4a
Opinion
Tuesday, November 28, 2000
For comments, contact Ben Voosen Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
Letters to the Editor Media fuels parties' discord
The Nov. 17 editorial "Recount in Florida is necessary" is a prime example of the partisan and incredibly liberal bias that is currently plaguing news reports. The writer comments that the Gore campaign's "true" goal "is that the recount should be done carefully but not necessarily slowly." I take issue with that statement. The votes in Florida have been counted and recounted. The "true" goal of the Gore campaign is to subvert the election. By recounting the votes, the Gore campaign is trying to manipulate the process to ensure a win. How many times should the votes be counted?
The election regularities call to mind a spoiled child who is losing a game and demands that the rules change midstream. By furthering this ideal in the Kansan and ignoring the rule of law, reporters are fueling the discord between the parties. I write this letter to remind the Kansan that, as reporters, it is not only your duty to report the truth, but to champion it. This editorial parrots the Gore rhetoric and, in doing so, ignores several pertinent facts.
First, of the 19,000 ballots or so that were thrown out, a majority have already been recast because the voter realized she or he made an error. Second, a Democrat created the Palm Beach County ballot, and it was available a month before the election. Third, ballots are thrown out of every election because, in a true democracy, a person cannot vote for two people for one office. Finally, a UNLV math professor calculated the odds that an additional two thousand votes could be found for Al Gore and calculated that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning 30 times. Where are these facts?
SUV consumers should know vehicles' uses before buying
Dana Mowrey
Shawnee senior
They also get horrible gas mileage. Consider how you intend to use the vehicle before buying one. The proposed changes, such as a lower-profile, longer wheel base and lower ground clearance on SUVs negate the sole purpose for their original design. I chose one for traveling in the mountains where I have encountered snow, mud, large rocks and logs in the road. The new designs proposed for SUVs would make travel in these regions more difficult, if not impossible. If your sole purpose is to commute on pavement, choose a passenger car with good gas mileage. Some argue that an SUV will come in handy on ice but, in reality, it's not any better than a car.
This is a response to the Nov. 21 editorial "SUVs bring unknown dangers." I own a Nissan Pathfinder that is classified as an SUV, and I realized that when I purchased it. It is not a passenger or sports car capable of taking tight turns, accelerating from zero to 60 mph in five seconds, etc. I purchased the truck primarily for off-road use. Unfortunately, the auto industry does not seem to realize the original purpose for SUVs. SUVs have high clearance and a shorter wheel base to make travel over rough terrain easier. All the commercials, however, present SUVs as vehicles that handle like cars. If you are going to purchase an SUV, determine whether you are purchasing one for off-road use—four wheeling, work, etc. Most of the SUVs purchased are four-wheel drive grocery-getters or the "trend" vehicle to look "outdoorsy."
Kato Tsosie Dee Lakewood, Colo., Graduate Student
Instant runoff ballots prove efficient in other elections
Now that we have serious third-party challenges, we need an "instant runoff" ballot to avoid dilemmas such as "spoiler," "wasted vote" and winners by plurality. An instant runoff ballot would allow voters to express second, third and fourth preferences if their preferred candidate has a low count in the first ballot count.
On the second count, low candidates would be eliminated, and the second (or lower) preferences of their first preference supporters would be counted toward their second (or lower) preference candidate. More eliminations would continue until a candidate achieves a majority.
The idea is that instant runoff voting can be done instantly with one visit to the polls and with no extra expense of an additional time delayed runoff election campaign.
Many jurisdictions within the United States and foreign countries make provisions for runoff elections if no candidate receives a majority. It is used in Australia to elect the senate and in Ireland to elect the president. Some local community and school board elections in New York City use it as well.
By being sensitive to voters' second, third and fourth preferences, the instant runoff would give voters enough confidence to vote their true preferences without fear of wasting their votes. No candidate could be accused of being a spoiler because supporters' second, third and fourth preferences would count if eliminated in the early counts. A winning candidate would have to gain support of a majority of voters, preventing winning of the election by a plurality because opposition is so divided.
Jim Senyszyn Peoria, Ill., resident
Chan Lowe / TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
By the Numbers
239 Number of Americans federally registered as presidential candidates this year
Source: Federal Election Commission
Source: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (San Jose, Calif.)
$144.8 bil
Damages that we take
Damages that five tobacco companies were ordered to pay plantiffs last July in a Florida class-action suit Source: Stanley M. Rosenblatt, P.A.
90
Percentage by which x21 million unexplained lobster deaths reduced Long Island Sound's lobster harvest last
Source: Western Long Island Sound Commercial Lobsterman's Association
fall
4.000
Tons of AFCOCF3, a synthetic greenhouse gas, discovered this year to have accumulated in the atmosphere since 1950
1950
1:18,000 Ratio of destructiveness to the ozone layer of a molecule of carbon dioxide to that of a molecule of SF5CF3 Source: Dr. William T. Sturges, University
Source: Dr. William T, Sturges, University of East Anglia
Perspective
Encounter sparks epiphany for campus parking offender
have news for you. Satan isn't that bad a env.
Well, not necessarily Satan, but the University of Kansas Parking Department an entity seen by most students as the most unholy of all. Granted that I, too, used to hate the parking department, one incident a few weeks ago changed my whole perspective.
I reached to tow my car.
Yes, I've run into trouble with the parking
sharks out about the years, and I've always paid them about a year's worth of my piddling part-time salary. When I started collecting parking tickets like old baseball cards at the start of the semester, I just decided to let them go, hoping they would fade away into a few more ghosts in my proverbal closet.
But one fateful morning outside Dole Center changed everything. After my third parking ticket in as many days, one of the
"nice" gentlemen from the parking department decided my car was best suited for the impound lot. That's where I came in, as the parking employee was on his radio, desperately trying to reach A&W Towing.
Michael
Rigg
guest columnist
opinion@kanan.com
"What the &*%# are you doing?" I politely inquired.
The parking employees probably receive those same questions hundreds of times per day. But the gentleman explained that I had two options: pay my tickets immediately, using my eternally maxed-out credit card, or have my car towed to
"Oh great, you're finally here," responded the employee. "We've decided to tow your car." "What the % & @ © I asked again."
the other side of the river which, if you've ever been to the other side of the river, is never a good option.
Somehow, I squeezed the room on my credit card and paid the man. During the conversation, he was professional and relaxed and actually presented himself to me as a nice, upstanding guy — not the money-hungry cuss that I previously envisioned. As it turned out, he does indeed have friends (putting to rest a common misconception of parking employees) and a personality. In fact, one time he even apologized for the incredible stress my tickets put on my finances.
He could have easily towed my car, making me walk across the river to fish my car out of the sea of the impound lots. But he seemed to empathize and stressed the fact that he was only doing his job. As I finally drove home, I reached an epiphany.
I used to hate the parking department. I used to try to torment them by playing a game of cat-and-mouse to see how many times I could park illegally. When the Kansan ran an article last year about students spit on and flip off the parking department employees, I was that guy. But just a few minutes of actually spending time with the parking sharks and understanding where they are coming from changed my perspective.
Did my experience change anything? Well, the short answer is no, as I’m parked illegally behind Dole even as I write this article, with my roommate illegally parked right next to me. Yes, I’m probably on the tow list again. But this time, I’ll understand.
So, now I am a tad more understanding when I see the pink envelope of death poking its head out from underneath my windshield wiper. I understand these people have a job to do. Why should I be mad at them — for doing it so well?
The parking department isn't that bad. And that's something that took me 20 years of growing up to understand.
Rigg in a Greenwood Village, Colo., junior in broadcast news.
Editorial
High courts should rule on election
Election 2000 must be determined by courts to ensure legitimacy.
Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris violated the spirit of the democratic process Sunday night by certifying the election results without even a partial recount from Palm Beach County. By embracing the disputed certification and calling upon Vice President Al Gore to drop his legal challenges to contest the Florida results, Gov. George W. Bush not only violated the spirit of the democratic process but eroded his credibility in seeking a fair and accurate vote count.
In light of the events since the presidential election on Nov. 7, it is paramount that the courts deliver the last word on the election as we proceed into unexplored legal territory. This will give the election results the legitimacy that is necessary for Bush or Gore to assume the office of the presidency on a sound, firm basis. Once the courts have handed down a decision, the time for litigation and partisan wrangling will be over, and the victor — if there can be a victor in this political quagmire — can begin restoring confidence to the presidency.
In the meantime, legal challenges abound from both sides — which must be resolved to authoritatively determine the next president of the United States. One is the contention by Gore's campaign that the certified vote totals in three Florida counties — Nassau, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade — are improper, if not illegal. The Bush campaign has pending court challenges of its own. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Friday in a suit brought by the Bush campaign about the legality of the manual recounts
Despite the legal muddle, it is incumbent on both politicians and citizens to put aside partisan bickering and await the courts' decisions. After all, in the United States, politics are ruled by law, not the other way around. If the election totals are allowed to remain as they stand without such questions being resolved, the Florida totals will be forever tainted and, as a result, will damage the credibility of the democratic process.
Ben Embru
Ben Embry for the editorial board
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. To read more, go to www.kansan.com.
图
图
I was riding my bike on campus, and I ran over a squirrel. To make things worse, some girl laughed at me.
Why is it the movie critic for the Kansan never likes the movies he goes to see?
I didn't realize that I paid all this money to KU to be freezing cold in all my classes.
Kudos to the literate Kansas Union Bookstore staff. Dutch, the recently published Ronald Reagan biography, is shelved in the Dutch language section. Way to go, guys.
I had a really good Thanksgiving, other than when my stepmother tried to seduce my gay roommate.
图
Does anyone know why Marlon London was at our basketball game on Saturday night when DePaul had a game?
图
-
I left my socks somewhere at my house. Can I rent a drug dog from the cops so that they can find them?
果
Who cares about the election anymore? The Chiefs just lost to the Chargers.
Where is KU Info when you need a really good coffee-cake recipe?
图
图
图2
I just want to welcome all students back from break and to wish everyone luck on finals.
Looks like all those people who said they would move to Canada if Bush won should start packing.
I don't think I have been so lazy in my life. Then my roommates came home and told me they did the same thing. Thank God for Thanksgiving Break!
图
Must be nice to have hot water.
How to submit letters and guest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a university student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Guest columns: Should be double-
spaced typed with fewer than 700 words.
The writer must be willing to be
photographed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be e-mailed to opinion@kansan.com or submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Ben Embry or Emily Huyhey at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924.
Editor ... Nathan Willis
Managing editors.. Chris Borniger,
... Kristi Elliott
Readers' rep ... Erinn Barcomb
Opinion ... Ben Embry,
... Emily Hughey
Sports ... Melinda Weaver
Associate sports ... Jason Walker
Campus ... Jessie Meyer,
... Mindie Miller
News editors
The University Daily Kansan
editor@kansan.com
or 864-4854
readerwrp@kansan.com
or 864-8910
opinton@kansan.com
or 864-8924
apors@kansan.com
or 864-8938
writer@kansan.com
or 864-8910
Features ... Clay McCuistion
Jayplay ... BriAnne Hess
Online ... Chris Hopkins
Photo ... Nick Krug
Design, graphics ... Amy Train
Wire ... Lori O*Toole
Special sections ... Clare McLellan
General manager
and news adviser. Tom Eblen
features@kansan.com
or 864-4924
jaeylay@kansan.com
or 864-4910
webeditor@kansan.com
or 864-4910
864-4921
864-4912
864-4910
864-4910
teblen@kansan.com
or 864-7687
Business ... Brad Bolyard odirector@kansan.com or 864-4924
Retail sales ... Becky LaBranch retailsales@kansan.com or 864-4462
Marketing ... Trent Guyer 864-4358
Campus ... Monica Hahn 864-4358
Regional ... Brooke Johnson 864-4358
National ... Katy Hyman 864-4358
Online sales ... Lindsey Gross onlineads@kansan.com or 864-4358
Online creative ... Patrick Rupe 864-4358
Advertising managers
---
Creative ... Erin Endres
Production ... Jenny Weaver
Classifieds ... Jason Hannah
Zone ... Cecily Curran
Zone ... Anika Entwistle
Zone ... Chris Davenport
Zone ... Jenny Moore
Sales and marketing Matt Fisher
864-4358
864-4475
classifiedteds@kansan.com
or 864-4358
864-4358
864-4358
864-4358
864-4358
mfisher@kansan.com
or 864-7666