KANSAN
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas
Friday, August 27, 1982 Vol. 93, No.6 USPS 650-640
Local video game vendors criticize city's tax proposal
By DOUG CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter
Video game vendors and other city businessmen yesterday condemned a proposal by the Lawrence City Com mission to place a camera on the machines and their places of operation.
The Commission, at Tuesday night's meeting, directed the city staff to draw up an ordinance which would place a license fee or tax on video games and the operator of the machines.
Most of the businessmen contacted who have video games in their businesses said the tax was too high.
Shau Trenholm, owner of the West Coast Saloon, said, "I don't see the need for a tax. I don't think it's poluting children's minds. I don't think it needs to be regulated."
it needs to be the organization.
Kathie Robinson, one of the owners of J. Watson's, Inc., said, "We're all trying to make a living, and it's difficult enough now."
Art Cromer, executive vice president of GPK, Inc., a franchise group of Gibson's Discount Centers, said he didn't like taxing a particular business such as the video amusement industry.
"Why tax amusement just because it's fun?" he said.
Two city commissioners said the fee proposal would indeed single out video games.
"That's in the nature of taxation," Commissioner Nancy Shontz said. "The city has to find a way of bringing in money in order to pay for the services its citizens want."
Commissioner Don Binns agreed that the video games were being singled out, but said there was nothing wrong with it.
"All governments single out things to tax; he said, 'I personally don't see any reason why they should not.'"
Alen Loyd, management analyst with the city,
estimated in a memo to City Manager Buford
"Why tax amusement just because it's fun?"—Art Cromer, executive vice president of GPK, Inc.
Watson that there were about 400 video game machines in Lawrence. About 100 of these were in private clubs, quick shops, grocery stores and restaurants. There were in regular amusement places or arcades.
Loyd surveyed a number of other cities to see what action they had taken on video games. Watson wrote in a memo the commission that the average fee was about $400 on the operator and manager.
Loyd said yesterday that the resolution the city
staff was preparing for the commission's consideration would include license fees somewhere around the average of the cities surveyed.
around the average. The city may decide not to actually license each machine, but rather the quantity in each store or place of business.
"The problem is, those machines go in and out so often." Lovel said.
The effect would be essentially the same, he said.
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Bob Schumm, owner of Schumm Food Co.,
said any fee or tax would ultimately be passed on
to the consumer.
"People have to keep in mind that businesses don't pay taxes, consumers do," he said. "Any kind of a tax ultimately falls on the consumer."
Cromer agreed. That's what it is that the company would absorb the cost of any license fee or tax.
"LeMans would absorb the cost of any license fee," said Tom Marks, director of marketing for LeMans Family Fun Centers, Inc., of Wichita, which operates the local LeMans center.
Local merchants said there were a number of ways to pass the cost on to the consumer if a company wanted to. For instance, they said the machine's level of difficulty could be changed, or the customer could increase (or decrease) from three Pac-men to two, (for example) or the price could be increased.
See VIDEO page 5
Shift in jet stream cools KU, could speed up arrival of fall
By BONAR MENNINGER
Staff Reporter
Meteorologist said the shift in the jet stream also might hasten the arrival of autumn.
A shift in the jet stream sent a storm sweeping through Lawrence yesterday morning, the remnants of which were expected to linger into today.
Joe Eagleman, professor of geography, said a portion of the jet stream was above the state, pulling cooler weather and rain down from Canada.
Canada.
In Kansas City, a record low of 56 degrees was set earlier in the week, six degrees below the previous mark.
Yesterday, temperatures fell in several cities across the country. The temperature in International Falls, Minn., dropped to 34 degrees.
The jet stream is a band of air that circles above the earth seven miles. Usually, it returns in mid-Sepember. The premature arrival of the jet stream an end to warmer weather, Eagleton said.
"A jet stream is like a meandering river," said Craig Schrellmidt of the KU weather service. He said the channel of air, which travels at an average speed of 80 miles per hour, never was
static but rather moved north and south, depending on the season.
Eagleman said the shifts were caused by temperature differences between tropical reefs.
Such abrupt weather changes are a headache for University maintenance crews. Yesterday's sudden downpour caused water to leak through an electrical outlet in Lindley Hall.
Tom Anderson, director of facilities operations, said any time there were rapid temperature increases in the system, he would call.
He said that recent hot weather expanded joints in roofs and walls and that when the buildings did not have time to shrink, and rains arrived, minelakes often resulted.
Quickly changing weather is not popular with some students, either. Two out-of-state freshmen said they could do without the cold , rainy weather.
"I hate it. It's awful," said Wendy Kraft, Marietta, "It's not like Georgia."
Kraft sait shi, he wakar waiwari. Malaysia, said he had been in Kansas for only two weeks.
"I don't mind the rain. I just wish you come at night and not in the day when I have to leave."
Weather
It will be cloudy, with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms this morning, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka.
The high today will be in the low-80% with partly cloudy skies this afternoon. Low over 65°F is expected tomorrow.
There is little chance of rain for the weekend with highs in the mid-sios and lows in the south.
Kansan delayed because of new computers
Students who expected to pick up a copy of the University Daily Kansan yesterday morning were in for a surprise. There were no papers in the boxes.
"We didn't get done with the processing of
A combination of problems with the Kansan's new $176,000 computer system, in use for the first time yesterday, delayed production of the paper, said Paul Jess, Kansan general manager and news adviser. The paper was not distributed around campus until after 3:30 p.m.
copy, which is supposed to be done at 1 a.m.
until almost 6:30," he said. Typesetting, which
usually begins at 5 a.m., could not start until an
hour and a half later.
"At that point, we were an hour and a half late, and at that time, we found that our equipment would not interface with the typesetter," he said.
"It took three hours to get the first type out.
After that computer problem was solved, Jess said a programming problem was found.
and then the type was not good," he said. "We got wrong type faces, whole stories printing out in big caps and small caps, bylines in every imaginable way, and the line-spacing was stretched."
After those and other problems were corrected, the paper was ready for printing at 3 p.m., said Steve Robrahn. Kansan managing editor.
"I was expecting the worst and it happened." Jess said. "Everything that could go wrong did."
Video game fanfare converge on the Kansas Union bowling alley's new game room as well as fast food restaurants throughout Lawrence. It may be easier harder to beat the "quarterers'If a proposed city ordinance is in place,
Wichita State, KU fans await Sept. 11 rematch
Staff Reporter
By DARRELL PRESTON
In two weeks, the Wichita State University football team will roll into town, and while the players do battle on the field, Shocker fans are predicting a. rematch of the infamous "Battle of New Orleans" - complete with malicious jeering, libelous signs and just plain devastation.
"It's going to be a hell of a close game. I think it's going to be closer than KU expects. It's like when they went to New Orleans; KU thought they were going to run right over us, but they were shocked. I think they will be shaken in the face. Shocker Ian Pan Lee Wichita State senior.
In a March 1981 game not soon to be forgotten (possibly because Shocker fans won't let anyone forget), Wichita State's men's basketball team beat KU 66-65 in the Midwest Regional semi-finals of the National College Athletic Association tournament in New Orleans.
The basketball victory was the first time Wichita State had ever beaten the Jayhawks,
and it was the first game between the schools in 26 years. And if Jayhawk fans have their way—and they say they will—it may be the Shockers' last victory over KU.
"KU is obviously the better team, and everybody should know that." said Tom Waugh.
KU has played Wichita State in football three times, according to Dick O'Connor, KU sports information director. The last game was in 1946, which KU won 14-7. Some Wichita State fans think this year's game has been a long time coming.
"KU has been a real snob about the game," said Eric Chadwell. Wichita State alumnus. "They seemed to be saying they were too good to play us, but we finally caught up with them."
pay us, but we cannot caggle with Added Chadwell, in a statement Shocker fans never tire of repeating. "We made KU recognize us in New Orleans with our 65/65 win."
John McKinley, owner of Kirby's Store beer, a bar frequented by Wichita State students, thought KU's attitude toward the game was like that of a snobbish Eastern school.
See WICHITA page 5
Slattery advocates policy of economic austerity
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of interviews with candidates for local, state and federal offices.
Today's interview is with Jim Slattery, Democratic candidate for 2nd District congressman. Slattery is opposing Lawrence Republican Morris Kay in the Nov. 2 general
Slattery operated his own insurance company in Topeka for several years before deciding to run for Congress and ran unopposed in the August primary.
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Any future increase in federal spending for educational programs can occur only after bulging budget deficits are brought under control. Jim Slattery, Democratic candidate for 2nd District congressman, said yesterday at the University of Kansas.
Staff Reporter
University of Kansas
Slattery, who is seeking the retiring Jim Jetfries 'seat in the office', advocates a policy of auctionity to federal deficits are erased. This means education would have no chance of obtaining additional funds to offset last year's red cuts, he said.
widespread cost, thesis
But Slattery said he was determined to under-
minute any further attempts to slash federal fund-
ing for education.
Education has become a primary issue in the race because the University of Kansas was moved from the 3rd to the 2nd District after last spring's congressional redistricting decision by a panel of three federal judges. Kansas State University and Washburn University are also in the district.
Slatery applauded the Reagan administration's decision to tighten eligibility requirements for students requesting Guaranteed Student Loans.
One remedy for the financial crunch facing many students is to pump life into the recession-ridden economy. Slattery said. By reducing deficits and interest rates, he said, students would have more job opportunities, and parents could sten un financial support for their children.
In another issue involving students, Slattery advocated continuing draft registration for 18-year-old men. The former state legislator said that he was the essential part of U.S. military preparedness.
"It should have been done years ago," Slattery said. "All levels of the budget are finally coming."
"I feel if we are going to be realistic about being ready for an emergency situation, then we need access to the names of people eligible to serve in the military." Slatter said.
He said he also supported the prosecution of people who refused to sign up for draft
In expounding his views on trimming the
budget, Slattery said Congress should take a more stringent view toward appropriations to entitlement and military programs.
Concerning entitlements, which include Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Slattery said the popular system was in dire need of revision.
"There needs to be a change in the cost-of-living adjustment method. This will in no way take food out of senior citizens' mouth, but it is reasonable about the programs." Slattery said.
The Democratic candidate acknowledged he was sitting on a political time bomb by calling for changes, but he said people ignoring the problem were acting irresponsibly.
"Some people have told me this is political suicide, but I think senior citizens are more frightened of those who are silent on the issue instead of those people who are speaking out on the issue."
subject, he said.
Slattery also said Pentagon spending should be watched more closely, rather than giving the military "a blank check."
military a battlefield. Slattery was especially critical of two multibillion dollar projects the Pentagon now has under way.
"I think we need to rethink the MX missile program," he said. "A great amount of money has already been put into the MX system, and no one knows where the missiles are going to be."
Another weakness in the MX system, Slatteray said, was the added perl it put on the continental
United States. If U.S. missiles are installed either in the South or in existing Titan II missile sites in the Midwest, he said, the Soviets must be prepared for a full-scale assault on the United States.
ne sato.
Slattery also urged Congress to review the massive naval buildup designed to create a仓中船 fleet.
ussman. To avoid the threat, Slattery encouraged the development of a submarine fleet armed with nuclear warheads. Submarines would be difficult to monitor, and Soviet missiles would be pointed at the sea rather than the United States, he said.
He questioned the effectiveness of the supercarriers, around which the Navy built its program. Slattery cited the need for British naval forces to Falkland Islands wars a difficult reason to request a review.
Other issues discussed by Slattery included the desperate position of many small businesses stranded by high interest rates, the growing nuclear freeze movement and future agricultural export agreements with the Soviet Union.
Union.
Slattery said attempts to stimulate small business could pump life into the economy. But before that happens, he said, deficits and then interest rates would have to drop.
"It is important to encourage small business. By small, I mean businesses with less than 100 people," he said. "Our greatest creativity takes UPGRADES' MAGNET MAP page 5."
See DEMOCRAT page 5
Jim Slattery, Democratic nominee for the 2nd Congressional District, speaks to a group of students yesterday during a visit to the University of Kansas.