Voters must hold Salem fiscally responsible
I am an Oregon resident who voted against Measure 28. I am also a student at the University who will feel the impact of Measure 28’s defeat. What baffles me is the absolute blindness of both sides on the real issue behind the measure.
Liberals make the assumption that those who voted against the measure are selfish “rich” folk who will not be affected, while conservatives hail the defeat as victory against higher taxes. What both sides miss is the fact that the Oregon Legislature, Republican and Democrat alike, has wasted money.
The facts show that Oregon does have enough money to be both a fiscally safe and socially nurturing society. With adjustments in the PERS mortality tables — saving $200 million– and cutting “pet” projects, legislators can cut the budget while leaving untouched the issues that determine our state’s health.
While the state constantly spends thousands of dollars on these tax measures, nobody says anything against the politicians in Salem who allow themselves raises as others go unemployed. When do we acknowledge a collective need to stand together and hold the real culprits responsible? We do still have a vote, and while we will always have our political differences, the basic needs of every Oregonian can be met.
We must use the same resources and passion displayed in the recent election to hold Salem responsible. This has nothing to do with politics. This money should be administered as a sacred trust to provide for all of our state’s needs.

Kelly Flynn

sophomore

political science

Less military spending will help the nation
How can the most powerful nation in the world have such a person as George W. Bush for its leader? Was it not less than four years ago that the budget was balanced for the first time since the Nixon administration?
How can we go from being in the black and having a surplus, to being so far in the red that just about every state is being affected by a lack of jobs and by a lack of funding for some of our most important programs? Why is it that we have to boost money for schools and medical care? Heck, the government has most of the money right now — correct?
My simple question is: Where is the money going? I know that I don’t know the whole story, and I doubt that we will ever know everything. What I do believe, however, is that something is wrong. I have a simple solution for our problems. The government has spent $343 billion on defense for 2002, or 50.5 percent of the total budget. The combination of spending by the government in education, health, social security and Medicare, veterans benefits, and finally, natural resources and environment totaled only $143 million.
This is just an idea — don’t build all of your attack subs. Hold one off and give that money to the schools and Medicare and such so that you don’t have a bunch of uneducated sick people to defend.

Daniel Burbach

junior

pre-journalism

Keep oil companies out of the Arctic
Once again, the oil companies and the Bush administration are looking to destroy the Arctic. A place we fought for just yesterday is again under attack today.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the nation’s last remaining pristine places. It is home to many rare species, including polar bears, caribou, musk oxen and hundreds of species of birds. Drilling in this area would do nothing but hinder the wildlife and beauty of the north slope of Alaska.
In addition, drilling in the refuge is completely unnecessary. Energy efficiency and renewable energy policies would easily save far more energy than could ever be drilled out of the refuge. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the refuge contains less than a six-month supply of oil for our nation, and oil industry executives estimate that the oil there wouldn’t be available for at least 10 years.
Drilling in Alaska is not the answer. The public has shown interest in this area before on behalf of the wildlife and against drilling. Just when we thought we had won on the public’s ideas, the corporations are attacking it once more. Legislatures are our voice in this matter and they need to effectively represent our standpoint. Destroying the arctic is not the way out of our dependence on oil and it should stop now!

Kelly Huckestein

sophomore

undeclared