4
Tuesday, April 4, 1978
University Daily Kansan
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Comment
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of only the writers.
Tighten KUAC budget
A curious thing happened at the KUAC board meeting Friday. That proposed Berlin Wall south of Memorial Stadium, which students had been assured was dead, came back to life—in the form of a $40,000, eight-foot-high chain-link fence.
By a narrow margin and with less than a quorum present, the board gave Clyde Walker, KU athletic director, the green light for the fence. It also approved Walker's latest budget, which has a deficit of $112,730.
Once again, students have been misled by KUAC and the board that does its bidding. Last fall, students were assured by Walker and the board that a wall wouldn't be included in the $1.8 million stadium renovation. But the fence is just as costly, just as fiscally irresponsible, as any wall would have been.
THE REASONING behind opposition to the wall still applies. Students still would be assessed through a ticket increase for something that gives them no direct benefit. Why did the board, which voted against the wall last fall, vote for the fence this spring?
Why are students, who are already paying for renovations on the east part of the stadium, going to have to pay for the added cost of the fence? No matter how the fence is financed, it still is an additional burden on students. That is because ticket prices are affected by the overall KUAC budget. If there is enough money left in the $1.8 million renovation to squander on a fence, there is enough left to pass on in lower student prices.
Meanwhile, women's athletics faces vicious cuts from the Kansas Legislature. While University women prepared for their Monday run to Topeka, a bloated KUAC budget was being typed. The injustice is obvious.
According to Steve Leben, board member and former student body president, Walker told an executive committee of the board
two weeks ago that there were no plans to build either a wall or a fence. If Leben is right, the decision is especially appalling. Unfortunately, reporters were excluded Friday from the part of the meeting that dealt with the fence.
Regardless of Walker's candor, or lack it, the board members who did his bidding share the blame. Those members, as closely as can be determined, include Dam Amber, vice chancellor for student affairs; Gerhard Zuther, professor of English; Craig McCoy, KU comptroller, and Walker.
IN ADDITION, the majority of the board that didn't even show up for the meeting raises questions about whether a board to advise Walker is even worth having.
Supposedly, the fence is needed to beef up security around the stadium. So far, it hasn't been demonstrated that security is inadequate. And it is dubious whether it is worth $40,000 to raise the height of an existing fence by about two feet.
Those who endorsed the fence also might have contemplated how it will affect alumni support of the University. It isn't difficult to fathom that potential contributors to KU athletics will be turned off by wasteful expenditures—especially when KUAC no longer seems able to turn a profit.
ALSO, KUAC still has to come up with $112.70 to cover its deficit. It wouldn't be at all surprising if University administrators were asked to whine in Topeka for the additional funding. Administrators should resist that impulse.
If lobbying is to be done, women's athletics should come first. But more importantly, KUAC must learn how to tighten its belt. Total expenses of $2.9 million for next fiscal year mean that every KUAC dollar must be wisely spent.
Students deserve a financial and ethical break from KUAC. They're not getting it.
1. smoother political heat under Kansas Attorney General Carl Schneider is beginning to burst into flames.
Schneider merits impartial judge
Several Kansas legislators are stoking the fire and Schneider's alleged miserasure of the state by fueling the fuel. The kindling is Schneider's unsuccessful attempt to prosecute Senate President Ross Doyen for possible campaign finance violations in Kansas campaign finance laws.
The case against Schneider is similar to the case against Doyen in that there is some question of wrongdoing by a lawyer who has been compelled by an outbreak of political charges and countercharges. In both cases, the solution needs to come from a judge or an auditing committee. In either case, law enforcers or lawyers.
Although Schneider hasn't officially announced anything yet, he is widely thought to be a candidate for governor in the fall. This is enough to put many state politicians on their guard.
In reply to comments like Gaines', either Schneider or one of his aides would snarl back just as vehemently.
The battle lines, however, did not follow party lines. Schneider, who is a Democrat, was most viciously attacked for his action against the Democrat, State Sen Frank Gaines of Augusta. Gaines jumped to support Doyen, saying such things about the case as, "This is the most blatant misuse and abuse of the public trust, the absolute I’ve seen in 12 years here."
THE HANDLING of the charges against Doyen provides a good example. When the attorney general's office decided to prosecute Doyen, there was a swirl of counterfeit evidence. Schneider's action was politically motivated and unnecessary.
JOHN MARTIN, assistant attorney general, said in defense of charging Doyen, Allan B. Martin and other motives, and that's easy for any cheap, loud-mouth politician to do."
The verbal attacks went on like this for several weeks. Many outside observers shook Daven's head on earth was going on. Finally, the case found its way to the proper authority, Shwaheen County District Court Judge Linda M. Doven against Doven were dismissed.
But out of the Doyen case, and its consequential uprising of ill feeling toward Schneider, came a renewed interest in the controversies surrounding a trip to Joplin, Mo., last summer.
On that trip, Schneider apparently used a state car for personal purposes, an activity he had been doing on that same trip, he also was
photographed outside a Joplin motel with an unidentified woman who was not his wife. That, needless to say, embroiled Schneider in a rather only controversy the actor is printed in newspapers and broadcast on television.
Schneider's alleged misuse of a state vehicle has been confirmed by the Legislative Post and is under investigation by legislative watchdogs are snapping at Schneider's throat. In a letter to members of the committee, Richard Brown, legislative post auditor, said that he had broken the law when he drove to Joplin with a personal friend.
THE LETTER concluded that Schneider's use of the state car had been "an apparent violation" of two state statutes. The state may soon request a second audit to look into a separate
incident that involves the use of a car leased by the attorney general's office.
Schneider has agreed to pay the state $4.50 for the trip to California, but wants the way to properly handle the matter. Petty-cash reimbursement is hardly the point; what matters is that laws may not be broken.
Schneider's activities require proper action taken by the proper authorities, as was the case. Doyen's alleged defense
There are some unanswered questions, and they must be answered—for the sake of all citizens and citizens of Kansas.
SO FAR Schneider has refused to allow his office to prosecute himself. So far it appears he is trying to make light of the alleged lawbreaking and to weasel out of the affair.
Sen. Wint Winter, R-Otawa,
seems to have summed up the
controversy by saying that he is
not satisfied with Schneider's
response to charges of missing
state vehicles.
"It appears he's appointed himself investigator, researched the law, then appointed himself prosecutor; defense attorney, judge, jury, court of appeals and supreme court, then found himself not guilty," Winter said.
The Schneider charges must be prosecuted by someone who is independently appointed and not connected in any way with the attorney general's office. A lawyer can perform in the proper court in which a judge can perform his appropriate duty.
As in the Doyen case,
Schneider's guilt or innocence
in a courtroom-
not in the hallways of
the capitol building.
City must explain criticism of air quality
The quality of air in Lawrence violates national health standards. That is the conclusion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after having studied multiple quality tests taken in Lawrence for more than two years.
Although the tests' results are puzzling to the EPA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Dewayne Durst, chief of air section in the EPA's Kansas City surveillance and enforcement unit, said that the EPA still considered pollutants in Lawrence to be at a dangerous level.
The burden is now on the city to either disprove the earlier tests' findings or to change conditions so that the city would be able to meet its standards. The deadline for doing that is nine months away.
DENNIS LANE, KU assistant professor of civil engineering, will be retesting the air quality for the state this summer. He said he'll be testing second chance to get into good graces with the EPA. Lane is optimistic that this new round of tests will successfully prove that water is safe to drink. A fluke he does seen to have some basis for this optimism.
The original findings showed that Lawrence had high concentrations of ozone. However, according to Lane, ozone, which is composed of the pollutants from automobile emissions. The sunlight changes those emissions to photochemical oxidants, which in large quantities can be hazardous to humans' health.
The discrepancies in the tests taken in Lawrence stem from the low measurements of auto exhaust, even though the level was high. It is said, high quantities of oxidants usually are accompanied by high quantities of other noxious gases. But the tests showed no alarmingly high quantities of oxygen or which EPA tests were made.
Lane has developed a few theories about why so many oxidants were found in Lawrence's air. The testing was carried out by the Public Library's parking lot, across the street from the
municipal pool. Lane said it was possible that the chlorine from the pool interfered with the monitoring device.
IF THE oxidants actually exist in Lawrence, Lane said, they may have been produced
whole city of Lawrence isn't in violation. After all, these are things that we live with."
In his discussion of the air tests to be taken this summer, Lane seems to have taken a peculiar attitude. He thinks that it is "almost impossible" to find high concentrations of ozone in Lawrence and in the instruments used for the tests were EPA-approved and in proper working order.
be indications that Lawrence has a pollution problem.
Lane's statement that "we can live with pollution" is baffling. That doesn't sound like an unequivocal endorsement for the possibility to lead an unmended life in Lawrence
HOWARD SAIGER, state director of air quality and occupational health, recently displayed an attitude similar to Lane's. Saiger said that in 1970, almost every city in the
showing as proof that the standards were too strict. Saigur said the FPAs stall being challenged at times.
Lawrence's apparent problem of high ozone concentrations presents the temporary discomforts often associated with allergies; eye irritation; and scratchy throats. According to Lane, ozone has no long-term effects—but in such cities as
Pollution is a serious business. The federal government is well within its bounds in punishing violators severely. Lawrence could perhaps take the EPA's warnings more seriously.
in large concentrations by electrical transformers or by the cleaning agents dumped into the air.
"These areas may be just localized to an exact area," he said. "If that's the case, the
However, in his theories that chlorine, disinfectants or transformers were responsible for "contounding" the results, he suggested that the fact that these environmental blights also might
However, the states did not get to work to improve their cities' conditions. Instead, they used their poor national
country exceeded the health standards set that year by the EPA.
THE FEDERAL government is involving itself in a national problem that is begging for
correction. Why, for once, can't state and local people graciously accept the federal government's authority? As with most federal programs, in addition to individual motivation there are financial incentives for the state and local government, with the federal government.
To be violating the national health standards is naturally bad for Lawrence residents. To be cited by the EPA for violations will make money very hard for a further expansion of Lawrence.
It is possible that no pollution problem will be evident in the tests this summer. But if the second group of tests indicates there is evidence of a spill, it will continue to consider Lawrence in violation of its standards.
THE CITY has until Jan. 1 to explain to the EPA why the pollutant levels exceed the EPA's standards. The EPA bears nothing by July 1, all federal highway funds, federal sewage treatment funds and all state grants for air pollution programs. The EPA blesses, no new city permits for construction of major pollutant sources, such as refineries or even light man-made companies could be issued.
It also is possible, although unlikely if the level of auto emissions remains normal, that the EPA would restrict compartmental air pollution consuming air pollution devices on community automobiles.
Pollution is a series business. The federal government is well within its bounds in severely punishing the EPA's warnings more seriously.
WHEN CONTACTED about the quality of Lawrence's air, Mike Wilden, assistant city manager, imagine concrete of the city. He said that he had a news story about this summer's test but that he did not think he had a pollution problem.
It would be nice to believe, as many others do, that Lawrence has no pollution problem. Faith in some things requires no logical basis, but the belief in an unpublished Lawrence is not one
of them—especially in the face of evidence.
Lane has explained his preliminary ideas of how certain factors have altered the results of the first tests. Although Saigler said those ideas had been articulated upon his ability to explain the findings of first tests.
Saulger said the theory had not been verified that water treatment plants, which use much more chlorine than swimming pools, are contributing large quantities of pollutants to the air. Even if for some reason the Lawrence municipal pool is to be blamed, oxidants travel 200 miles or more. The problem could be small, but it not possibly走到 Eighth and Kentucky streets.
BECAUSE THE oxidants must be present in large concentrations to be detected and because they do travel, the EPA cites all of Douglas County as violating national health standards. Saiger said it was possible that the city of Douglas even downwind from the true source of the pollutants.
Durst said that cleaning solutions did have gases similar to those found in auto emissions. But the solutions would have to be transported some distance for them to react with the sun. The possibility that electrical transformers would get hot and pollutants to create ozone has been tested in West Virginia but with no conclusive results, according to Durst.
It may very well be that all discussion of Lawrence as a polluted city will go up in smoke and it is that the men's tests are collected. For
now, though, the way that those air quality tests are being conducted merits scrutiny.
ONE UNIT will be placed in the public library parking lot, the other by Learned Hall. Lane said he might move one of the units over to his house on West 28th street once in a while.
Because only two available monitoring units meet the latest EPA requirements, this summer's tests will be conducted with two fewer monitoring units than the original tests did. Why are half as many units tested when used with the same results? Are they przizing enough? The tests will run for three months, compared with the two-year period the first tests took.
But the crucial objection to the overall handling of these tests is that the experimenters will tell the patient the results will be—before they collect the data. Lane said that this was a valid criticism, but he insisted that he was strictly careful in providing the data that the tests would provide.
It will take time before the tests are evaluated. Whatever their verdict, a cloud will have to test again to determine the tests do find high levels of automobile emissions and other noxious gases that were missured in previous tests, officials will have to accept the problem and start tackling it.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Published at the University of Kansas daily August 23, 2015. Subscriptions to *The Journal* of June and July except Saturday. Sunday and holiday. Subscribers are $19 or $18 each. Subscriptions by mail are $19 or $18 each. A year outside the county. Student subscriptions
Editor
Barbara Rosewicz
Publisher
David Day