Monday
October 14, 2002
Vol. 113. Issue No. 38
Today's weather
67°
Tonight: 34*
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or Kyle Ramsey at 864-4810
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Late Night with Roy Williams kicks off Kansas basketball season, p. 10A
Tax doesn't deter smokers
Kansas smoker not fazed by increase
By Lindsay Hanson
Ihanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Dedicated cigarette smokers haven't surprised the Legislature in recent months after an initial dip in sales: They keep puffing as prices rise.
Because of the brief decline, the overall number of purchased cigarettes has fallen since the Legislature implemented a 46-cent increase in cigarette taxes this year — the first of its kind in Kansas since 1985.
Kansas retailers sold more than 151,000 packs of cigarettes this July. That's almost 35,000 fewer packs of cigarettes than in July 2001, according to the Department of Administration's statewide receipts for the state's general fund. That number, which reflects the shrinking sales during the first month of the tax increase, is a 19 percent decrease.
But cigarette sales rebounded the following month. This year's total cigarette sales for August were only 2,000 packs below the number for August 2001.
The state has pulled in almost $1 million more in taxes than it expected during the first three months of increased taxes, said Chris Courtwright, representative of the nonpartisan Legislature Research Department in Topeka.
Every state that has ever increased the excise tax has seen tax revenue rise while actual smoking rates fall, said Kevin Walker, senior director of advocacy at the American Heart Association.
Kansas'
cigarette
taxes
rose
4 6
cents
"I have no reason to believe that the Kansas scenario is any different from any other state," he said.
cents per pack. On Jan. 1, the tax will rise another 9 cents and cap at 79 cents per pack in the second and final increase authorized by the bill.
Walker said New York state, which rose taxes in April to $1.50 per pack, saw a whopping 50 percent decrease in smoking rates.
Excise taxes vary widely from state to state. Kentucky, known as a haven for cheap cigarettes, charges three cents per pack in excise taxes. Not surprisingly, Kentucky has the highest adult
Kansas senators proposed the tax last year because of the
state's budget crisis, hoping it would supplement the deficit in the state general fund. Kansas is one of 19 states in the nation that raised cigarette excise taxes. Dave Corbin, who served as chair of the Senate tax committee when the bill was proposed, said the bill had been thoroughly researched to assure that
SEE CIGARETTETAXES ON PAGE 5A
Seat reservations in effect for fans
By Caleb Nothweir
cnothweir@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A trial seating plan for home basketball games will provide students with an alternative to camping out.
For the 2002-2003 basketball season, the plan will set aside about 700 seats as reserved seating for students. Students can pay either $5 or $10 — depending on the game — to reserve a seat in sections 18, 19 or 20A in Allen Fieldhouse. The plan is now in effect.
Students who bought the $100 sports package at the beginning of the semester will be able to reserve the seats during the ticket redemption period. Any extra reserved seats will be available to students who buy single-game tickets.
A second part of the plan sets aside sections 11,12 and 13 on the third level of the fieldhouse for general admission season ticket holders, which is about 1,100 seats. The estimated 1,100 seats in sections 1,20B,21 and 22 will be available for both students and general admission, a group that previously had 1,800 seats allotted to it.
Richard Konzem, senior associate athletics director, helped develop the plan this summer. He said it would increase the number of students attending games.
"The bottom line is more people are going to get to come in the building," he said.
Konzem said in past seasons fewer
South Elevator
SEE SEATING ON PAGE 5A
Sections 11, 12 and 13 (about 1,100 seats) will be set aside for general admission season ticket holders.
Rows 12 to 24 in sections 18, 19 and 20A (about 700 seats) will be set aside as reserved student seating.
Sections 1, 20B, 21 and 22 (about 1,100 seats) will still be shared by students and general admission season ticket holders.
Indonesia car bomb surprises students
by Nathan Dayani
ndayani@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Saturday's terrorist bombing outside of a nightclub in Bali, Indonesia, hit close to home for some University of Kansas students.
Two bombs exploded almost simultaneously in Ball. The first, a car bomb outside of a popular nightclub, killed more than 180 people and wounded more than 300. The second exploded outside of a U.S. government office but did not cause any additional casualties.
"It's terrible," said Silvia Hartanto, Surabaya, Indonesia, senior. "But it doesn't really surprise me because it's something that's been happening in Indonesia for a while."
Hartanto, president of the Indonesian Christian Fellowship at the University, said despite the recent political instability in Indonesia, she and many other natives had considered Bali to be one of the country's safest regions.
The U.S. Embassy issued a security advisement yesterday that asked Americans residing in or visiting Indonesia "to examine the necessity of continuing to remain in Indonesia."
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the explosions, the attacks reinforced fears that al Qaeda operatives were active in Indonesia.
Hartanto said she now thought that terrorism could compromise her safety anywhere in the world.
"I don't feel safe anymore, anywhere," she said. "When I came here, it was better, but after the terrorist attack (Sept. 11). I realized no one was safe anymore."
Hartanto said her group would soon discuss how its members would respond to the terrorist attack. Theresa Wiranata, vice president of the Indonesian Students Association, said her organization planned to meet and discuss the incident on Thursday.
Wiranata, Jakarta, Indonesia, senior, also said she was shocked by the bombings.
mgs. She said she was concerned the incident could hinder Indonesian students trying to get a student visa to the United States.
Wiranata and Hartanto both said they were fortunate to not have family members or friends directly affected by the bombing.
Hartanto said she wouldn't be surprised if future terrorism incidents occurred in her homeland.
Ronald Francisco, professor of political science, said no state could effectively prevent all acts of terrorism.
SEE INDONESIA ON PAGE 5A
Homecoming parade entertains
Eric Breem/Kensan
Color guard members Cindy Roots (left), Derby sophomore, and Haley Chappell, Owasso, Okla, sophomore, lead the marching band along the homecoming parade route. The train of students and floats worked its way down Jayhawk Boulevard in the parade's first-ever Saturday run.
New birth control shot recalled
By Lindsay Hanson
lhanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Health care providers at Watkins Memorial Health Center have begun contacting the 43 patients who had received a new monthly birth control method that has been recalled by the company that produces it.
Officials at Pharmacia Corporation voluntarily recalled all Lunelle Monthly Contraception pre-filled syringes from the market Thursday because of "possible risk of contraceptive failure."
Myra Strother, chief of Watkins medical staff, advised concerned women to immediately reinforce contraception efforts by using condoms and spermicide foam or cream.
according to a press release. Lunelle has been on the market since January.
Henry Buck Jr., Watkins director of gynecology, said he knew of no instances at Watkins in which the drug had failed. Pharmacia representatives did not return calls Friday.
Like oral forms of contraception, Lunelle uses two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, to prevent pregnancy. Buck said it was possible that certain lots — groups of the drug produced at the same time—lacked a sufficient amount of one of the hormones to make it effective.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital is providing free pregnancy tests for concerned Lunelle users, Strother said.
Watkins' Lunelle patients should call the gynecology department at 864-9566 to discuss future birth control options, or visit www.lunelle.com for information on the drug.
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Edited by Christina Neff
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