The University Daily
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Thursday, March 3, 1983 Vol. 93, No. 110 USPS 650-640
Liquor amendment considered by panel
By Jeff Taylor Staff Reporter
TOPEKA — Kansas counties would have the option of voting for the open sale of liquor in bars and restaurants if a proposed constitutional amendment is passed through the Legislature and ratified by voters.
Proponents of the Senate resolution to allow such a vote told the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee that Kansas needed to accept moral standards from the 20th century.
STATE SEN. Jack Steinerg, D-Kansas City, and sponsor of the resolution, testified that the state was too (restrictive in its laws, which he wrote) to give Drink alcohol unless he belonged to a private club.
"I think we would be hard-pressed, Mr. Chairman, in this state, if the good Lord returned to Kansas," he said. "I don't think we'd need it. I mean, I want the Sliver. Certainly there would be no wine to bless."
Private clubs that serve liquor and wines can now serve only members of the club and their
Taverns that sell 3.2 percent beer can serve
anyone more than 15 years old. Private clubs can
also be set up.
Those who argued against the measure said the state should not promote the greater consumption of alcohol, which they said would reduce the state's private club system were scrapped.
THE REV. Richard Taylor, of Kansans for Life at its Best! told the committee that he favored statewide prohibition. He said the committee should discourage alcohol consumption.
Taylor said he thought a constitutional amendment that would allow counties to decide whether they wanted scrap the club system would be giant step toward immorality.
"It's better to be one mile from hell going away from it, than to be a hundred miles away."
Taylor also testified Tuesday in the same committee against a resolution to allow a vote on parimutuel gambling.
State Sen. Edward Reilly, R-Leavenworth,
said people would always gamble and drink,
regardless of legislation against parimutuel
gambling and the open sale of alcohol.
"In all of mankind's history, we have tried to legislate morality and haven't been successful."
REILLY PREDICTED that both parimutuel gambling and the open sale of liquor would be passed through committee.
But he said that parimutuel gambling would have a better chance of surviving on the Senate and House floors, because of revenues that could be gained from legalizing bats at horse races.
Steinger testified Tuesday in favor of parimutuel betting at horse races and said the state could recover nearly $30 million in revenues from money wafered at the tracks.
On the drinking issue, he said that Kansas could also get tax money that was now spent in Missouri by people who traveled across the state line to dine in restaurants.
STEINEGER TOLD the committee that because Kansas did not allow the open sale of alcohol, residents of counties that border Missouri, such as Johnson and Wyandotte counties, often chose to drive into Missouri for a ride on the town, instead of staying in Kansas.
Other proponents backed Steiniger's proposal and said voters should be allowed to decide the fate of the Senate.
One advocate of the resolution, Myrna Preisner, of the Topeka Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the state should revise its drinking laws so that it would not find a restaurant that served alcohol.
She said state residents had no problem finding a club or restaurant that served alcohol to them.
Preiser also said she did not expect an abundance of new restaurants and clubs to build
Stephan backs meetings bill
Staff Reporter
By DIANE LUBER
TOPEKA — Attorney General Robert Stephan told a Kansas House committee yesterday that he supported a bill that would keep cities from violating the spirit of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.
"Believe me, without the open meetings law government bodies will close meetings," he said. "I fail to see any real need to give away the power of authority in which we have taken great pains to obtain."
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on two bills that would
THE OPEN Meetings Act states that when the majority of a quorum of a public body discusses public business at a prearranged meeting, that meeting must be open to the public. The act prevents a public body from discussing law or the Lawrence City Commission, from meeting privately to discuss city business.
Stephan said he supported a bill the committee had drafted that would make it impossible for cities to raise the number of members required for a quorum.
Because cities now have the power to set quorum requirements, Stephan said, a five-member city commission could raise its quorum from three to four, thereby making it possible for two of its members to meet privately to discuss city business.
The Lawrence City Commission considered last fall a move to raise its quorum, which would have allowed two commissioners to discuss city business in private.
THE COMMISSION asked for Stephan's opinion on such a move. He said that raising the quorum would be legal, but would violate the spirit and intent of the Open Meetings Act.
"Although raising the quorum requirement may restrict the ability of the city to transport goods, it is important that we do not allow."
s seriously consider the quorum increase in order to 'outsmart' the Open Meetings Act," he said at
But Duane West, Garden City city commissioner, opposed the bill.
"The wording of the present law which prohibits two members from discussing city business at a prearranged meeting prevents the discussion and exchange of ideas," he said. "The more time and opportunity we have as individuals to sit and discuss on an informal basis the needs and goals of the agency we serve, the better city government will be."
WEST SPIKE in favor of the other bill,
introduced by State Rep. David Heinemann,
R-Garden City, that would allow members of a
business to privately if less than a
quorum were present.
"Some members of the news media claim that this proposed bill will lead to all sorts of skulduggery and horrible, horrendous happenings all over the state," he said. "I believe this is an erroneous, pessimistic and negative view, which tends to cast aspersions upon the character and sincerity of those of us who serve on such governing bodies and agencies."
Heinemann said the purpose of his bill was to allow two commissioners to talk informally with each other about city business, not to allow secret meetings.
*Perhaps a city manager's power is increased by commissioners not being allowed to talk to each other.*
The public could always vote out of office any elected official who acted against the public's
DOUGLAS MERRITT, mayor of Atchison,
agreed with Heinemann.
"There's been a radical shift of power from elected officials to the city manager," he said. "I believe the elected officials should be in charge."
Although the Open Meetings Act restricts the
following: OPEN pages
See OPEN page 5
The late afternoon sun filters through the limbs of a sycamore tree near the sidewalk between Stouffer Place and McCollum Ha'
Budget may tighten KU's fall classes
Bv DAVID POWLS
Staff Reporter
Fewer and more crowded classes in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are likely next fall because KU officials expect another budget reduction.
"We expect the college and schools of the University to take a cut next year," said Michael Young, associate dean of the college. "The 5 percent cut on the maximum cut we think we could receive."
The Kansas Legislature will decide this session what the 1984 budget will be for the governor.
LAST SPRING, the budget was reduced 4.3 percent because of the state's money problems.
David Dinnenen, professor of French and Portuguese who coordinates introductory French courses, said that the intensive courses were intended for next fall and that other classes would be canceled also.
"During pre-enrollment next year, courses, not just sections, will be closed, because we won't teach classes with more than 30 students," Dimeen said. "Teaching assistant courses will still suffer most because they will be required, to teach more courses and grade more papers."
The French department will hire 26 instead of 30 graduate teaching assistants for next year, he said.
JACK ORUCH, associate professor of English, said some departments were using a preliminary budget with a 5 percent reduction to make plans for next year.
"It is important we have a figure now." Oruch said. "However, it is a preliminary budget and the time for the final budget is a long way from now."
"In some cases, teaching is dictated by the location of the course on campus," he said. "You just can't increase enrollment in a course with 22 students when the classroom has 21 seats."
Oruch said that if fewer graduate students were hired next year, either some English courses would be eliminated or more students would crowd in classes.
Robert Spires, chairman of the Spanish and Portuguese department, said his department also would not be able to hire enough teaching assistants.
SPIRES ALSO said that the Spanish and Portuguese department would probably not offer as many advanced language courses next fall.
"This semester some sections have 32 students in them and there is only enough overhead for all of them."
"That means we can't use the equipment designed for courses."
Donald Watkins, chairman of the grammar
languages and literatures department, said that
a 5 percent reduction would mean that the
number of graduate teaching assistants next year.
"The dean is optimistic, and we are optimistic, that the cut will not be that large." Watkins said.
Michael Johnson, director of the freshman and sophomore English program, said he did not know what students were looking for.
BUT A REDUCTION would take away from the number of lecturers and part-time faculty members more than the number of graduate assistants, he said.
"By losing them, the department loses the ability to teach the courses it needs to teach." he said.
Johnson said the department needed to offer more sections of English 101 and 102 this fall. Three hundred students who were unable to take the courses this semester because of a lack of class space will probably enrol in it next fall with incoming freshmen, he said.
The recommended size for such classes is about 20 students, but classes this fall will have a larger size.
Power plant switches to cost-saving fuel oil
By JIM BOLE
Staff Reporter
On Tuesday, KU's power plant switched from natural gas to fuel oil, which costs about 65 cents a gallon and now is cheaper to use than natural gas, said William Hogan, the associate executive vice chancellor. The plant had been using natural gas exclusively.
The University of Kansas' power plant began this week to use fuel oil instead of natural gas, a plan that will save energy costs of about $30,000 a month. The associate executive vice chancellor
Natural gas, which the University bought from Kansas Services Public Co., cost about 34 percent
more this February than it did in February 1982, he said.
LAST MONTH, the university paid $5.16 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas, compared to $3.85 paid in January 1982, he said.
Robert Porter, associate director of physical plant maintenance, said that the power plant's main boiler was using fuel oil that the University has had since 1979. The delivery of commercially-supplied oil will start in about two weeks.
The University has stored about 400,000 gallons of oil — a 40-day supply — in two underground tanks by the power plant. The oil is used as a backup for natural gas, he said.
The last time the University had to use its oil reserves was in the first two months of 1979.
when the University's use of natural gas was restricted because of short supply, he said.
Tuesday's switch was the first time the University voluntarily used fuel oil, Hogan said.
THE POWER plant will continue to burn oil at least until April, when the University will consider the feasibility of using natural gas again, he said.
The power plant's four boilers, which supply steam for heating, cooling and research, can be equipped with a condenser.
One boiler, the only one burning oil, has been supplying most of the University's steam this year.
Another boiler, which still uses natural gas, is operating at a reduced level to supply the steam.
Today will be mostly cloudy and mild with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. Winds will be from the south at 10 to 20 mph.
Employers match employees' gifts to Endowment
Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. The low temperature is 38 degrees F.
Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy and cooler with a chance of thundershowers. The high will be around 60.
Rv AMY CRAIG
Staff Reporter
Many KU alumni may think that a $25 or $50 donation to the Kansas University Endowment Association will not have much impact compared with the Endowment Association often receives.
But smaller donations sometimes have a great effect, because about 1,000 companies in the country match their employee's donations, Endowment Association officials said recently.
THE ENDOWMENT Association will probably receive at least $300,000 this year from the companies' matching gift to David Marian McCorkee to the president of the Endowment Association.
In the matching-gifts program, she said, an employee donates money to a university or other organization specified by the company. The company then matches that employee's gift.
Some companies give as much as $3 for each $1 donated by an employee, depending on their policy.
Matching-gifts programs began in the early 1950s, said Dale Seiferting, director of constituent fund raising and public relations at the Endowment Association.
"It is a policy the corporate community has initiated on its own that they provide to employees as a fringe benefit," he said. "Companies encourage employees to support universities, and it makes the impact of a gift greater with the match from the company."
MOST COMPANIES that have a matching-gift program match donations to all colleges and universities. However, some companies also match gifts to other schools, youth groups, cultural groups, museums, libraries and health organizations.
Companies with matching-gifts programs say they benefit both the company and its employ-
Carol DeGroff, administrative assistant to the chairman of the board of Security Benefit Life in Topeka, said she thought the company began its program as a benefit for its employees.
'Any progressive company looks toward the
future in education and at the people coming out of universities that will be advantageous to the company," she said. "The program lets the students know that giving money to education is important."
Companies with matching-gifts programs inform their employees about the program and promote awareness of its benefits.
DeGroff said Security Benefit distributed brochures to its employees to inform them of the program. Most employees are aware that the company will match their donations, she said.
MELINDA GIOSA, coordinator of matching-gifts at Quaker Oats in Chicago, said. "Our employees see the program as an opportunity to have a voice in how and where our money is allocated. And by their participation, we can move money to areas where our employees are."
McCorkill said more companies established matching-gifts programs each year, so the Endowment Association also received more money through the programs each year.
IN THE Endowment Association's 1977 fiscal
year, it received $72,544.69 in the matching-gift program. In fiscal 1961, $284,433.85 was received.
The companies said they had been pleased with the success of their programs, although some said the economy probably had decreased employee participation.
DeGroff said, "I suppose the economy will take a slight tail, but not that much. We hope that in 1833 more employees will continue with the team and that the program will pick up steam.
"I'd like to think people will continue to support their endowment associations. Many people think they must give large amounts, but I don't. If it is matched by the company, is a good gift."
MCCORKILL SAID the economy had caused some companies to temporarily discontinue matching their employees' gifts. But the companies have the right to discontinue the program, she said.
Gloss said that Quaker Gats, which has a plant in Lawrence, had expanded its program this year to include more categories.