Western Front - 2001 May 15

              MONDAY, MAY 15, 2001
Western Washington University Volume 116 Issue 12 Bellingham, Washington
Gov, Locke proposes gas tax
'Thank you, Tim Eyman,' student says in response
Bellingham resident:RpseJewett pumps gas into her car at a local Texaco:
By Jessica Sparks trying to run all errands, at .'the
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western students could be pay­ing
more at the gas pumps if Gov.
Gary Locke's mass transportation
plan is approved by voters.
May 3, Gov. Locke announced
his $17.2 billion transportation
plan for the next 10 years, which
will be paid through a 7 cent gas
tax increase and a 2 percent sales
tax increase for new and used
cars.
"Thank you, Tim Eyman,"
Western student Mike Levine
said. "I would rather pay the
excise tax than pay at the
pumps."
Eyman pushed for approval of
the tax-cutting Initiatives 695
and 745.
The current state gas tax is 23
cents per gallon, and if Locke's
plan is approved by voters,, the
price of one gallon of gas could
reach $2. ;
Some Bellingham gas station
owners said they are not looking
forward to the gas tax increase.,
"Anytime gas goes up, whether
price or tax, it has an impact on
us because the public becomes
more price-conscious," Lakeway
Texaco owner, Wayne Howard
said. "We tend to lose volume."
Howard said motorists could
save money by carpooling and
same time.
7 would rather pay the
excise tax than pay at the
pumps.'
Mike Levine
Western student
He said most people could fill
their tanks with the lowest
octane of unleaded, instead of
the premium octanes.
"Obviously when taxes
increase, it makes it tougher to
Stomping Grounds closes unexpectedly
By Alashia Freimuth
THE WESTERN FRONT
After months of watching people buy drip cof­fee
from Starvin Sam's next door, coffee shop
owner Graham Fotheringham permanently hung
the "closed" sign in the window of Stomping
Grounds May 12.
Stomping Grounds, located close to Starvin
Sam's at 505 32nd St., closed unexpectedly due to
financial difficulties.
Fotheringham said that during nine months he
was in business, he had only six days when he
broke even.
"I never made a profit — that is why I closed,"
Fotheringham said.
He is completing his sixth year at Western
majoring in vehicle design.
With from his father, Fotheringham opened his
shop August 2000.
"I thought Bellingham needed a good coffee
shop," said Fotheringham.
Although Stomping Grounds was open daily
from 7 a.m. to midnight, business was slow, he
said.
Heather Baker/ The Western Front
Stomping Grounds, once filled with stu-
See STOMP, Page 3 dents, waits to be leased.
Josh Porter/ The Western Front
sell volume, but if prices rise all
over town, volume should
remain the same," said Brian
Patterson, Parkway Chevron
automotive technician.
Patterson said motorists who
keep their cars well maintained
will get better gas mileage,
which will save them money.
Dennis Hill, salesman for
Diehl Ford, said the gas tax
increase will force people to
think twice about buying a new
car.
A car that used to get $20 for a
tank of gas is not economical
when people, instead of.paying
$1.60 per gallon, are "paying $2
per gallon, he said.
New AS
officers
certified
By Jen True
THE WESTERN FRONT
While thumbing through
paperwork, rushing in and out of
his cubicle and jumping up
between several conversations to
answer the phone, Corey
Eichner, Associated Students
vice president for Student Life
and president-elect, tried to pre­pare
for a meeting with his suc­cessor,
Allison Smith.
Wednesday the AS board of
directors ratified the AS election
results. The new officers will
See AS, Page 3
Western
protests
racism
By Quoc Tran
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western students rallied
Friday in Red Square to pro­mote
an active dialogue about
racism on campus, in response
to the recent racist death
threats at Pennsylvania State
University.
"We are rallying in support
for students that are in fear
for their life,"said Anna
Brandt rally organizer and
Western senior.
Since November 1999, more
than 60 black students at
Penn State have reported
receiving racist letters and e-mails.
April 20, one of four
death "threatening" letters
sent to a black student leader
included a threat to bomb a
ceremony honoring black
graduates.
'If something like that hap­pened
to us, it would be
nice to know if President
Morse would support us.'
Jon Perez
Associated Students
vice president-elect for Diversity
"If something like that hap­pened
to us, it would be nice to
know if President Morse
would support us," said Jon
See PROTEST, Page 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Club baseball team
wins regionals
Western's club baseball beat
Boise State University to
win the regional tournament
Sunday.
See story, Page 9.
Woman tells of icy
adventures
Helen Thayer cross-country
skied around
the magnetic
North Pole at
age 50. She
lectured
about her
travels
Wednesday.
See story, Page 7.
For news tips, call (360) 650-3162 or e-mail The Western Front at wfront@cc.wwu.edu http://westernfrontonline.com