SINCE 1889
For $45 an hour
KU students can cruise around town in style. See page 3.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 1985, VOL. 96, NO. 50 (USPS 650-640)
Cooler
Details page 3.
Committee fails to agree on budget
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The House-Senate conference committee on balancing the budget broke apart in disagreement yesterday, bringing the government closer to a fiscal crisis that could force default and the sale of Social Security assets to pay the elderly.
"We've agreed to disagree," said conference chairman Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore. "There is no conference agreement."
The Senate's measure to balance the federal budget is attached to a bill to increase the national debt ceiling. Without the increase, the government cannot meet its obligation to Social Security beneficiaries today unless it sells trust fund assets.
House leaders said they would try to push a
short-term extension of the debt ceiling through the House today to tide the government over for about a week and give Congress more time to work on the balanced-budget measure. But there was no assurance the short-term debt hike would pass either the House or Senate.
But there also was no assurance of what steps Congress would take to keep the government from defaulting on its obligations.
"I don't think there are irreconcilable differences," Packwood told reporters after the abrupt breakup of the conference.
The Treasury said it would begin selling Social Security assets at midnight tonight to cover recipients' November checks.
Rep. James Jones, D-Oklah., said several retired persons' groups had filed suit late yesterday to prevent the Treasury from using
the sale of Social Security assets for anything other than benefit checks.
If the suits were upheld, the effect would likely be to bring the government to the brink of overall default, rather than allowing it to last until Nov. 14, as officials had stated.
Earlier, House Republican leaders demanded a quick House vote on the Senate's balanced-budget measure so the Treasury could avoid having to sell Social Security assets. But Democrats countered with their own balanced-budget plan, and no votes were taken by the conference.
House Democratic confeeers said their balanced budget alternative would begin budget cutting sooner than the Senate's, except poverty programs from automatic cuts
and provide for an escape clause in case of a recession.
Assistant House Democratic leader Thomas Foley, D-Wash., denied the Democratic alternative was drafted for political purposes.
"If this is adopted, we hope it would be successful in addressing the deficit," he said at a news conference.
The sale of Social Security assets would result in a loss of interest to the fund of about $10 million initially. Treasury officials said. Assistant Secretary Secretary Bruce Thompson Jr. said the lost interest could not be paid back without separate legislative action.
In addition, without a debt ceiling hike by Nov. 14, the government would have to shut down, administration officials said.
Detroit accused of KU's mistake
By Liz Maggard Of the Kansan staff
The cancellation of contracted basketball games is a frequent occurrence and has been done by many universities, including one university involved in a breach of contract suit against the University of Kansas, Gary Hunter, KU's assistant athletic director, said yesterday.
A Michigan judge decided Tuesday that KU must honor its contract to play a scheduled basketball game with the University of Detroit if it also schedles a game with the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky.
Hunter said KU officials had submitted information to the judge, Susan D. Borman of Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit, indicating that the University of Detroit cancelled a scheduled basketball game with the University of Missouri-Columbia during the 1982-83 season.
"Detroit's cancellation of its game at Missouri caused the cancellation of Missouri's 'Show Me Classic' tournament that year," he said, "Detroit paid a forfeiture fee to Missouri, just like we offered to pay Detroit.
"That information was admitted into evidence by the judge and still she ruled in Detroit's favor."
Hunter said the information about the cancellation of the Detroit-Missouri game was supplied to KU by Missouri officials.
"We elected to play in another tournament rather than hold our tournament," he said.
Bob Brendel, assistant sports information director at Missouri, confirmed that Detroit's action caused the cancellation of the tournament.
Mark Engel, Detroit's sports information director, said that Detroit's action couldn't be compared with KU's cancellation of its game at Detroit because the Detroit-Missouri game was canceled "by mutual consent."
Brad Kinsman, Detroit's athletic director, testified that if the cancellation hadn't been agreeable to Missouri, then Detroit would have played at Missouri, Engel said.
Hunter disputed the statement that the Detroit-Missouri game was canceled by mutual consent.
"Basically, it was a unilateral decision on the part of Detroit officials to cancel their game with Missouri because they had too many road games," he said. "That was testified by Mr. Kinsman.
"Missouri probably wasn't too happy about the cancellation. The only difference is that Missouri just decided not to sue Detroit."
"I just think it's ridiculous," he said. "I notified the guy in April that we had a chance to play a nationally televised game. It's not like I contacted him in October when he wouldn't have time to set up another game."
er to hold me in basketball coach Head men's basketball coach Larry Brown said he was disappointed by Detroit's suit.
Brown said KU received requests last season from two universities to reschedule games.
Larry White, assistant athletic director and sports information director at SMU, said schools agreed to change schedules when their opponents had opportunities to play nationally televised games or nationally ranked teams.
Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Tex., canceled a basketball game with KU last year, he said, because it had a chance to schedule a game with North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
"Usually schools work out some kind of compromise," he said. "I can't say it happens frequently. Does it happen three or four times a year? No. Does it happen once in several years?" Yes."
Joe Gottfried, athletic director at the University of South Alabama in Mobile agreed.
"At times we all get in situations like this," he said. "They come up frequently."
Gottfried said he had asked KU officials to schedule a game at South Alabama last season because the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., had canceled a game it was supposed to play at Mobile.
"Oklahoma bought out of its contract with us," he said. "We needed to find a good replacement, and so we asked Kansas to help us."
The breach of contract suit against
See DETROIT, p. 5, col. 3
Committee may seek Tacha's replacement
By Gary Duda Of the Kansan staff
The executive vice chancellor asked the University Faculty Executive Committee yesterday to recommend members for a search committee in the event that Deanell Tacha, vice chancellor for academic affairs, is confirmed to a judgeship in the U.S. 18th Court Circuit of Appeals.
The other Kansans nominated were Martin K. Dickinson, 47, a former dean of the KU School of Law who is a professor of law and in private practice in Lawrence, U.S. District Judge Richard Rogers, 63, Topeka, and Jerry Elliot, 48, a Wichita attorney.
In a letter from Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, to Sidney Shapiro, chairman of the University Senate Executive Committee, and Arno Knapper, presiding officer of the University Council, FacEx was asked to choose eight faculty members to serve on the search committee.
Tacha, 39, had been one of four people nominated in July by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Bryan Graves/KANSAN
would be up for review because this is her fifth year as vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Cobb said in the letter that he planned to appoint a committee of about 12 voting members. He said he would seek nominations from the University Council and SenEx.
Tacha learned Wednesday of her presidential nomination for the position in a phone call from President Reagan. To be appointed as judge, Tacha first must be approved by the U.S. Senate.
The final committee, he said, would consist of four faculty members, one of whom should be informed about the needs of University libraries.
In the letter, Cobb said that if Tacha were not offered or did not accept the judgeship, the committee would serve as a review committee. Under University policy, Tacha
Christen Weggemann, 3, daughter of Chris and Ann Weggemann, 3718 Westland Place, ate a cookie after her long truck-or treating venture last night through Olive Hall. See related story, page 6.
Research proposals discussed
Halloween handful
Michael Foubert, graduate student representative to SenEx, said that he was concerned that allowing University research to be classified would have an negative effect on graduate and undergraduate students involved in University programs.
At its weekly meeting yesterday, SenEx discussed possible effects the proposed changes in KU's classified research policy would have on graduate research students.
"We're not saying that it's bad," he said of classified research. "We're just saying that the potential exists where there could be some adverse impact."
Proposed changes in KU's classified research policy could adversely affect graduate and undergraduate students, the graduate student representative to the University Senate Executive Committee said yesterday.
By Gary Duda Of the Kansan staff
Foubert said that the expected increase of research projects would mean teachers would spend more time on research that students could not participate in, and less time in the classroom.
"It may be good for the University as a whole," he said. "It may not be good for the graduate students in that department. If there's more and more faculty involved in research, then there's less and less for teaching."
He said that if a professor had to give up a few courses to do research, then students in those classes would be affected.
"Either those two courses are picked up by another faculty member who is already overburdened, or by a professor who is not as distinguished." he said.
The proposed changes in classifying research would allow the procedures used in some research to be withheld from public inspection for up to three years. Some parts of the research could be classified permanently.
Under current University policy, research may be classified for up to one year only, with no permanent classification.
Foubert said, however, that what was a benefit to the entire University might not be a benefit to graduate students.
The research would have to fit the University's qualifications, be of benefit to researchers and benefit the University as a whole.
Schools respond to new alcohol law
Sidney Shapiro, SenEx chairman,
said a research project would have to pass three tests before the University would engage in it.
By Bob Tinsley
When residents of University housing returned to campus this fall, they learned that a new housing office policy prohibited possession or consumption of 3.2 percent beer in University housing.
The policy was just one way of responding to a state law that made it illegal for persons born on or after July 1, 1966, to possess or consume 3.2 percent beer.
Bob Felde, assistant director of housing at Kansas State University, said yesterday that K-State's alcohol policy hadn't changed, and he wasn't sure whether it would.
The legislation provoked a variety of responses from other Kansas Board of Regents schools.
Of the Kansan staff
The seven Board of Regents schools are KU, K/State, Wichita State University, Emporia State University, Pittsburg State University, Fort Hays State University and the Kansas Technical Institute in Salina.
Certain corridors in K-State residence halls traditionally have been "drv." he said.
"Basically, our policy has been that if someone is of legal age, they can possess or consume 3.2 beer in the residence halls." Felde said.
"I think they felt it would be easier to change the policy a few years down the line when everything turns to 21." he said.
Because the Board of Regents gave authority for residents to have such beverages on campus, Felde said K-State's Association of University Residence Halls would be responsible for changing the alcohol policy if it became an issue.
"The general feeling on the task force was that by saying that some people can drink and other people can't, there were going to be problems." Blossom said.
Randy Alexander, director of housing at Wichita State, said officials
Drew Blossom, president of KU's Association of University Residence Halls and member of a task force that created the current KU policy, said the task force realized this and decided to prohibit alcohol altogether.
Under the terms of the state law, after July 1, 1987, it will be illegal for persons under 21 years of age to consume or possess alcoholic beverages in the state.
there initially had considered prohibiting 3.2 beer in residence halls, but a campus alcohol awareness committee member proposed something else.
Wichita State students who are of legal drinking age are issued cards that allow them to consume such beverages in their residence hall rooms.
Each student must attend an alcohol awareness meeting to receive a card. The card helps hall staff members to determine whether a resident is of age to drink, Alexander said.
"We didn't want to restrict persons who can legally drink," he said, "but at the same time, we didn't want to make it hard on our staff."
See LAWS, p. 5, col. 5
Official says revenue estimate may shift
United Press International
TOPEKA — Revenue Secretary Harley Duncan yesterday said he expected state fiscal experts would revise downward by "a reasonably significant number" the state's general fund revenue estimate for the coming year.
The state's consensus revenue estimating group — which meets in March and November — will meet again Nov. 8, said Duncan, a member of the group.
Duncan would not be pinned down on the amount of the revision, only allowing that "a reasonably significant number" is more than $5 million.
In four of the last six times the group has met since November 1982, it has revised the estimate downward with the weakening Kansas economy.
Only in March of 1984 and 1985 did the group fail to make a revision.
A revenue secretary noted actual receipts for fiscal year 1985 fell $20 million short of that estimate. At that time, he said, sales tax and individual income tax receipts were $40 million below expected revenues. That was offset somewhat by higher than expected corporate income tax receipts.
Duncan has expressed concern for some time about the continued "softness" of sales and individual income taxes — two of the major cash sources for the state general fund.
Now he said he detected some weakening in the corporate income tax area that boded ill for the future. He said most corporation quarterly reports were revealing weakened profits.
Actual end-of-month receipts for October, released by Duncan, did not look too bad, with receipts running $4.8 million or 3.8 percent, ahead of the October estimate. However, it again was a case of the corporate income tax making up for shortfall by sales and individual income taxes.
Corporate income tax receipts for the month, at $11.48 million, were $5.98 million higher than the estimated $5.5 million. Duncan said that was due to a $3.5 million assessment on one firm as the result of a field audit, and a couple of payments from other firms that were delayed from previous months.
However, individual income tax receipts, at nearly $1.62 million, were $1.68 million below the estimated $53.3 million.