4A
Tuesday, September 20, 1994
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Commissioner profits from 'transients" rent
CHRIS STONG
Jim Chappell says students don't contribute to the community, but we do contribute to his wallet.
I really don't feel as if I am a transient. But there is at least one man is this county who thinks I am, Jim Chappell. He called you that, too. At a July county commission meeting he said, "There are 25,000 people who come here and live for nine months and pay no taxes here, and they are major contributors to our jail population and to our municipal court population and to our court system."
The problem is, Chappell is complaining about the system he profits from. When the police keep Lawrence safe, he protects his pocketbook. For every student "tying up" the courts and police, there are hundreds paying rent to Chappell to live on his properties. It certainly wasn't my idea to hire all of these nice police officers. As far
as I know, police really don't do much more than write as many tickets as they can and begin the process that Mr. Chappell complains about. Very rarely do the police stumble onto a crime other than traffic violations, even minor ones, and keep it from being committed. If they did their popular image would be considerably more heroic. Headlines would read: "Police Crack Assailant's Skull, Prevent Rape" and "Officer Crashes Car Jacker's Efforts, Saves Family of Nine"—you just never see that.
On consideration, I can not find any fault with the police. They have never stumbled upon me when I was committing any crimes, and the rest of my contact with them has been no more than annoying: "Hey, you. Get down
from there — you can't cumo city trees." Is it against the law? "Yes — it's trespassing on city property" I laughed, making matters worse. But that is exactly the sort of relationship I have with the Lawrence police, excepting speeding tickets and high-speed chases. We all know the police are civil servants, guardians of public safety. Still we sometimes may be upset with that idea. But only because they never seem to do what we would like them to do. And this is where the fault lies: It's the brass that give them marching orders.
These sorts of enforcement policies give the community a great deal. Lawrence is the safest city I ever have lived in, and the citizens, including students, get a lot for what they pay.
But Chappell gets something no student gets — protection for his rental properties and a nice big fat tax cut. His plan is nothing more than a scam to increase his own profits.
And not only at the students' expense. Everyone in the county pays sales tax. By the same percent he can reduce his property taxes, he can increase his profit — it's not only smart on his part, it's his best reason to be in office. Consider a $10 weekly increase at the register and thousands returned in reduced taxes April 15, ad infinitum.
Unfortunately, Chappell is right. Students are transients; political transients. David Stevens, who helps head the Student Political Awareness Task Force, said in jest, "If we could get 25
percent of our student body to vote and keep the rest of Douglas County at its current voter turnout, we could take every seat on the commission and the office of mayor!" Stevens has a great idea: Vote.
Any citizen of the United States can register in Douglas County and still have time to vote against tax increases. I hope they do because the subtlety of Chappell's argument and his profit sharing plan lie just below the surface. You do pay property taxes. Not once a year like Chappell, but once a month, in the form of rent. And as you know, slum lords never lower rent.
Chris Stong is a Lawrence senior in philosophy.
VIEWPOINT
Student Senate must alter fiscally irresponsible habit
Student Senate shouldn't sponsor bills that give a disproportionate amount of money to groups that have a limited potential impact on the lives of KU students. With the budget crunch problems of last year still fresh in many students' minds, Senate needs to set a more fiscaly responsible tone to prevent budget shortfalls in fiscal year 1995.
At the start of the fiscal year 1994, the total amount of money in the unallocated account, which is used to fund student organizations, was listed at more than $42,000. Later in the year this account was increased by $20,000 from reserves because of the pressure on Senate by groups that wanted to be funded. But even with this $20,000 increase, Senate was $9,348.48 over budget. This set the precedent that it is acceptable to ignore fiscal responsibility and, in turn, refuse to cut the proposed funds of organizations that have little potential benefit for KU students.
Senate can reverse this precedent tonight by dramatically reducing the amount of money requested by Pinch magazine. If the $4,700 bill to fund the magazine passes Senate,the representative body will have reaffirmed the dangerous precedent that groups with limited outreach to KU students can receive more funding than other groups that are both open and accessible to every person on campus.
Senate should remember that the Chinese Student Association, Women's Student Union and Students for Wildcare each received less than $500 last year. But yet each group can potentially benefit any KU student through increased knowledge of a particular culture or the environment. If Pinch magazine is funded for its full request of $4,700, Senate will be hard-pressed to justify its meager apportionments to the other student organizations.
Because Pinch magazine is only published once during the school year, and not all of the distribution sites for the magazine are located on campus, Pinch magazine isn't a good buy at the proposed $4,700 price tag.
Pinch magazine has every right to continue publishing and distributing its magazine on this campus. However, Senate shouldn't continue to overexpand its checkbook to accommodate organizations that have minimal impacts on this campus.
LANCE HAMBY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
KANSAN STAFF
STEPHEN MARTINO Editor
CHRISTOPH FUHRMANS Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH Systems coordinator
JEN CARR Business manager
CAMERON DEATH Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
Editors
News ... Sara Bennoff
Editorial ... Donella Hauser
Campus ... Mark Martin
Sports ... Brian James
Photo ... Daron Bennett
Mellissa Lacey
Features ... Traci Carl
Planning Editor ... Susan White
Design ... Noah Musser
Assistant to the editor ... Robbie Johnson
Editors
PAT BOYLE Accounting
Business Staff
Campus mgr ... Todd Winters
Regional mgr ... Laureth Guath
National mgr ... Mark Mastro
Coop mgr ... Emily Gibson
Special Sections mgr ... Jen Perrier
Production mgrs ... Holly Boren
... Regan Overy
Marketing director ... Alan Stiglic
Creative director ... John Carton
Classified mgr ... Heather Niahaus
Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include use of the registered name, telephone number, Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown information.
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The Kansas reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
NECESSITIES FOR DOING LAUNDRY AT ELLSWORTH...
Environs wants buses to clean up
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Nicholas Shump needs to get his facts straight the next time he starts untactfully attacking people who realize and seek the need for change. In his rebuttal to Chris Stong's column about the pollution the buses create on campus, Mr. Shump was blatantly misinformed about what KU Environments advocates. First, I challenge him to find any bicyclists who do not agree that the buses should be required to clean up the black cloud of smoke spewing from tailpipes. Enviros does advocate mass transit but not at the risk of every bike's health and safety. We would also like to see cars restricted from campus during the main class period and bike lanes put in their place. Except for the services provided for handicapped students, cars are a nuisance and only put those in danger who do get off their backsidees and bike or walk to class. As anyone can see, these ideas are neither radical nor representative of the "shoddy thinking" Mr. Shump claims to have encountered with past environmentalists.
And NO!! nothing is more important than clean air!' I am sure that there are many scientists and professors who would be thoroughly interested in Mr. Shump's theory on
how we can live without it. Maybe if he had ever even been caught once on his bike behind a bus, he would understand the effect that inhaling a black cloud of smoke can have on your lungs. Furthermore, if being "self-righteous" means attempting to make the world we live in a cleaner place, then I guess all the Environs members are guilty as charged. Quite a crime we're committing, don't you think?
Amy Trainer President, KU Environs
Chris Stong's article, "Bus System has out-polluted its welcome here" lists the goals of the KU on Wheels bus system but says they are not being met and then goes on to argue only one drawback of the buses: pollution. The article deals very well with the problems that the Lawrence Bus Co.'s buses have in noise and air pollution, but what about the advantages of the buses? These buses do reduce gasoline consumption, parking lots, traffic and arguish for students who don't live on campus or who don't have the time to walk 20 minutes to and from classes. Where would all of the students driving in from their residences west of Iowa Street, east of Kentucky Street, north of Ninth Street and south of 19th Street park Chris? How would Watkins Health Center handle all of the freshmen from Daisy Hill with frostbite in January, who tried to walk from their 10:30 class to lunch at Mrs. E's and then back to campus for their 1:30 class? What about students who can't afford a car or even a bike? What about students who don't have the 300-plus dollars for a bike with 12 speeds to ascend the campus hills? I think you get my point.
Good of buses outweighs bad
Although I do ride my bike or walk to campus from the Jayhawker Towers and do not like riding behind buses. I also possess a bus pass. Fifty bucks and a 100 step walk is a good deal for warm winter transportation, and a few dozen buses can't be as polluting as hundreds of cars. The campus buses might be loud and crowd Jayhawk Boulevard during class time, but in reality, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Maybe a more attainable solution for bikers would be a bike land on the boulevard, instead of no boulevard…think about it Chris, wouldn't that be nice?
Seth Fine
Glenview, Ill., sophomore
KATHY KIPP
I got a call today. It was from Ramsey, a high school friend who now resides in Fort Bragg, N.C., and calls himself Private Airborne. I had just received a package from him, and I was glad he was calling. I could say thank you without footing the bill.
Military rituals are irritating but necessary
"Hey, how's it going? This is Ramsev."
"OK. I got your package, thanks." "Listen, I don't really have that much time to talk. I just called Baskin Robbins. Now, I am calling you. I miss you. Remember to watch the news. If there is anything you can tell someone that I said, it's that news is important; you have a right to know. You have to watch what is going on and come up with your own conclusion; I can't tell you. I really hope I still get to see you at Christmas. Well, I really have to go."
"All right, take care."
"I love you, too."
"You too. Watch the news. I love you."
Not your everyday conversation.
As I hung up, I looked at my roommates. I knew they had been listening,
and I was sure they would ask why I had told Ramsey I loved him.
"Bye." Click.
"He's going to Haiti," I said. "I know it. He didn't say, but he once told us that if he ever got sent there, he wouldn't be able to let us know. He is in the special forces or something. They monitor the phone conversations. They cut us off once, that's why he couldn't tell me straight off."
"Well, I guess this means old Pvt. Ramsito is heading off to Haiti. It irritates me, though, that he can't just tell us."
After that I walked up to my room and sat on my bed and did something I rarely ever do. I got pissed off. Normally, I love my country. I sing the national anthem; I go to Fourth of July parades; I tried to get upset about the baseball strike, and I eat apple pie. But not today. Today I am irritated. I am irritated with the military and all of its little quirks and rituals and secrets that make them what they are. I am irritated with democracy and bureaucracy. I am irritated with our involvement in Haiti. But most of all, I am irritated with the fact that these things are, in an abstract way, necessary
The phone just rang. It was forme. It was Amber, one of my best friends from home. She just got the same abstract call.
"I hate being irritated."
Kathy Kipp is a Woolridge, ill., sophomore in English
HUBIE
By Greg Hardin