| OCR Text |
Show Tuesday, January 16, 1996 The Daily Utah Chronicle - 9 LETTERS &, UPNON Legislature Might Be Ready to Listen, But Only if Students Talk The Utah State Legislature has $5.4 billion and is looking for a way to spend it. Students at the University of Utah and the state's other public colleges and universities might have a few million ideas on how some of this record budget could be spent. After years of treatment by the Utah Legislature, this year's windfall should bode well for higher education. For the past two decades, tuition in Utah's colleges and universities has increased at twice the rate of inflation. When adjusted for inflation, the money the state provides to each student has decreased by 18.5 percent over the last 16 years. The irony is that 80 percent of the legislators that make the budget for higher education attended Utah's public colleges and universities, and presumably have benefited directly from the system they have, of late, been so willing to If the Legislature truly values higher education and its byan educated work force, volumes of research, an products improved reputation for the state they need to make a monetary commitment to higher education. The time has come for Utah Legislators to reverse the trend of the last 20 years and right the wrongs that have been done to Utah college students. This session, Gov. Mike Leavitt has proposed a tuition freeze that would guarantee that tuitions throughout Utah public colleges remain at their current levels. This measure would help to defray some of the damage done by skyrocketing tuitions of the past years. In the session's most forward-thinkinmeasure. Rep. M. Keele Johnson is sponsoring a bill (HB 64) that calls for $3 million to establish a scholarship fund for Utah students who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend college. With the tenuous nature of the federal Stafford Loan and Pell Grant programs, it is refreshing to see a legislator recognizing how the state benefits from a populous, and taking the initiative to provide opportunity to those who otherwise would be left out in the cold by the high cost YkZS JSp lJ fyfl' JsPw ("7 AFFORDABLE I m sSIon HEALTH fifis 1 I 1 short-chang- - - g college-educate- d of college. Furthermore, a Democratic proposal to remove the sales tax on food, a regressive tax that weighs heavily on the lower income households, including college students and young married couples, would be beneficial and more equitable than another large property tax cut benefiting the wealthier homeowners in the state. But none of the bills proposed for this legislative session are a guaranteed victory for college students. Last year, when the Legislature had a similar windfall, public colleges and universities fared poorly. Higher education received $17 million less from the Legislature than the Regents had requested and the governor had recommended, as Republicans opted for a larger tax cut at the expense of higher education. So Utah students need to be involved in the lobbying process. Their own interests are at stake and the future of their schools could be decided in the next session. The Associated Students of the University of Utah conducts lobbying efforts and an annual rally, which are good, ways for students to get involved without devoting much time. But a failure to understand the legislative intricacies, a shorts fall in the support from students, and the inability to gain the support of the stubborn Cowboy Caucus, has severely undermined the effectiveness of ASUU's lobbying 1 w n Only Christianity Can Solve Nation's Problems A recent house editorial appearing in The Daily Utah Chronicle was a sad example of American blindness in writing "U.S. Supreme Court Ruling of Condoms in Schools Is Sensible," Jan. own. I have n extreme example which would run contrary to Christian values, but the point is clear.) How selfish not to think what it would be like to have the government take children and teach them that whatever values their parents taught them were lies. Your staff lauded this and similar actions. Arc they really ready to embrace a system where the citizens' values arc determined by the government and where the parental role is oversee "Christ" on page 10 10,1996 Without coming out and explicitly saying the government should teach and decide the moral values by which parents must raise their children, the members of the editorial board advocated the actions that cause this. They claim to understand the evils of fascism and the value of freedom of choice, but only when those choices mimic their no doubt they would be up in arms if the Supreme Alternative Lifestyle' Activists Demand Too Much Eric Gustavson Chronicle Editorial 45-da- y non-demandi- Court ruled that all parents had to raise their children with values - for example, ruling that prayer in schools could be forced if not done voluntarily. (This is an Judeo-Christia- Columnist requires me to condone their conduct? For example, I don't expect anyone to buy into my paradigm (although not doing so would make you wrong), I only expect to be left alone. All to often, rather than arguing that individuals and groups pursuing diverse lifestyles be allowed to function without the interference of others, the proponents of such traditionally alternative paradigms cross the line into the nasty world of forced moral acceptance. The utilization of phrases such as "We're here, whether you like it or not" or "We're everywhere" seems to intend to frighten people into accepting whatever perspective such speakers arc arguing for, rather than trying to persuade individuals to avoid potential discriminatory attitudes. AS the cur rent push toward the acceptance of cultural diversity threatens to destroy the very freedom which the move- ment seems to value. I am concerned that implicit intentions of the perspective which argues for the acknowledgment and allowance of (at least contextually) lifestyles and beliefs includes a goal more insidious than their explicit arguments would grass-root- efforts. is contact the legislators directly. It the most effective way to make your views known without having your opinion diluted by a middle man, and it's often said by lawmakers that for every phone call or letter they receive, there are a dozen other people who feel the same way but didn't take the time to write or call. Rep. Afton Bradshaw is the House chair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee and can be reached or by mail at 318 State Capitol, Salt Lake City, at Steel is the Senate Chair and can be reached David 84114. UT, at or by mail at 319 State Capitol. All other House and Senate members can also be reached at these phone numbers and addresses. Students should also find out who their Legislators are and contact them to lobby for support. Call your legislator, lobby for support, and attend the ASUU rally beginning Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol. Because sooner or later, students arc going to have to pay, either through a small investment of their time now, or through a larger investment from their wallets later on. The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper. The above editorial reflects the majority view of the Editorial Board and was ratified by a unanimous vote. What students should do is 538-102- 9 538-103- 5 , With increasing frequency, the push for societal recognition of and diverse organizations individuals stops not at the point where they arc recognized as alternatives which should be allowed to act, believe, and conduct themselves as " don 't wander around whin-in- s things like Tm an Oojectivist-lovin- g, endorsing, BMW-drivin- g free-market-supporti- ng, capitalist Why is that necessary? I don't wander around whining things like "I'm an Objcctivist-loving- , capitalist endorsing, BMW-drivinwhite male here to consume as many resources as I can, and you'd better get used to it!" If I did, almost no one would take me seriously, and chances aie I'd get beaten up on the way to my economics class because I was imposing LDS, hierarchical, my Anglo-Saxog they choose. Rather, accepting the white male here to consume goals of this movement seems to resources include an unexpected "package can, many deal." This combo (sort of like being better get used to handed the No. 3 Value Meal at patcrnaljnarginalizing, mmmm " McDonald's when you only ordered imperialistic views on society. if were to set up a tabic in the middle someone a Big Mac) infers that not only should a marginalized (or at By contrast, least perceptually marginalized) group be allowed to act of campus and go on a tirade about the virtues of socialism or feminism or the necessity of recognizing your "minority" staautonomously and without discrimination in public or private beliefs in addition their that but to or this, tus, they would be heralded as making brave new headway paradigm spheres, into intellectually uncharted areas, and lauded for being should be acknowledge as morally acceptable by all members of society. courageous enough to stand up against the oppressive, domiHere's where I part company with anyone who believes in nant Western tradition. this perspective. I (ail to see the necessary correlation between The bottom line is that while I have an absolute obligation not interfering with the beliefs and activities of an alternate to allow everyone to act and believe in any way that they choose (assuming that such activities don't interfere with my group and accepting the fact that the conduct they participate in or the beliefs that they hold arc correct. Why would it be freedom), but I certainly don't have to accept anyone's belief entailed that allowing another individual to act in a given way see "Gustavson" on page 10 you d as I as and it!"' one-side- |
