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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
OUR OPINION
Your money at work KU to keep interest
In the debacle of the State Legislature's public education funding thus far, a nugget of common sense has finally arrived.
The bill awaits signing by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The House and Senate both passed legislation that would let the University and other Regents schools keep the interest earned on tuition dollars. The money now goes to an all-nurse state fund.
The University could use the estimated $3.3 million to help with building repairs.
At a campus where deferred maintenance projects add up to $168.5 million and the microburst did another $4 million worth of damage, cash from interest would be a welcome resource for repairs.
The bill also has two things going for it that other funding doesn't't. It doesn't cost taxpayers any more money and it doesn't cost students any more money. Taxes don't need to be raised and tuition doesn't have to go up.
Unlike other funding issues, this one makes perfect sense. The interest on tuition comes directly from the universities that attract students to go there. There's no reason why it shouldn't go back to
Issue: Legislation that would let the University keep interest earned on tuition money
PAGE 7A
Stance: This bill provides much-needed money directly back to the University.
Why shouldn't the University be able to collect on the tuition money it gets from attracting students to come here?
those schools.
Also, it's a sizable amount.
The University gets $3.3 million out of the estimated $8.5 million interest from all Regents schools.
But putting that money in the $4.6 billion state general fund makes the money a drop in a very large bucket.
The legislature has been unable to come up with a comprehensive plan to help pay for education.
But now, the state government has written a good bill and gotten it close to being passed. Hopefully, Sebelius will sign it to complete this common-sense trifecta.
- John Jordan for the editorial board
▼ GUEST COMMENTARY
Fees cost too much
I'd like to offer you a tip, from student to student: Whatever you do next Tuesday and Wednesday, don't forget to vote.
Why, you ask? Because for the first time in KU history each and every one of us will have a vote to reduce fees by $46 a person per semester and a percentage in the summer. This translates to two things:
First, $2.9 million in financial relief for students and their families
Second, forced fiscal responsibility from our student leaders.
As you may know, some student politicians have spoken out against this measure, probably because it gives them less of your money to spend. For instance, you may have heard that certain student health fees will be reduced or that the proposed fee cuts will make little difference in the lives of students.
But, what you probably haven't heard is that after the fee cuts Watkins Health Center will still be up and running the only difference being that students will have greater personal choice as to what pharmacy to use. Currently, Watkins has a large reserve account (partially made up of our money), and a new state mandate will ensure that the cost of paying Watkins employees will begin to rise dramatically during the next few years.
All of this will probably result in a rise in prescription prices and overhead, paid primarily out of our pockets. And remember, under the current system, you pay whether you use it or not. This, we believe, is a dangerous situation, trapping students into a situation that limits personal choice and forces the majority of us to pay more than necessary.
know that it is hard for many of us to pay for college and that loans and debt are a common occurrence. So, by setting an example and lowering our own fees, we will encourage the University to follow suit, tighten spending and reduce the burden on students and their families.
Something else you may not hear from opponents of the fee cut is the statistics of the rising cost of college — both fees and tuition. I
Also, the proposed referendum actually increases the amounts allocated to the UDK, Campus TV, Radio, and Safey budgets (things that we feel are a high priority).
By ignoring these facts, we believe that student politicians are being insensitive to our needs as students. Remember, we come here for a good, affordable education, pleasant atmosphere, great sports teams and awesome parties — not to have Student Senate spend our hard earned money on its own pet projects.
This is why I believe on April 11 and 12, students all across campus, despite background, major or year, will sit down at their computers, examine the numbers and make a sound judgement.
Left untouched on the fee cut referendum are services like transportation, child-care, women's sports fees, multi-cultural resource center fees, SUA and union funds. In fact, campus will look much the same after the $100 fee cut referendum is passed, the only difference will be more money in your pocket to spend on bills, books or beer. Despite who you vote for, or even if you don't vote at all, at the bottom of this year's ballot, vote "yes" for lower fees, a more responsible senate and a stronger KU.
Remember: it's our money. And its time to take it back.
Dennis Chanay
Presidential candidate
$100 Fee Cut
BOOKING RHAMMOND TIMES SPIRITTEM
4/06
More information key to ending drug confusion
COMMENTARY
The United States is gradually becoming a country with a rampant drug problem. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration's Web site, the agency's 2005 budget was slightly more than $2 billion, compared to the 1972 budget, which was $65 million. These simple monetary figures show that everything to do with drugs is on the rise.
People use and people abuse drugs. But worst of all, there are many things about the drugs people use that they don't know. Take for instance, salvia — a powerful hallucinogen that is almost as strong as LSD, according to some experts, and is completely legal in all but two states — Missouri and Louisiana. Delaware is contemplating making it illegal. It is gaining in popularity.
Daniel Seibert maintains a Web site, sagewisdom.org, where visitors can learn about salvia. His site not only discusses what the drug is, but how to use it and where to grow it, among other topics. Even though salvia is used to produce hallucinations, Seibert stands by the idea that it should not be abused like other drugs.
According to his site: "Salvia divinorum is an extraordinary visionary herb. It is not a recreational drug. It produces a profoundly introspective state of awareness that is useful for meditation, contemplation and self-reflection."
LIZ STUEWE
opinion@kansan.com
This description makes the drug seem like a completely magical substance that makes you feel happy and from which nothing bad can come. Conflicting evidence proves this may not be the case. The family of a Delaware teenager who committed suicide in late January, blames the drug for the teen's death. He didn't overdose, but was on the drug at the time of his suicide. Obviously, not enough is known about this drug.
Again, salvia is only illegal in two states. It can easily be purchased online by anyone of any age with a credit card.
I don't agree with an outright ban, as of now. What I do suggest is gathering more information.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program educates many school-aged children about
drugs. The drugs studied through D.A.R.E. range from marijuana and tobacco to ecstasy and steroids, but not salvia. If the main purpose of D.A.R.E. is to inform kids about drugs, salvia should be part of the curriculum.
Pamphlets should be made and distributed in clinics and on college campuses. The Wellness Resource Center in Watkins Memorial Health Center has pamphlets explaining many different drugs. Center manager Melissa Smith said she planned to research salvia and find more information about it for students.
People know that some drugs have bad side affects. Salvia may not be the same. I have never used salvia, but I think that it should be completely understood, before it is made illegal.
Another alternative is restricting salvia in the same way that tobacco products and alcohol are restricted. Setting age limits, like 18, would help keep salvia out of the hands of teenagers. Even Seibert's site said that salvia was intended for "responsible adults that are of sound mind and clear intent."
Stueve is a Lawrence sophomore in political science and American Studies.
▼ GUEST COMMENTARY
Fee cut would hurt many resources
The idea of saving the average student $46 a semester is honorable enough on the surface. But a closer look will reveal that the fee cut will have a significant negative impact on students. Your vote for the fee cut is not a vote for fee relief, but a vote against essential aspects of student life.
A no vote for the fee cut is a vote to save student health care. If the fee cut passes, Watkins Health Center will be crippled in its ability to provide students with health care services. The pharmacy would be closed and students would find themselves having to pay a large fee every time they walked through the door.
A no vote for the fee cut is a vote for the environment. The fee cut eliminates the Campus Environmental Improvement Fee, which provides for all recycling around campus. Every blue bin in every building, residence hall and cafeteria would be taken away.
A no vote for the fee cut is a vote to keep the Student Recreation Center open. The center is completely student-funded. The fee cut would force the center to shorten hours and possibly reduce activities and services, such as KU Fit classes, rock climbing, exercise equipment, intramurals and sports groups. It would definitely halt planned expansion.
A no vote for the fee cut is a vote to save important staples that make us unique. The cut would remove funding from Hilltop Child Development Center, care for rape victim survivors, the Multicultural Resource Center, the Douglas County Aids Project and Women's Transitional Care Services. As students, we have shown that these groups are important by funding them. It is
time we defend them.
A no vote for the fee cut is a vote to protect student groups. Groups can come through Student Senate and receive funding for certain aspects of their group. The fee cut would virtually eliminate any ability Senate has to give money to student groups for speakers such as Bill Cosby or even fliers that groups use to advertise their events.
As students, we should unite against this fee cut because it is an attack on student services at the University. It will tarnish the reputation of the University as the premier institution in the state of Kansas. Students should stand together and vote no.
Richard Zayas
Student Body Treasurer
Andrew Payne Finance Committee Chairman
GUEST COMMENTARY
Vote "no" to keep Senate impartial
The Multicultural Education Enhancement referendum will damage the whole of student organizations and their relationship with Student Senate.
This referendum, generated by members of the Multicultural Affairs Committee, asks very little of a student monetarily — only $1.50 a semester to aid events deemed multicultural in nature. What each and every student needs to realize is that this marginal amount could hamper all future funding actions within the Senate.
First, one should realize that this $1.50 is being added to the already existing Student Senate Activity Fee and will not be maintained in a separate account. The fine print of this referendum states that any organization attending a conference dealing with multiculturalism or hosting a multicultural event will be waived from several of Student Senate's rules. The referendum does not state that only the money generated by this fee increase will go to fund these events.
Second, one should fear the nature of fund raising. This referendum will place groups on unequal ground, and promote dishonesty about the nature of events. If passed, a qualitative judgment about events will force Senate to fund groups differently. But what about the hard questions?
Do multicultural groups' social events qualify as events that promote multiculturalism? And what will occur when groups begin to skim the line? When an engineering event claims to be geared only towards women in order to gain more funding, will we witness the birth of hundreds of social clubs with an ethnic attachment?
Soon, Senate will be bogged down with groups like a "Polish Juggling Club" or an "Irish Chess Club" obtaining money that was meant to educate on a broader basis.
If your only concern with programming at this University is multicultural events, then by all means, vote "yes" on this referendum. I believe, however, that we can find a better way to aid multicultural programming.
If you are like myself and believe that the 400-some student organizations should be able to appear in front of Senate on equal footing to receive money for their events that further not only cultural, but social, political and general educational purposes, on April 11 and 12 vote no.
Nolan T. Jones
Pittsburg junior
Freshman/Sophomore
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Senator
Student Senate communications director
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