University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Monday, February 2, 1981 Vol. 91, No. 86 USPS 650-640
Rev. Taylor brews over drinking, public image
Staff Reporter
By GENE GEORGE Staff Reporter
TOPEKA- He does not really breathe fire. Not all the time, anyway.
But there are some legislators, reporters and fellow lobbyists who remember being singed by the Rev. Richard Taylor, president of Kansas for Life at its Best, the state's dry forces.
The 56-year-old Taylor, legend has it, is a humourless zealot bent on draining all the liquor from the state. The reverend, however, says he will not even allow himself to be called conservative.
1AYLOR'S CHRISTIAN upbringing, he means that he can attack the views of another
"Don't call me conservative," he said in his raspy voice. "Call me Christian. That says it."
person, but still like that person. In fact, he says that as a minister he has to follow that doctrine.
But many don't understand that, he says.
Controversy, not understanding, is his shadow.
Last summer, Taylor and Attorney General Robert Stephan publicly clashed over liquor by the drink. The conflict ended with Stephan calling Taylor a "very hateful man."
At the start of this legislative session, Taylor
exchanged verbal blows with Robert Bingaman, executive director of the Associated Students of Kansas, a student lobbying group.
Monday Morning
"I have no respect for Bob Bingaman," Taylor said, upset that Bingaman had told reporters that Taylor favored raising the drinking age to 35.
"I have attempted through this whole thing to remain friendly and humane to Rev. Taylor when other lobbyists tell me it's a waste of time," Bingaman replied.
LEGISLATORS' REACTIONS to Taylor are mixed. Some scuff him openly. Others would like to scuff him, but find his whispering voice and his quietness to be the most important. Still other pledge supports his cause.
Taylor allowed a flash of anger, disguise he called it, when he recalled some reporters allegedly misquoting him. There were times, he was considered not granting any more interviews.
As the anger passed, Taylor explained that he was not upset with the reporter who had come to his office this ice Saturday afternoon. He was shocked by the lack of information people have about his point of view.
Taylor came to power in 1971 when the Methodist Bishop of Kansas appointed him to
head what was then called the Kansas United Drv Forces.
IN 10 YEARS, Taylor and the alcohol issue have become intertwined.
But it would not be accurate to think that one issue consumes his entire life.
Three years later, Taylor's bartonice voice was cut to a whisper when he lost a chord to thru cancer calls. She wrote his bartonice, "as she was now, still makes his bartonice in the statehouse, and to voters across the state."
"Some people think this is the only thing I can say about Taylor. I love Model T, railways and Railroad history."
It is clear, though, that Taylor's favorite topic is efforts to curb alcohol consumption in the Sunshine State.
Taylor was constantly running around his office during the two-hour interview, digging into boxes or looking into shelves to find the
See TAYLOR page 5
Rev. Richard Tavlor
A Lawrence resident enjoys traying down the hills near Potter Lake this snow to Lawrence, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka. The first snowfall of the year brought two and one-half inches of
Weather 'beautiful' for wrecker driver
By ALVINA. REID
Staff Reporter
A lot of snow and a wind-chill factor of minus 40 degrees is great weather—for tow truck operators and taxi drivers.
"It's beautiful weather for a wrecker driver," Alan Skeet, a driver for Hilcore Crester Service, said last night. "We get lots of calls, make lots of money and just love it."
Hillcrest's switchboard operator, Sherry company had received call after ccal day yesterday.
Lawrence police reported 20 accidents over the weekend caused by the 2 inches of snow. None of the incidents occurred near St. Louis.
Only one death was reported in the state due to the snow. A Rich Hill, Mo., man was killed when his tanker truck turned over on K-31 near Coffeville
Taxi drivers, like tow truck drivers, are making large profits thanks to the snowfall.
"Snow always helps out our business considerably." Brenda Tate, Yellow Cab telephone
"Our drivers are working 12-hour shifts and averaging $100 a day. They're really movin' up."
Area grocery stores also reported brk sales
people tried to stock up on food before the
snowfall.
"Customers really buy a lot this weekend," Steve Klise, night manager of Rusty's on 23rd and Louisiana, said. "People buy things like ice cream and they won't have to come out in the weather again."
Facilities Operations snow crews worked six hours Saturday and eight hours yesterday preparing campus sidewalks and streets for students. Anderson, director of facilities operations, said.
Managers at Kroger and Dillon's also said the snow increased business.
"We've had crews out all weekend working on the snow, he said. "They are super people who work well together."
Anderson said crews would begin chipping ice off sidewalks at 6 a.m. today and would continue through the day.
Topeka reported 2 inches of snow and Manhattan 4 inches. Snowfall was much heavier in western Kansas where Colby received a foot of snow.
The National Weather Service predicts no more snow for now, but frigid temperatures will continue.
The high for today will be in the middle 20s
Tonight, temperatures will fall to 0.5 degrees.
The fate of the topsy-turvy winter of 1980-81, according to folklore, could be decided today—groundhog day. Most sightings across the country follow a pattern that invokes the most famous of the furry prognosticators.
If Phil sees his corpulent shadow, tradition says the country will face six more weeks of hardships and suffering.
This weekend's snowfall was January's first measurable precipitation.
Hoagland demands KU formally charge Forer
By BRAD STERTZ Staff Recorder
Staff Reporter
KU administrators refused to say yesterday whether they would proceed with disciplinary charges against Norman Forer as demanded by State Rep. Joseph J. Housland.
In a prepared statement Friday, Hoagland, ROverland Park, called on University officials and faculty to formally charge Forer, associate professor of language, for leaving his classes in 1979 to travel to Iran.
Forer has said that he would welcome such hearings by the University.
"Professor Forer should be given the opportunity to vindicate himself," Hoagland said.
*We should be given the opportunity to meet with the people who have not met his employment obligations.*
"If I had standing, I would file the charges myself."
KU OFFICIALS SAID they would not com-
municate with the university on垃
gitation brought against the University by Poner.
However, Margaret Schutz Gordon, chairman of the Faculty Senate Committee on Tenure and Related Matters, said her committee had not been informed of any developing charges.
"So far this year there has been no talk of charges against Professor Forer," Gordon, also a professor of social welfare, said. "Our committee has no power to initiate such charges
"Our power is only to act in response to accusations already made."
Forer and Hoagland confronted one another Thursday in the House Judiciary Committee's hearings on tenure.
WHILE TESTIFYING before the committee,
which has Hoagland as its chairman, Forer
answered accusations made by Hoagland.
Hooled bans, measure good.
Hoagland,however,was unmoved.
"We are really both seeking the same thing, but for different reasons," he said after the committee meeting. "He is seeking to vindicate himself and I want the hearings to see him get what he wanted."
Gordon said if charges against Forer were brought, her committee would have to carefully look up the proper procedure. She said such a case had not arisen in her term as chairman.
Under tenure guidelines recently proposed by
the University Council, Gordon's committee would be unable to refuse to review the Forer case as the committee had done when Francis Heller was chairman in 1890.
"Then the case simply did not fall under our jurisdiction," Heller, KU professor of political science, said. "At the time we were obligated to turn it down.
"To have accepted it would be not unlike a court going into the street when someone was taken into custody because people were brought
HELLER SAID the faculty could come to the committee for jurisdiction if a faculty member had been unduly denied reappointment, if a faculty member had been unduly stripped of tenure or if a faculty member had been denied academic freedom.
In a different category, Heller said, the committee would get involved if a faculty member had been dismissed or suspended by the administration. Then, he said, the administration must bring the matter before the committee.
"Up until now, all of these matters had been brought up, so, of course, we could not have
He said Forer's leave without pay for his
departmental duties constitute a suspension in the administrator's event.
Haighland said he could not understand why a faculty committee was able to decide on tenure
"Under disciplinary procedures for tenured faculty," Hoagland said, "only faculty and administration can file charges and a five-member faculty committee made up of tenured faculty." The department chair is professor, Margaret Schultz Gordon, of the School of Social Welfare, can hold hearings.
"I consider inaction by the University and its faculty, as shown in this matter, to be the most blatant example of self-serving defiance of authority. I have seen in my eight years, as a legislator."
FORER SAID that he had no comment on the demands made by Hoadland.
"I made my point at the hearing "Thursday," I owe a salve. "But appa wipe. Rep. Hoagland was issued a new bill."
Hogland has scheduled a final hearing today on tenure until a bill is drafted. Hogland said he wanted to see tenure taken from the hands of the Board of Regents, and that he would place into the hands of the Board of Regents.
Two dead in Saturday blaze
The Douglas County Arson Squad is investigating a fire that killed two people Saturday night at 1608 E. 15th St.
The blaze did extensive damage to three rooms of the one-story-frame house which is the residence of Steven Pope and office of Pope's Insulation and Carpentry Services.
Lawrence Fire Chief Jim McSwain said a position identification of the victims would not be
announced until the arson squad had investigated the blaze.
The squad is called to investigate any fire that involves loss of life. It is comprised of the heads of the Lawrence Police and Fire Departments, the KU Police Department and KU Police Department.
McSwain estimated the damage to the house at $10,000. He said the cause of the fire was undetermined.
Weather
It will be partly cloudy today with a high in the mid- to upper-30s, according to the National Weather Service in Tooneka.
Temperatures will drop tonight to zero to 5 above, warming up to a high in the 3s for Tuesday. There is little to no expectation expected for the rest of the week.
Pro-gun forces winning legislative lobbving war
By DOUG BURSON
First of two articles.
A legislative lobbying war is being waged in the States; waged not with guns, but because of the
On one side are those who would disarm the civilian population of all weapons that are obsolete.
If the results of past handgun control clauses with lobbying groups in the United States are any indication, gun control opponents are going to win the war.
On the other are those who believe in the
oneness of man, willing to entitle every
citizen to ownership of a run.
NO MAJOR FEDERAL gun control legislation has been passed since the Gun Control Act of 1968, and a well-financed lobbying effort by the National Rifle Association is a major reason.
John Adkins, spokesman of the Institute for
Legislative Action in Washington, D.C., a lobbying arm of the NRA, said the organization was the primary reason stiffer gun control laws had not been enacted. The NRA has 1.8 million members and provides $3.5 million a year to its lobby.
"Our role is to educate lawmakers that gun control legislation doesn't work because law enforcement is misdirected and it only takes the use of the hand of the law-abiding citizen," Addins said.
Past legislation defeated by the NRA and other such lobbying groups includes a 1978 proposal initiated by the Treasury Department that called for national gun registration.
THE NRA WAS also instrumental in defeating an anti-handgun bill introduced by the Justice Department and a 1976 House resolution that have banned all "Saturday Night Specials."
"Representatives and senators over the last few years have only reflected the feeling of the
people—and citizens oppose gun control," Adkins said.
IN THE SAME POLL, however, 65 percent said they opposed the idea of allowing only police to conduct searches.
"They don't realize that gun legislation will only burden the criminal because most of them are younger," she said. "There is a street."
But a Gallup poll taken last January indicates that Adkins was wrong in assuming that the public did not favor any stricter gun control. Fifty-nine percent of Americans questioned said they wanted less control and 29 percent said they wanted less control and 29 percent said they satisfied with the current legislation.
Donald E. Fraher, legislative director of Handgun Control Inc. in Washington, said groups against gun control were unrealistically afraid of the government was going to take away their guns.
"These people are always saying that gun laws will only take the gun out of the hand of the law-abiding citizen and leave only criminals with handguns," Faher said.
prison sentences if a gun is used during a crime."
The U.S. gun homicide rate is far beyond that of every other country in the world. It is estimated that nearly half of the murders in the United States are committed with pistols or revolvers.
EIGHTY PERCENT of murders committed with a handgun are among family members and
others.
"If guns are not available then there is no question that fewer good U.S. citizens would be killed with a gun." Brothers said, "but there are other tools to agengetion.
Mark Brothers, crime analyst for the Lawrence Police Department, called murder a "personal crime" and said most gun deaths were not committed by strangers.
"The problem isn't the firearm, but who is using it."
Anti-gun groups counter this "people don't kill, guns do" thinking with the argument that while banning handguns might not reduce the number of gunmen.
See GUNS page 5