UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of the editorial staff.
October 10.1979
Phone rules needed
The Kansas Corporation Commission is looking out for the consumer with unbelievable consistency these days.
In recent weeks it has slashed both a proposed electrical rate increase and a proposed gas rate increase. The commission also has conducted open hearings about the policies of electrical and gas utilities.
Those hearings resulted last month in the release of a "Consumer Bill of Rights," which outlined prescribed laws for consumers' consumer services and cutoff policies.
NOW THE KCC is helping consumers once again. The commission announced last week that it would launch an investigation into customer-related policies of 52 telephone companies in the state.
With a similar strong effort in this investigation—to be completed by mid-November—the KCC should be able to meet the demands of Rights for phone company customers.
The electrical and gas policies set limits on the amount of security
deposits,circumstances under which deposits may be charged, periods in which bills may be paid, maximum amount of other consumer-related"rights".
Now comes the phone companies' turn to be examined under the bright lights.
NOT ONLY does Southwestern Bell have a large number of students getting new phones each year, but that company also has a large number of students paying deposits, being billed and sometimes being a little bewildered by occasionally confusing policies.
For these reasons, a phone company analysis compiled along the same lines as the electrical and gas policy guideline for the university or student phone company customers.
In fact, for a consumer to be able to adequately know the product he is paying for, he must be informed and he must understand his rights as a consumer are protected.
A phone customer's Bill of Rights might be the thing to do just that.
On the surface it appeared to be a noble gesture that Soviet President Leonid I. Breslavh made last week when he announced that the Soviet Union would withdraw 20,000 troops and 1,000 tanks from East Germany next year.
Soviet troop withdrawal a plov
That announcement, accompanied by enthusiastic aplause and plaudits from Eastern European nations, was motivated "by a sincere desire to take out of the impasse a larger force" in the military detente in Europe," according to the Soviet president.
BUT WHAT Syriza propaganda insists is a genuine peace initiative is, in reality, a coldly calculated move designed to split the NATO alliance and forestall efforts to the United States to upgrade its tactical nuclear force in Western Europe.
To that withdrawal into proper perspective, it should be noted that 20,000 troops represent only 5 percent of the 400,000 Soviet soldiers in Eastern Europe. It is less than 2 percent of the total force of those troops and the rest of the Warsaw nations combined. Clearly it is a tiny fraction—so much so that its ability on the ability of Soviet forces to invade Western Europe
Why then, if there was no significant military sacrifice inherent in withdrawing the troops, would the Soviet Union be able to recover the resources it lost in American decision to deploy new intermediate range nucleus missiles in West Germany and other NATO nato sites?
These missiles are the target of the Soviet proposal. The Soviet Union already has intermediate range nuclear missiles placed in Eastern Europe that are capable of reaching the capitals of Western Europe.
What could the president do? To launch the surviving American missiles at the Soviet Union would bring down the rest of the Soviet Union's missiles on American cities. But at the same time the president is obliged by NATO to come to the aid of western Europe. How would European nations respond? Would nations even want the United States to come to their aid?
PUTTING the medium range Pershing II's in Western Europe would add a new dimension to the NATO defences. Attacks from Europe would invite equal and potent counterattacks, but a significant advantage is even the remote possibility that a Western European nation, such as West Germany, if threatened by the Soviets, might be given control of some of the missiles as a deterrent.
superiority in medium range missiles and bombers not covered by the SALT II treaty now before the U.S. Senate. The United States feared the Soviet Union might use that superiority in the eastern Europe into submission in the event of nuclear war.
That, of course, would come as a last resort, but it is a threat the Warsaw Pact nations would have to take into consideration in any deliberations on the use of force in Europe.
THE DOOMSDAY scenario for that event goes something like this: The Soviet Union launches a first strike attack against American missiles while simultaneously invading NATO countries with conventional forces. At the war's end, the Soviet invasion resistance to Soviet troops in Western Europe would bring a stockade of medium range missiles on the capitals of those countries.
Obviously, the Russians realized the complications that could arise from the deployment of these missiles, so their leadership has attempted to take the initiative in trying to keep them out of Europe. The announcement of the troop withdrawal came in the wake of the war in the United States and Western Europe that they were waging against Cold War if they put the person II missiles in Europe
NATO officials already have approved a plan for reunification, but more than 90% of the missiles that caused the collapse in Brussels in December. The Russians obviously hope to create dissension within the NATO ranks by announcing their strong opposition to the plan.
American officials have seen through Mosque's offer from the beginning and have said they will not change their policies.
"We recognize that the Soviet Union has an interest in forestalling Western efforts to upgrade our conventional and nuclear forces in order to achieve equality." Zhigwain Brzezinski, national security adviser, said Sunday.
BREZIZINKI ALSO acted to reassure European leaders that the United States would not fold the nuclear umbrella under which Western Europe has been sheltered for so long.
John COLUMNIST logan
"Let there be no doubt about it," he said. "The United States cannot forgive any mistake, and those of its friends. It think it would be extremely dangerous for anyone to misjudge the will of this country or its president to react if our vital interests or the interests of our people are threatened."
Have scatter-brain, will get 'round to it
That development was spurred by growing Soviet
The fact that the nuclear balance of power struggle in Europe continues is unfortunate, but it is pretty much a fact of life. No treaty or agreement cover the medium between countries, so do until another agreement—a BALT III—is negotiated.
THERE'S more truth than jest in that idea. A New York-based organization offers a school for theorizes that chronic disorganization stems from a childhood resistance to learning.
An unorganized person undoubtedly has lots of enthusiasm for his work, but finds it difficult to do much careful planning because his life is very full.
Someone who is constantly in a scrawl is probably a person with an uncanny ability to tell the truth. He finds so many things he would like to do that he tries to squeeze them all into one file.
The fact that I have remained unorganized is purely my own fault. I have picked up a number of books and I have read them all, but to use my "little moments" more wisely, how to plan my day so that priorities are taken care of when my energy level is highest. But—here's the classic punchline: I'm in behind schedule after I read me.
Until then, countering the Soviet missile advances in Europe to the only way to keep a danger-proosed Soviets away is to destroy them.
The ability to plan has always escaped me.
When other children were dutifully coloring picture stories for Parents' Day, I was always daydreaming or dithering with memories of my childish story-writing attempts.
Psychologists probably have a profile of people like me. This chronic lack of organization probably signifies to them that they are dealing with basic responsibilities of life.
A DISORGANIZED person, they probably say, is independent, irresponsible, can cope with pressures, irresistible (ourest) framework of theory beyond a situation.
The habit has stuck with me. I find it hard to get my schedule arranged in an orderly fashion and to plan for things I know are looming in the future.
It's a definite lack of organization— probably caused by some unknown trauma in childhood.
AND AN unorganized person probably has trouble saying no to people who ask him to do things on only a moment's notice. He is montanous.
I disagree. I think that a lack of organization probably indicates a few positive things, too.
I think the very nature of the profession to which I aspire sometimes breeds a little disorganization. Journals are permeated by polyphactic thought.
Excuses aside, it is a problem. Disorganization is probably more common during college years than at any other time. A wise professor once told me that my life would never be as much as it was while I was in school.
That elucidates the problem for now, but what if the scatter-brainedness continues?
IN CONVERSATIONS, while reading
the text, you might mind minds on multiple trucks. While a source is angrily denouncing his rival, are composing questions for the rival to answer?
However, you can run into a bit of trouble when the concentration circuits overload. Everything tends to get lost.
melissa COLUMNIST thompson
Journalism is also permeated by deadline pressure. Deadlines are sacred. They are not to be missed if any act of God or man can prevent it. This is why we avoid violating a deadline is what gives us power to weary reporters and editors.
Of course, deadlines aren't exclusive to journalism. Everybody deals with them at different times and in different wavs.
SOME PEOPLE can breeze through term paper deadlines with relatively little difficulty; others sport their red cap and wear black shirts all night sessions at the typewriter.
People have a lot of laughs at the expense of us unorganized sloths. Even our father kokes a little fun at my febie whimings. He once sent me a piece of paper with a large circle drawn on it. The circle was the words "Round Tout."
This, he wrote, is what you need whenever you are short on time and long in work. It will take care of all the things you do, and when you got around to it, I has to say.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Lawrence policemen live up to motto
Recently I had occasion to see the Lawrence police department in action, calling for officers to help an accident involving someone very dear to my heart), I would have rather skipped this experience. Nevertheless, I want to share a moment of discussion about it with the readers of the Kansan.
To the Editor:
Many police departments in America take its motto, "To Protect and Serve," as a guiding principle. The 1968 Democratic national convention in Chicago, and remindes one that the Justice Department has also sent the Philadelphia police department. This suit charges that police brutality has been widespread.
I don't know whether this motto is used in Lawrence. What I do know is that I saw the police here act in the best spirit the motto implies.
ONE OFFICER, at the end of his shift, took the trouble to find me and tell me about this accident. It couldn't have been anything more than just another routine traffic accident. I had a phone call to the attorney to get word of it to me personally, less than 20 minutes after it happened.
At the hospital, a second officer answered as many of my anxious questions as he could, and he responded to put me at ease. He was quite confident in his accident, but it seemed to me that he spoke with a trace of authentic human feeling, even when I was sleeping, keeping through his official persona.
If I were poor, and black, and living in
MOST OF ALL, I was impressed by Officer Peggy Cobb, who managed somehow to find out how many of filling out long, detailed accident reports and trying to learn just what had actually happened, she was able to tell me how much the accident cost, and most of all, that I wasn't worried. She acted throughout with professional competence and more than mere professional skill.
John Heuertz
Philadelphia, I might well have a very good sense of what to do. I think that Officer Cobb, and her fellow officers, provided me with the kind of police knowledge the citizens of Lawrence can be proof of.
Lawrence graduate student
Kansan sports staff reporting 'excellent'
To the Editor:
I wish to concurmend you for your excellent performance and our coverage in general, and your coverage in sports in particular, the efforts of any previous Kanada offshoots.
I would like to point out the coverage swimmers have received as an example of the excellence in sports reporting. The swimmers, both men and women consistent with their national pride, it is very appropriate that they should get such good coverage. I think that they deserve the numerous features that have been written about them since the beginning of the school year. When their competitions are underway, they will be the student body will know what is going on.
In A SIMILAR INF, I would like to congratulate you for your coverage of the men's and women's cross country teams. They too have consistently well in Big Eight competition.
Your article on the Wichita State meet, with its in-depth analysis of the women's second place finish to a strong K-State team, was published in The Washington about the members of the team. The Kansas continued this coverage by giving vivid account of the team's close battle with K-State in its next two meetings and the re-commitment to Michelle Brown as the team's 1.0 runner.
Likewise, that lengthy article on how Tim Tays led the Kansas men's team to a record
KANSAN letters
THE THREE or four lines that the Kansan devoted to the Southern Illinois meet on the campus is on the edge of his seat as he read of a tired Kku team sucessful past perennial Missouri Valley conference champions Southern Illinois. The team worked hard all week, thinking not of the dual meet but of the Big Eight meet on Oct. 8 and the Big Eight meet a weary, but satisfying, 25-30 victory.
low scoring victory at the Wichita Golden Classic was excellent. It gave the reader a fine feel for the excitement of the crowd as well as the excitement of the competition in the ten twenty of the hundred-man field.
The mention of Paul Schultz's fine job in winning the race and finishing as the first winner of the 2014 IndyCar championship came off of a year of injuries to post his first collegiate victory. Likewise, the coverage of fantastic freshman Tim Gunny (also named the best in years) been your in-depth articles on the rest of the undefeated Jayhawks, Brent Swanson, Jonathan Smith, Kirk Burrows and Dave Bauer.
I hope that your coverage of the meet this
Steve Ovett
To the Editor:
past weekend of the O-State Jamboree, will be just as good.
Steve Ovett
Bristol, England, graduate student
Kansan's coverage of blind applauded
I was on campus Sept. 14 to address the music therapy classes about music theory and composition, and approached by your reporter, Kate Pound. We made arrangements meet late in the day, but I was delisted so that we missed her presentation. I asked my presentation for the state-wide meeting of Sigma Alpha Iota, and I was only able to give her a very few minutes of time to speak.
This week when I received a copy of the article that ran on the front page, Sept. 17, was delighted! Kate not only had all of the factual material correct, she had also done much to make her work delightful. Combined with Jeff Harring's beautiful picture of Mindy Knee, the article produces a wonderful contribution to public acceptance a hands-on resource for teachers' installations and thanks to Kate Pound, Jeff Harring and to the University Daykan!
Mrs. Edward Krolick
National Brafille Association
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