Film class Theater and film students combine talents for production. See page 6.
SINCE 1889
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1986; VOL. 96, NO. 116 (USPS 650-640)
Chilly Details page 3.
Senate approves sales tax increase
United Press International
TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate approved Gov. John Carlin's proposed 1-cent sales tax increase yesterday on a 24-16 vote.
The bill to raise the tax, which now goes to the House, was approved after two hours and 15 minutes of debate, during which Senate Republican leaders threatened immediate drastic cuts in the state's already tight budget if the tax bill failed.
increasing the sales tax to 4 percent from the current 3 percent had been expected to raise $190 million in fiscal year 1987. Although Carlin proposed the increase as a cornerstone of his budget, lawmakers appeared to have other
uses for the money, having already endorsed $64 million in spending above Carlin's basic budget recommendations.
budget recommendations.
In urging passing of the sales tax bill, Sen. August Bogina Jr., RL Lenexa, said the actual net revenue from the bill would be far less than the $190 million estimated, Bogina, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said it was more likely to raise about $175 million in the first year.
Bogina said the revenue gain would be further decreased to $118 million due to lost revenue from the recent drop in the price of oil, and due to the need to replace federal funds being cut under Gramm-Rudman deficit-reduction legislation.
The Senate's majority Republicans, fearing they would be blamed by voters for raising taxes, let the bill sit on the debate calendar for nearly a month, awaiting assurances that Senate Democrats would support the tax rise. When it came up for action yesterday, both parties were split on the issue.
Republicans voted 15-9 in favor of the proposal. Democrats voted 9-7 in favor.
After the final vote, Senate President Robert Talkington, R. Iola, said he was pleased at the bipartisan support, noting there were three extra votes beyond the 21 needed for Senate passage. Talkington said he was not sure what would happen to the bill in the House, where both parties have been divided over several
possible revenue options;
In Senate floor debate, Talkington and Begina said failure of the bill would mean the House and Senate Ways and Means committees would begin making drastic cuts in appropriations bills, including some that already have passed one house or the other.
Sen James Francisco, D Mulvane, asked Talkington whether that meant senators would not be allowed to consider other types of tax increases, such as a restored booster tax on state income taxes. The Senate president said of various options proposed, none appeared able to raise the amount of money that would be necessary to keep the state afloat through fiscal year 1987, which begins July 1.
Reagan seeks compromise on contra aid
United Press International
WASHINGTON President Reagan, softening slightly in a bid for votes to pass a $100 million aid package for the Nicaraguan rebels, agreed yesterday to delay most military aid to the contras for 90 days to make time for peace talks.
Democrates, led by a stirring warning from House Speaker Thomas O'Neill that the United States risked slipping into another Vietnam quagmire if it followed Reagan's Central American policy, rejected the proposal, which administration supporters touted as a compromise.
See related stories p. 111
White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the delay had been arranged among substantial numbers of House members, enough to win approval in today's showdown vote.
In a letter to Congress, Reagar said, "We are still willing to pursue vigorously a diplomatic effort to achieve a lasting peace. Approval of my request for additional assistance to the Nicaraguan democratic resistance does not mean that a military solution is inevitable.
"It is, however, essential that the Congress act now to approve this assistance if diplomacy is to have a chance."
"I think this will add, solidify, 12 more votes" for the opposition, he said. "It's no big change."
Rep David Bonor, D-Mich, a Democratic vote counter, said he was even more confident of victory because of the conditions Reagan was offering so late in the debate.
Rep. Rod Chandler, R-Wash., first detailed Reagan's new stand. It is a promise of 90 day suspension in the $70 million military aid component if the whole package is approved, and immediate delivery of $30 million in other aid, along with some weaponry, to the beleguarded rebels.
Rep. Dave McCurdy, D-Oklaw, was in a group pressing for a compromise, but he did not accept Reagan's offer to make it in an executive order. He said he would vote against the $100 million request and work for a compromise later.
House Democratic leader Jim Wright of Texas and his deputy, Rep. Thomas Foley of Washington, said no to the plan but offered a compromise of their own at a news conference.
wright said that if the $100 million request is defeated today, the Democratic leadership would allow alternative proposals to aid the contras to be presented in the House by
Two Lawrence police officers lift the body of an undenitified man from a bank on the Kansas River while an employee of Douglas County Ambulance Service looks on. The body was pulled from the river yesterday Sgt. Don Dalquest of the Lawrence police department said that the body appeared to be that of a man in his 30s but that he could provide no other details. Dalquest
David Brandt/Special to the KANSAN
said joggers spotted the body floating close to the bank on the west side of the Kansas River bridges, near Sixth and Massachusetts streets. An autopsy was to be performed late yesterday, he said, and should determine if any foul play was involved.
Concert to aid vets' families canceled
By Monique O'Donnell
Staff writer
A benefit concert which was supposed to draw 60,000 people to Memorial Stadium is off.
Yesterday two members from Students for Vietnam Veterans told the University Events Committee that the concert scheduled for April 27 was canceled. The two members, Craig Krueger, Sioux City, Iowa, senior and Reggie Estell, Overland Park senior, said they had not given up hope and concert could still happen at a later date.
Three weeks past deadline and $20,000 shorter,
the committee decided to cancel the concert
On Jan. 29, the five members of the group went before the committee with letters, statements, proposals and contracts from various agencies and public officials. The group sought permission to use the stadium, and the committee approved.
But the committee stipulated that contracts with the performers be turned in to the committee before March 1.
because it wasn't able to sign any performers
"We went about things the wrong way," Kruegel said. "We should have tried to sign the performers first and then secured the stadium. We did it the other way around."
The five members of Students for Vietnam Veterans are Estell; Krueger; Kevin Gasser, Fairway senior; Mike Webber, Prairie Village senior; and Tim Roller, Lawrence senior.
Members of the group had traveled to the East and West coasts to contact about 30 well-known musicians and convince them to play at the University of Kansas. But Krueger said most of the time the students couldn't get past managers to let the performers know about the concert.
The group was planning the concert as a benefit to establish a scholarship fund for the children of Vietnam veterans who are disabled, missing in action or prisoners of war.
The managers weren't the only stumbling block. Some musicians were booked or didn't like the idea
or having to perform outdoors in April. Others wanted to be paid. Estell said.
"Many performers are benefited out after Farm Aid, Live Aid and all the other stuff," Krueger said.
The $20,000 the group spent for traveling and other expenses came out of its own pocket, Estell said, although the national organization of Paralyzed American Veterans had contributed $2,500 to help with expenses.
"We still think we can get performers," Estell said. "Having the concert at a different time of year will help."
Krugeger and Estell will graduate this semester, but both said they would continue to try to make the concert a reality even if it meant staying in Lawrence over the summer.
"I'm the type of guy that it just makes me try harder when doors get slammed in my face or when people think I can't do it," Krueger said.
Pilfering of utensils costs halls
By Peggy Kramer Staff writer
Staff writer
Some residence hall students may not think twice about borrowing spoons or collecting china from hall cafeterias. But their housekeeping is tarnishing the housing department's budget by almost $25,000 a semester.
Last semester the department lost $24.698 in missing silverware, china and glasses from the eight university residence halls, Leonor Ekdahl, director of food services for student housing, said yesterday.
"That's enough to buy yourself two cars." she said.
That's $6,500 for silverware, $15,000 for china and $3,106 for glasses that could be floating around the various residence halls.
The cost has been constant during the last few years, she said. Some of the dishes, however, find their way back to the cafeterias at the end of the year when students' rooms are cleaned out.
Ken Stoner, director of student housing, said it was hard to determine how many dishes were actually broken or discarded because of age and how many were borrowed indefinitely.
Food is served in the halls 234 days during the academic year and there is bound to be some breakage, he said.
Inventory shrinkage was anticipated when the dishware was ordered, Stoner said, but that didn't mean students were encouraged to help themselves to the extras.
Stoner said the housing department stocked supplies annually in its warehouse at Oliver Hall. Food supervisors request restocking when their halls need it.
Stoner said he didn't think the problem was concentrated at one residence hall. Silverware seems to be the most popular keepsake, he said, and forks rank first, followed by sooons and knives.
Sheryl Kidwell, food supervisor at McColum Hall, said trays and silverware were the items that disappeared from her cafeteria most.
She said she ordered at least four to five boxes of spoons and forks every two weeks. Each box contains 36 pieces of silverware.
"I don't think the students do it to spite anyone." Kidwell said. "It's just more convenient to have the dishware in the rooms."
Stoner said that along with the silverware going upstairs in the halls, some silverware is bent in dishwashes and some accidentally gets thrown away.
Julie Beemer, assistant food supervisor at Eldsworth Hall, said she had to keep breaking out new boxes of silverware, especially spoons and forks. Every month the staff orders three to four boxes of silverware.
"A lot of the problem is the lack of students' awareness on how much the loss is." she said.
rms school year, Ellsworth has a new policy that no food is to be taken out of the cafeteria. Beemer said possibly one reason the dishes disappeared was that the cafeteria no longer supplied plastic silverware and paper plates for the students' who took food back to their rooms.
She said the hall offered soft-serve ice cream and sometimes students
See SILVER, p. 5, col. 6
Photo courtesy of Kansas State Historical Society
This second Eldridge House — the third building at the corner of Seventh and Massachusetts streets — was built in the 1860s after William Quantrill's raid of Lawrence. The building was destroyed and a new hotel built in 1924.
By Jodel Wickham
In October, Jim Hunley, manager of the Kansas Sports Bar and Grill at Seventh and Massachusetts streets, received another phone call for room reservations at the Eldridge House. The hotel had been closed for 15 years.
Special to the Kansan
When Robert Phillips, co-owner of the Eldridge House, heard about the call, and others like it, he decided it was time to change the building back into a hotel.
Phillips and two partners have owned the Eldridge House for four years. Last summer, they began planning to turn it into an office building. But now renovation will begin on July 1 — exactly 16 years after it last operated as a hotel — to change it back into a downtown hotel.
The Sports Bar and Grill is on the first floor of the Eldridge building.
Phillips, who owns two Lawrence real estate companies, Robert W. Roberts and John A. Roberts.
Park Management Company, wants the new hotel to open by Dec. 31. However, he must find $3 million to back the renovation before construction can begin.
On March 4, Phillips was granted a 30-day extension to help him find potential buyers of industrial revenue bonds to finance the renovation.
Ernest Angino, Lawrence city commissioner, said the city had issued a resolution-of-intent and application to the Kansas Department for Economic Development for the IRBs.
Hannes Zacharias, city management analyst, said that Phillips must obtain $2 million for IRBs before the city could issue the bonds.
Private companies can obtain loans at lower interest rates with the city's approval of IRBs. Phillips is responsible for obtaining the remaining $1 million from private investors.
Phillips said he planned to convert the 49 apartments in the building into
48 suites. The Sports Bar and Grill would become the hotel restaurant
Freda Rodgers, 77, has lived at Eldridge House since 1979. She moved in, sight unseen, on advice from a friend.
Philips said about 20 students and 16 other people including senior citizens live in the historic Eldridge House apartments. Most of their leases expire the last week of June.
Another Eldridge House resident, Icle Brune, 86, said the hotel had been a popular place when she was younger.
Phillips said that when renovation began, he would offer to help the
"Sometimes, when you're alone,
you can just feel the history."
Rodgers said. "That's what makes it
so sad to see it change."
"People used to come from Denver, Kansas City and Topeka to have parties here," said Brune, who has lived in an Eldridge apartment for 12 years. "The restaurant was the place in town to meet."
"I'm not too concerned about the students who are living there," Phillips said. "What I am concerned about is the older people who have lived there for a number of years and just love downtown."
residents relocate, but that he thought most of the students who live there would be moving out in the summer anyway.
Brian Doue, a three-year resident of Eldridge House, said he had no remorse about moving out.
"I'm here on a short-term basis anyway," he said. "But what bothers me are the older ladies who live here. They rely on the elevator, and there just aren't elevators in Lawrence apartments."
Kanwaljeet Singh, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, junior, said he would be moving in June.
"They are allowing us to stay until June," he said. "It's not a bad place to stay, but it's a bit far from campus."
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See ELDRIDGE, p. 5, col. 1