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Show Tht Summer Chronic. Thurtday, Jun EDDUOKDAD. Editorial Board: Corey Lincoln Hobbs Patrick 23. 1CC3 Christemen Stewe Francis Millf-Oee- n Klintanun hv I lois collina. Demos' ERA support shows their conviction GOPsupersleuths locate Salt Lake County Democrats displayed both conviction and courage by expressing their support for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment at their convention last weekend. a nearly margin, convention defeated a proposal which delegates By 2-- 1 would have stricken the plank supporting the ERA from the platform. Instead of yielding to pleas from some delegates that the ERA was "dead issue" that Democratic candidates should not have to be a burdened with, a majority decided to uphold the idea of equality and hold fast to the principles that their party has always embraced. Rather than cowering before polls which show a majority in Utah oppose the ERA, Salt Lake City Democrats looked toother polls which showed that Utahns support the wording of the amendment as long as they don't hear the words "Equal Rights Amendment." These contradicting polls only show Utahns are grossly misinformed and are in need of educators who are extremely patient. Perhaps area Democrats are willing to assume this thankless task. Many people believe the ERA is a "dead horse" that should be buried. Those who witnessed the lively debate between local Democrats Friday evening may have a difficult time believing interest in the amendment is waning. There wasn't a more emotional moment during the convention. The Salt Lake County Democratic Party should be commended for holding steadfast to its beliefs and including support for the ERA in its platform. The state Democratic Party, which holds its convention in July, should show similar courage. a fugitive county delegate I've always thrived on the fact that I can become invisible if it suits me. When I don't want to see someone. I can always manage to avoid them. I'm not telling you this so you'll think I am heavily into Iloudini. but it's something you have to understand. You see. invisibility is unattainable if you are being sought by an oiganization. The IRS. the CIA and the FBI know-nothin- about surveillance and sneaky tracking methods. The Republican Party, on the other hand, could make locating missing persons a ery lucrative sideline. Money made in this manner could fill the coffers and assure financial stability to back the campaign of any party members. On May 19. I attended a mass meeting for the Republican Party and somehow, during the course of the evening, I was elected a delegate to the county convention. (Actually, it wasn't by chance; there was a great deal of planning that went into the election. After all, we're discussing politics.) As I left, I gave my telephone number to the new district chairwoman. The next day This is Mary . . . She's underpaid, sexually harassed, passed over for promotion and stuck in a stereo typed role . . She likes being Atreated special had only to express an opinion and we agreed a sort of instant empathy. One She's also against the ERA . . . I had received mail from a the candidates. And I of large number wondered vaguely how they had procured my address. But the plot thickened on the third day, when three of the contenders came in to talk to me at work. I hadn't told them where I worked, and my roommate assured me that she had given the information to no one. On June 1, 1 moved to a new address, three blocks from where I had been living. At the same time, my old roommate went East for the summer. Even so, one of the candidates showed up at my new apartment a few days later, and others followed shortly after. I was tempted to become angry about the whole thing, since it seemed these zealots for public fame were following me, but it is difficult to be mad at people who are so eager to please. I found that, with the candidates, I particulary agreeable candidate expressed his dismay that so many young men and women live together. When I told him I was living with a male, he agreed that it might be for the best, in some circumstances. (Mine, for example. I had a delegate vote.) A Utah representative, up for reelection, why? was also t i eaget to please me. Unsure of my religion, she tried to skirl the issue in the most tactful manner possible. "I don't hapten to by LDS." she said, "although my father recently comer ted and I do attend Relief Society." "I'm not LDS," told her. expec ting what I was to come. "Well." she replied. "Relief Society is rather boring." The days are filled with candidates and forums when you choose to accept the responsibility of being a delegate. Besides the telephone conversations, the interviews ad the massive amount of literature pro ided by the candidates. I also attended a "meet the candidate" gathering the week More the convention. The candidates sat up front, where each one gave a little spiel on what he stood for. Then we were treated to the real meat of the meeting. Formality aside, the candidates were free to interrupt each other and tell the gathered delegates about the opponents' various genetic and psychofive-minu- te logical malfunctions. Hutchinsoncalled Duffin uninformed, Duffin said Knudsen lacked any knowledgable base from which to function, Knudsen said he was the only man to provide strong leadership, etc. The thing that really shook me up, though, was not what the candidates said, or claimed. It was, instead, the things that were not said, the issues that were skirted. The attitude was that you could say anything, true or false, as long as it was carefully calculated in advance to assure votes. If it was unpopular, shut up. Most disturbing of all were the excuses some of the delegates used to justify their votes. "He's a member of the church." "I can't vote for him, he voted to allow funding for Planned Parenthood." "He doesn't look smart enough to be dangerous." "He won't do anything constructive, but he won't be destructive, either." In a race where every runner promised leadership and answers, there was no leadership, no answers. In the group, among the assembled delegates and candidates, I wished I was invisible. I was ashamed. If you are invisible, you don't have to appear to think. And the situation was not conducive to thought. clave simmons. College students will be zapped the worst by recession Editor's note: Dave Simmons is ASUU Public Affairs Board Chairman. In order to keep pace with inflation over the next nine months, you'll need an extra $75 a month. Combine that with the fact that more and more students are unemployed in the current recession this summer, and you end up with the fact that we're in for a hard year. The recession and inflation are hitting Utah, and college students are being hit worse than most. The number of those unemployed who are between 6 and 24 is roughly three times higher than the number of those 25 and older. Nationally, it's even worse. The unemployment rate of the 1 to 20 age group is 17.5 percent rising above the previous high of 16.1 percent experienced during the 1975 recession. Broken down further, national data indicates the 16- - to group is hardest hit, followed by the 18- - to group, and then by the 20- - to Women are having a harder time finding jobs than men, and nonwhites are more often unemployed than whites. Aside from the obvious reasons in the economy for unemployment of the 16 to 20 group, several other factors are relevant to consider. Chief among these are the often temporary nature of work performed by the college student, and often, especially with the 1 6 to 20 range, uncertain career goals. In light of these facts, many economists categorize 16 all-tim- e youth unemployment as "structural unemployment." Utah's position with youth unemployment in the next year is tenuous. Part-tim- e employment is being limited by many industries which are feeling the financial pinch. Student related jobs in the retail trade, clerical and construction industries will be cut back this summer and fall. Hiring The inflation picture is equally bleak. student with a job this fall will have to earn nearly a dollar an hour more than last year just to maintain his same level of living. Consider the following increases which you'll see during the next nine months if the current trends continue: the average student will spend an additional $50 a month on housing, transportation, and food. Tuition and books will average an extra $10 a month, and entertainment will cost an additional "Students with part-tim- e jobs have to earn nearly a dollar an hour more than last year to maintain the same level of living." A part-tim- e $6. Combining both problems unemployment and inflation students will be left in worse shape than nearly any other segment of the population. Yet already legislators and policy makers in the state and national communities are talking of "needed" increases in what students must pay. Legislation is underway in Congress to increase the interest rate on student loans from seven to nine percent resulting in an additional $180 a year. Here in Utah, student-relateincreases in tuition and fees have started to be discussed. It would be hard to justify an argument for no increases of student-relate- d concerns while the general economy is still plagued by high inflation. However, before proposing high increases in student loan rates and tuition hikes, it is strongly hoped that policy makers will closely examine the effects of the recession and inflation on the college student in comparison to other segments of the population. d freezes are already in effect at some downtown businesses as they attempt to reduce payroll expenses, and are suffering from falling sales. Coupled with these economic concerns is the fact that Utah's 16 to 24 age group is large than the national average, putting even more demand on the decreasing number of jobs available. |