KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010 / NEWS
CAMPUS
3
Dining Services raises retail prices to cover higher projected operating costs
BY LUYAN WANG lwang@kansan.com
Retail prices at The Market in the Kansas Union, The Underground in Wescoe Hall and The Crimson Café in Burge Union, increased an average of 2 percent on July 1.
The increase was necessary because of anticipated increases in utility and food costs and other operating expenses, said University Dining Services director Nona Golledge. The last time Dining Services increased its prices was two years ago, by about 3 percent.
"Our goal is to provide cuisine
and services at a reasonable cost to our customers while remaining financially sound" Golledge said.
Dining Services was closely monitoring projected food costs for the coming 18 months before it finalized the price increase. Golledge said food costs in the U.S.have increased 3.5 to 5.5 percent during the past four years.
Many of Dining Services' franchise partners, such as Pizza Hut, increased their prices, which resulted in an increase in Dining Services' price. Golledge said Dining Services had researched food prices in the area to ensure it was offering a good
value to customers.
"Our price increases fall below the national food cost average," Golledge said.
Increased state sales tax also caused students to pay more when buying food from Dining Services. The Kansas sales tax increased 1 percent at the
city tax.
Adam Skelton, a KU graduate and Jayhawk Booktext booktext assis-
"If it's reasonable, I think people will still come."
beginning of the month. The new sales-tax rate for Lawrence is 8.85 percent: 6.3 percent state tax, 1.0 percent county tax and 1.55 percent
ADAM SKELTON Customer at The Underground
"If it's reasonable, I think people will still come." Skelton said.
tant, went to The Underground to eat a quick lunch. Skelton said he would still buy his lunch there with a slight increased price because of the options available
Lei Yu, an undergraduate student from China, came to The
Underground to eat her lunch every day last semester. Yu said she loved the Asian food there. Though the price was a little bit higher than she expected last semester, she said she could still accept it. Now, since the most recent price increase, Yu said she would eat in The Underground less frequently.
"I live in Jayhawker Towers now," Yu said, "I can make food by myself."
Golledge said jobs and employee salaries at Dining Services had not been affected by the increased operating costs.
LEGAL
Car dealership not liable in bus accident
Briggs Auto Group was found not liable in the 2006 Cat Tracker fan bus accident that led to the death of 27-year-old John Green.
The double-decker bus transported Kansas State fans to Lawrence for sports games. Green was standing atop the bus on Iowa Street when he struck his head on an overpass and died on November 18,2006.
Green's attorney claimed that Briggs was responsible for coloring the bus from yellow to purple and adding the upper deck before the bus was sold in February 2005.
The defendant claimed the bus was given away as a gift before the upper deck was added and did not take responsibility for the changes made to the bus.
His widow, Samantha Green, sued the dealership for allowing what she thought was an unsafe automobile on the streets.
Briggs was the last remaining defendant in the case. All others settled with the plaintiff out of court.
— Kirsten Kwon
SENATE
WICHITA — U.S. Senate candidates Todd Tiahurt and Jerry Moran have sharpened their attacks on each other ahead of the two Kansas congressmen's final debate before the state's Aug. 3 Republican primary.
Candidates fight for conservative votes
During a televised debate Monday night, Tiahtr responded to the Moran campaign's claim that Tiahtr previously supported amnesty for illegal immigrants by saying Moran himself has backed amnesty. Both attacks are based on the candidates' votes or legislation they've supported; both candidates have said they don't support amnesty.
Tiahrt's campaign has launched a new ad suggesting Moran is soft on terrorism, and Moran is accusing Tiahrt of making false statements. The last of their three debates is Tuesday at a Wichita hotel, sponsored by the local chamber of commerce.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tiahrt also intensified his attack on Moran over votes in 2006 against legislation allowing military tribunals to try suspected terrorists. Tiahrt's new television ad features Gracia Burnham, a Kansas missionary held hostage in the Philippines in 2001 and 2002, criticizing Moran. She was wounded and her husband, Martin Burnham, died in the rescue
effort that freed her.
Tiahirt, whose campaign posts "mythbusters" about Moran on its website, said he's simply raising questions about Moran's record. Tiahirt said after the debate that Moran's record hasn't been examined thoroughly in his relatively easy congressional races.
Tiahrt and Moran are trying to appeal to GOP conservatives and the tea party movement. Tiahrt contends he's the more aggressive conservative, but Moran says Tiahrt is taking some votes on various issues out of context to portray him as inconsistent.
"I know it makes him uncomfortable, but it's the truth," Tiahrt said after the debate. "He can flail all he wants, but we do make sure that we document everything that we bring up."
"It's amazing that you can simply keep repeating a sentence over and over and over in hopes that the Kansas voter believes it," Moran said after Monday night's debate. "I hope that the people who listened to the things that Todd Tiahrt said won't believe them — don't believe them. They should not."
Monday night's debate was broadcast live by KWCH, the CBS affiliate in Wichita.
Tiahrt's claim that Moran supported amnesty for illegal immigrants is based on a vote by Moran in 2003 against a proposal to cut off federal funding to cities that wouldn't allow their law enforcement officials to provide information about immigrants to federal authorities.
Tiahrt argued that by voting against military tribunals in 2006, Moran supported constitutional rights for terrorists. In Tiahrt's latest television ad, Burnham says, "Mr. Moran, there's no excuse for this."
Moran's contention is based on Tiahrt's co-sponsoring of bills in 2002 and 2003 to help some illegal immigrants with college tuition, a position Tiahrt has since repudiated.
Moran said the 2006 legislation wasn't tough enough. His campaign released a statement from retired Lt. Gen. Rich Keller, former commander of U.S. troops in Europe, describing
Tiahrt's criticism as unfounded.
Tiahrt has represented the 4th District in south-central Kansas since 1995, and Moran has held the seat for the 1st District in western and central Kansas since 1997. Two other candidates are on the ballot for the GOP primary: Mound City accountant Tom Little and Overland Park attorney Robert Londerholm, who was Kansas attorney general in 1965-69.
Londerholm didn't participate in the debate, but Little did.
Five Democrats also are running for the Senate seat now held by Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican who's running for governor. Kansas hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
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