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Wednesday, July 3, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Fire damage
University cannot rely on Legislature for money to repair Hoch, but KU's funds also are strained
The Kansas Finance Council's refusal to pay for basic clean-up operations at
1 Hoch Auditorium shows that, where the Legislature is concerned, nothing can be taken for granted.
KU officials were stunned when a member of the nine-person council refused to support the release of $197,000 in emergency money from a fund devoted to the repair of state property damaged by sabotage, fire or acts of God.
Because it takes a unanimous vote to allocate money from the fund, Hoch has been left without emergency state assistance.
The opponent, Sen. Gus Bogina, R-Shawnee, said that because KU had money for other projects, it clearly was able to pay for Hoch repairs.
The University thinks it may be able to free some money earmarked for other projects, but such reallocations would slow repairs at other campus sites.
Also, the transfer of money, if approved by the Board of Regents, would provide only for a security fence, engineering tests and the demolition of three walls in danger of collapse.
Anyone who has seen the burned-out shell of Hoch knows that far more than that is
needed before reconstruction can be considered.
Even if KU were to use its entire 1992 Regents rehabilitation and repair budget, $2.4 million, it would not begin to pay for the more than $13 million in damage the Hoch fire caused.
In fact, the list of KU's renovation needs before Hoch burned totaled more than $13 million and included more than 200 projects.
The state has decided not to pay $20 million to $25 million in annual insurance premiums on its property. Instead it promises to remedy catastrophic losses itself.
The Finance Council's decision runs counter to the concept of self-insurance, and now KU must wait for the Legislature's session to open before it will find out whether the state plans to honor its promises fully or at all.
It would be surprising if Bogina were the only misguided lawmaker in Kansas. Other legislators, including Gov. Finney, have hinted that the state budget may be too tight to accommodate Hoch's needs.
The University must marshal its lobbyists, lawyers and alumni if it hopes to get the full amount Hoch deserves.
Chris Siron for the editorial board
Defense spending
Hefty price unworthy of a product that bombs
As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for . . . unless it's the B-2 stealth bomber, the most expensive aircraft ever developed.
The Air Force announced last week that it had canceled several test flights of the bomber. The cancellations were prompted by an internal Northrop Corp. company memorandum that said the bomber's computerized flight controls had suffered serious problems and that a potential multiple-system failure could lead to "total vehicle loss."
Because of its unique tailless flying wing design, the bomber depends on computers to guarantee the stability of its flight surfaces and controls.
It does not matter whether there are only a few or many problems with the airplane's computers. The bottom line is that it is the taxpayers' money that will be spent to fix an already expensive aircraft.
Officials estimate the cost of each bomber at more than $500 million. Some congress-
sional critics even increase the original estimate to $1 billion a plane.
The bomber is not like an expensive camera that can be returned to the store. Our congressional leaders ultimately are responsible for what is produced. If it is not a quality product, then it should be discontinued. Economics dictates the rules.
To justify the cost, many argue that this machine is needed for security reasons. But there are too many other things needed in this country that require money. It is a matter of what results in the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.
For the price of one B-2 bomber, hundreds of thousands of hungry people in the United States could be fed. The homeless could be sheltered. Educational programs for children could be strengthened.
And these investments would never break down.
Jennifer Schultz for the editorial board
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Beware of not-so-true spiels from con men in nice suits
"I can't sit around here very long," said Slats Grobnik. "I got to run out and buy
something.
You're buying something, but you don't know what it is?
"I don't know yet. I got to look around."
What kind of purchase are you making?
Dut why?
Well, that's very patriotic of you. How much are you planning on spending?
"I been listening to those economic guys. And they say that we ain't going to get out of this recession until people start buying stuff again. Then we're not going to hire more people, and we'll be singing that happy days are here again."
'That depends.'
"How much I can borrow."
Wait a minute. You're borrowing money to buy something you haven't even decided on?
"Sure. That's the way to go."
Re: getting into debt?
But they lowered their prime rate by only half a point, and that's the rate that they give to their preferred customers.
"Right. I read where the banks lowered their rates because they want to borrow. See, they want to buy everything. Going too. These bankers are OK guys."
"Well, I figure I got to be a preferred customer."
"Why not? I ain't no deadbeat. I always pay my rent and my bar tab on time. And you can ask Tony the bookie, I never welsed on a bet. I don't own nobody a nickel, and I got a little bundle stashed for my old age or if the old lady throws me out."
You're in for a disappointment. The bank will laugh at you.
Mike Royko Syndicated columnist
'Why? The banks don't laugh at
guys like Donald Trump, and he's already into 'em for hundreds of millions. I figure I got a better credit rating than him, so why won't they give me a good deal?"
Take my advice. Save your money.
Don't borrow.
There are no good interest rates for people such as you or me or most people. The banks are running a scam
"But I thought this was the time to grab the good interest rates."
"Those nice, sincere guys in business suits I see on TV? How can you say that about them?"
I'm sorry,but it's true.
Look, forget about the prime rate. The rates they charge for loans to most people are still too high. They'll really clip you to use their money.
"So you are saying I should just put my money into the bank and save it."
Ah, that's the other part of their scam. If you put your money into their hot hands so they can lend it out for high rates, they will pay you a discount on your loan, or taxes on your interest, you probably won't even keep up with inflation.
Because they are trying to make up.
"That don't seem fair. If they can charge me big juice for their money, how come they don't kick back a little extra to use my money?"
For their past greed and stupidity. Will you give up in business?
"Make up what?"
Those right guys in business suits? How can you talk about them
that way? What did they do that was greedy and stupid?"
You mentioned Donald Trump. There were all sorts of smaller Donald Trumps. For years they all had to do was walk into a bank and say, "I got a sweet deal going, let me get the money." But Donald Trump shoved the money into their hands.
"The banks didn't even call the place where these guys worked to see whether they got a regular paycheck?"
That isn't the way it worked with the high rollers. They would say that they want to put up a 60-story office building. The bankers would say: "Oh, that's wonderful. There are only 10 other 60-story office buildings that I can get half empty, but we have faith in you, so here, take $20 million. No, $30 million. Oh, hell, just sign here and take anything you want."
"I thought bankers were smart."
well. So now they are stuck with all those office buildings and shopping centers and billions in burn loans, and they have to make it up somewhere. And they are trying to get goofs such as you to borrow high while they pay you low, and they can stack up enough profit to be ready the next time they get to feeling greedy and stupid.
"So I shouldn't go out and buy something?"
Not unless you absolutely need it.
Not unless you absolutely need it.
"But how can I do my duty and help revive the economy?"
You can help the glass industry, the label industry, the grain industry, the trucking industry and help alleviate the tax burden.
"Great. How do I do that?"
- Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune.
President's domestic plan fails to hit homeless where they live
Near the expressway entrance ramp stood two figures. The mother, tall, thin and deeply sunburned, stood motionless as cars whizzed by. The child, probably four or five, could not stand still and kept waving at people on the sidewalk. He interlocked with his mother's. In her free hand was a square piece of cardboard that read, "Homeless. Please help."
The mother never flinched. The child kept bobbing up and down, occasionally shielding his eyes from the Texas sun.
Last month, President Bush wisely summed up, "Not all Americans are living the American dream, by a long shot. Many can't even imagine it."
But at the same time, he claims he
Staff columnist
Tiffany Harness
Staff column
not only has a domestic agenda, but that it is in place and working. For whom?
Homeless shelter volunteers disagree, saying, "How did we ever expect to count all the homeless anyway?"
The 1990 census found that there are 1,200 homeless people living in Dallas.
is as high as 4,000 for the metropolitan area.
They say the real number probably
They generally don't approach people. In the afternoon hours they just seem to be looking for a cooler place to spend time.
I'm not sure what that means. Perhaps it means that one day I will view that as an inherent part of U.S. society. Or maybe it means that one day I will take it a bit further and turn my frustrations into anger — at the victim.
Someone told me that eventually I would get used to seeing them.
The higher figure would not be so hard to believe. The homeless dot the freeways, line park benches and gather under city trees.
'I even heard one woman ask why the homeless did not beg in poorer sections of town so they would be closer to the cheaper shops. Concern for the homeless? Or concern for a city's image?'
People do it all the time. I hear
people muttering things such as,
"Why do they hang out downtown?"
Someone else suggested that the reason they bring their children with them is to rally more attention and make people feel sorry for them.
I even heard one woman ask why the homeless did not be in poorer sections of town so they would be closer to the cheaper shops. Concern for the homeless? Or concern for a city's image?
New York has banned the homeless from some parks. Health hazards, they claim. And Miami, worried that the masses of people living under bridges may be exposed to indoor air pollution, area, is trying to devise ways to get rid of them.
Not really get rid of them but get them out of sight.
A reporter found a homeless man in Miami with a black cat. He was not going to jail.
critter would bring him more bad luck. The man just laughed. I don't think he is familiar with the Bush agenda.
I also don't think that the mother-and-son team on the expressway was familiar with the work being done to help our nation.
The little boy just kept waving and waving, jumping up and down. His energy in the 100-degree weather was great, but it seemed separated from my rear view mirror.
But the next day, another mother and child had claimed the spot.
Tiffany Harness is a Hutchinson senior majoring in journalism and African-American studies.
KANSAN STAFF
She is currently an intern at the Dallas Morning News.
JENNIFER SCHULTZ Managing editor
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Editor
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