News
The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, February 26,1997
Lobby Day: students rally for tuition freeze
Continued from page 1
Many students were quick to
agree they too would have trouble
raising the extra money.
“I represent the average
student; I will be graduating with
$20,000 in [school loan] debt,” said
St. John, who came back to school
23 years after dropping out as a
high school student.
“I don’t want to flip burgers
the rest of my life. I think people
need to have this opportunity. At
Portland State, we have one-third
of the student population who are
over the age of 35. We need the
retraining and the education, not
only for industry, but I personally
need it for my self-esteem,” said
St. John.
St. John touched briefly on the
issue surrounding child care for
student
parents
before
introducing Senator Eugene Kim
(need his official stats).
“We hear everyday from
people who want money, but I
think we realize, as leaders of the
Oregon Legislature the importance
of higher education,” said Kim. “I
have been in hundreds of
conversations with leadership
where we have said that we will
freeze college tuition.”
Despite the fact that many
students were missing classes to
attend Student Lobby Day, they
received a warm welcome from
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber.
“I’m glad to see so many people
here at the Capitol fighting for what
they believe in. )foi^bave an
opportunity- today tajalkitpyour,
senator or representative on a
number of issues and really make
a difference,” said Kitzhaber.
The governor said the
lawmakers recognized students
have much to gain and much to
lose by the decisions to be made descended upon lawmakers,
during the next few weeks.
Student a representatives
“I support your efforts and K included Chantal Angot. Jacob
will do all that I^can,” s^id %Boenisch, Josh Bruegmam Mike
Kitzhaber, pausing to, let tnib^gfeudle, Jay Clark, Justin
enthusiastic crowd acclamation Anderson and Laney Fouse.
Nancy Caudle joined the,group to
die down.
“In order to do that, there are a provide support from a taxpayer’s
couple of things that have to perspective.
Since their nextoippointment
happen. First, we must make sure
that a college education is was not until 1:15 p;m., the group
affordable in the first place. That’s from Clackamas attended the
why I’ve proposed and included Senate’s regular session. On tap
in my budget, a tuition freeze. In for the sixty-ninth legislative
the last few years, tuition has gone assembly was a measure to
up 80-percent and that is not designate milk as Oregon’s state
beverage.
acceptable,” Kitzhaber said.
When the vote canie down,
“The second thing we must do
is to make sure that those students only one .senator opposed the
who are at least able to afford it measure with a resounding “no.”
don’t face challenges in their It so happened, the first stop for
personal lives that prevent them the afternoon was the office of
from succeeding,” said Kitzhaber Randy Miller, a Republican from
about his proposal to include District 13. Miller’s assistant
expansion of the Oregon Health pulled him from a Senate hearing
to hear the group’s message.
Plan to include students.
Prior to getting down to the
“The Oregon Health Plan
expansion is under attack. The issues of higher education, the
tuition freeze is under attack. Both students wanted to know why
are potential victims. Both could Miller voted “no”.
“I voted ‘no’ during that great
be sacrificed to finance a tax refund
at a time when we should be moment in, time when we created
investing in Oregon’s future,” said the official state nut,” said Miller;
“At that point, I was at a deadline
the governor.
He left students with a and I had so many friends in
powerful message: “If you believe contention that weren’t listed on
informaleducation, if you believe the bill... I just could not possibly
in retaining the special quality of choose among them.”
That legislative session
place that makes Oregon the way
it is today, then tell that to your adopted the filbert as the official
representative. Tell that to your state nut.
“More importantly, the reason
senator.”
^Kitzhaber pulled out Jas own, I voted. ‘no-’. then and voted ‘no’«
m^Sr artdWalkid'bVef'tosign the' tofday,, was’’ thdt e very ttfn&r
[someone] introduces an idea into
freezer.
Three main issues - the Oregon this process ... it costs the
Need Grant, child care for student taxpayer money. I calculated that
parents, and the Oregon Health it costs the taxpayers somewhere
Plan - were on the minds of seven between $24,000 and $30,000 for
students from Clackamas as they every day we are here,” said
Associate Student Government President Mike Caudle started the chant, “Education is
important!” Caudle’s speech focused on need grants, child care and funding the Oregon
Health Plan for students.
/------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------
LANEY FOUSE, Editor-in-Chief (ext. 2576)
BRAD ZIMMERMAN, Managing Editor (ext. 2576)
KARIN REDSTON, Co-Feature Editor (ext. 2309)
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Photo by Laney Fouse
Governor John Kitzhaber addresses an enthusiastic crowd
last Thursday during Student Lobby Day.
Miller.
He figures, of the average six
hours a day the senators spend in
hearings, the costs associated
amount to about $3,000 per hour.
Miller figured the process was
about $8000 to $ 10,000. Under the
current distribution formula of a
little over $4000 per student, he
asked himself, “Was this activity
worth two students? I said ‘no’
and that’s what this is all about.”
The senator spent several
minutes^dis^iis^jng h^jy itl]e
issues with the Clackamas
students. Perhaps the most
important message he impressed
upon them was the need to free
up money for educational
spending. He challenged them to
find the savings in other current
programs and transfer it into what
students believe are better
priorities.
“There are real examples, like
the proposal to do away with the
Oregon
Liquor
Control
Commission. It is suggested that
it would save us a $ 100 million per
biennium and $60 million every
biennium thereafter,” Miller said.
He also pointed out the
savings involved in letting
Oregonians pump their own
gasoline, building less prisons,
and privatizing the Department of
Motor Vehicles.
“Our budget here is exactly like
your budget at home - -there is
only so much money coming in,”
said Miller.
The round of visits continued
well into the afternoon to include
Representatives Roger Beyer, Ron
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cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us
BRANDY GEHRKE, Cartoonist (ext. 2309)
Staff Writers/Photographers/Production: Andrew Beck,
Maggie Bragg, Kim Harney, Joel Shempert
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JoAnne Gale, Secretary (ext 2309)
Adams, Jane Lokan and Larry
Sowa’s Chief of Staff Trish
Conrad..:
■ i
At Adams’. 'Office,: students
received word from the Chair of
the Subcommittee on Education
that they had provided some of
the backfill left by Measure 47.
Although there were details still
to be worked out, this was good
news for community college
students.
“What they have given us is
fair and reasonable based on
What’s happening in the state.
That $9.8 million probably
translates into about $300,000 for
Clackamas,” said College
President John Keyser. “We are in
a tight budget time and we know
we’re going to have to slowly
make adjustments in our budget.
We’re trying to do it in such a way
that it doesn’t disrupt what
students need and what people
expect of the college.”
Keyser was concerned
students may be confused about
the political backdrop of what
they heard in Salem. The tuition
freeze covers the state system of
colleges and universities.
“When the governor and
others talk about freezing tuition,
a lot a people will sweep the
community colleges into that. So I
am sure students will have
questions about it if we
[Clackamas] raise tuition,” Keyser
said.
The kicker revenue, if not
refunded, will be used to freeze
tuition
for
resident
undergraduates.
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