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Tuesday, October 22, 1974
University Daily Kansan
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
"IF I FLASHED MY WHOLE ROLL. I MIGHT GET MUGGED."
Rockefeller's gifts unsettling
A lot more than 'harmless
generosity' is involved in
alternative gifts of her father's
alternate $2 million and
officials other associates.
At the very least, those huge cash gifts and "loans" that later
pursuing policies that are seriously inimical to the public welfare.
By Carl Rowan
William J. Ronan was loaned $50,000 by Rockefeller when Ronan was head of New York's Metropolitan Transportation
were "forgiven" compromised public officials to the point where a special loyalty to Rockefeller could easily take precedence over a loyalty to the interest on controversial issues.
The former New York governor creates serious doubts about his role as President (or President) when he acts as though he is too myopic, or the public too gullible, to corrupt the grip of his glo.
Rockefeller offers the totally unacceptable excuse that the recipients of his generosity were all his subordinates could not be no conflict of interest. Just the opposite is true.
The public interest is properly protected only where subordinates are free to disagree with the top man, and are assumed willing to resign in public protest if they feel the leader is
Authority. The loan was turned in to a "gift" during a two-week period when Ronan wasn't on payroll. How delicate.
Is anybody foolish enough to believe that Ronan could accept that kind of money from Rockefeller without putting
the public isn't told that "Official X is able to serve you because of financial assistance from Gov. Rockefeller."
The Senate Rules Committee is absolutely right to reopen hearings on Rockefeller's confirmation as vice President. The committee said that far leaves little doubt that Rockefeller made improper uses of his vast wealth. Whether the Congress will find the implemency gravy, or whether confirmation is okay in question.
Rockefeller offers another explanation for his gifts: he wanted to keep in public employment persons who other employers had financial sacrifice. But there is no evidence whatever that the beneficiaries of Rockefeller's largesse were of such exceptional quality that they were indispensable. There were people who could have done Roman's job as well as he.
I suspect Rockefeller was aware at the time he made some of these gifts and "loan" them to him, improper. But if he had doubts there, he surely could have had no doubts about the sleaziness of his financing an effort smarter than Goldberg when Goldberg ran
Ronan was in fact involved in some cozy official maneuvers that were of great political benefit to Rockefeller. There is a smell of "payoff" that does not vanish easily.
against Rockefeller for governor in 1970.
Even when it is used cleanly, Rockefeller's great personal wealth is regarded by many as an unfair advantage in a political campaign. It becomes sinister when used in a dirty way. Rockefeller's brother, Robert Rockefeller, finance a cheap, dorgenther biography of Goldberg which was thrown together in a month by batchet-for-fire writer Victor Lasky.
For more than two years this country has struggled to cleanse itself of this kind of dirty business. The Congress has passed a campaign reform law that seems to promise a new level of political responsibility. It is hard to see how Congress can remain faithful to that promise and still confirm Rockefeller.
Rockefeller's well-being ahead of most everybody else's?
Copyright 1974 Field Enterprises, Inc.
Apathy crushes party
the director of the Douglas County Legal Aid Society (DCLAS) said last weekend that if the Student Senate didn’t help the organization more effectively, they would reduce the number of student cases it accepts.
But now we are in more civilized times. When the officers and members of a dissident group aren't getting what they want, they no longer mayhem. They simply propose blackmail.
Student Senate blackmail victim
Blackmail is a strong term, but that is what Tacha has suggested. Or perhaps kidnapping is a more appropriate term. Despite the fact that students, through their on-site activities, provide significant part of the DCLAS budget, its
Deanell Tacha, DCLAS director and associate professor of law, said this would be a tremendous disservice to the student body, "but I just don't know what else we can do."
This is the bullet-biting season, as President Ford keeps reminding us, and his own Republican Party may have to bite a whole boxful of bullets next month. As many as 40 seats in the Senate could be amputated by the Senate could be amputated by the Democrats unless—
Not since 200 members of the Black Student Union surrounded several Senate budget hearings in the late 1960s has any allocation to a single organization caused such a furor. Some BSU members subjected senators to verbal abuse and threats of physical harm at that time.
A headline in last Sunday's Star-News put the prospect succinctly: "GOP Debacle is Emerging." The newspaper's top political leader, Jack W. Germond, found a nation-wide pattern—so far as Republicanism is concerned—of "unrelieved misery." My own sources glumly confirm that appraisal.
director has publicly threatened to reduce services to students unless the ransom is paid.
Tacha and Michael David, DCLAS co-director and general counsel of the University, have been putting pressure on the Senate to make a supplemental allocation of $4,085 to the group at the University. A supplemental allocation would be in addition to the $3,350 DCLAS received from the Senate last spring.
Republican apathy.
The Senate's Finance and Auditing Committee decided earlier this month not to be held up by the organization. The committee recommended DCLAS, more money given to DCLAS at this time.
Among all the groups that had requested supplemental funding but were refused, only DCLAS couldn't accept the decision of the elective representatives of the student body.
It seems incredible that Peter Dominick could be in serious trouble in Colorado. In times past, he has been one of the
Unless what? Unless normally conservative Republicans and independents serve as the imperialists serves. Most of the imperials won't be won by Democratic energy; they will be lost by
DCLAS then began a rather interesting campaign to convince both the Senate and the student body that it was worthy of additional campaign money. In criminal terms, might be likened to a fraud.
most popular political figures in the state. Highly respected in the Senate, where he has served for the past 12 years, Dominick is fully qualified for re-election. Yet he seems to trailing
The Senate should refuse to be blackmailed by the Douglas County Legal Aid Society. And, if the group's recent actions are any indication of how it provides legal services, the Senate should be suspicious of all funding requests from DCLAS in the future.
record low.
By a process that the jailhouse lawyers call "creative accounting," the organization's annual budget increased instantly from $16,000 to nearly $53,000. The increase resulted from the group's inclusion of the value of "volunteer" costs and in some cases the group that has requested activity fee funds in the past has attempted to mislead the Senate about the size of its budget in a similar fashion.
Just two years ago, 47 million voters provided an impressive statement of political choice. What did they say? what George McGovern stood
—Richard Paxson Contributing Writer
By James Kilpatrick
Readers respond/ Pearson disputed, fines questioned
Just decision
To the Editor:
Since your associate editor saw fit to use editorial space in behalf of Pearson College in the last, to print some genuine information concerning the unfortunate Biarrtz plan. The text is directed Quim's proposals and the thesis. It was generated as it made its way through three College committees must surely be by any responsible Kansas writer for close consideration.
Readers who feel skeptical about Pearson rhetoric and disturbed that it should appear in virulent form in a Kansan editorial, won't be surprised to know that the Bairrtz plan, as written by Professor Quinn, clarified by its sponsor, wasn't condemned. Professor Quinn wasn't scorned, spurned, reproved or subjected to any indignities whatever. The proposal was pronounced interesting, attended to and denied. It has not impacted its value in student credit hours remained problematic throughout.
Under College regulations, which seem desirable and necessary to most of us, the Barrister plan was carefully and thoroughly developed by a large number of Professor Quinn's colleagues, as well as students. Perhaps only the people of Pearson, and your businessman, will mistake a normal and fruitful procedure for murderous hostility.
On the other hand, members of the College Assembly who recall certain particulars in the accompanying IPWF debates of last year, might whether any other member of the College faculty would ever follow the Pearson practice of publicizing and recruiting for the college. In the most vital details with responsible College agencies.
at large on some of their unconventional policies and practices, the Kansas paid much attention to such matters except sporadically and in many deeply troubled cases as the October 14 editorial.
The Biarritz affair happens to be too interesting and provocative for the limited, shallow and in part hysterical treatment of it offered by the professor self-quantified, rather spooky enclave called Pearson College have seldom—in my opinion, never—addressed themselves in temperate and responsible terms to the faculty or the student body of the University
E. L. Rune
Professor of English
may have compared in a long time about the lack of interest in the performing arts by the print medium in the early 1980s, but a new Friday entertainment calendar you have taken a giant step forward, and I congratulate you for it. I think the large crowds that performances have at this fall are at least partially covered. Especially, I would note Kathy Pickett's incisive previews of coming events. In supporting the arts, you do service not only to the artists, but also to the generous, consistent and enthusiastic in its support, a public that until now hasn't
Arts booming To the Editor.
E. L. Ruhe
been served very well by the press. Keep it up.
James Moeser
Does anybody know how long the people at Watson Library have to overdue book before they slip him with a notice that he owes the library a sum of money they gave students ever at one time?
Fines multiply To the Editor:
I know the library is short of funds. I have no idea how much it can be funded, nor noticees—but surely the fund can be found somewhere if students indicate that they are concerned about the present policy.
It's difficult to keep track of books if one must renew them every three weeks during a book overdue, especially since all of the books in the library aren't necessarily checked out at the same time. One reminder that a book is overdue would give the student a sense of urgency, as it is still 50 cents late instead of a late. And one reminder that a
Professor of organ
Library fines can accumulate at a truly incredible rate. If you happen to have checked out six books for a seminar all at once, then any overdue fine you pay will be refunded. Very few students can afford to have such a large bite taken out of their budget at once.
book is overdue is all that anyone needs to send him to his shelves to check the dates on all of his other library books.
What bothers me most about the current library policy of not sending out notices on overdue books, and that even seem to care whether those books ever get back to the shelves where they will be available to other students to be to get as large a fine as possible out of the student; and if the book is never returned—even better, because then the student can be burgled the price of the book as well.
Wasted space
To the Editor:
Tina Blue Lawrence graduate student
The stridency of the Oct. 15 editorial opinion decrying the "bad taste" of the commemorative Watergate medallion was eerily reminiscent of attacks on the sale of certain types of books written for years. I suggest the writer register his vote of condemnation of the medallion sale by not buying a medallion and save the editorial space for other writers rather than his personal taste.
Charles R. Krimminger Lawrence graduate student
Law inhumane
To the Editor:
The idea of legislating mandatory life imprisonment for selling one ounce of a hard drug (Oct. 14 Karsan) is too inhumane to feel on a personal basis. It ranks with the spectacle of other parents' sons in China, and Asia in a flag-covered box, year after year. Too unreal to be real.
Reducto ad absurdum: KGB (I mean KBI) agents smoking cocaine, then their cover: Come on now, what's going on around here?
Dave Jacobson Hone Junior
badly behind young Gary Hart, a McGovernite liberal with no track record at all.
It is equally dismaying to talk with experienced observers in Iowa, Kentucky, and even in Michigan. A college wood had been regarded as a certain winner. The news from Kansas, Oklahoma and North Dakota offers little encouragement. The major universities in California and New York, find Democrats far ahead.
The underlying reasons are plain: inflation, Watergate, and pardon. To the extent that blame for the current recession is too broad, Democrats are far more responsible than the Republicans. The Democrats, after all, have controlled both the economy and Republican candidates for House and Senate had nothing whatever to do with Watergate. And to cast a vote against Peter Dominick because Gerald Ford was not supposed to substitute lunacy for reason.
But if the debacle occurs, apathy will count for more than any other cause. Some 145 members of the University be eligible to vote in November. Fewer than half of them will take the time and trouble to go to the polls. In the off-year elections of 1968, according to the Census Bureau, 44.5 percent of the percentage dropped to 43.8 in 1970. Last Sunday's Gallup Poll found political interest at a
F
for, and generally in favor of what Richard Nixon stood for. He was a conservative voter who the most convincing political victory of this century. Have all the leaders like Achilles in his tent?
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The debacle doesn't have to occur. If the Coloradoans who gave Nixon 63 percent of their vote in 1972 will look to the past for lessons, Dominick could yet be saved. The four House seats lost to Democrats in by-elections of the past year can be reclaimed in this election. It is that normally conservative voters act normally.
What will happen if conservatives stay home? What can be expected of a House and Senate overwhelmingly dominated by the Democratic Party? The consequences will be huge for Big Liberalism and Big Liberalism—the ascension of the very programs, ideas and attitudes rejected two years ago.
Nothing in the public opinion polls would indicate that this is what the people want. On the contrary, the Gallup Poll finds that most voters across the nation. Such leanings alone will get Republicans nowhere. Republicans need votes. The votes can yet be marshalled if they disgruntled will be upon the folly of the fellow who cut off his nose to spite his face. (C) 1974 Washington State Trade Association.
Editor
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