4
Thursday, February 5, 1976
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN Comment
Opinions on this page reflect only the view of the writer
A welfare transfer
Social security, probably the most regressive tax in the country, has once again placed an extra burden on lower- and middle-income groups. At the beginning of the year, payroll deductions for the service increased to 5.85 per cent, thus raising the maximum yearly deduction to $895, a rise of $70.
The system has served an important function since it began in 1939. More than 90 per cent of all employed persons are eligible for benefits, including retirement benefits at age 65, and a similar proportion of mothers and children are eligible to receive survivors' payments if the head of the family dies.
But the system is now operating in the red and the situation is expected to get worse. There are now more than 22 million people aged 65 or over. If expected increases occur, the number of people who will be aged 30 million by the year 2000 and 50 million by 2030. Money to handle the increases must be found.
One of the biggest problems inherent to the system is that while social security is being sold to the American public as insurance, it is actually nothing but a welfare transfer system. In insurance, the policyholder makes present payment for his future needs. In a welfare system, the "policyholder" makes present payments for somebody else's present needs. He then has to depend on future generations to do the same for him, and with the condition of the present system, this is not likely to occur.
Increasing the percentage each employee pays may sound like the simplest solution but in the long run it could cause more problems than it solves. During a recessive economic period, any increase of taxes can hinder recovery. As the taxes increase, the income available to spend on goods is decreased, causing a destabilizing effect.
Also, increases in social security deductions place an increasing burden on the lower classes. Taxes for the system are levied on annual incomes up to $15,300. Persons with wages above this level pay no social security on earnings past that level. And social security deductions are placed only on income from wages, salaries and self-employment earnings. The big sources of income for the wealthy, capital gains, dividends, interest and income from property—are left untaxed.
Alternatives have been offered to help individuals recover from uncom招 groups. The suggestions include:
—raising the taxable base of $15,300 or eliminating the base entirely.
allowing exemptions for such things as family size or high medical expenses. This suggestion would have the tax burden on the same way as federal income taxes.
—eliminating the social security deduction completely and paying for the system through federal income tax revenue.
Surely a plan can be worked out so that the system can continue to be funded without becoming a drain on the common working man. If the program continues the way it is going, with higher and higher percentages being deducted each year, the system will be met with growing opposition.
If the opposition gains enough support, the entire social security system could be in jeopardy. And if the system is discontinued, the problem will no longer be one of finances but of suffering. Too many lives, including many children and families, depend on the system. The problems must be corrected before complications and oppositions develop that could kill the program.
By Marne Rindom Contributing Writer
Highbrows low on morale
WASHINGTON - "It is quite true that we have a considerable number of graduates from Eastern colleges. It is also true that in numbers of degrees, Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Princeton lead the list, but they are closely followed by Chicago
... Stanford and MIT." Allen Dulles, former head of the CIA, discussing the social background and professional qualifications of the Agency's personnel.
Thoroughbreds though they are, the media report that spirits are sagging among the agency operatives.
"The mushrooming publication of names of CIA employees," a recent dispatch from Bonn tells us, "has the power to make the in already low morale of agency personnel overseas."
To show you how low things have gotten, let's go to the home of the CIA Station Chief in the white enclave on the outskirts of the city of Hambono, the capital city of Pangasinan, equatorial nation of Patong. Archibald Archway, B.A. Harvard 56, M.A. Yale 58, Ph.D. Princeton, is having drinks on the porch of "CIA House," as the Hambonianons refer to the Chief's dwelling, the largest and most opulent in city, which also boasted a Holiday Inn until an insurrectionation fact blew up the Arminta Bloodworthy Archway, B.A. Raddiffe 57, M.A. Yale 59, Promgent 60.
"I can't. I'm low, Minty, low, low. Nothing works for me anymore. The cyanide tablets in the head of the Patoise the head of the Patoise Liberation Front have gone stale. The lye and sulfuric acid
"Husband, dear," Arminta says. "you must buck up."
mixture we put in the water pistol of the Minister of Interior's son has gone flat. The trouble we went to, to get the pistol to boot it in his old dad's eyes. "says" the philt "Nothing."
proving they know who our agents are. It wouldn't matter except for these new nationalities that keep springing up, Polycarp. They don't even have countries. People wander around the world demanding the establish-
"Now, A.A., how were you to
By Nicholas
von Hoffman
(C) King Features
know the Minister of Interior were contact lenses? You did burn a hole in his nose. Won't handle them? And with that dreadful Senate?"
"Oh, shut up, Minty. Tell that guck housebuy of yours to get me another drink."
"Wog! A.A., he a wog. Remember, you are, you are as they as they constitute the figure of Polycarp Blenin, the KGB Station Chief, walking across the lawn toward them. The sadness of refined sadness about him
"Beloved enemy, A.A.,
unfolded forever. Yolpary addresses the
tones of profoundest condolence.
"Terrily sorry. I靠
I hop, dear friend, you
I think we got notik to do
with dis."
"My God, no! exclaims Archbrow. "If we can't trust you people in the KGB, who is there to trust?"
"You know wot is killink your bagents? Is it dis putting names of bagents in de nosepapers, Why you do dat silt tink?"
"The little pismires want to show off to their friends by
ment of countries that have never existed, never even been thought of, and if they don't get their way as quickly as they stamp their feet, they shoot one of our people. This last poor
man of ours was killed by a terrorist fanatic who's demanding nationhood for the Iuc of Muc."
"This publicity," signs Armita Arcbrow, "it's upset the children. Particularly that business about Castro's beard. They're as ashamed of their father."
"Show dem you medals, decorations, wot you did for your country."
"He's not allowed to, Polycarp, it's against the agency's rules. They don't let him tell an of the good thouls."
"Too bad. Me. I am Honored Pipe's Ship and member All Soviet order of de Dirt Trick, Second Class. Wow you got it?"
"Ah, holt friend, remember de good days of de Cold War. De were de times, no?"
"They made such glamorous movies about you boys," says Arninta.
"And nobody asked any questions."
No kvestions. Now dey laf at us."
"I know, Polycarp. Give them a lifetime of dedicated care, blackmilk and treachery, and this is the thanks you get."
"Hokay, mine friend, holt buddy, enough low morale. Le me 'give em a good show here in dis room.' We put on a good coat of Patioce. We put on a good one for 'em, make 'em forget lSD in de coffee doing恳 do you want to De stabilise ice or de unstabilize force?
"Well, I'll be the destabilizing force for a change, but it isn't going to help my morale."
The owner of the eight-foot by eight-foot room also has quite a
Small bars inherit the crowds
If you see a bar in Lawrence you can be fairly sure that there was a bar there twenty years ago and that there will still be a bar there twenty years from now.
Oh sure, there have been some changes since 1956. The bars on Massachusetts change from the original Rock Chalk/New Haven/Ark/Cafait. Other bars have occasionally face lifts. Some don't.
The secret of KU bars' longevity is simple: be small. If you feel the skin is feeling they're one of the regulars. They'll feel at home in that bar and go elsewhere only on occasional occasion of scenery.
Not only that, but a small bar gets crowded faster. A party is in order and there is a saddlerily more exciting in an eight-foot by eight-foot room in a triple-wide trailer, which you can have a mirrored dance floor.
bit less overhead to worry about.
bars have neither dance floors nor room for a band or a disc jockey. They are tempted to stray from the fold.
People have told me that in other college towns with small bar systems, it's at times such as here they don't syndicate come riding in on
By Jim Bates Contributing Writer
several decades or so, KU students have liked their bars that way.
There is, however, a weakness in the KU system; a flaw that could at any time destroy it.
Whenever dancing makes a comeback—as it is now—KU's bar-going population begins to notice that their beloved small
white horses to take over with something new and shiny and hure.
These bars become "the place to go" and drive many of the smaller bars out of business. Then, after a semester or so, students get bored with "the place" and rush to a newer, bigger place as soon as it is built.
Perhaps this will happen in Lawrence. Already, the Free State has been bought by an out-of-state bar chain and rumors of a modernized disco have been heard.
This is what is happening in Manhattan. It's also happened in Hays and other college towns. And once you get on the disco roller coaster and the small bars are gone, it's hard to stop.
But it's far too early to tell whether the new Free State will be of the flashing floor-mirrored table kind. Even if it is, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the place to go. The out-of-town invader should probably be surprised could be some unexpected competition—the Kansas Union.
The Union's Hawk's Nest, which has been featuring live bands and dancing on weekends this semester, is anything but difficult. The club is only by the draw, making specials on pitchers impossible.
The Hawk's Nest will probably never become the place to go.
The Hawk's Nest isn't really a threat to the traditional small bars. After all, it's only in business late on weekend evenings. The small bars still get the weeknight crowds—plus the people who don't like bands the people who don't squeeze into the Hawk's Nest.
What the Union can do, however, is destroy the novelty of dancing in a bar. It accustoms people to the idea of dancing as a weekend change of pace.
It also accustoms them to the absence of a cover charge, something a new shiny disco is rarely without.
So even if a new shiny disc does come, that doesn't mean it will necessarily become the place to go. Some of the small bars would survive. And, in the case of a new disc, you become an old, tarnished disc and there would be no reason to do any more now.
And the small bars would inherit the campus.
YES POLKS, THERE ARE MANY IMITATIONS, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO BE SURE AND ASK FOR IT BY NAME: HUBIE'S "PLEEZDAY PUNCH."
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