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EDITORIAL: For the first time ever, Americans are spending more than they earn. Government and citizen alike need to stop it. See kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 5A
OUR VIEW
Government and private spending out of control
Americans are facing a looming fiscal crisis of titanic proportions. In 2002, the savings rate as a percentage of disposable personal income was 2.4 percent. In 2005, it was -0.4 percent. This stunning statistic means that the American people are spending more money than they are earning. Our personal debt is building to dangerous levels, and there is no immediate fix in sight.
Of course, our government is no better. It's true that there is
historical evidence that tax cuts spur economic growth, but that does not call for the ignorance of basic math. The Bush administration has insisted it can continue to cut taxes and increase spending, but anyone who has ever balanced a checkbook knows this is no way to remain solvent. The cuts in spending Bush promised have never materialized; domestic discretionary spending in Bush's first five years increased more than the comparable spending under
Clinton and Johnson combined.
This is not a political problem, this is a policy problem. Both parties have proven completely inept at restraining spending, equally enchanted by the corruption of power once they attain it. But while the U.S. is spending itself into oblivion, the economies of other world powers are booming and threatening our global financial dominance. There is a reason Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is devoting so much
attention to China.
But fiscal intelligence starts at home with individuals. As students, we will be the generation that decides the nation's fiscal future. We can start by taking care of our own finances, which all too often range out of control. We are clear targets for credit card companies, with our limited financial knowledge and profligate spending. Next time you get a credit card offer, let it pass by.
Another easy way to boost
your financial I.Q. is to pay more attention to financial markets. Spend an hour watching Jim Cramer's Mad Money on CNBC — it may be the best show on television that no one our age is watching. Cramer makes the complex web of investing seem simple and accessible, and is relentlessly entertaining.
If we as citizens correct our finances on an individual level, perhaps the revision will spread to our state and local governments. It is essential that we rethink our national spending habits, as we are headed for a seemingly inevitable fiscal disaster. It will someday be up to us to maintain the financial power of the United States. Why not start now?
McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
>> COMMENTARY
Empowered and confident, gay community can fight discrimination
After looking over my previous columns, I realized that when something makes me angry, I write about it. This week isn't any different.
Saturday night, my roommates and I hosted a party at our apartment to celebrate our friend, Nick Connell, and his award-winning short story that ran in the October issue of Playboy (go pick it up!). Obviously, the party was going to be Playboy-themed, so most of the guests dressed in lingerie, silk robes and bunny costumes. Among the dancing playmates and the scotch-drinking, Hugh Hefner look-alikes were two seemingly arrogant guys, popped collars and all. As they guzzled their Bud Lights, one looked at me (yes ... I was dressed as a boy bunny) and then whispered to the other. At that moment, they snickered and began to stare. If this had happened to me as a freshman, I would've cowered in the corner and my night would've been ruined. But in the last two years, I have grown immensely, and my growth shown through as I managed to get the homophobes thrown out of our party.
This definitely isn't the only time I've had eyes glued on me for doing something "gay" Even when I walk
BY CHRIS HORN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
down the sidewalks of Massachusetts Street with my tote (my friends call it my purse), I get more stares than the Playboy bunnies get tail.
A 2004 article in The American Journal of Public Health contained startling statistics on anti-gay harassment. A group of scientists administered a series of surveys among homosexual and bisexual men and found that 37 percent of these men experienced verbal harassment, while 11.2 percent reported discrimination and 4.8 percent were victims of violence. According to the study, gay youth and men who were more open about their sexuality made up a majority of the harassment victims. The study finally reported that "mistreatment was associated with lower self-esteem."
It should be a top priority of the leaders of the gay community to create a safer social environment and
to help members of the community cope with the psychological effects of harassment and discrimination. The study suggested that empowerment and community-building programs would play a vital role in preventing anti-gay harassment.
On a more personal level, gay individuals need to stand up and demand respect. Regardless of whether or not someone agrees with a certain lifestyle, there is a necessary amount of respect that should be shown to that person.
I am proud to be me. In fact, all gay people should be proud of their lives. Yet societal implications and cultural standards, both gay and non-gay, inflict negative sentiments within our community. Because of this, homosexuals should not stand for disrespect that is often shown to them by an ignorant few. We mustn't be consumed by our sexuality, but we should embrace the fact that we're unique individuals who offer the world a different, evolving perspective on life and the characters that play a part in it — even if we occasionally dress up as bunnies.
Horn is a Lenga junior in journalism and European studies
FREE FOR ALL Call 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
Thursday was definitely a bad day to wear flip flops and white
The Underground caught that guy that stole the two Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.
It is raining. I am wet and cold. Where is the bus?
Ladies, if you don't control your umbrellas you are going to lose your privileges. I don't care if it is
raining
Why do people walk on campus barefoot? That is gross. Put your
shoes on.
Wine night at Quinton's is the best.
best
Only at KU can you get rained on in a bus.
To the girl who thinks she smokes because she looks sexy: Only someone who was addicted would use that crappy of an ex-
cuse.
is water balloon day. Watch out everybody.
To the guy working at the day care center with four little girls wrapped around his legs: That was adorable. Can I have your babies?
It is 12 a.m. and it is Friday. It
Hash kids are dorks. They have nothing better to do with their time then to sit on the porch all
Free for All, we just spent 35 minutes in class talking about you.
Dude, that guy who sells Oxyclean got a lot fatter.
night
Jason Thompson, please come to class. We miss you. Sincerely,
your English class.
To the person who said socks and sandals are wrong: You are wrong. It will always be right.
It is definitely not too early for Halloween decorations.
Hey Alex, I saw you drive your black Mazda down a one-way street. Nice job.
Does it strike me as odd to see a guy rollerblading down the street with a bicycle wheel in his hands?
are safe, and that is false."
KU On Wheels sucks. I am about ready to call Safe Ride and see which service is less dependable.
are safe, and that is false."
Hey, best friend, I just saw your Phi Tau stalker on campus and he is wearing a red Polo. Watch out.
--are safe, and that is false."
are safe, and that is false."
Gab-ielia Souza, managing editor
864.4854 or osoura@kansan.com
Erick R. Schmidt, managing editor
864-4854 or eschmidt@kansan.com
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Jonathan Kealing, editor
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TALK TO US
Limit cell phone use while driving
SUBMISSIONS
I'll admit it, I talk on my cell phone while driving. And not just in emergencies either, unless the latest gossip between friends is considered an "emergency." But I have a Bluetooth that I use religiously and both hands are always (well, usually) on the wheel, so I feel like I'm being safe. But what I never thought about, and what most people don't think about, is how difficult it is for your brain to give proper attention to both tasks.
Larger fines for motorists who cause an accident because they were talking on a cell phone are also a good idea. If people choose to hinder their driving abilities by talking on the phone, they should be willing to pay the price for taking that risk. There are, of course, other distractions, such as passengers or the radio, that can't really be banned. But why should that stop cities from banning cell phones? It's a distraction that could be eliminated to make our streets that much safer to drive on.
Last week I got a different perspective, a scientific one. As part of my introductory psychology class, I participated in a study measuring the effect of making word associations on reaction time; essentially, the effect of talking on the phone while driving. I was given a few very simple visual tests on a computer, one of which consisted of a small car flashing on the screen. I simply had to identify where it was. At the same time, I was making word associations with the researcher over a speakerphone; for example, he would say, "husband," and I would respond with "wife." The visual tests were simple enough that, had I not been making those word associations, I would have probably gotten every one right. When the experiment was over, the researcher told me my reaction time was about 50 times slower than normal.
I know that I won't completely stop using my phone while driving. However, I will limit my use as much as I can to only important conversations, not what happened on last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Gentry is a Kansas City, Kans. sophomore in English and premedicine.
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
For any questions, call Frank Tankard or Dave Rugh
at 864-4810 or e-mail opionkat@kansan.com.
According to CNN.com, a motorist talking on a cell phone is four times more likely to be involved in an accident than a motorist who is not. Law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling to decide the best way to tackle this problem. This summer, the City of Lawrence attempted to ban cell phones while driving, but the proposal was narrowly voted down by the Traffic Safety Commission. California passed a law which states that only hands-free cellular devices, such as headsets, can be used while driving. However, according to associate professor of psychology Paul Ahtley (who is involved in the research study I took part in), "If you pass a ban that just prohibits the hand-held devices, you're sending a message that the hands-free devices
Predictably, cell phone companies and their spokespersons, like T-Mobile's Jamie Hastings, have denounced the bans, saying that other distractions like "McDonald's and kids in the back seat" should also be banned.
It's probably not feasible to outlaw cell phone use while driving: A ban would be hard to enforce and people would not comply with it. However, if law enforcement could find a way, it would be a valid regulation.
COMMENTARY
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@ansan.com
My slower reaction time had nothing to do with having an emotionally charged conversation or the fact that I was using a phone instead of a headset, as many have said before. My brain simply could not make all those connections quickly enough. Therefore, my Bluetooth was not the security blanket that I assumed it was.
BY CASSIE GENTRY
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Jonathan Kealing, Erick R. Schmidt, Gabriella Soura, Frank Tankard, Dave Ruigh, Steve Lynn, McKay Stangler and Lloisa Mora