College deserves a tax base!
Clackamas Community College does not need a tax base. A tax
base is pointless for both students and property owners, and is too
convenient for administration. As a community we have more control
with a rate base serial levy like the one passed on March 22.
The people of Clackamas County want local control. They want to
know that if they want to give money to the college the choice is theirs.
What provides more local control than CCC having to come back to
the voters each year? The rate base serial levy at least gives the voters a
choice. Under the Oregon Constitution, if a tax base were passed there
is no way, unless an amendment were passed, to vote it out. A tax base
is there for good.
Without a tax base the college must stay accountable to its citizens.
Coming back each year would give a barometer of what the people
think about CCC. It would show the level of support CCC has with
the people. It would also demonstrate what kind of job we’re doing. If
people aren’t pleased with the kind of service they receive, they’re not
going to pay for it. By holding a levy every two years, problems would
have to be solved in a short amount of time. With a tax base the pro­
blems might be shelved indefinitely. _
A yearly levy would keep CCC a pan of the community. It would
keep the college in touch with the citizens of thé community. Because
we would have to appeal to the people, our administrators would have
to spend more time thinking about what the people want - not what
they, as administrators, think would be ideal.
The tax base would hit property owners hard because it would raise
six percent each year, automatically. Although it seems like a lot, in a
time of high inflation, like in the early 1980’s, the six percent would be
insufficient. So, in the end, CCC would still have to go back to the
people and ask for supplemental amounts which would mean more
money spent on further elections.
Some might say that people would vote against the levy because
they have no choice on how much they pay in state and federal taxes -
that they are mad about how much of their income goes to taxes. I say
no. It was proven last March that the people feel they are getting quali­
ty service. And when they feel good about something they want to
keep it going that way. If a tax base was passed it would be just like
state and federal taxes which go to Uncle Sam regardless of what the
taxpayer wants.
Another question that might be posed is: Isn’t the school in danger
of closing if the levy isn’t passed? Again I answer no. Last November
a levy election was held and didn’t pass. Did the school close then?
No. Will it close in the future if another levy doesn’t pass? No. All it
would mean is that the school would have less money. We survived
that four month long November to March crisis and came out okay.
We can do it again.
A rate base serial levy is your choice as a tax payer. A tax base,
however, is your last choice forever. You can vote out a rate base serial
levy any time. The tax base lingers on forever.
Freedom of choice
Yes, because it seems to me that a
large majority of the drivers caus­
ing problems on the roads are
older drivers. For those over 65
it’s been at least 50 years since
they’ve been tested; so 1’4 say yes
they should be tested.
—Rob Stark—
Page 2
Pro and Con
Semester conversion...
Yes, people over 60 should
definitely be required to take
their test over because they often
lose their agility and ability to
drive safely on our highways.
They lose the eyesight easily and
don’t have the ability to drive
defensively which is often the
cause of most accidents.
—Kara Kriste—
April 20,1988
Lately everybody is really get­
ting into the semester conversion
issue, and I wonder how do you
feel about it?
Do you belong to the students
who oppose it‘because you feel
that you’ll be getting less choice
in classes with a semester system?
Do you belong to the group who
are concerned about transfer
credits and feel that whatever it
takes to transfer should be done?
Or are you not sure what is best
for the college and individuals?
I always had my reservations
about the issue. I wanted to be
sure that credits would transfer,
but I also wanted to be sure that
there would be a large selection
and flexibility in classes.
Anyway, I never was really
sure about the issue until I found
out that, besides community Col­
lege faculty and students, four
year college faculty and students
don’t like the semester system
either.
You know that really makes
me wonder. The Oregon State
Board of Education decides that
a semester system would be best
for at least the four year colleges.
But it turns out to be that most of
the people in the four year institu­
tions don’t like a conversion.
Now the community colleges
are pushed in a corner to decide
whether they want to go for a
system that transfers credits really
well, or to go for a system that
gives, especially for the part-time
students, a large variety in
classes.
Well, to get to the point. There
are not many people that like a
semester conversion. Why not
stick to the program we are on
right now? Shouldn’t it be a deci­
sion of the faculty and students
of two and four year colleges in­
stead of the Oregon State Board
of Higher Education?
Wooden shoe
like to know
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COMMUNITY
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Print
by Heleen Veenstra
Editor
For you students on campus,
just voice your opinions. It’s im­
portant for people on campus to
know how you feel about the
whole deal. If nothing will be
changed, no college need to make
a choice, even though most col­
leges have already made their
minds up. Oppose the semester
system!
Maybe the Oregon State Board
of Education won’t be happy
with a semester conversion op­
position. But who are the people
who should be making the deci­
sion? Faculty, staff, and students
who go to school everyday, or the
Board members?
The Print aims to be a fair and impartial newspaper covering the college communi­
ty. Opinions expressed in The Print do not necessarily reflect those of the College
administration, faculty, Associated Student Government or other members of The
Print staff. Articles and information published in The Print can be reprinted only
with permission from the Student Publications Office. The Print is a weekly
publication distributed each Wednesday except for Finals Week. Clackamas Com­
munity College, 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City, Oregon 97045. Office :
Trailer B. Telephone: 657-8400, ext. 309.
Editor-In-Chief: Heleen Veenstra
Design/Sports Editor: Christopher Curran
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