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Barometer The Daily
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 • OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
DAILYBAROMETER.COM
Harris, Tang, Stambaugh compete at NCAA Championships
VOLUME CXVI, NUMBER 118
Extension center fears county cuts Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center could lose entirety of county funding By Alex Crawford The Daily Barometer
The Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC) in Jackson County has been in a state of shock all week as they cope with the news that their program may lose all county funding. On April 12, the Jackson County Budget Committee voted to eliminate funding for SOREC, which operates in a partnership between Oregon State University and Jackson County. That decrease represents a loss of more than $200,000 or 11 percent of the extension service’s total funding. This could very well mean curtains for the program, affecting thousands in Jackson County, including 4,000 kids involved in the 4-H Youth Development program. “We were stunned,” said Anne Manlove, a SOREC extension agent in charge of 4-H youth development. “We had been at a 1 percent cut based on early budget proposals from the administrator, but the committee decided to make it a 100 percent cut.” Although the Jackson County Budget Committee did not give a reason for the proposed budget cut, it is one of many. The committee is attempting to close an overall budget gap of more than $14 million from the last fiscal year.
Although SOREC does receive a their homes, and their communities,” majority of their funding from state according to the OSU website. and federal grants, Steve Clark, OSU Some of the services provided by OSU vice president of university relations extension include 4-H youth developand marketing, explains that the loss ment, the master gardener program of county funding could have collateral and forest stewardship programs. Unless damage. something changes, all of these pro“Any change of that magnitude rep- grams could cease to exist in Jackson resents a serious impact in the way the County. extension service works,” Clark said. “If “It’s significant,” Manlove said. “The potentially you lose that on one end, master gardener program is one of you could lose it from the most active in somewhere else too. the state. The Master Some grants require Gardener Fair goes OSU Extension matching funds, and away. The 4-H youth if that were the case program, which supServices wants to then [this budget cut] 4,000 kids, goes work with the Jack- ports would act as a twoaway. The Sam’s Valley times multiplier of son County Comafter-school program funds going away.” mission and have a goes away.” Clark added that Employees of this decision by conversation to create SOREC and residents Jackson County is of Jackson County are more support. coming at a time not without a glimwhen the state legmer of hope, though. Steve Clark islature is evaluating SOREC is exploring Vice President of university relations how much funding the possibility of a to give to extension services, and that it countywide housing surcharge — basiappears the state will reduce funding for cally a fancy way of saying tax — of $2 the programs. to $10 per home, which would create “The state says ‘Hey, if Jackson County previously non-existent revenue. doesn’t want it, other counties would On April 24, the extension service advilove to have the dollars that flow,’” sory committee will explore the option of Manlove said, explaining the double- moving SOREC from the Jackson County edged sword of the budget cut. General Fund-based funding to service OSU operates extension services in district-based funding. all 36 counties of the state to provide The move to a service district “research-based knowledge in a way that See SOREC | page 2 is useful for people to improve their lives,
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Employees march for bargaining rights n
Members of Local 083, part of the Service Employees International Union, march By Kyle Reed
The Daily Barometer
Members of Local 083 marched at
Oregon State Thursday afternoon to show support and awareness for the bargaining of their contract. Local 083, a sub-local of the Service Employees International Union Local 503, represents more than 1,100 classified employees at OSU. Positions of classified employees range from librarians, food service, custodial service and
mitch lea
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Brett Moser, SEIU organizer, leads classified employees in a march for bargaining rights on Thursday.
office workers. “It’s really important for us to get involved and have our particular group of workers acknowledged and respected by administration, because we’re the front-line workers that assist our students here on campus,” said Gloria O’Brien, Local 083 president. The march began at the Reser Stadium, gradually making its way to the LaSells Stewart Center, where the negotiations were taking place. The rally was aimed to show support for the members of the negotiation team within. “One of the ways unions get things done is by motivating workers to actually just get out and use their voices to demand what they want,” O’Brien said. “The goal of this is that people will come, we’ll rally here, chant a few songs and march down to the wonderful new OSU sign, and back to the LaSells Stewart Center, where the bargaining is happening.” Representatives from each of the seven universities involved in the
Oregon University System were present at the negotiations. The negotiations determined the wages and working conditions for all classified employees under the contract, which is renegotiated every two years. The results of the previous year saw both successes and shortcomings, among which were furlough days and step increases. “Some things went well, and other things did not,” said Local 083 secretary Lynn Thompson. “It’s a difficult financial time, and we understand that, but it definitely impacts the work we are able to do for people.” Thompson also hopes to remind people on campus that a lot of the tasks done on campus are due to classifed staff. “We’re just hoping for a good, strong contract that respects the value of our work here at the OSU campus,” O’Brien said. Kyle Reed, news reporter news@dailybarometer.com
mitch lea
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Classified employees in Local O83, the OSU sub-local of the Service Employees International Union, marched from Reser Stadium to LaSells Stewart Center.
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Representatives send executive branch summons n
Author of summons claims he wants to make sure the executive branch is doing what they are supposed to be By Don Iler
The Daily Barometer
ASOSU Representative Nick Rosoff has sent a summons to the ASOSU president and vice-president demanding that they provide attendance records, performance evaluations and overview of accomplishments of task force directors and cabinet members. The summons, which Rosoff sent by email Thursday at 3 p.m., asks the executive branch to comply with it by Tuesday, April 23 by 6 p.m. The email includes the names of Jacob Vandever, speaker of the house, and representatives Pedro Arenas, Saul Boulanger and Michael Robb in the signature line. However, it is not clear whether Rosoff reviewed the contents of the email with the representatives before he sent it. Vandever denies having agreed to put his name on the email. “I never agreed to summon someone, nor can we summon someone without a vote of the representatives,” Vandever said. The house of representatives was unable to hold a meeting Wednesday because it did not have a quorum. The house has not passed or heard any new legislaSee ASOSU | page 2