Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY Kansan
Published daily since 1912
5
4A
Lindsey Henry, *Editor*
Dave Morantz, *Managing editor*
Kristie Blasi, *Managing editor*
Tom Eblen, *General manager, news adviser*
Marc Harrell, Business manager
Colleen Eagle, Retail sales manager
Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser
Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
Thursday, March 12, 1998
W. David Keith / KANSAN
Editorials
Beltway jaunt proves the 'discretion' in 'discretionary fund' isn't so great
Student Body President Scott Sullivan and Legislative Director Samantha Bowman wasted student money going to Washington, D.C., for a conference on lobbying.
Sullivan financed the trip out of his presidential discretionary account and proved that his discretion isn't all that great. Sullivan should have used the money to send other students who would be here next year so that what they learned could be practiced for more than just a few weeks.
Both Sullivan and Bowman are graduating seniors who will be leaving for parts unknown in May. There is only one planned day of lobbying — in Topeka — remaining this year. Yet Sullivan thought that it was a worthwhile expense to pay for airfare and the conference.
Or perhaps he was thinking that he and Bowman could go have a good time on Student Senate's last discretionary nickel. Neither of those seem like good government. Neither do anything for students.
Sullivan should have sent two of the Student Legislative Awareness Board coordinators to the conference. That way, next year's Senate executive staff, or at least SLAB, would have someone who had experience with lobbying. Tom Moore, issues and research coordinator, and Korb Maxwell, lobbying coordinator, would have made excellent representatives of the University at the conference. Both of them will be here next year, and both have shown an interest in sticking with SLAB.
In addition to the conference, Bowman and Sullivan also participated in National Student Lobby Day, a day when thousands of college students converge on the Capitol to meet and greet lawmakers and give a spiel about how much money students need. This may have been a worthy side trip for Sullivan and Bowman, but it does not justify the trip — especially since Cancellor Robert Hemenway has hired a legislative consultant in Washington and has vowed to take faculty and staff to meet with lawmakers.
The trip may have been a reward for Sullivan and Bowman for a year's worth of hard work. Instead of a reward, the trip should have been an opportunity for new blood to learn how to do the job.
That would have been better discretion.
Andv Obermueller for the editorial board
Student input valuable to Endowment
The Endowment Association raised more than $47 million last year, according to its annual budget report. Most of these donations were earmarked for specific spending initiatives. However, $1.4 million of it was given without any specifications about its allocation. The administration recommends how the Endowment Association spends this money, and although students have an indirect say in it through membership in joint student-administration committees, this is not enough.
Students should have a say in how the Kansas University Endowment Association spends unspecified donations.
Students should be allowed to participate directly in the prioritizing and decision-making that determines the allocation of unspecified Endowment
Association donations.
The Endowment Association has an executive committee comprised of trustees. Chancellor Robert Hemenway makes recommendations to this committee, emphasizing the areas that he thinks need it. The committee then considers his recommendations.
Although students can suggest areas that need additional spending, they must do so indirectly, within the context of committees.
Hemenway said that the administration encouraged student involvement at every level of the University of Kansas. He said that students have indirect methods to influence the administration as to how unspecified Endowment Association funds are allocated. But he also said that perhaps the
forum in which students are allowed to voice opinions to the administration could be re-examined to ensure that students have a direct role in the allocation of funds.
No one is suggesting that students usurp the Endowment Association's authority to spend its money. However, it is important for students to be able to voice their opinions directly about how money for them should be spent. Obviously, students are more intimately aware of the problems that affect them. Students provide a unique and essential perspective about important issues at the University. The administration should show that it values student opinion by allowing students to have a more direct role in the allocation of unspecified Endowment Association funds.
Kansan staff
Nick Zaller for the editorial board
Paul Eakins . *Editorial*
Andy Obermueller . *Editorial*
Andrea Albright . *News*
Jodie Chester . *News*
Julie King . *News*
Charity Jeffries . *Online*
Eric Weslander . *Sports*
Harley Rattifl . *Associate sports*
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Mike Perryman . *Campus*
Bryan Volk . *Features*
Tim Harrington . *Associate features*
Steve Puppe . *Photo*
Angle Kuhn . *Design, graphics*
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Corrie Moore . *Wire*
Gwen Olson . *Special sections*
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"One of the simple but genuine pleasures in life is getting up in the morning and hurrying to a mousetrap that you set the night before." —Kln Hubbard
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T they are trying to kill me. I am not sure who "they" are, but I know "they" are out there. Trying to kill
hey are trying to kill me
Brightening your day with a little paranoia
Perspective
me.
You see, my primary mode of transportation is my moped, whom I call Banana Thunder. It is a quick, stylish way to get around town. OK, so it is not exactly quick. And I'll admit it is not the haute couture of motorized movement. But it gets me where I want to go most of the time.
Not to worry, though. This column is not about Banana — at least, not entirely. As you recall, it is about "they."
Bryan Volk
opinion @ kansan.com
Scene one. Tuesday morning. In my spacious
Mendonbrook apartment
Let me explain my paranonia in the form of a non-fiction play. The character of "me" will be played by Bill Cosby. Banana will play herself, performing her own stunts.
Me: Well, Banana, I gave you yesterday off so I could make sure KU on Wheels was still the high-quality service I remembered it to be.
Banana: Beep!
Me: That's right. But today is a new day.
Roads have been cleared, and I don't have any more dollar bills. So let's get this party started.
Banana: Beer!
Scene two. Three minutes later. Orchard Lane, near long Street.
Banana: Beep Me Golden
Me: Hmm. Still some icy patches, but nothing your agility cannot avoid.
Me: That's right. And much better than the snow that covered the roads yesterday.
Scene three. Snow and ice-free Stratford Road.
Me: Whee!
Banana: Beep!
Scene four. Four minutes later. Chi Omega
fountain.
Me: So far so good, Banana. Looks like we'll have a clear run, as I'm sure Jayhawk Boulevard will be cleared off.
Banana [sliding around like butter in a hot pan! Been!
Scene five. Five seconds later. Jayhawk Boule- ward
[Curtain]
As you can see, I am *not* overreacting. But the question remains: Who are "they?" I have some ideas.
Me: I heard that. These driving conditions are for sucks! Deep, powdery snow for as far as I can see. How is this possible? They must be trying to kill me!
My first thought was that Scott Kaiser and his KU on Wheels cohorts had collected excess snow from in front of Wescoe Hall and spread it on the street. It made sense at first — they ensure that folks without a bus pass have to cough up some cash while waiting for a bus that may never come. But I remembered that the buses aren't always stable on the powder.
Then I thought that maybe Facilities Operations had forgotten that Jayhawk Boulevard is a main thoroughfare through campus — might I even say the main thoroughfare. But then decided that wasn't who "they" is because the most of campus was cleared. OK, so some of it was cleared.
I was forced to conclude that "they" will remain undiscovered for now. But I will not be defeated. No indeed. I will continue to risk my life riding on the slushy street as a protest. And "they" had better not try to fix the situation merely by putting down sand.
merely by putting down Yeah. like that helps.
Volk is a Chesterfield, Mo., junior in liberal arts and sciences. He talks to his moped.
Politically-correct right operates by 'holy' rules
This is evident by the recent "voluntary" resignation of Sara Lister, Assistant Secretary of the Army, with the blasphemous statement that U.S. Marines are "extrem
The demise of political correctness has been greatly exaggerated. Now political correctness is being recognized by the right wing.
ists” — a flagrant no-no for right-speak P.C. A similar example of right-speak P.C. involves the apparent Teflon nature of the Christian Coalition. Many conservatives self-censor any criticism they have of the organization's ideology and agenda for fear of political shaming. When such criticism is leveled against the organization, out fall usually forces that person into a retraction or into a
John Culbertson
opinion@kansan.com
weakened political position, as was the case with Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and her belief in abortion rights.
jursey and her. In one sense, political correctness operates as a self-censor with discipline resulting in a type of personal and/or political shaming. That censor is based upon a code of conduct and language, which can be quite rigid and unforgiving for some offenders, and elastic for others.
Because the irritants of left-speak P.C. have been kicked into the ground at naseum, let's explore some of the right wing's untouchable areas of offense and commandments for action and censorship.
1. Thou shalt not hold any other modern Republican above Ronald Reagan. This includes any criticism of Iran-Contra, Reagan's game of nuclear chicken with the Soviet Union, his ballooning of the debt and yearly deficit and black-balling suspected actors of communistic activity during the McCarthy witch-hunts. By violating this commandment, shaming can result in being branded a historical revisionist. This commandment is occasionally endorsed by the "New Democrats."
2. Thou shalt not endorse the special interest. This includes the poor, minorities, women, immigrants, children, the disabled and the elderly. In other words, anyone other than CEOs, the Christian Coalition and occasionally the NRA. By violating this commandment, shaming can result in being branded a "liberal" representing the special interest.
3. Thou shalt always hold the "liberal" media responsible for any anti-Republican flak. This dead dog is right-speak P.C.'s last refuge for tacitly admitting defeat in an argument or debate. For example, the right might say that their bill to further slash welfare expenditures wasn't passed because of the biased coverage in the liberal media.
4. Thou shalt not criticize the corporate class or any of their actions undertaken in the free market. This includes mentioning the exploitation of immigrants, child labor, the poor, the homeless, sweat shops, slave wages and downsizing. By violating this
8. Thou shalt focus on no social or domestic policy other than the war on drugs, with the sole solution being to build more prisons. During election years this commandment is occasionally amended to include the war on Hollywood to promote family values. Any mention of other policies can result in being exposed as a liberal playing up to the special interest.
9. Thou shalt never openly mention Watergate, Iran-Contra or other such Republican fiascos. Nor shalt one mention quotes such as Reagan's "Evil Empire," "[nuclear] bombs are on the way" radio address, or George Bush's "Read my lips" promise.
7. Thou shalt honor thy Founding Fathers with blind reverence. This requires no historical knowledge of their position on politics or economics, hence the blindness, but rather the dogma that has arisen from American folklore and myth — also called propaganda. This also is right-speak P.C.'s second-to-last refuge for tacitly admitting defeat in an argument or debate. Simply use an obscure or out-of-context quote from Thomas Jefferson to bolster your own agenda.
5. Thou shalt not endorse the welfare state.
That is, unless it is for big corporations that rely on heavy corporate welfare handouts.
rely on heavy corporate warfare control. 6. Thou shalt not criticize the military, military spending or any ordered military action with a seated Republican president. We must continue our current military spending to defend democracy and freedom against the military technologies of any possible 'rogue nations' to which Lockheed-Martin previously was selling military technologies, thereby justifying more corporate welfare for Lockheed to combat its own weapons of mass destruction. If only I had a nickel for every time I've heard "weapons of mass destruction" during the past few weeks. This commandment is especially important for politicians who want to avoid being shamed with the wimp label. Occasionally, this commandment is amended to include a Democratic president.
10. Thou shalt remember the Cold War and keep it holy. This helps support Commandment Six. The idea is that even though we "won" the Cold War, it may not be finished. There are several rogue countries out there manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. This also refers to holding Reagan responsible as the sole leader and reason in "winning" the Cold War — see Commandment One.
commandment, shaming can result in being branded a socialist or maybe even a commite. This commandment is occasionally endorsed by the New Democrats.
Of course, the phenomenon of right-speak P.C. is nothing new. It always has existed. But since the "liberal" media and public officials rarely violate it, such censorship is difficult to detect.
Nevertheless, as with the left-speak P.C. police, the right-speak P.C. police are out, effectively imposing the chains of self-censorship via the mechanism of political and personal shaming.
.
John Culbertson is a Lawrence graduate student in education.
.