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Monday, February 27,1978
University Daily Kansan
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Comment
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of only the writers.
Watson funding vital
The fiscal moment of truth has arrived for Watson Library.
The Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee is expected to vote today on a $6.2-million appropriation to renovate Watson. The importance of the vote cannot be stressed too strongly; it is vital to the academic future of the University.
The Watson money is provided by Senate Bill 856, which covers fiscal 1979. Watson is the first KU budget item to be considered by the Senate panel, an indication of the priority that University administrators have given the library.
$6.2 million, at first glance, is expensive. But every dollar of it is justified. Watson is unsafe. It is a fire trap. It has only half the space called for by Kansas Board of Regents' library standards.
SD 856 would alleviate the overcrowding
at Watson by providing internal improvements that are designed to more efficiently utilize its available space. In addition, Watson's heating and cooling systems would be revamped.
SYSEN. WINT Winter, committee chairman, has questioned whether the existing Watson building should be kept at all. Presumably, tearing down Watson and starting from scratch would allow for a larger structure.
But Winter's questions, although they reflect a laudable understanding of Watson's disgraceful condition, are really a side issue. He and the other panel members know that starting from scratch would cost about $11.5 million. It is imperative that they approve a request with the greatest chance of approval by the full Legislature. Watson is a time bomb that must be improved without delay.
somewhat hesitantly, the woman in the Kansas Department of Economic Development office—the one that prompted the cover over the photograph. It was from a months-old copy of Al Goldstein's magazine, Screw. Nested in the advertisements for more esoteric pleasures was one extolling the stories of Cassius and declaring, "Not bad for a wild and woolly frontier."
Kansas toots horn for tourism
It could be argued that when one toots one's own horn, a lot of wasted hot air is emitted in the process. But in Kansas, the state has been followed for years. And as a result, the state may have
It was probably some of the best advertisement the state has had for a while—publicity that evokes publicity. And nothwithstanding Goldstein's lifting of the ad for his use, its duplicates have run in other magazines nationwide. It also promotes Kuwait tourism, and the office of economic development is blowing the state's horn for tittosimo.
more slogans, more four-color brochures and, above all, more "capitals" than any other state in the Union.
THE KANSAS interest in capitals probably began before the turn of the century. But one important event was a clipping from a Kansas City Star of 1919, saying, "Slogans and claims to fame are the peculiar property of Kansas." The Kansas City Star clipped assertions that Lindsburg even then was "musical capital of the state." Lindsburg is justifiable for demand for Handel's Messiah each spring.
Later on, perhaps not content to be a capital, Landsborg obtained mini-country status and was sent to Kansas "little Sweden."
Emporia also has been celebrated, not as a capital, but as a center. The Star Clipming
referred to it as the dietary axis of the state" and "the Athens of Kansas" because of its concentration on the education of teachers. The Kansas Year Book of 1938 called Emporia "the educational center of the West." It should be noted that Manhattan was formerly consulted in that designation.
WITH THE air age, another capital came to Kansas. Wichita's eminence in aircraft manufacturing—more planes are built there than anywhere else—has brought it the title of "air capital of the world." Wichita combines both its industrial and capital center-in its tourism brochures, which refer to it continually as "Center City, U.S.A."
Not many miles south of Wichita, the town of Wellington proclaims itself to be “the wheat capital of the world.” Colby, in western Iowa, on the Wheat Belt, disputes the prominence of Wellington. One might wonder just where the wheat production of the nation is centered.
in the mid 1900s McPherson was so proud of its municipally-owned electricity generating company that people it served that it adopted the title "light capital of the world." McPherson shows admirer spirit to challenge the New York City area.
SOME LESSER world capitales are Haysville and Cassidy, whose billboards respectively proclaim them as "the peach capital of the world" "the chicken capital of the world."
Great Bend is no Texas or Oklahoma, but it is "the oil capital in the Midwest." Its oil is "the pinto bean capital of Kansas" and proves it each fall with Bean Day. In 1986, it was "the Czech capital of Kansas."
There are capitals, there are centers and there are towns that have something—one thing perhaps—that is world-famous. The Salina is known worldwide for its fried chicken and hot
biscuit. Greenburg flaunts the world's largest hand-dug well, which goes down 109 feet and leads to questions like "What would you go out." And the Guineas Book of World Records will confirm that the world's largest ball of twine is from the Older City, south of Smith Center.
KANAS' OFFICIAL tourism campaign is hardly surprising, given all that Kansas has to offer. After all, the state seems well positioned for it, Europe and more centers than capitals. The economic development office has faithfully collected these titles as a result of its location in the vertising and will show them off. But the essence of Kansas is reflected more in the spirit of the towns than in their claims. That a community of 10,000 residents would world reflect pride if nothing else. And if the towns call enough attention to the object of their pride and Kansas tourism grows, the resulting money will cascade pride in that other country the one called Topeka.
Society can't afford death penalty
To the editor:
Unruly Kansas, where the local historical hero is a mass murderer named John Brown, is whining for the death penalty. It's difficult to regard death's advocates as very thoughtful.
When a former legislator asked for my vote, I inquired as to his view on the death penalty. He replied, "Life is man's most precious gift," and effect and finished with, "and if someone takes it away, society should tear up his membership card." What an incredible abstraction! Why not simply say, 'tear him apart' or 'heir lungs?' 'his heart' or 'her lungs?' I suspect it's because when trying to speak rationally on the subject, we can't embrace fully what it means. Perhaps the author of the straw-drawry jury would jerk the switch that drowns a unique and irreplaceable human being's last thoughts in midstream. Much like what he'd realize the affair involves more than pulling bad teeth.
The reasons people clamor for the death penalty are probably as varied as the reasons people murder. Possibly a doomed attempt at comprehensive insurance against the unexpected and unexplainable is the centre of insurance is weak, as the death penalty has been shown to be an ineffective deterrent. People who are prepared to kill are
KANSAN Letters
prepared to die. Our lawmakers, perhaps the most informed among us, should warn them of conscripting a group of men documenting an alarming number of people committing senseless murders after crossing from states with both penalty into states with it.
Recall Gary Glimore, who towed with Utah and was awarded the most luxurious title in the US, surprising he didn't talk the state out of a crucifixion. Ignoring the facts, some officials irresponsibly prayed for voters' prayers, cultivating voters' fears, instead of curbing them with common sense. Should the state really become a suicide board, he would replace signing up sheets'
More than a simple directive of democracy, this is state (public) murder of walking, talking and thinking people, and it's done in your name. A citizen who isn't involved because he's become an involuntary accomplice to murder; such a conspiracy should be unanimous. A major statement regarding the value of human life is involved, and we must recognize that it can be symbolic of the belief that there is an arbitrary point at which human life has so little
value that it can be brutally discarded as a total loss.
If one sits in a prison's visiting room, he sees friends looking on helplessly, couples straining to absorb each other, children competing for attention, having to offer some support. One soon realizes there are many more in prison than those in dungears.
I won't argue whether people exist who, all considered, deserve to die, but I haven't seen a system or group exact enough to manage the threat of a terrorist into the penalty's pressure on those with limited resources to plea bargain, the unrealistic and inconsistent attempts to define mental states, the inherent social inequities or the fact that, of all crimes, we kill more than murder. The new bill is more elaborate (which may simply challenge the Gilmore types to commit more shocking crimes), but changing the game show's rules doesn't alter the fact that our culture is not willing to give the state, is killing its failures to show how bad killing is.
When some sought to televise an execution in Texas, others protested the effects on young innocents. An interesting logical end? What is the cumulative effect of headlines, newscasts, bulletins and the knowledge that when executed a designated point, a terrifying ordeal will end, with a life
snuffed no matter how explosively one fights to live or how hard people hope for his continued existence? It's a dramatic lesson in fiction. When trouble the country gets into whenever it devalues human life to achieve a questionable policy.
Our heritage, from our cave ancestors to our frontier history, is a violent one. Why stumble back into a past that no longer has an excuse? We don't have to lynch outlaws for lack of anything better to do with them. You don't want to be an improved system. The death penalty represents a losing short-term approach to a long-term problem, the border of a line of thought that creates a prison environment that turns check forgers into murderers and that refuses to think of another illusion that if you break someone's neck, you've done all that can be done.
The death penalty is a ritual our evolving civilization can no longer afford. For a society of the future, it must be enabled by technology, the barrical infliction of death by the state (you) represents a dangerous trend. If murder can be prevented by a type suicide institutionalized, then none of the "lesser included offenses" are off-limits. If the death penalty passes, the government our intelligence for a sap.
Skip Kaltenheuser
Prairie Village law student
To the editor:
Snow removal not so wonderful
If I hear one more person compliment the snow removal crew, they have been doing for the past two weeks, I'm going to
Congress should enact tax cut
By BERTLANCE
N.Y. Times Features
N. Y. Times Features
I expect there has been so much anticipation and promotion about this thing that unless I call on the president to resign, which I'm not going to do, I wouldn't want it to elicits timeliness. Since it's been announced that I was joining Channel 11 with commentary and analysis, a lot of people have suggested issues or problems that need attention, and the concerns they have about what's going on in America and the world today.
That's why I accepted this new role.
occasion it's an opportunity to talk about important issues, hopefully to give perspective to what concerns people. And I'm especially interested in expressing the concerns of rudstream America, middle America, the great majority of people who respect the law, pay the bills, make the wheels of industry turn, fill out their own tax records, learn about history and give their time talents and money to everything from the Boy Scoots to political campaigns.
TOO OFTEN you are the people who are forgotten in the business of government—and government is one of the things I'll be talking about. In traveling throughout this nation in the past several years and from my experience in business I've learned to hear people, not just listen, but to hear what they're saying.
One of the messages that comes through loud and clear is that Americans increasingly are frustrated by the growth of the government, with more and more bureaucracy regulations and controls. But one of the biggest concerns of people today, along with inflation, is taxes, especially the Social Security tax.
In the last fiscal year, Social Security taxes in totaled $9.3 billion dollars; this year they'll hit $102 billion. And in the next fiscal year the total will climb to nearly $108 billion. And nearly $22 billion in two years, a 30 percent jump—the biggest in history.
Now, of course, tax reform is desirable and necessary. Everyone for it, as long as it applies to the other person. On the one hand, a high-income tax reform are now at best dourful, given the political realities in Washington, with Congress under increasing pressure from special interest groups as well as their middle-income constituents.
BUT EVEN before the new taxes go into effect, Americans already are paying higher Social Security taxes this year, as a result of laws passed some years ago. To ease the burden and as a part of an overall tax reform plan, the Administration is proposing a tax cut of about $28 billion. Oddly, the new final year seems to be the one. This means, however, that working Americans will have to struggle with higher taxes for another eight months before they can expect any relief.
AS FOR THE budget deficit, a permanent tax cut earlier than planned would not create a serious problem, in my judgment, and it should be an offering to business growth. Economic indicators are pointing to a good business year ahead. But middle America is being hit right in the middle of the pocketbook. All things considered, the working class is permanent tax relief now, not in October.
The administration and the Congress should move immediately to enact a permanent tax cut as soon as possible because the burden on the American taxpayer.
Bert Lance, former director of the Office of Budget and Management, is now a news commentator on Atlantic's Channel 5. He has been the first commentary, delivered last week.
beat somebody over the head with a snow shovel.
I am referring, of course, to Steven Stingley's editorial in the Feb. 22 Kansas in which he said that criticism of the snow removal crews was "unjustified." I would like to put it to Mr. Stingley that the only thing "unjustified" about the criticism is that there hasn't been enough of it.
Granted, Lawrence doesn't receive heavy snowfalls very often. And granted, the Facilities Operations people would rather pitch horseshoes than work, especially when it's cold outside. But that doesn't relieve the University administration from the horrendously dangerous conditions of the campus' sidewalks and steps recently.
For example, the steps behind Wescoe Hall have resembled a terraced ice skating arena. Anyone with a taste for sadism wouldn't have to wait long to see someone go down on his ass, and if you're among the victims it will believe it, it hurts.
And please, Mr. Stingley,
don't tell me about the self-sacrifice and 16-hour work days on the part of the snow-removal crews. My heart is torn to them every time I have to ice-encrusted throughtheat on my way to class.
If the school can't afford to clear every sidewalk, they could at least make the stairs safe to walk on. If they don't, one of these days somebody is going to take a really nasty fail and the whole thing could wind up in court.
As for the Kansan, thanks for once again representing the opinions and interests of the students at KU.
Mike Barrows, Detroit senior
Din Lippold, Lawrence senior
Mike Sturia, Lawrence senior
Zimmerman, Lawrence
senior
To the editor:
Author upholds toxic snow idea
According to the Kansan, two KU professors have dismissed the assertion of toxicologist David Roberts that snow in the Kansan will be poisoned with lead, one calling the idea "a bunch of baloney". As the reporter for the piece in Time magazine detailing Roberts' work, I want to assure the Kansan's readers that snow in instead corn, or at least Roberts has convinced me that it is.
Roberts analyzed more than 20 samples of snow from different sites in Kansas City, Topeka and rural areas. The roads are about half the amount of lead permissible in drinking by Environmental Protection Agency standards; the foulest bad more than 10 percent in accident level. One of the professorial critics suggested that toxic snow might be found only in industrial areas in Kansas City. In fact, the highest rate of snow near highways. Thus it would be foolish to presume that our snow here in Lawrence is free of lead. Those who drive cars into the city and enter into the air everywhere they go; when it snows, that lead gets into the snow.
Because of limitations imposed by its format, Time could not fully report the research results of Roberts, who works in a Kansas bureau. The data behind the story, however, are sobering. In direct response to Roberts' findings, the Kansas City/Wyndote County Health Department issued a warning against areas where You won't immediately if you eat a little bit of it; but considering that we plenty of environmental poisons without trying to, I intend to avoid even when I can. And I will stand by my story. It isn't salony.
Tim Miller Assistant professor of religious studies
Durable statue deserves move
To the editor:
Why not move the (Jimmy Green) statue?
A sculpture in bronze, made to endure for decades, has outlasted one building and will, without doubt, outlast the new. An idea of creating a appreciate future generations moving it to where it would be in a meaningful site and a contemporary setting. To me, a part-time sculptor, the great artist, is it just that—a great outlay?
Marguerite Baumgartel
Associate professor of
visual arts education
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