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Wednesday, November 1, 1972
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN comment
Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers.
Reform by Amendment
In less than a week, voters will be going to the polls to exercise their right to select those who will be in office for the next few years. On the basis of pre-election polls, the candidate will have no contest and the election has taken a lackluster tack—regardless of candidate preference.
In Kansas, candidates are many and issues are few. Each voter will be asked to decide on three amendments: "yes" or "no" to "will vote" "yes" on all three is in order,
The first of these amendments would make several changes in the state constitution's judicial article. Most significantly, it would provide for a unified court system. Under the amendment, all state courts would function within a single system, instead of under various independent authorities as they do now.
The second amendment would overhaul the state's executive branch. The governor and lieutenant governor would run on the same ticket, as do the President and vice president in national elections. The
terms of the governor and the lieutenant governor would also be extended to four years. The four-year term would increase the nonpartisan aspect of the governor's office. Under his present two-year term, a governor begins campaigning for his next term almost at inauguration. The four-year term is further defined by the business of the state without having to campaign for the majority of his term.
The first two amendments are submitted in full and may confuse some voters, while the cryptic language of the third might leave some wondering just what they are voting for.
The third amendment, submitted in abridged form, would remove some obsolete language from a section of the judiciary law and would provide for Kansas offenders to be placed in an interstate or regional penal facility in another state.
In all cases, a "yes" vote would
Kansas along toward orderly
reform.
Thomas E. Slaughter
Guest Editorial
Palestine's Hope
By HILLEL UNZ
Professor of Electrical Engineering
A recent guest editorial in the Kansan was long on emotions and frustrations and short on facts and suggested solutions. However, his sentiments were made quite clear, as were those of most of his comrades of the KU Arab Club in a recent public meeting about Palestine. They justify, condone and support the arrest of activists and the atrocious murders of innocent people by the different Arab terrorist organizations acting under the umbrella of Al-Fatah. Some of their recent actions were the random mass murder of 28 persons in Tel-Aviv airport, from whom were pilgrims from Puerto-Rico, the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes in Munich and the "execution" of 6 Jordanian workers in their beds in Germany.
We are promised to have more of the same "desperate" acts. The whole operation is financed by the oil operations of Libya, Saudi-Arabia and Kuwait, which want to protect their sabotage, and its leaders are able dynamic immunity by Algeria and Yemen embassies in Eurone.
The Black September terrorist activities in West Germany accomplished quite a lot for the Palestinians there. Until recently, a Palestinian could come and live, study and work in West Germany, and have the hope of a new life in a new country; the Black September put an end to it. While the West Germans believe in freedom of speech, they reject the freedom of assassination for any cause. Two Palestinian organizations of students and workers, who have actively supported the Black September-declared illegal, and most of their personnel were deported. Palestinians and Arabs are no more welcome in West Germany. I am sure that similar actions will be taken by the U.S. government, or any other government, under similar provocations.
This is not the first time that the Palestinians have followed false leaders, who were long on promises to stand on achievements for their people.
In 1947 their leaders rejected the UN partition plan and decided to fight against the newly created State of Israel with the help of the surrounding Arab countries. They ordered their people to leave Palestine for the time being, until the Arab countries could take care of the Every Arab who stayed behind was wary of the fightingNow, those Arabs who stayed in Israel enjoy full rights as Israeli citizens, and have one of the highest standards of living among the Arabs in the Middle East.
During the 1947-49 war close to 600,000 Arab refugees left Israel and went to Arab Countries. About 500,000 Jewish refugees left the Arab and Moslem countries and came to Israel and were resettled there.
This could be considered an unplanned exchange of population, and efforts should be directed towards the reduction of refugees among their own people. There are several examples of such exchanges of population, like between Greece (1,150,000) and Turkey (350,000) after World War II. All serious efforts and plans for the resettlement of the Arab refugees with U.S. and International help have been rejected by their leaders and the Muslim Jordan gave full citizenship in all the Palestinians in that country.
During the years the Palestinians in the refugee camps were promised by their leaders and the Arab countries that they would return to their former places in Israel and were forced to reject any resettlement. The war's climax in the radio broadcasts of Nasser in May 1967, when Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq mobilized for the final destruction of Israel. The Six Days War in June 1967 put an end to any hope that the Arab countries could win a war against Israel and Jordan. This time most Palestinian leaders had no experience, stayed in their homes, and none became refugees.
The Palestinian extremist leaders continued in their vain promises to the refugees and Al-Fatah was created. They planned to conquer Israel by guerrilla warfare from Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. However, they proved to be most ineffective in their operations, and eventually they lost all their Arab support inside Israel.
In Jordan the Al-Fatah armed bands acted as if they controlled the country. I was assured by one of their major supporters at KU that Al-Fatah could take over Jordan in 24 hours, if they so wished. After kicking three allied armies to Jordan and protesting against it, Jordan decided to take action and crushed the Al-Fatah in Jordan in September 1970. Peace came back to the Jordan valley and the extensive two-way traffic between Israel and Jordan of the Palestinians and their products have normalized to peacetime proportions. The operations of Al-Fatah from Lebanon did not prove successful either, and its members have become chanted with the do-nohing leadership. Thus, the terrorist operations in Europe started.
"All else has failed"—this was the one true statement in the previous guest editorial. It was implied that Al-Fatah and its supporters in Lawrence expected the terrorist activities in Europe and elsewhere to blackmail the world and particularly the U.S. to put political pressure on Israel. It is almost hard to believe that Al-Fatah leaders and supporters are so naive and expect to turn the public opinion to their side by such despicable terrorist acts.
cids and wound pay reparatlon
See PALESTINE Page 7
Hospital Deal Dubious
Jack Anderson
WASHINGTON--Senator John Sparkman is using his political cloak to wangle a dubious $16.5 million lease guarantee for a faxy private hospital that two of its medical fund raisers are building
Not only would the lease guarantee be the largest in the history of the Small Business Administration, (SBA), but it appears to violate SBA regulations and policy.
The proposed hospital, critics charge, also would drain away doctors services that are needed by the poor, particularly blacks.
Yet Sparkman pushed the hospital deal vigorously. He went on to personally to then administrator Hilary Sandoval and, on at least four occasions, had aide Jerald intervene with SBA of flicks.
What Sparkman wants out of SBA, he usually gets. He is chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee until he stepped down to the second spot in order to take the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee, it was Sparkman, in fact, who worked through the bill making the lease guarantee possible
NOW THE MELLOW and
mannerly Alabama Democrat
wants the taxpayers to guarantee a $1.5 million lease for two real estate men who have been raising money for his campaign.
One is Charles Speir, a prominent Birmingham real estate lawyer, who has contributed to past Paskman campaigns and has coughed up $1.500 this year.
The other is Art Rice, a Birmingham realtor, who has been collecting a campaign kitty for Sparkman from real estate operators. In a letter to the trade, Rice urged, "We in the real
estate business won't live long enough to see another Alabamian in this particular position of seniority, influence and power... The campaign will take $500,000.
Putting his money where his mouth is, Rice kicked in $2,000. The two entrepreneurs owned the Center Development Corporation and held a multimillion-dollar piece of property in Birmingham's affluent residential district of Homewood. Along with a group of doctors, Speir and Rice decided to own a newly-owned hospital on the land.
THE FINANCIAL twists and turns are a bit difficult to follow. Speir and Rice sold part of their land to the hospital, whose corporate name is Brookwood Medical Center Hospital, Inc. To their credit, they sought no profit from the project. A tudy $34,000费 as attorney and Rice collected an $80,000 real estate commission.
As they set it up, the hospital could avoid taking most welfare cases and other poor, long-term patients who have become the bane of nonprofessional hospitals. They planned a complex that would involve a building for doctors, nursing home, motel and refinements.
To clinch the deal, sheel set off for Washington to seek Sparkman's help in arranging a lease to his office. Sheel said whether he spoke directly to Sparkman or to a staff member. But Sparkman got hold of Hilary Sandoval and made a personal visit to the hospital lease guarantee.
Both promoters were also named to the hospital's nine-man board and were allowed jointly to oversee all of the stock--about 10 per cent.
letter, urging, "I feel that the application for a guarantee of the lease rentals of the Brookwood Medical Hospital, Inc., is a deserving one . . . I urge you to consider (it)."
He asked for a report "when action is taken on this application."
The powerful senator quickly followed up with a "Dear Hilary"
ALTHOUGH recent lease guarantees have been limited to $2.5 million, the Alabama application for $16.5 million would allow the bureaucratic process against considerable opposition.
Alabama's own department of Health was dubious. Birmingham's Community Health Planning Commission was issued a $10 million stimulus strenuous objections inside SBA's regional office in Atlanta.
But the Atlanta office, significantly, is headed by Wiley Messick who used to work for
Sparkman, Messick cleared the application but was obliged to send a split decision to Washington.
At headquarters, questions were raised over the identity of the "lessor." Regulations require that the landlord, or "lessor," must be separate from the tenant. But in the Alabama deal, Brookwood hospital would both occupy and own the land.
THE HOSPITAL got around the regulation by hastily forming the Brookwood Medical Foundation and operated out of Speir's office. Speir insists it will serve as a functional part of the medical center when the hospital is finally open on its way to final approval.
At SBA, Community Development Chief Einar Johnson said of the Brookwood
deal, "We were just learning our business, to tell you the truth." Speir and Rice both insist there was a problem that Sparkman's involved. Of Sparkman's intervention, Rice said, "That's what he supposed to do" for constituents. Speir added that the problem was legitimate and desirable."
Footnote: Sparkman himself didn't respond to our calls. But at a recent Alabama rally, he admitted he put the pressure on him to speak out about that agency (SBA) has to come before my committee for his appropriation and he personally came around to my office to speak to me about that hospital." Sparkman then chuckled and said, "I will know all these people and believe me, it's quite helpful."
Copyright, 1972,
by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
- MAYBE IF HE'D ENDED IT THREE YEARS A6Q. WE COULD HAVE VOTED FOR HIM TOO "
leaders Respond
Four More?
Peace Plan, Ray Charles...
To the Editor:
One presidential candidate wants "four more years." Look back at his last four, at the numerous scandals and the evidence of corruption that have plagued his administration. What could four years hold when he cannot care about re-election?
If he does the war in the near future, can one really believe that he is doing it to fulfill a campaign promise? Is it to help, instead, his re-election? Look at what the War has cost during these four years: 20,000 men and civilians, the roughly 40% of all American casualties of the War. Just ask if their families thought it was worth the sacrifice of a son to support the corrupt President Thieu and the honor of America. Can it be said that the bombing of North Vietnam is even helping to save our honor? What is honorable about the bombing of the Vietnamese and the turning of the country (North and South) into a sterile, defoliated moon-scape?
MgoCermin does not promise us Utopia, but do we really want another four years of wheat scandals, Watergate incidents, or the break for business but not for the consumer? Some say that these cannot be attributed to Mr. Nixon, but can we then attribute to him the ending of the draft or things for which he takes credit?
But most of all, it is voting approval of the systematic destruction of Vietnam. Remember back to the spring of last year when Mr. Nixon insisted that we be doing something about it but were not sure what could be done. Now we know what we can do: vote for Senator McGovenn. It is your vote: there is not a second chance until 1976. But more years" is a long time.
On election day, a vote for Mr Nixon is a vote of approval for people like Haynesworth, Carswell, Butz, and Agnew. It is giving approval to business special interests such as I.T.T., the milk processing industry and the carpet industry.
Mickey Weltman
University City, Mo., Junior
Gary D. Westergren
Tonganqie Senior
Concert
After reading the review of the Ray Charles concert, I felt I had to write this letter. After contacting the SUA office about the album, I got on sale, 8 a.m., I arrived at the mall, 7:30 in the morning. To my astonishment I was the fourth person in line. I found this hard to believe. Could people really have bought to buy tickets to see Elon John?
To the Editor:
Upcoming for the concert, I was somewhat dismayed when the usher placed me on the exuberant stage of some 20 speakers that were later to shred my earrum. The tone that emanated from these speakers was inafferable when Della Reese talked-talked-sung through them. How Miss Linda misspelled "concert" of any concert is beyond me. The reviewer also chided Charles for "tapping his foot and jumping
Forgetting peoples' taste in music, I felt extremely fortunate to obtain tickets on the center aisle, six row to see Ray Charles (who doesn't currently have anything on WHB's Too 40).
around.1 What would she have him do, be strapped into his seat? I agree that the concert was performed, but whose fault was that? That is what performance was anything from unsatisfactory. But then, who knows more about how to stage a concert-Ray Charles or Mary Lind? I suggest she get together with the SUA staff and line up some real talent like Grand Funk Railroad's Sherman, and perhaps Miss Lind and others will proceed to swamp Hoch Auditorium.
Chris Henry First-Year Law Student
No$12Votes
To the Editor:
The bestowing of the HOPE Award is a distinguished honor. To be recipient of this honor means to some professor that his time and effort have proven very profitable. He has a following of students who contact him and his teaching, who feel that he is worthy of notice.
But what professor would want this display of respect and trust, only if each student had $12 to spare? These teachers have gone through their own process of preparing for college; many of us who have to work to pay for our education don't just have the extra money for class cards. If a student happens to be a non-Kansas resident, out-of-state tuition is quite a large expense. We offer other required materials for classes. Now, subtract this total from a student loan or a work-study program, and the sum that is left is minimal. Twelve dollars taken for a class card really can help students afford a. A concerned professor wants the respect of all his students. He looks to a student for his mind.
not his wallet. A student can admit a professor, despite his financial situation. Is it right then, and should he vote for a class card, should be able to vote for the HOPE Award recipient? It is only fair to the professors that every senior be allowed to take a total view of student ordination.
Sandra L. Smith
Senior
Carlton, Pa.
Why Now?
To the Editor:
The war finally is drawing to a close. For this, every American should be thankful. But in our joy over the recent administration, which was elected on a "plan" to end the war, what changes have taken place which have enabled us to obtain peace now rather than war. The reason citizens to sititicize to and try behind the headlines and to determine why peace comes now, on the eve of the election, rather than three days later, is that every voter, even those who are able to laugh off the wholesale
corruption that the Nixon administration has perpetuated on this country, will find it difficult to rationale the 20,000 American boys who have died in this war during the Nixon administration first half years and half years; the 100,000 wounded during that period; the billions of tax dollars the Nixon administration has funnelled into the war it was ending and the most severe bombing war in the history; the reasons are not given as to why this war was allowed to go on even one day longer than was necessary. If these reasons are not forthcoming, perhaps the real Nixon "secret plan" concerned a re-election rather than a method of getting the votes. If the answers to these serious questions are not provided or are found wanting and Mr. Nixon is still re-elected, he will have established an ironic twist to the words of his Republican counterpart years ago, proving you can fool most of the people most of the time.
John L. White Second-Year Law Student
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN America's Pacemaking college newspaper
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Griff and the Unicorn
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Dale Pieper grinder
By Sokoloff
Universal Press Syndicate 1972