UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan editor staff. Signed columns represent the views of the authors.
October 11, 1979
Aye for dissension
It may bother some people that Lawrence City Commissioner Marci Francisco turns up on the losing side in many city commission votes.
But Francisco is not bothered, and for good reason, that of the first 228 votes taken by the commission, 59 were split votes and she was responsible for 34 of them. That means that the other four commissioners combined for only 16 votes. The failure did not include routine acceptance of proclamations and bids for equipment and services or disagreements on federal revenue-sharing allocations.
THE REASON for Francisca's lack of worry or concern about her voting record is that it speaks for itself—and for a large number of Lawrence residents and KU students who might have represented on past commissions.
Commissioner Ed Carter says Fran-isco's record video shows that there is "at least one commissioner who feels her constituency is maybe a little more restrictive than the rest of us." He proposes that perhaps the other commissioners should try to adopt a 'citywide' approach to issues.
Carter may be correct. The truth of the matter is that Francisco does represent the interests of her constituents—including many KU students.
But representing the interests of her constituents does not preclude the possibility that those interests may, in fact, be helpful to the city as a whole.
FRANCISCO HAS been consistently favorable to neighborhood issues and other issues that have a direct and often beneficial effect on KU students.
What Francisco's dissension means is that the interests of the city of Lawrence are not always as cut and dried as they may seem.
Some of the commissioners may be taking a "citywide" approach to the issues and may be willing to make certain commission for the benefit of the whole city.
"SOMETIMES I know why they (other commissioners) aren't going to really pay attention to why I'm voting as I am, but isn't it nice that at least it's part of the record that there isn't total agreement?" Francois said.
Achievements to stay after Kreps leaves
Juanta Kreps' term as secretary of commerce will end at the end of the month when she steps down for personal and family reasons. But her presence, and success, will leave their effect on the president and the nation's major businesses.
But that kind of approach sometimes systematically excludes certain interests of the city that may not contain light as the commissioners.
Indeed, dissension is a critical and vital part of the democratic decision-making process that should be welcomed. Without it, the interests of the majority are mistakenly assumed to be the interests of all.
Hers was not a storm post in the often tittulatus Carter administration—and her exit will likely be equally tranquil—but she has left a mark.
Kreps was appointed in 1977 by Carter and was the first woman in U.S. history to be secretary of commerce.
Juanita Kreps
DURING THE past two-and-a-half years as secretary of commerce, Kropotich is known for his big business, big bip business, the government and the nation as a whole. She has served to help
She has administered her department of more than 12 divisions and 38,000 employees fairly and responsibly. And while other Cabinet members were questionable in their comments, the president, Krepa, remained a staunch defender of Carter and has administration.
Characterized as aggressive and ambitious throughout her life, Kreps has
John COLUMNIST fischer
carried these traits with her into the Cabinet position.
SHE GREW in up the poor mining community of Lynch, KY., and attended a small college in the South before going on to earn a degree at Duke University at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
Not only has she been a board member of E熟人鼎马 J.C. Penney and Western United, but she is also on the board of the New York Stock Exchange. Before accepting the Caket position, she was vice president of the NYSE.
As secretary of commerce, Krepets shes a high school he. She is the government's choice for president, and she initiates programs and legislation that would govern government and business, as well as the economy.
FOR INSTANCE, Kreps saw international trade as a way to improve the nation's economy and foreign relations that will help the business at home and on the foreign market.
She has traveled extensively on trade missions to other countries. Earlier this year, she negotiated an important trade agreement with China.
Kreps also tried, with the cooperation of business and corporate interests, to establish programs that would help promote economic growth and reduce government interference.
She also strive to make her department more important in the federal government by involving it in the country's economic policy decision-making.
This attitude of pushing for changes to move ahead and benefit all those concerned has earned Kreps respect from government officials as well as businessmen.
Kreps' commitment and courage are characteristics that seem to be missing from most of our government officials.
Kreps' abasse definitely will be teex to Washington and in the White House. But her accomplishments will, no doubt, remain with us.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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After a late winter day that was so rainy that the garbage could not be collected, the blocks received a paycheck that was enough to cover the expenses and did have the work done. The few white ones in the work force, however, had received full pay in their checks, which were made out in the city.
In 1968 more than 90 percent of the sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. were black. This is not surprising, given the fact that blacks have been discriminated against in the South and assigned low-paying, skilled jobs for many years. But even here this was a more obvious type of discrimination festering beneath the surface.
The result of such inhumane treatment build up in the faces of Memphis leaders and activists is the erosion of a sanitation worker's strike that ripped Memphis and led to Dr. Martin Luther Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
THE PROBLEMS in the Memphis situation were essentially two-fold. The suppression of blacks for decades had never allowed them the opportunity to move into better-paying, higher-skill jobs and, more importantly, higher-skill whites that the blacks should be suppressed.
Such was the attitude in the South in the 1980s, and while the Ku Klux Klan continues to use insensitive antics in Alabama, the fact is that improvements have been made. In the past, students who were discriminated against there, blacks have made progress in achieving higher-paying jobs in the job market.
Education holds promise of equality
An improvement in educational opportunities is the most important element in this progression.
WHILE NO one would realistically report that this country has achieved total racial equality, we have had to acknowledge, indeed even a strong case, that there has been a steady state of intermarriage among white men over equality, but we are moving in the right direction if we are moving toward equality.
A 1978 study by the Rand Corporation concluded that the gap in wages between black and white workers had decreased significantly in the past 30 years. Between 1947 and 1978, black men's earnings improved from one-half to three-fourths of what they were in 1947, but the increase was from earning one-third of what whites earned to nearly the same.
The Hand study said that the primary causes for the improved status of rural areas were the lack of opportunities in all areas of the country and especially an improvement in the economic situation.
COLUMNIST
david preston
There is still a long way to go. The increase in the number of black colleges, black students attending universities and colleges and in the school regularly are trends that have been gratifying to many. The larger number of applicants from lower-level workers a chance to move up through the ranks of that particular com-
OVERALL, THERE has been a more progressive attitude toward the role that black should be playing in the shaping of our society. In Memphis, it appears that in the past, black was a hard man. Otis Higg, will be elected as the first black mayor in the city of the city.
policy, the Supreme Court decided that quota systems were illegal. The court said that race could be considered in determining which applicants would be to act. But the decision was still seen as a slap on setback for affirmative action advocates.
EDUCATION IS where blacks must make progress in order to achieve equality in this society. It is simple enough to say that a business will have to hire so many blacks and minority workers, but if that minority was not qualified to assume the position, their business should not be forced to hire him just because he is a member of a minority.
The primary force in describing equal opportunities for blacks was the 1964 Civil War act, which set up the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. EEOC has been active since then in ECOC.
ting policies for employers regarding fair employment practices and wage discrimination.
Under the original 1964 act, equal education was not included. The EEOC amended that oversight in 1972, and since then educational institutions have been given policies to that have been in line with the commission's affirmative action guidelines.
The administration response to this by seeking to cut Ambulance 20 personnel actions takes action reverse this concept, passenger service in the States will so be nothing but a memory.
With the increase in educational opportunities, even if it means not allowing a student to attend college or medical school, there will necessarily follow an increased number of job opportunities.
If cutbacks in rail service make little sense, so does the virtual abandonment of rail passenger service. The family car is becoming an ever more cost but less reliable means of having people. The car is real or manipulated, is here to stay, and many drivers will not venture on long trips in the future even for business purposes.
Under the EEC's rules, it was fair for a university to admit minority students who were not black or nonethnic (than white students because it was an affirmative action toward equalizing minority students).
WE HAVE the financial and technical abilities to reverse present trends. We can increase the speed and safety of both freight
EVEN STAUNCH advocates of keeping the government out of as many areas of society as possible have seen the advantage of educating others and educational opportunities as possible open to blacks. In raising the standard of living for African Americans, the entire society will benefit greatly.
THE HALLS of Congress reverence with words about the great need to turn to coal to save oil, yet the Department of Transportation and Corail, supported by this department, are at this time seeking ways to eliminate many of the spur lines that serve the coalfields.
When Alan Baskitek challenged this rule at the University of California at Davis, where he was denied admission while 74 others were admitted. He argued that the basis of the school's affirmative action
We are moving out of an episode in our country's history when blacks were widely degraded and suppressed. Sure there is one place where we can do, but progress is inevitable. Equally important opportunities is one place where we can unjust gap between blacks and whites.
Trust fund could be railroads' savior
But, unfortunately, even though the bus driver promised an emergency stop July 15 he ignored, he ignored the basic need to modernize our railways so we can reduce our dependence on trucks, cars and trains.
By MILTON J. SHAPP
MERION STATION, Pa.-The United States grew from coast to coast with the development of its railroads. Today, a major cause of our economic plight is our reliance on the materials and finished goods efficiently. The boats and airplanes play important roles.
But the American rail system is in shamles. Most trains are unsafe at any speed, riding as they do mainly on unsafe track.
By MILTON J. SHAPP N.Y.Times Special Features
However, for many products these carriers can transition quickly to freight transmission. For example a freight train with 125 cars and a crew of five can carry the equivalent tonnage of 500 trucks.
For example, the solution now proposed in Washington to reduce Conrad's financial losses will downdrag even further the benefit of this hauler, which was created out of a merger between Central debacle and which is now the main railroad serving the Midwestern and Northeastern regions of the United States. What is needed is a program that will provide that benefit thereby improve the operating efficiency of Conrad and other rail carriers.
Rolling stock is not only in short supply but is also largely obsolete and worn out,
OF PARTICULAR concern today is the use of our railroads depend mainly upon oil for the transportation of Americans proceed with almost suicidal intoward to downgrade our already inadequate infrastructure.
and passenger service and, by electrifying our lines, make our railroads 34 percent more energy-efficient. Coal could be used to generate the electricity and thus greatly reduce the need for huge quantities of oil to run our trains. In this regard, it is important that coal be developed to burn coal without violating existing air environmental standards.
A modern rail system could be financed at no cost to the taxpayers if Congress would establish a rail trust fund patterned after that of the railroad, used to build the interstate highway system.
The 2 PERCENT surcharge could easily be absorbed by shippers because the modernization program would speed up and improve the delivery of goods. Funds
The rail trust fund would advance money to rebuild obsolete tracks, to purchase modern, high-speed and efficient rolling stock, and to reconstruct facilities. Then, in the same way as the second gallon surcharge on gasoline has more than paid for the construction of a vast interstate highway system, the rail trust fund would collect a 2 percent charge on all freight bills and have been unaffected. The railways had been unaltered. Private ownership.
collected under the surcharge program would go into a rail development bank and then be reloaded to the railways, thus providing solving fund for continual rail modernization.
A system of accountability could be created without a mandate, as fiscal assessment would be sought, the major objective of the program should be the creation of a railway system and truly efficient, capable and freight and passengers economically during the coming decades of scarcity and cost.
In addition to this, Congress and the Interstate Commerce Commission must change the present policy that allows a company to sell its products to the company claims are not profitable.
The enormous economic losses suffered throughout the nation in the wake of the Penn Central merger, the abandonment of Erie-Lackawana tractage, and the
THIS POLICY, which was implemented to push through the Penn Central merger, has left many once-driving communities without vital rail services to offer employers and thus has led to grave economic in many cities and areas of the nation.
RAIL DEREGULATION is being hailed in some quarters as a possible savior of the railroads. However, as the Milwaukee Railroad's financial difficulties, the mounting losses of Conrail and Amtrak, and the continuing reduction in vital rail service, this would be older areas of the nation show, this would be poorer rail services and higher freight rates.
shutdown of other once-important rail systems should have taught us that the economic health of cities, states and entire regions of the nation depend upon efficient rail transport, particularly rail. Without such rail service the economic loss to the nation will be staggering.
A rational national rail policy is needed before it is too late.
The time to move into an improvement program is now, before our decrept railroads deteriorate further and more train service is discontinued.
Unfortunately, there are no signs that either the administration or Congress have any realistic program with which to deal with the underlying problems.
Milton J. Shapp, former governor of Pennsylvania, has written extensively about America's railroads.
Respect for life includes animals
To the Editor
On Sunday Oct. 7 two dogs were nu'r cups in separate incidents on campus; neither driver stopped although a few concerned people did go for help. There's little need to teach I and Iach and that many well-educated people don't even possess—the ability to care.
It would have taken these drivers only a few minutes to call the Lawrence Animal Shelter for help. Were these drivers in too much of a hurry to go where they were going to show a little compassion? Even if they weren't likely to be thoughtful enough to think that these dogs do belong to someone who probably cares about them.
It's hard to comprehend why a driver wouldn't stick, unless he figured it's only a small chance. That was easily replaced. Albert Schweitzer said that once man lost his reverence for life, society would deteriorate. People will be so careless about others and other things.
Paul Mendelsohn Overland Park senior
A message to pet owners: If you care about your pets, you should be a little more aware of the safety of your pets. You don't care about the safety of your pets. I sincerely question your ability to be responsible for your pets' love and trust and most of all depend on you. Let's try to be responsible for them.
UNIVERSITY DAILY letters KANSAN
Racial discrimination investigation urged
To the Editor:
Reggie Robinson deserves commendation for his actions that brought widespread public attention to the racial discrimination of Shenanigan's membership policy.
I had heard of the practice through rumors and articles in the Kansan, but like so many of us, did not know how to correct the situation. Reggie's interview on the
television news Tuesday night is what I hope will be the beginning of an investigation that will remedy the situation.
We as a student body should support any actions that will eliminate discrimination from this city. I personally do not knowingly extend my patronage to any establishments that I feel engage in discriminatory acts and use the student body will join me in this
Susan Cox Evergreen, Colo., senior
Letters Policy
The University Dayton Kansas welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typwritten, double-spaced and include the name of the author, include the writer's name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affirmed by the university, should include the writer's class and home town or faculty or staff position. Letters should also be the right to edit for publication.