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Wrdnesday, January 21, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
The University of Kansas is gambling, and it looks like it should win.
Last week, the University opened more than 100 classes that previously had been closed because of proposed budget cuts. These classes were opened before the Kansas Legislature formally released the $953,418 in fees that Gov. Mike Hayden had promised the University.
Del Brinkman, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the University would be in serious trouble if the fees were not released because it couldn't pay for the 106 classes that had been opened.
Why shouldn't the University gamble on getting the fees?
After all, it is the University's money, and if it waited for the fees to be released, it would be too late to add the classes this semester.
Despite the budget cuts, the state must continue to improve the quality of education and not remain at the status quo during the budget crunch.
Hayden had said that the 3.8 percent cut would be reinstated in 1988. However, if the state doesn't continue to improve the quality of education, it will take a lot of money to bring the University back to the standards it now enjoys.
The University is gambling, but it is thinking of the students. The Legislature should do the same.
A contradiction in actions
Actions speak louder than words.
This is a familiar cliche, but one that never loses its timeliness. In this instance, it applies to the Student Senate.
The Senate took two field trips recently. One was to the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park for a Senate orientation retreat. The other was yesterday to Topeka to lobby state legislators for a release of student fees because of a higher-than-expected enrollment.
It is nice to see the Student Senate so concerned about the welfare of the students. Their valiant effort to get the release of the fees almost makes one forget about the $1,700 the group invested in the retreat to "get to know each other."
When the University is facing difficult financial times, it is hard to comprehend why the Senate wastes its money this way.
While the money used was allocated specifically to Student Senate, the group could have put it to much better use. Senate members said the retreat was to get to know each other and to learn about the Student Senate.
Well, the Senate has three-hour-plus meetings every other week. The senators also are required to serve an office hour once a week — the primary purpose being to get to know the senators and as much about Senate as possible. The best way to get to know people is to spend time with them. These opportunities provide just that and are a much more inexpensive way for senators to attain their retreat goal.
If the Student Senate is so concerned about the students and the budget cuts, it would be much more convincing if it eliminated the luxuries from its own budget first.
Paying the budget price
Last week, state lawmakers once again showed that they are more concerned with making symbolic budget cuts than finding fair and rational solutions to Kansas' financial troubles.
The Kansas House approved an amendment to Gov. Mike Hayden's emergency $60 million budget cutback bill that would cut the salaries of Chancellor Gene A. Budig, the director of the state Board of Regents and the presidents of the other Regents institutions by 3.8 percent. State Rep. David Miller, R-Eudora, sponsor of the amendment, said he didn't think it was fair for such high profile employees to receive their full salaries while cutbacks affected other state officers and agencies.
Correction
What isn't fair is that Budig and the other officials have been singled out to receive the cutbacks. Yes, the cuts will save the state some money, but what have they solved? The amendment offers no solution to the problems that put the state in financial trouble, but makes a symbolic sacrifice — with someone else's paycheck.
An editorial that appeared in Monday's paper incorrectly stated that only scholarship money used for tuition would
Budig said he accepted the cut and was relieved that no other salary cuts were proposed.
Careful budget management is needed if the state is to avoid a large deficit. If the cut were part of a comprehensive plan to put the state back in the black, it would be understandable. But as it stands, it is a hollow gesture at Budig's expense.
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Opinions
Student Senate takes a vacation
Those wacky student senators'
This past weekend marked the second season of Overland Park retreat and, from all accounts, it was a blowout.
Those wacky student senators!
The senators shopping around, cut corners, and decided to spend $1,700 to acquaint themselves with Senate
John Benner Columnist
"We're just like one big happy family here. We've spent weeks getting the place ready.
rules and listen to speakers while subjecting themselves to the comfort of the Twintree Hotel.
The Twintree is a wonderful place to relax and forget about the cares of daily routine — budget cuts and all that.
"Two years ago when the Senate held its meeting at the Union ballroom for about $50; we thought we'd never get them to come here."
The manager of the hotel, Harry Hawkfleecer, said he was delighted that the Senate chose to spend the weekend with him.
Silly Gilligan, student body vice president, said that by having the retreat at the Twintree, more senators would attend.
"I know that one senator skidded off the road in the snow on the way to Overland Park, but he could just as easily walk across the sidewalk on the way to the Union.
"You know how much that smarts," he pointed out.
Brady Bunch, student body president and avid Yogi Berra fan, said. The retreat is the only thing your school gets for being student senators.
"I can't tell you how excited I was to see that almost two-thirds of them managed to get here.
"We knew that the senators were
mainly interested in the social aspect of being a Senate member, so we decided to lure them here with the offer of a Sunday brunch.
If you're going to do a brunch at
you may as well do it right.
Bump!
Gilligan said that having the retreat off campus was the best way for the senators to get acquainted without having to put up with petty annoyances — like having fellow students around.
He said it was unfair for students to criticize the $1,700 bill for the retreat.
"It's our money, and we can spit it any way we want. Sure, it's true we allocated it to ourselves, but we'll suffer if we don't spend it prudently.
"We can offer them excellent service while they stay here. Why just this morning we took up a room service breakfast to Martie Gras, co-director of Associated Students Spending.
"Do you have any idea what next year's retreat in the Bahamas is to cost?" Gilligan asked. "We're going to have to pinch pennies."
"I believe she had the flip-flop flapjacks. My wife made them herself and they're her special." Hawkfeecer said proudly.
Hawkfleecer said he hoped that more University groups would use his hotel for their functions.
"We're looking forward to hosting functions for some of the other campus organizations. Perhaps the Biochemistry Club, the Minority Business Student Council or the Commission on the Status of Women could plan a weekend retreat here."
When informed of the annual amount allocated by the Senate to each of these groups, Hawkfleecer's face fell.
"Well, I guess we won't be seeing them here," he said. "I suppose they could meet at Hardees. I hear that the one on the turnip has a nice little retreat room."
THE END
Flowers replace Ty-D-Bol man
Mike Royko is on vacation. While he is gone, we are reprinting some of his favorite columns. The following column first appeared on March 2, 1984.
It had to do with a spectacular weekend of fancy balls, black-tie
A fascinating tidbit about Washing-
ton's high society caught my eye the
other day.
Columnist
In the midst of this suffering, there were all these Republican ladies
Mike Royko
dinners, parties and a fashion ban luncheon that was attended by the Reagans, top people in government and hundreds of wealthy industrialists, tycoons and movie stars. Sort of a Republican rainbow coalition.
They paid $5,000 a person to attend all the events, less if they wanted to be choisy. But it went to a worthy cause — the Princess Grace Foundation, which will provide arts scholarships.
Actually, this is routine recreation for rich Washington Republicans. They don't go in much for Saturday night bingo.
But one fact struct me as unusual. It was tucked down in a story in the Wizard of Oz.
When the ladies came in and used the toilet bowls and flushed them, a maid (presumably a Democrat) scattered more carnations in the bowl.
Naturally, this item set my social conscience to quivering with thoughts of poverty, the jobless, the less-attractive and cutbacks in social programs.
It said that at the fashion-luncheon, carnations were sprinkled in the toilet bowls in the ladies' room.
having flowers scattered, not at their feet as is traditional, but at their. well, you know.
So I decided to track down the full story and find out why they put carnations in the toilets, I mean, I entertain, too, and I've always thought that Ty-D-Bol, that blue stuff, was pretty classy. And much cheaper. Carnations go for a buck each. And with that many people at the luncheon, if they had weak kidneys, it could deplete an entire floral nursery.
Well, it turns out that things are not always as they appear.
A call to the Princess Grace Foundation brought a response from a spokeswoman who was almost trembling with indignation.
She said, "Neither the foundation nor the White House had anything to do with the carnations being put in the toilet bowls."
"No. It was the hotel's idea. They thought it was a gracious thing to do But the Washington Post did not mention that, Oh. I could kill the reporter who wrote about the carnations. But that's off the record, of course."
Then who did it? A volunteer?
Of course. By the way, have you any idea how many carnations were invented?
"How would I know that? You'll have to ask the hotel."
The manager of the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, where the luncheon was held, was also oozing indignation.
When he was asked about the flowers, he said:
"You mean my overkill?
for the Washington Post call me the reporter
for the Washington Post call me the reporter
"They were also inaccurate. They said we put chopped cinnations in the meat."
We used only the petals. We pulled the petals off and dropped them in.
Good grief, that really is irresponsible journalism. But what was the idea in the first place? What's wrong with Ty-D-Bol?
"It is not new. It is a practice we have used for VIPs long before this. We have been doing this for four years. We did it for a reception for the mayor of Washington and for many others."
He was also miffed that the Post mentioned that the hotel answered their phones by saying "bonjour" and "bonsoir."
"This hotel has been here for 14 years, and we always answered the phones by saying bonjour before 5 p.m. and bonsoir after 5 p.m."
Of course, Who doesn't t'? But to get back flowers. How many carnations can you find?
"Oh, I doubt if we used any more than a dozen for that event."
The luncheon lasted three hours, so the Republican ladies must have the bible on hand.
"By the way," he added, "we normally use roses. But carnations were Princess Grace's favorite, so we used them instead."
So that's the story. Flowers in toilet bowls are definitely not a regular part of gracious living among Washington Republicans.
If you are going to sprinkle carnations petals in the ladies' toilet, in the spirit of fairness and equality, don't put something put in the men's urinals?
The trouble is, I can't think of anything appropriate for a man's
Well, manybe there is something For all those rich Republicans, how about a five-dollar cigar?
Mailbox Safety concern
Concerning Ben Hall's article "Irradiation cooks up debate." I am appalled by the statements made by Edward Shaw, professor of physiology and cell biology, when he said, "... irradiation was a relatively safe way to preserve food."
It is obvious that he was put on the spot and has absolutely no information about food irradiation. If he does have information about food irradiation, he probably obtained it from the Department of Energy's Civilian byproducts Utilization Program which has set up funds to promote food irradiation and will start a pro-irradiation campaign to fool the public into thinking irradiation is safe and harmless.
Shaw's comments need to be correct concerning his statements
*irradiation* was not likely to cause dangerous toxins in food and that it is important that food studies done on food irradiation has shown any detrimental effects."
As early as October 1968, the FDA rescinded authorization to irradiate pork and in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A Cornell University study found that eating irradiated sugar produced the same genetic changes as exposure to radiation and there still has not been a long term study done on food irradiation.
That Kansan writer Hall suggests I am "working to increase opposition to irradiation and irradiated products" misses the point. I am simply educating the public about the facts of food irradiation. Let the public decide if they want to eat irradiated food.
Joset Scales Lawrence Representative National Coalition to Stop Food Irradiation
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed