CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, October 21, 1994
3A
Registering is as easy as 1-2...6!
You can register Friday and Monday at:
4 The clerk's office at the Douglas County Courthouse first floor, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
$ \textcircled{2} $ Lawrence City Hall 6 E. Sixth St.
$\textcircled{3}$ Kindercare 2333 Crestline Drive
4 Metropolitan Federal Bank 544 Columbia Drive
$\textcircled{5}$ Independence, Inc.
1910 Haskell Ave.
$\textcircled{8}$ Indian Center of Lawrence
1423 Haskell Ave.
To vote, you must be:
A citizen of the United States and of the state of Kansas
At least 18 years. old
If a felon, you must have had your full rights restored
Notes:
If you've moved since you last registered to vote, you must re-register.
Registering to vote in Douglas County cancels your registration in other counties.
For questions, call the clerk's office at 832-5267.
Carlos Tejada and Micah Laaker/KANSAN
Hispanic leader to speak tonight
By Nathan Olson Kansan staff writer
Even though she had three strikes against her, Linda Alvarado still isn't out.
In fact, the first Hispanic owner of a Major League Baseball team keeps getting hits.
Alvarado, one of seven owners of the Colorado Rockies, will speak at 8 tonight in the Ballroom of the Kansas Union. Her speech, titled "Leadership in Hispanic America," will give a historical perspective on the roles of Hispanics in the United States
As a Hispanic, a female and part of a family of eight that didn't have much money, Alvarado faced many obstacles in this country. But she overcame those obstacles, received an academic scholarship and eventually graduated with a degree in economics from Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
When she couldn't find a job in her field, she took a job with a commercial development company. The job changed her life.
"I got this sense of satisfaction in seeing buildings up from the foundation to the roof," she said.
That satisfaction led her to return to school and eventually form Alvarado Construction Inc. in 1977.
Since then, her position in a profession dominated by men has led her to become a noted public speaker. In September, Alvarado was one of three keynote speakers at the United States Hispanic Leadership Conference. The other keynote speakers were Henry Cisneros, secretary of housing and urban development, and Rep. Henry Gonzalez, D-Texas.
"I think Hispanic people are in a hurry nowadays," she said. "There's a new sense of entitlement. Hispanics have always had the ability, but not the opportunity."
The improvements are a result of increased educational opportunities and of general impatience, Alvarado said.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
"I'm not willing to wait another generation for a Hispanic president," she said.
Her commitment to helping Hispanics was reinforced when she became an owner of the Rockies, which had its first season in 1993.
"More than 30 percent of professional baseball players are of Latino descent," she said. "There is a large connection between the sport and the Hispanic population."
Alvarado said she would talk about being a successful Hispanic.
"I'll be talking about how the Hispanic population is growing and how Hispanics are increasingly assuming leadership roles, such as in business, government and academics," she said.
"But the decision wasn't just based on the fact that she's a woman. She's also highly qualified and very articulate. We wanted someone who would be interesting to many types of people."
"In past years we've only had men," she said.
"There was a push by some people on the Hispanic Heritage Month committee to include a woman.
Jacqueline Flamigan, Leavenworth senior and treasurer of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, said Alvarado was chosen to speak at KU during Hispanic Heritage Month for a variety of reasons.
Alvarado's speech isn't intended for just Hispanic. Due to changing demographics, Hispanic America is quickly becoming all of America, Flan
Submitted photo / KANSAN
Linda Alvarado
nigan said.
"Anyone who has ever had a hard time should hear her speak."
"Her speech will be interesting to many types of students, from business majors to women's studies majors to architecture majors," Flannigan said. "It's going to be a very motivational speech. Linda is the epitome of a self-made woman.
In addition to Alvarado's speech, the Panamanian dancers, a KU group, will perform. Afterwards, a reception with refreshments will be held in the Centennial Room. The event is free to everyone.
Micah Laaker/KANBAN
Sales tax would fund a variety of city improvements
By Carlos Tejada Kansan staff writer
Some criminals convicted in Douglas County get to see quite a bit of the Kansas landscape.
Overcrowding at the Douglas County Jail has forced county officials to rent jail space in the jails of neighboring counties. For court dates and other official actions, sheriff's deputies often have to taxi criminals from county to county.
This problem is one reason why voters should approve a 1-cent sales tax referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot, Douglas County and Lawrence city officials say. Jail space, renovating recreational facilities, supporting local health care and reducing income taxes all are the intent behind the sales tax, they say.
A sales tax, which would tax upper and lower classes alike, also is the best alternative for collecting money from the community, said Mark Buhler, Douglas County commissioner. He said the county's other options were to raise property taxes, a locally unpopular move, or to borrow money to be paid for in the future by even more property taxes.
"The sales tax, in the past several years, has been more popular," Buhl said. "Nobody likes taxes, but a sales tax has been more palatable."
Buhler said the $7 million a year the sales tax would raise would help pay for an addition to the jail at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St. The new addition, which will cost $11 million and take up what is now the center's southern parking lot, would accommodate 200 additional inmates.
The sales tax money also would go to pay for city improvements in Eudora, Baldwin City, Lecompton and Lawrence. The rest would go to local health centers, such as the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, 336 Missouri St.
The tax is not aimed at temporary residents such as KU students, who usually don't own taxable property, Buhler said. Were the county to raise property taxes instead, students would see their rental rates and overall consumer prices rise, he said.
Buhler said the county could not raise property taxes because residential housing property values were raised in 1990. Although this didn't amount to a property tax increase technically, the revaluation still raised property taxes for many middle class families. Also, the Kansas Legislature has placed a lid on the amount of property taxes a county can levy.
The sales tax also would help the Lawrence School District, said John Nalbandian, Lawrence city commissioner. The school district can pay for its projects only through property taxes. Some of the sales tax money would reduce property taxes in Lawrence by a total of 7 mills, or $7 taxed for every $1,000 of assessed property value. A school bond issue on the Nov. 8 ballot would raise property taxes by 7 mills.
The result, if both pass in November, would be no net increase in property taxes. Nalbandian said.
"The city, county and school district usually work separately," he said. "This time we've worked together for a package we think has been well thought out."
Paul Schumaker, professor of political science, said sales taxes such as the one on the ballot had good and bad points. The bad point, he said, was that a sales taxplaces more of a burden on lower-class consumers, who tend to use city services more often.
The good point, he said, is that a sales tax is paid incrementally and is much more subtle. Property taxes are paid in one lump sum, giving taxpayers a negative view of taxation in general.
"It's simply much more doable." Schumaker said. "There's less public hostility toward it."
LOWEVERYDAY CD PRICES!
This is it!! "THE BIGGIE"AUDIO/VIDEO Demo Sale 3F
October 21st & 22nd 10:00am to 6:00pm.
All floor Models, Discontinued and Freight Damaged items on display in the Audio/Video &Car Audio store marked down for 2 Days only. Mfg. Representatives will be on hand to answer any Audio/Video questions.
3 FINANCING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE.
Associates-0% Sharp-0% Mitsubishi-0% 0-Pay till '96
Lay-a-way Sale items 5-days, New Mfg. Warranty
24th & Iowa St. P.O. Box 2 Lawrence, Ks 66044
AUDIO/VIDEO CAR STEREO CDs & TAPES'
913*843*1811 913*842*1438 913*842*1544