8A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY HARLY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2007
POLITICS
Speech sends message of values
BY TYLER HARBERT
As an 18-year-old undergraduate at Ohio State University in 1970, John R. Kasich was invited to spend five minutes alone with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office. The meeting lasted almost 20 minutes, and Kasich said he didn't get that much time alone with a president during his 18 years serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Additional restrictions apply. Limited time offer.
New activation required. Rate plan offer requires minimum
1-year agreement. Taxes and fees not included.
"Don't ever let anybody deny you anything," Kasich said.
Kasich, a former Congressman and a best-selling author and businessman, talked for an hour Tuesday night at the Lied Center about the need for America to regain its values.
The two-time best selling author of "Stand for Something," the Battle for America's Soul," and "Courage is Contagious" gave credit to God and to his parents.
"My mother and father gave me a value system that served me throughout my life," he said.
He said he hoped students would embrace his same values such as honesty, integrity and personal responsibility.
He also said the greatest challenge the U.S. faces was holding onto its values and not shedding them, "if the going gets tough."
Kasich said the country needed to focus less on outside threats like al-Qaida and worry more about internal issues.
One of the biggest internal threats, he said, was the corruption of youth through popular culture, music, sports and the actions of celebrities
such as Britney Spears .
He said drugs and violence could have a trickle-down effect on children who imitate celebrities.
But he said there have been other well-known people who used their celebrity to spread positive messages, like Bono, the Rev, Billy Graham and Pat Tillman, who Kasich said believed in "standing up and doing what's right".
"So who do you want to hang with, Britney or Bono?" Kasil asked.
Marina Sulastri, Jember,
Indonesia, senior, said her favorite
part of Kasich's lecture was when
he advised young people to choose
their celebrity influences wisely.
"They should like a person based on their values." Sulasri said.
Keane Crowder, Lawrence senior,
said Kasich was a nice change from
typical politicians and their rhetoric.
Kasich is currently a Wall Street investment banker.
Kansan staff writer Tyler Harbert can be contacted at tharbert@ kansan.com.
Edited by James Pinick
Jon Goering/KANSAN
John R. Kasich delivers a speech Tuesday night at the Lied Center. Kasich served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The former Congressman is also a best-selling author and businessman.
CITY COMMISSION
New mayor lays out initiatives
BY MATTERICKSON
Sales tax increase, job creation, and improved transportation — Sue Hack, newly elected mayor, named these as some of her priorities as she began her one-year term Tuesday night.
In the address she gave upon becoming mayor, Hack also proposed a 1-cent sales tax increase that would help fund a new public library, new recreational facilities, infrastructure improvements and economic development.
New mayor Sue Hack began her one-year term as Lawrence Mayor on Tuesday. Hack served as mayor from 2002-2003 and said she feels more in control for her 2007 term.
Marla Keown/KANSAN
Hack said she preferred a sales tax increase to a property tax increase because it would allow the city to tax people who spend money in Lawrence but live elsewhere. However, she said she understood the controversy surrounding any tax increase.
"Commissioners do not get elected by promising to raise taxes," she said.
A sales tax increase would be subject to a public vote.
Hack, a retired teacher who now works part-time for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, also said that Lawrence needed to change its image so businesses might view the city as more development-friendly.
She said the city needs to look at ways to improve traffic in the area near 15th and lowa streets, where she said many people tend to drive through residential neighborhoods on their way to campus.
Hack said the Lawrence City Commission would also soon tackle the issues of a domestic partner registry, expanded rental registration and downtown safety.
State Attorney General Paul Morrison told the city last week that a domestic partner registry, which would allow same-sex couples to document their relationships with the city, would not violate the state constitution.
She said the expanding of rental registration, which would require all rental property in the city to obtain a license and submit to periodic safety inspections, would require more
study, but it might be necessary.
"I want to make sure that we use all the tools we have available before we put on another layer of regulations on rental properties," she said.
The commission chose Hack as mayor in accordance with tradition. Because Hack received the second-most votes in the 2005 commission election, she became mayor two years later after serving one year as vice mayor.
The commission chose newly elected commissioner Mike Dever as the new vice mayor because he was the top vote getter in last week's election. If the commission continues to follow tradition, Dever will become mayor in 2008.
The mayor of Lawrence leads city commission meetings, helps set the commission's agenda, appoints members to various advisory boards and interacts with the public in different wavs.
Commissioner Mike Amyx handed over his mayor's gavel to Hack Tuesday night after serving as mayor for a year. He said the position required a great deal of tireless work and cooperation with many different people.
"It's as full-time-plus as any job you could ever imagine," Amyx said.
Hack served as mayor once before, from 2002-2003. She said the job overwhelmed her at first.
"I've laughed with my friends that I just wanted to hit myself with the gavel my first year," she said, "but now I feel a little bit more in control of the job."
Kansan staff writer Matt Erickson can be contacted at merickson@ kansan.com.
Edited by Stacey Couch
Johnson County Clin-Trials FLU VACCINE STUDY
Johnson County Clin-Trials is currently looking for healthy volunteers ages 18-40 to participate in a clinical research study involving an outpatient investigational flu vaccine
Qualified participants will receive
- Study-related medical exams
- Study-related laboratory assessments
- Compensation up to $700 for time and travel
If you are interested or would like more information, please contact us at Johnson County Clin-Trials (913) 825-4400 www.jcct.com
---