THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1989
(USPS 650-640)
VOL.99,NO.113
Supreme Court upholds federal drug testing
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court, establishing guidelines to test for drug and alcohol abuse in the U.S. workplace, approved yesterday mandatory tests for some workers entrusted with public safety or in sensitive government jobs.
The justices, voting 7-2, uphold federal regulations forcing railroad workers involved in accidents to undergo blood and urine tests by a separate 5-4 Service could order urine tests for employees seeking drug-enforcement jobs or positions that
required carrying firearms.
The court ordered further lower court hearings to determine whether the Customs Service rules also should apply to workers with access to classified information.
Although the two cases do not deal with random drug testing, the court gave government officials and regulators broad powers to require tests for workers in sensitive jobs.
Bush administration officials hailed the rulings Union officials who had challenged the mandatory tests said they were displeased. They stressed hope that the impact would be limited.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the court in both cases, said such tests did not violate workers' privacy rights even though they could be conducted without a court warrant or a suspicion that an individual was using drugs or alcohol.
In the railway workers case, Kennedy said, "The government interest in testing without a showing of individual suspicion is compelling. Employees subject to the tests discharge duties fraught with such risks of injury to others that even a momentary lapse of attention can have disastrous consequences."
In the companion case, Kennedy said that waging a war on drugs demanded that Customs workers in key jobs be fit and immune to bribes or blackmail.
"The Customs Service is our nation's first line of defense against one of the greatest problems affecting the health and welfare of our population," he said. "The government has a compelling interest in ensuring that front-line interdiction personnel are physically fit and have unimpeachable integrity and judgment."
Justice Thurgood Marshall, in a dissenting opinion in the railway workers case, said the
court was bowing to momentary public pressure.
"The majority's acceptance of dragnet blood and urine testing ensures that the first, and worst, casuality of the war on drugs will be the precious liberties of our citizens." he said.
In the railway case, the Federal Railroad Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation issued regulations in 1985 aimed at alleviating what it said was "a significant safety problem" caused by alcohol and drug use among rail employees.
Alternative adventure fills students' vacations Group helps poor in Mexico Kentucky
Group helps poor in Mexico, Kentucky
by Kris M. Bergquist Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Brigid Healey painted a house, hauled trash, scrubbed walls, put gravel in a driveway and cleaned a farmhouse during her Spring Break
She said she loved it and wished that she were still there.
"Everyone is talking about their Padre trips, and everyone wants to hear about that." Healey said "But people are talking about the hear about people living in buses."
Healey, Omaha Junior, went to Kentucky with 29 other KU students for Spring Break Alternative, sponsored by the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, 1631 Crescent Road. Students also went to Saltillo, Mexico.
The theme of the trip was to put yourself second, Healey said. No watches or radiation were allowed so they could be accessed and work on interacting with others.
The center has sponsored the Spring Break trips for four years. Students travel to impoverished communities and help distribute food, talk to people, paint houses and do other clean-up work.
One group in Kentucky could take showers during their six-day
stay because there wasn't enough water. It helped the students understand what living conditions in the area were like. Healey said.
"I'm so much more aware of things." Healey said. "I'll never take another shower for granted again. Maybe it we'll wear off, but I hop not."
The Rev. Vince Krische, director of the center, said students signed up in November to go on the trips. Last year, people had to be turned away because there was not enough room in the vans. The center rented the vans, and the students paid for the gas and their food.
This was the first year a trip to Mexico was included in the program, Krische said.
In Salitlo, the six students and Krische stayed at a Catholic mission, and the group went to villages and gave away beans and other food, clothing and trinkets, as such KU baseball cars, toys and makeup.
"We like to provide students with an opportunity to meet people who are poor," Krische said. "They are now making decisions, and when they get a chance to dimension to life, they better able to make choices for themselves."
See STUDENTS,p. 6, col. 4
Spring pruning
Bill Medlen, equipment operator for facilities operations, cuts down water sprouts, or limbs that a tree has grown because of a lack of moisture. The sprouts use large amounts of water, thus robbing the
tree of necessary nutrients and eventually causing damage if not removed. Last summer's drought is affecting tree growth this spring. Medlen was working yesterday behind Murphy Hall.
Education top priority, poll shows
by Stan Diel
Kansan staff writer
Fifty-eight percent of Kansans believe education should be the first priority for state funds, according to a KU poll released this month.
Steven Maynard-Moody, policy analyst director for the Institute for Public Policy and Business Research, which conducted the poll, said findings showed the importance that state's residents placed on education.
"Education is one of the services that extends across the state," Mayan-Moordy said. "Everyone uses it. Our mission is to value Kansas on education.
The institute polled 465 Kansans statewide from Feb. 15 to Feb. 22.
Of those polled, 20 percent said highway spending was most important, and 14 percent thought spending on programs should have top priority.
The poll also found that 80 percent of those surveyed favored full financing of the Margin of Excellence
Kansans prefer education
Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed by the University said education should be the state's top spending priority.
Brian Baresch/Kansan
program. However, 10 percent said they would change their minds if financing the Margin would mean an increased cost to taxnaires.
The Margin is the Board of Regents three-year plan to bring the total
financing of its seven institutions to 95 percent of their peer schools and to bring faculty salaries to 100 percent of their peers.
Half of those responding supported including Washburn University in the Regents system. One-third of those polled would support the proposal if it reduced financing for other colleges. The cell also found that:
90 percent were dissatisfied with Kansas highways, but only 1½ would support financing an expansion of the system. Two-thirds supported increased maintenance of the current system.
59 percent favored placing an assessment on agricultural chemicals to clean up the state's water supply.
devoted to natural resources.
71 percent favored using money from landfill fees to finance a water clean-up effort.
80 percent said the state's economy was improving or stable.
66 percent favored a sales tax voted to natural resources.
Official critical of the credit transferred from high school
by Candy Niemann Kansan staff writer
Some community colleges and universities are abusing their right to grant college credit for high school work, a KU administrator said yes.
Haskell Springer, director of freshman and sophomore English, said some transfer students were admiti- tions. The college grants with credits granted by other colleges.
Some of those credits for high school work would not have been granted by KU, but often there is no way of checking the credit's validity.
Springer said that Kansas teachers and school board members had complained to him about some colleges' policies regarding the acceptance of high school courses for college credit
"They pointed out that certain colleges give credit for high school
work taught by high school teachers," he said. "The basic issue, then, is what is the difference between secondary and higher education?
Springer said he knew of a case in which a high school student paid a college to get credit without the high school principal being aware of the
In other cases, he said, the content of the high school courses was not being monitored properly.
The issue has raised enough concern that University Council passed a resolution at its March 9 meeting requesting that a Board of Regents policy on accepting college credit for high school work be developed.
The resolution asked that Del Brinkman, vice chancellor for academic affairs, the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee and the Council of Chief Academic Officers develop the policy.
Norma Henley, credentials evaluator for the office of admissions, said KU gave credit for high school work through advanced placement examinations and departmental examinations.
The University also accepts academic courses from other universities, and if another college grants credit for high school work and that student transfers to KU, the credit also transfers here, she said.
Henley said some transcripts did not list whether a course was taken in high school, making it impossible for KU to check on the courses or to know how many students were affected
Springer said English and mathematics were the primary areas affected.
"The attitude seems to be, 'get it"
Economic growth is slow but sure
See COUNCIL, p. 6, col. 1
This is the first in a series of four articles about the economic condition of Lawrence. Today's article will be an overview of the general economic condition of the city.
by Steven Wolcott Kansan staff writer
If slow and steady wins the race,
leverage it over a bet in Kansas'
economy growth contests.
"I think we're pretty stable economically," said Price Banks, city planning director. "In the past 10 years we've had a slow, healthy growth rate. Some folks will tell you the growth has been explosive, but it really hasn't been."
Bill Martin, director of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, said growth had occurred in virtually all economic sectors.
"The current condition of the economy is exceptional." Martin said. "Certainly better than the economies of southeast Kansas or western Kansas."
The Economic Climate of Lawrence
According to Plan 95, the ultimate goal of the Lawrence economy is to create a convenient and inviting living environment through managed, quality growth.
Plan 95 is the planning guide developed
in 1977 by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission to guide Lawrence Department officials.
"We want controlled growth and we want quality growth." Martin said. "We want companies that pay good wages and provide steady, sound growth."
"A lot of people tend to think of Lawrence as a boontown; it's really not," Martin said. "Now if you want to see a park, go over to Overland Park or Lennexa."
That steady growth goes against popular notions about the Lawrence economy.
"ILawrence has never experienced that type of growth, which is very untypical for me."
Martin said boomtowns created problems Lawrence did not necessarily want. Gary Toebee, president of the chamber, said there were some exciting things happening in Lawrence economically.
"The economy is very healthy," Toeben said. "Retail sales were up about 6 percent for the year (1988), employment increased by 5 percent, and the major indicators were very positive."
"I think what we've seen is a continued expansion of the tax base that allows us to maintain the quality public services that we have grown accustomed to. Good schools, good police and fire protection, good streets and parks and all that stuff."
Mike Vieux, president of Downtown Lawrence. A Kansas Corporation, also viewed the Lawrence economy as being in good shape.
Downtown Lawrence is a non-profit corporation that works to advance the economic welfare of the city's designated central business district, or downtown.
"I see Lawrence as being pretty healthy." Visue said. "I do a fair amount of my business in the Johnson County store." He likes them like they do, but we don't bust either."
See CITY, p. 6, col. 1
Israelis should negotiate with Palestinian Arabs, Baker says
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State James A. Baker III yesterday ruled out U.S. support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and urged the Palestine Liberation Organization not to block Palestinian Arabs from negotiating a settlement with Israel.
The Associated Press
"It is the policy of the United States that we do not support an independent Palestinian state," Baker told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in opposing a principal goal of the
Still, Baker acknowledged such efforts "have not met with success, regrettably." He also said the situation on the West Bank and in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians are in rebellion against Israeli control, "has, in fact, deteriorated."
While Baker did not rule out encouraging Israel to negotiate with the PLO, he said having Israel deal with Palestinians on the occasion of war in Gaza "would be the preferred approach."
Baker was questioned by Reps. Lawrence Smith, D-Fla.; Benjamin Gilman, R-N-Y; and Howard Berman, D-Calf; about his testimony to a House subcommittee last week
Baker, clarifying his stand on Israel dealing with the PLO, told the committee yesterday that the United States had not decided that the two sides must talk. But, he said, it would be a "major mistake" for the Bush administration to "categorically, absolutely, totally rule out any dialogue that might lead us towards peace. That happens to be my view."
that "meaningful" negotiations might require Israel to talk to the PLO.
That statement drew praise from George Moses, president of the National Association of Arab Americans, at a news conference. Moses said he welcomed recent moves by Baker and credited the secretary of state with "a firm grasp of the obvious."
His predecessor, George Shultz, tried on trips to the Middle East last year to meet with Palestinian Arabs not especially identified with the PLO. They coveted the sessions.
Shultz subsequently recommended the 13-year ban on a U.S. dialogue with the PLO be ended after PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat made public statements renouncing terrorism
"One way to do that is not to stand in the way of Palestinians in the occupied territories engaging in a dialogue with Israel," Baker said.