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Thursday, August 3, 1978
University Daily Kansan
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Comment
Unused editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Stated columns represent the views of only the writers
Voters regain control
Lawrence voters Tuesday told those who control their tax money how they wanted that money spent.
In approving the two referendums, the voters exercised their best means of making city and school officials responsive to their needs.
The voters approved financing plans for a new city hall on the Bowersock Mills site at Sixth and Massachusetts streets and a Lawrence Unified School District No. 497 budget package that increased the salaries of district employees.
needs.
Through the voters, the construction of the city hall has been vindicated. After all, in economic terms the completion of the city hall was a necessity. A great deal of money would have been lost had the vote been a collective no because of extensive work already done on or contracted for the site.
LUCKLY, LAWRENCE has its own strain of fever created by the passage of California's Proposition 13, an initiative that reduced property taxes there by 57 percent. In Lawrence, however, the voters demanded a voice in the expenditure of city funds but did not panic and slash the funding of a public project.
The question now is whether city officials will take heed of the public's displeasure with the way the project was handled. Although the Lawrence Public Building
Commission, which handed the project, was thought to be the most expedient method for getting the project completed, many citizens saw it as a way of circumventing the voters.
Enough voters thought so that a petition drive opposing the building commission was organized and eventually brought the matter to its vote Tuesday.
matter of civics City officials should consider carefully how they handle any project involving the public's money. They were fortunate this time. The voters approved what they already had decided. A different vote total Tuesday easily could have delayed or ended the project.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS also nearly killed the school budget increase that finally was approved Tuesday after losing at the polls in May in a different form.
On the May ballot, increases in administrators' salaries were included in the package to increase salaries of district employs.
On the Tuesday ballot, however, administrators dropped their salary increases from the package to help it pass. Their success at the polls indicated the voters' approval of their action, which reduced the budget increase and eased the voters' tax bite.
Through their pressure, voters have made both the city and the school district more responsive to them.
Some KU veterans will be unpleasantly surprised when they trudge up to the veterans' tent of the fall enrolment trench.
Most of the 1,000 or so veterans receiving aid and training had the first time that the possibility of qualifying for a Veterans Administration Loan Program is amoumlt.
No longer can a veteran deduct expenses other than education-related ones. And animals are education-related ones are restricted.
On June 2 the Veterans Administration quietly sent out a directive to its offices that significantly restricted the availability of receiving a VA loan.
The previous loan policy stated that if a veteran could show expenses beyond his income, he could borrow the difference, as much as $1,250 a semester. Last fall I borrowed more money than I was able that it took about six weeks to get the money. I wasn't the only one that took advantage of the easy terms.
Steve Neske, veterans representative for KU, said that last year more than $400,000 was lent to veterans.
Neske and I deducted my expenses for the coming semester income for the previous year. A result was that I could not borrow even $1.
However, since the new restrictions, Neske said, he has not had one student qualify.
Revised VA loans made elusive
But if I moved to Kansas City, Mo., and commuted
CSHE defends lobbying efforts
To the editor:
I am writing in answer to the questions raised in a recent letter to the Kanss on July 27 as to the effectiveness of Education, the KU student education, the KU student lobby organization. Because many such letters have no constructive criticism, I normally ignore them. I example, because allegations may be cited as fact, I feel obligated to reply.
Various recollections, random thoughts and impressions of Mikkelsen's that appeared in print also require further commentary. He writes, "CSHE, to my recollection,"
Letters
In the letter, Mark Mikkelsen, Lawrence graduate student, gave an account that showed how easy it is to be simplistic about any one group's ability to influence the legislators to fund the research library, the women's athletics program and the graduate fee waiver. CSHE's purpose was not to single-handedly twist the arms of legislators, but to work with the KU organizations in other states something done. He implies that CSHE failed because we did not get a full fee waiver and state funding of women's athletics, and then he praises the students involved in their good work. He asserts that CSHE should not take credit for the work done by Tedde Tasheff, former student body president, the KU administrator, the women's athletics, etc. Because we never did, I must ask him not to assign us all the blame, either.
payed no role whatsoever in gaining the very crucial recommendation given by Gov. Robert F. Bennett on the basis that Mrs. Kessler Perhaps if Mikkelson would check the facts, he would realize that CSHE did not exist at that time. I am sure we would have loved to have played him as a role—if only we could have solved the problem of participation before existence. But this is a philosophical question; it is obviously not a suitable one for me.
He writes, "CSH found itself woefully short of information about the fee waiver proposal with which to provide legislators, and came to meet the Graduate Student Council for information that had been available for months." The truth is that the information that CSH received from the graduate office, which after a few weeks was told that the fee waiver, was woefully inadequate in answering legislators' questions. Several legislators had asked about the fee waiver arrangement and how to book The Graduate Student Council not yet gathered some of this pertinent data; in particular, he had no information on the University of New York's waiver program nor did we know whether OU had such a program at all. A CSH member did some improper research on the matter, but the University didn't ask and the damage done. But in all fairness, I should
point out that OU is a long way from Kansas and this could have presented a problem for Mikkeelson's research efforts.
Later in his letter, he writes, "CSHE concentrated its contacts in the Senate Ways and Means primarily upon Sen. Paul Hess, R-Wichita, concerning the fee waiver. Anyone who knows anything about CHS knows we concerned our efforts in the legislation we could find someone to write to. The senator from Wichita was not, "CHS'F的爱 passed Valhena, as Mikkelsen states, but one of a number of Ways and Means senators we talked to during a crucial time. One such senator was Lawrence's own Anne Armsie for being the man behind the 60 percent fee waiver compromise that is now the law."
Mike Harper, student body president, and I once decided that it would be sad if the serious question of whether KU's KU would be reduced to "CSHE vs. ASK." Judging from the last two paragraphs of Mikkelsen's letter, it already is. After the 1970s, the people remember the 165 students who compose the mailing force, the 2,700 students who signed the CSHE library petition, and the Kansas Rep. Mike Glover, D-Lawrence, presented to the Kansas House of Representatives—and the public forums we had.
Ross Green Chairperson of Concerned Students for Higher Education
Temperatures
in halls uneven To the editor:
1 am a student working full time this summer with the Lewis Hall maintenance crew.
It was decided by the housing office about a month ago that all the residence halls that were not being used would go without air conditioning until students began returning in August. McCollum halles are the halls that have not been occupied in the past month, so I assumed that all four of these residence halls were without air conditioning. I assumed that all the workers in the halls held positions equivalent to degrees Fahrenheit heat including the housing office people in McCollum.
However, I found out just last week that the air conditioning was not turned off in McCollam. The administrators in the office who forced the "lowly" unskilled laborers and maids to strenuous manual labor in the unbearable heat—have been told to keep the decks with the air conditioner humming in the background.
If there is some explanation why the air conditioners were turned off in Lewis, Hashinger and Templin and not in McCollum, it certainly was not given to either the regular staff or those in the management instance, the housing office has shown absolutely no respect or consideration for the feelings and dignity of its workers.
Topeka graduate student
Don Fensler
never in the several hundred dollars for the semester. One reason for the increase was that instead of paying $555.10 for in-state I would be paying $600.10, thereby increasing my expenses by almost $600. Also,
According to Neske, the loan policy as it is now favors out-of-state veterans or veterans that attend institutions with high tuition, such as Harvard or Yale.
I could deduct mileage, as much as 110 miles a day for a round trip, which would add $900 more to my expenses.
"I don't see how anyone could qualify for the maximum loan," Neske said. What brought about such a case?
THE ANSWER lies in the results of a General Accounting Office investigation last January that found 56 percent of the outstanding VA loans nationwide were delinquent.
It seems that many of my fellow veterans were content to take the money and run. Now, because of those
irresponsible nitwits, others must suffer—like me.
But the problem isn't as disastrous as it could have been.
According to Jeff Weinberg, associate director of the office of student financial aid, most veterans are qualified for the Higher Education Loan Program. The university financial shape, Weinberg said, and plenty of funds will be available. The only hassle that he sees is that if a veteran applies at enrollment he will receive a $200 fee five week of November before he could receive a check.
A member of the KU
Campus Veterans, Winnam White, Lawrence junior, is passing around a petition protesting the action of the campus said some veterans had passed away and aid possibilities, preferring to get a VA loan. He said he heard of the change through a person who had tried to get a loan that did not directive because effective.
Although in light of the VA loan's huge delinquency rate some restrictions are definitely needed, it would seem that the VA would have enough about the needs of those they serve to at least give them a far warning.
White House joint session
r nose of us are parti to pumminly humorous irony can't help but notice the new meanings taken on lately by the term "high government official."
Before taking leave of the White House staff last week, Peter Bourne, President Jimmy Carter's former drug adviser, apparently took leave of his senses and let it be known that marjuanja smoking and that she not unusual among members of the White House staff.
That could explain the Carter administration's inability to implement sweeping social policy reform. ONE IMAGINES a high level of conversation on the country's most pressing issues going something like this:
"Califano says the AMA has given tentative approval to a stipulation that would then that would be calculated to extend accelerated depletion credits to
cover the undepreciated asset
balances on new equipment
capitalized at more than $1
Editorial Writer
million for research purposes only. What does Jimmy think?"
"Ohow. Uh, I think Ham or was it Jody? No, it was Stu. Stu said that maybe we would if they, no, it was Pete. Pete said maybe we would if they didn't."
"That doesn't make any sense. And who's Pete?"
"Uh, could you repeat the original question?"
OBVIOUSLY NOT EXACTLY the atmosphere to move the implementation to keeping social policy reforms.
Conservatives exhibit
proper outrage at the possibility of social drug use among White House staffers
But at least one pseudoupundit says conservative strategists are counting on befuddled members to delay progress on domestic policy reform.
Oscar Ritweing, former chauffeur for Ronald Reagan's second cousin and president of a Washington-based lobby group called "No, Period," is nowhere near the scats of power in Washington, but thinks he is.
"Hell, we knew they were potholes when we saw 'em wearing jeans in the Rose Garden. But who's afraid of them? We're gumming up the works, that's all," Ritwiring said. "My uncle a White House electrician, and he said they even had to drive their shredders in the place by trying to run marjuana
cigarette butts through them."
ANOTHER SOURCE, close to the White House plumbers, did the allegation, saying it were malfunctioning, that it were malfunctioning.
"They pulled a big wad of roaches out of one of the traps just yesterday," the source said. "Even the vice president's john was on the fritz the other day."
Ritewage said his group was counting on marijuana use to increase among bureaucrats
"There was a Cabinet memo issued the other day about leaks in the administration that got posted in the plumbers' office and high official thought they were talking about the toilets."
"Just think of it, if this catches on everybody in government will be walking around with smiles on their faces and not do anything at all. Then our nationwide goal could be achieved—no government, period!"
Cold type takes fun out of Times
NEW YORK—The pride that the New York Times displayed on July 3 in describing its total conversion to cold type was tempered through presses expressed by its linotype operators and makeup printers, who had long struggled with molten lead to achieve a sense of crudeness in getting copy into print.
Now, in the "new era," the Times said, "Readers should begin to notice fewer typographical errors."
By JOHN B. HANEY
This prospect made me wistful, too, for I had come to count on the Times' typographical notebook my morning reading and provide mental warming-up exercises.
I FOUND myself playing games like "What Word Is That?" Consider stories saying that Deputy Mayor Basil A. Paterson "represents the needs and spirations of the people that Congress passes" "increased mass transportation funding," or that 25-year-old locomotives "could economically be rebuilt" or that Berry "was an exquisite wall-popped place."
Another game I played was "Here We Go Again," best illustrated by two identical paragraphs one after the other,
i
but also apparent in a sentence like "Wyoming is the fastest growing state in the nation, outstripping even the state in the nation, outstripping even the Sunbelt states." One gets the feeling that really much more. So Sunbelt, a quotation would reappear two columns later in a long story, creating a sense of deja vu.
Along with my scrambled eggs at breakfast, I would play "Unscramble the Text." Here's how one story read: "The couple met over seven years ago when she was Barrow, Columbia, and had an art-major degree from Stevens joined a group for a sail in a boat that Mr. Cooke then had at City Island, in the Bronx." That one is not very hard, at least all the parts are in the same story. A real challenge was to walk as the Lost Island Rail Road that abruptly shifted to minority participation in the design of Westway. I had to look around
THEN THERE was the game I called, "Which Way Should You Take It?" One story read, "The defense accused another doctor of framing Dr. Jasclevich in order to make a lit of money." Should that be "bit" or "ok"? Or, "John Jay Iselin, president consortium of nos unassisted underwriters." Is that "not" or "now?" At least it didn't say "undertakers."
the page for another story with a missing part.
SOMETIMES I had to wait for the answer. Herbert Mitgart's Reporter's Notebook once had it that "The Scourge" is a futuristic story that Jewish studies. It is a memorial with drawings, to the inmates of the Terezin concentration camp and it should have called "The Scourge" is a futuristic story that includes the second burning of Atlanta."
It also was a challenge to figure out "Which Linotype Operator's Finger Has the Split?" That might account for "Cingressman asked for results if the inquirp by this spring when the House Communications Sub处 and Fireign Commerce Committee is expected to resume its hearings on a rewriting of the 1934 communications Act."
THERE WERE times when I suspected the linetype operators of engaging in a little undercover editorializing, such as "Mr. Richard said the Law Department would provide a
A lintopte operator playing with the keys to run out a spoiled slug could add a startling element to an otherwise straight story. Sir George Sawell, a former diplomat for his New York appearance, but "sE'etomp siusperblu" pushed the limit of his hortole.
vigorous prosecution to the fullest exten?t of the law."
Larger types created the game of "If This is the Head, it is the Tale." One bubble scene is The Walking Gate Giveway Area Park Corridor Througs Queens". Would the corridor extend to, say, The Through Neck Bridge? Or, the Through Tomes. Is this about the jail or the library? Or, Exhibitor Cited for Obscure Foul. Would this have a chilling effect on new-wave film making?
SUCH GAMES made reading the New York Times a morning pleasure, and I feel cheated at the prospect of cold type eliminating the warm vagaries that stem from the hot-metal technology of a century past. I read it with laughter and wry William J. Maloney, a supervisor of press-proof operations whom the Times quoted in the July 3 article about the new processes. Contrasting the "organized confusion" of the old composing room, Mr. Maloney said the new working rhythm of the music, the rhythm, the flavor. It's like working for an insurance company."
HOW'S THAT? An insurance company?
Let the games continue.
John B. Haney is professor of communication arts and sciences at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y.