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Wednesday, September 23, 1992
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
Family-leave bill would provide obvious benefits
A pro-family-values bill proposing 12 weeks of unpaid family leave a year for the care of newborns or sick family members sits on President Bush's desk.
Bush, who has used the family-values theme in his election campaign, said he would veto the bill.
Bush claims the bill would burden small businesses with a costly federal mandate, leading to higher unemployment or discrimination against women, who would become the primary beneficiaries of such a bill.
Bush needs to get his priorities straight. If families and unborn children are as important as he says they are, he should be fighting for this bill—not against it.
But House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., along with hundreds of other congressmen, said he was satisfied that the new bill Bush faces would not hurt small businesses. The bill would exempt businesses with 50 or fewer employees. And laws are already in place that make discriminatory hiring practices illegal.
Studies show that since 1990 more than 300,000 workers with serious medical problems have lost their jobs because of a lack of medical-leave job guarantees.
Yes, families are important. And family members should be able to care for each other when necessary. When a loved one becomes sick and is in need, no one should have to choose between a loved one and a job.
Families are there to provide strength and comfort. This bill would strengthen them more.
JANET RORHOLM FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Winning'Hawks deserve increased fan attendance
The KU football team is off to its best start in several seasons. Fans should attend tomorrow night's game and become a part of the winning effort.
Kansas is ranked 24th this week in the Associated Press college football poll. Not since 1976 has this football program been ranked in the AP poll. Furthermore, Kansas is ranked first in the nation in scoring offense. In their first three games this year, the Jayhawks have outscored their opponents 151-37.
At their first home game of the season, the Jayhawks were met with a crowd of less than 40,000. That was a pathetic turnout considering that about 5,000 people in attendance were part of the Band Day festivities. To encourage attendance tomorrow night, the athletic department will allow students with a valid KUID into the game for free.
ESPN is televising the game live, so it is important that all 50,250 seats in Memorial Stadium be filled. The country will be watching us. An empty stadium relays to viewers that we do not care that we have a nationally-ranked team.
One reason schools such as Notre Dame, Miami and Nebraska have such successful programs is because their fan support is phenomenal. Programs that can boast of sold-out stadiums are more likely to land heralded recruits.
Kansas coach Glen Mason has said that fan support would come when the team began to win. The team has just begun to win. It is now up to the University community to show the team its efforts are appreciated.
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
ERIC NELSON
Editor
GREG FARMER
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
SCOTTIHANNA
Business manager
BILL LEIBENGOOD
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
Asst. Managing .. Almee Brainard
News .. Alexander Bloemhoft
Editorial .. Stephen Martino
Campus .. Gayle Ostergember
Sports .. Shelly Solon
Photo .. Justin Knapp
Features .. Cody Holt
Graphics .. Sean Tevis
Business Staff
Business Stiff
Campus sales mgr...Ashley Cleveron
Regional sales mgr...Melanie Tallipa
National sales mgr...Brian Wilkes
Co-op sales mgr...Amy Stumbo
Production mgr...Brad Broon
Kim Claxton
Marketing director ...Ashley Langford
Creative director ...Valerie Spicher
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"Now may I have 'Family Leave', Mr. Sootmachen?"
Bush's record on environment sheds light on achievements
One of the most important issues in the presidential campaign is the environment.
There has been much criticism of President Bush. People assert that the "Environmental President" has done very few of the things he said he would. They also claim he has not considered the environmental issue important enough to warrant much attention. It is true that we do need to emphasize the importance of environmental policy, but we also must recognize the success Bush had in improving the government's efforts to clean up the environment.
STAFF COLUMNIST
Compare environmental efforts now to where they stood when Bush took office. In the last four years, the annual working budget for the Environmental Protection Agency has been increased from $4.8 billion to a proposed 78 billion for fiscal year 1993. There has been an increase in spending for groups such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Federal Facilities Cleanup, and the Wetlands Research and Restoration projects. The EPA has also seen a 20 percent increase in staff.
DAVID FRANKEL
However, Bush was shortchanged over $500 million by Congress to assist Superfund, the toxic-waste cleanup project and sewage-treatment cleanup programs.
Bush done more than simply pour money into programs. There has been a massive rise in the nation's enforcement of environmental policy in the last four years "The Environmental Law Journal" reported that more than two-thirds of all criminal penalties brought forth in the history of the EPA have come during Bush's stay in the White House. And record numbers of felony indictments, convictions and prison sentences have been handed down in that time. These tough enforcement policies have come from a leader who has not been as soft on environmental issues as many of his critics claim.
Unfortunately, those progressive improvements in the nation's environmental policy have not been good enough for Democrats who look to accuse Bush of failing to be the "Environmental President." These critics point out that the United States is one of only two world leaders that is without stabilized carbon monoxide emissions regulations.
People want the United States to be industrially competitive, but that is impossible if we force our industries to incur the added expenses that come with the regulation. How can we force industry to spend additional hundreds of millions of dollars at a time when they are most concerned with avoiding layoffs?
Critics also attack Bush on his failure to work for reforms in the Forest Services. They claim that his hesitancy has caused severe damage to timberness and wildlife. Unfortunate
necessary in a situation where it is necessary to determine what is more important: saving animals and trees or saving jobs.
All indicators show that the majority of the people in the United States are most concerned about the economy and job stability. We should be asking Bill Clinton and Al Gore how they plan to reduce the logging industries without the loss of jobs in the Northwest and Northeast, where those industries are major employers and a key to the region's economic health and stability.
Once the economy improves, President Bush will be able to return to helping the environment. We will be able to do these things once jobs and the economy are more stable. But if we make these investments now, we will not be able to pull ourselves out of the economic quicksand.
President Bush would protect jobs at the temporary expense of the environment, while Bill Clinton has no proven plan to save either one.
David Frankel is a St. Louis senior majoring in political science.
Life-like dolls would teach kids valuable lessons
I was sitting at home watching television with my 19-year-old son on Saturday morning. A commercial came on for a call called "Baby Potty."
That's right, you sit the doll on her little, clear-plastic potty chair and watch the bowl fill up with yellow liquid. Then you push down the flusher, which makes a real noise, and the yellow liquid magically disappears.
I'm not kidding about this. My son, who loves all manner of slime, blood and gore, was thoroughly grossed out by this doll.
I thought it was in pretty poor taste myself — at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Going to the bathroom is a real, natural part of life. Why deny little boys and girls the opportunity to experience a glorious part of the job of parenting — potty training?
Of course, there is so much more that could be done. We could market Baby Dumpling, who would fill the little plastic bowl with something extra.
KATE KELLEY
Baby Flu-Bug could demonstrate the wonderful ability real babies have of projectile vomiting. After all, what real mommy and daddy has not spent quality time cleaning slimy chunks off their child and themselves.
Baby Ate-Something-Bad could explore the realities of the delicacy of the human digestive system.
Another real part of parenting could be experienced with Baby Rhinovirus. This doll would have a continuous stream of thick, green mucous running from its nose to its
mouth. No matter how often your little mommy or daddy wipes that doll's nose, the flow of slime would never stop, providing endless hours of fun.
But no childhood would be complete without the wonders of Baby Ear Infection. This doll would get extremely hot and cry nonstop. A little plastic rectal thermometer, sold separately, would reveal that your dolly has a 104 degree temperature!
Of course, when you have gone back home and given your doll a dose of the medicine, its little ears will magically turn bright red. Then you get to go back to your friend's house and repeat the whole game. This guaram-
You must run to your nearest friend who owns a toy doctor's kit and wait two or more hours in their living room with nothing but old Highlights magazines to read. The doctor would finally check over your doll and say, "The ears look clear so far. Give her some Tylenol and come back if she doesn't get any better."
The possibilities are endless: baby Chicken Pox, Baby Penicillin Reaction, Baby Milk Intolerance and my favorite, Baby Colic, which cries and cries and has no off switch.
tees hours of enjoyment
Such dolls may be the answer to the growing problems of teen-age pregnancy. Any child who has grown up dealing with the endless trials of their dolls are not going to rush to risk getting the real thing, which cannot be tossed under a bed or in the closet when the game is no longer fun.
Of course, we may find children no longer enjoying the innocent, care-free time that should be childhood. We may find parents asking their child, "Would you like a new dolly for your birthday?"
Only to be answered by a solemn 4-year old saying, "No, I have given this a lot of thought, and I am not ready for the responsibility. How about a Mr. Potato Head instead?"
Kate Kelley is a Fort Leavenworth junior majoring in English.
Loco Locals
By Tom Michaud