NATION/WORLD UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, October 13, 1995
7A
Olympic fans seek refunds
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — When Rebecca Stafford's July Visa statement showed a $2,122 charge for Olympic tickets, she emptied the family's vacation account to pay the bill.
Months later, Stafford is not getting any tickets, and she really misses her money.
"For them to have my money all this time — it's ridiculous," said Stafford. "I just want out of this deal."
Long after sports fans sent in payments for an Olympic ticket lottery, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games still has their money. Organizers hope that the people who could not get the tickets that they wanted will buy left-over tickets or souvenirs.
The advance payments are in the bank, earning $3 million in interest so far for the committee.
The group defended the advancepayment procedure as the only way
to ensure that tickets were distributed fairly.
But some consumer affairs groups have objected that the committee is holding the money.
As part of the process for buying tickets, advance payment in full was mandatory. Orders placed from May 1 to June 30 went into a lottery that determined the sequence in which requests would be processed. Confirmation letters were sent out in late September.
All the while, the checks, money orders and Visa charges from more than 300,000 customers were making money for the committee.
People who lost out on tickets or didn't get the ones they requested received a form to ask for a refund or to order leftover tickets and souvenirs.
For Stafford, the decision was a no-brainer.
"I was willing to spend $2,000 with them," she said. "Now, I'm not willing to spend anything."
The committee filled $124 million
in ticket orders out of $326 million in orders received, said ticket director Scott Anderson.
The first batch of refunds will be mailed tomorrow. Anderson said.
Action by consumer affairs groups against the committee appears unlikely.
About 53 percent of the 180,000 reorder forms received are asking for other tickets,and 47 percent want a full refund.
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently complained about the ticket system and suggested that checks and credit card authorizations should not have been banked until ticket orders were confirmed.
The committee responded that the system was fair, said Rich Loconte, a Consumer Affairs representative.
"Unfortunately, we cannot go any further," he said. "What they've done is not illegal. We just believe it was unfair. To try to challenge the Olympic committee would be a large feat."
Violence protects truce in Ireland
The Associated Press
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Billy Elliott, a Protestant gunman on the run, thought a cease-fire made it safe to return to Northern Ireland. He was wrong.
He wasn't killed by his enemies in the Irish Republican Army. He was shot through the head by fellow Protestant loyalists, clarifying that they will kill troublemakers in their own ranks to protect a year-old truce with the IRA.
"If a loyalist shot an IRA man now, he'd be bumped off by his own within 24 hours," said senior police commander Kevin Sheehy. "That's what keeps the peace — the scum bags in charge threatening the cretins below."
Ulster Volunteer Force commanders confirmed to the Associated Press that they sanctioned Elliott's murder because of his involvement in the death of 31-year-old Margaret
Wright. She was killed 18 months ago when she ventured into a loyalist club and was mistaken for a Catholic.
Elliot, who was commander of the UVF-affiliated Red Hand Commandos, was branded an outlaw even by the Commandos and fled Belfast, returning just three weeks ago. He was killed Sept. 28.
"No one but close relatives will miss Elliott," said Billy Hutchinson, the leader of the UVF-allied Progressive Unionist Party. "The fact is, with him gone, Northern Ireland's a wee bit safer place for all of us to live."
Loyalist attacks on Roman Catholics were the essence of their war against the IRA. In the 1990s, loyalists killed more people than the IRA, a commitment to "mutual assured suffering," which contributed to the IRA's decision to stop bombing and shooting Sept. 1, 1994.
When pro-British paramilitary
groups announced their own truce Oct. 13, 1994, they reserved the option of killing members like Elliott who had embarrassed their leaders and might defy them again. These groups often exercised this option.
Influential figures in the two main loyalist groups, the outlawed Ulster Defense Association (UDA) and UVF, said the cease-fire remained solid.
It would be broken, they said, only if the IRA resumed its campaign or if Britain abandoned Northern Ireland.
But they also admit that some members would like to pursue unfinished business with the IRA. This could easily wreck the fragile peace.
"Some things will never be forgotten, cease-fire or no cease-fire, peace or no peace," said a UDA commander on south Belfast's Ormeau Road.
Your Vote is Your Voice: Rock for Choice
Register to vote at Love Garden 10-10 Sat., Oct. 14th and
12-6 Sun., Oct. 15th And check out the Spirit of'73 compilation Pro-choice Literature will also be available Love Garden Sounds 9361/2 Mass. St. (upstairs) 843-1551 "In the Heart of Downtown"
The University of Kansas
HOMECOMING WEEKEND
October 13 - 15, 1995
• SCHEDULE •
Homecoming Parade
Friday, October 13, 2:20 p.m.
Chi Omega fountain to Adams Alumni Center.
See Chancellor Hemenway, the KU Band, student organization floats,
Ex.C.E.L. Award winners and more. Parade starts with a rally on Wescoe Beach.
SUA Homecoming Show Friday, October 13, 8:00 p.m. Performance featuring Denny Dent and his Two-Fisted Art Attack! Kansas Union Ballroom. For tickets call 864-3477
SUA Movies
The Bridges of Madison County 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday The Exorcist Midnight, Friday and Saturday Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union All tickets $2.50 except midnight $3.00, tickets available 30 minutes prior to show at SUA box office
Football Game KU vs. Iowa State Saturday, October 14, 1:00 pm. kickoff, Pregame at 12:40 pm. Call Allen Fieldhouse at (913) 864-3141 or 1-800-34-HAWKS for ticket information After the game, limited shuttle service is available from the Northwest entrance of the stadium (11th and Illinois Streets) to the parking garage near Allen Fieldhouse ($1.00)
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