4 University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, February 4. 1992 OPINION Bush's union prattle simply political noise Sounding somewhat like a representative for Quaker Oats, President George Herbert Walker Bush said last year's Persian Gulf War "was the right thing to do." Bush challenged Congress to accept his package of proposals by March 20 or else "the battle is joined." George, George, George: We are not at war anymore. It is over. No more Desert Storm, no more stirring speeches and no more — thank God — "briefings" from Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf. All that is behind us now. You can't make war on a recession. Saying, "OK, all you weak-knee consumers, get out there and spend!" doesn't accomplish anything. And neither will Bush's plan, at least as far as key issues such as education and public investment are concerned. The package Bush proposed is mostly a grab bag of short-term solutions which, according to many economists, may improve the economy temporarily but will not pull the United States out of the recession. So what was Tuesday night's speech about? Good question. Despite Bush's statements that this was not a politically motivated speech, no one watching could have not come to the conclusion that Bush Kevin Bartels staff columnist has become seriously worried about his re-election chances. Millions of hapless television viewers were subjected to an almost endless barrage of lame swill about the death of "imperial communism" whatever that means — and how the American taxpayer deserves a "hunk of the glory" for supporting U.S. militarism, amid other statements that the recession "will not stand." Never mind that if you don't fork over your "hunk" to Uncle Sam, you will be carted off to jail and have all your possessions sold. Just ask Willie Nelson. When will it end? The U.S. political process is coming to resemble a football game more and more. Our elected representatives behaved like a pack of fans at a pep rally, applauding wildly, giving one standing ovation after another and just hotting like animals. and all for no good reason. Will Bush were-elected? That seems to have been the question behind the State of the Re-earnment, er, Union address. There was much gibberish uttered during that speech, including the ridiculous assertion that America and George Bush "won" the Cold War. Nowhere, though, was any real assurance that things can or will change. In a day and age when a Japanese executive can label American workers "lazy and illiterate" and get away with it, and when Americans everywhere are watching their standard of living steadily decline, the president can offer nothing more than feel-good rhetoric and warmed-over economic proposals. Perhaps Bush made use of the washroom after his speech to purge whatever feelings of guilt he might have had after such a dim-witted oration. Perhaps not. We all can, though, congratulate ourselves for having licked those dirty commies. Let's celebrate by electing ourselves a new president. - Kevin Bartels is a Louisville, Ky.,graduate student majoring in English. THE UNIVERSITYDAILY KANSAN Low pay frustrates teachers The state must finance competitive salaries, otherwise talented professors will leave Frustration. That is why two professors announced last week they would no longer teach at the University of Kansas. Michael Gaines, professor of biology, and Donald Robertson, professor of microbiology, have enjoyed teaching at KU for 22 years. Both men wanted to continue to teach at KU. But when they received lucrative offers from other universities, they decided it was time to leave. Who can blame them? Until the state of Kansas makes a strong commitment to higher education by providing adequate financing, more departures are likely. "I'm not excited about going to Miami. It's just something that I have to do," Gaines said. The fact that other universities are able to pay professors more than KU does is nothing new. That was the main reason behind the Margin of Excellence, the Board of Regents plan to increase KU faculty salaries to 95 percent of its peer schools. But only two years of the program were financed by the governor and the Legislature. The third year was canceled when the state faced a budget crunch. And as the recession gets worse, the chances for improvements in higher education in Kansas arenot good. Last month, Gov. Finney revealed her 1993 budget, which provides only a 2.5-percent merit increase for faculty and staff. That is half of what KU requested, and the third straight year that KU has received less than a 3-percent increase. How can the state of Kansas expect to keep talented faculty when other colleges and universities are willing to provide better salaries? A more troubling question is how will Kansas universities will replace faculty members who go elsewhere? The departure of Gaines and Robertson should alarm students at KU. For a long time, the University has fought the battle against under-financing and done surprisingly well. But both professors warned in their statements that they knew of other faculty members who were thinking of leaving. The time has come for Gov. Finney and the Legislature to realize that education is too important to under-finance. By cutting money for higher education, the state is mortgaging its future. Higher education has been a valuable resource for the state of Kansas for a long time. Gov. Finney should now provide the leadership to ensure that it is adequately financed. It is in this way only that professors like Gaines and Robertson can kept at KU. Phones are sound investment Chris Mossier for the edithiaboard Chris Mossier for the edithiaboard Emergency phones increase safety for students and faculty in buildings across campus Human life is the most priceless thing in the world. The University of Kansas should be applauded for spending money to further protect the lives of students and faculty. The installation of new emergency phones is a bright idea. Although there currently are blue phones on campus, the newly installed bright yellow phones are inside buildings and contain a single button which directly rings the police dispatcher. Besides eliminating the hand-held receiver, the new emergency phones contain a device which prevents the caller and the dis patcher from being disconnected for three minutes. The caller cannot merely hang up as he or she could on a blue phone. When the caller activates the button, the telephone speakers shriek loudly. This device may discourage pranksters and scare off an attacker. After three minutes, the telephone will reset itself if it is not in use. The telephones are also handicapped-accessible with operating instructions in Braille. Students can find the new emergency phones in the Kansas Union as well as Wescoe, Fraser, Strong, Learned, Haworth and Malott halls. These locations are beneficial to students studying late who might need emergency access to a telephone. Tiffany Lasha Hurt for the editorial board --the morning, after the cleaning crew has done its work and before the daily onslaught of Capitol visitors begins. ... - The Parkersburg (W.Va.) News on congressional spending: Although most members of the House headed for their home districts over the holidays, House Speaker Tom Foley ordered marble floors installed in the elevators. Not just any old marble, either. This stuff cost $250 per square foot. Total bill: $26.00. National perspectives Like the Bourbons of pre-revolutionary France, congressional leaders are fond of constructing ostentatious quarters for themselves at taxpayers expense. Their latest display of gluttonous behavior can be found in elevators serving the House of Representatives side of the Capitol. Apparently mere carpeted floors were not good enough for Prince, er, Speaker Foley. The new marble surely looks grand when it's clean, a condition in which it can be found in the wee hours of Foley used a slush fund available to him through the Architect of the Capitol, which allocated only $20,000 for the project. Maybe Foley will just write a check for the other $6,000. Ah, but it looks so grand at 3 a.m. And besides, Prince Foley likes it. So taxpayers are stuck with the tab. Term limits, anyone? Daily Press, Newport News, Va., on Head Start: This is the kind of thing President Bush should have been doing more of over the past four years: visiting Head Start centers. The president dropped in on one in Maryland ... to announce a proposed increase in funding for the program that prepares poor children for school and for life. Head Start is recognized as one of the great successes coming out of Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty. It provides young children with instruction to prepare them for school, but also offers good meals, medical care and other services that are hallmarks of healthy, middle-class families. It is the focus on all of a The problem has been that not all of the children eligible for Head Start have been able to participate in it. There hasn't been enough money. child's needs that accounts for Head Start's record of achievement. Bush's proposal to increase spending by $500 million is welcome, but he will have competition from some Democrats who want to double that. People know it works, so let's give it a chance to work. Government can't force parents to love their children. But, for the children's - Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record on child care: - People who produce children have a responsibility to take care of them. ... The reality is that this most basic of responsibilities is one that many parents haven't learned. It's estimated that some 2.8 million American parents — mostly fathers - either don't provide any support for their children or else don't pay as much as they should. sake, it should force negligent parents to provide for them. That's the virtue of a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill. It would hold runaway parents' feet to the fire, making it a federal crime to flee a state to avoid paying court-ordered child support... Not only would it make federal law enforcement officials more involved in tracking these scofflaws. But its stiff sentences for playing state-to-state hop-scatch would offer a deterrent. Hyde's bill provides for substantial fines and prison sentences ... It's a shame that the shotgun approach to support is what works. But parents should be held accountable for their children's well-being. The Atlanta Journalon joblessness: Once again, jobless Americans are running out of money. They need another 13-week extension of jobless benefits. They should get it and quickly. Last year the president held up jobless benefits for four months, claiming to see This go-around there will be no opposition from President Bush. Everyone agrees we are in a recession; everyone agrees we are in an election year. While all agree, however, to extend benefits, there is no agreement over how to pay for it. House Democrats showed the wrong way in legislation they introduced the other day: They would borrow $4.5 billion to grant another 13 weeks of jobless benefits. He finally acquiesced, but had benefits been granted expeditiously, the economy may have been more buoyant. By keeping families afloat, jobless benefits keep the economy affloat, too. The president was wrong to hold up benefits last year. He was right, however, to insist that the money to pay for benefits be found without additional borrowing. He should insist again on no new borrowing. Extend jobless benefits. But cut spending or close tax loopholes to pay for it. KANSAN STAFF TIFFANYHARNESS Editor the light at the end of a recessionary tunnel. VANESSA FUHRMANS Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser Editors Editors News ... Mike Andrews Editorial ... Beth Randall Planning ... Laure Gold Campus ... Eric Gorske/Rochelle Olson Portraits ... Eric Nelson Photo ... Jule Jacobson Features ... Debbie Myers Graphics ... Jeff Meesey/Aimee Brainard JENNIFER CLAXTON Business manager Business Staff Campus sales mgr Bill Leibenkoen Regional sales mgr Richelle bahrberger National sales mgr Scott Hanna Co-op sales mgr Anne Johnson Production mgrs Kim Wallace Marketing director Lisa Keeler Commercial manager Kim Claxton Classified mgr Kip Chin JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser JAY STEINER Retail sales manager Business Staff By Tom Michaud Letters should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Guest columns should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be pho- **Kansas** reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newroom, 111 Safer-Fint Hall. Loco Locals MICHAEL O'REZ GREAT! I COULD NEVER GET A GIRL TO DATE ME MORE THAN AWKWE! NOW I'VE GOT TO FIND ONE TO MARRY!... WHERE DO I FIND- 1