Wednesday, March 28, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 5
Letters to the Editor Housing intrudes on schol halls
The department of student housing boasts that residents within the scholarship hall system enjoy a "self-government experience." Recent events, however, indicate the opposite. As the president of a scholarship hall, I have experienced first hand the over-reaching and intrusive arm of housing.
Take for instance the article "Student housing delays decision on new proctor at Watkins Hall" that appeared in the March 16 Kansan. It has been suggested that the delay in proctor selections could be related to the Miller-Watkins lawsuit with the Bank of America. This lawsuit has obviously sparked bitterness between housing and the halls. However, in an effort to make amends (or cover its tracks), housing has certainly turned its financial attention to Miller and Watkins. All of a sudden, these two halls are scheduled to receive air-conditioning and fire-sprinkler systems this summer; a year ago, residents were told the building structure was unable to handle the demands of air conditioning.
If we've learned anything valuable as residents of Miller and Watkins, it is the silliness of bureaucracy and red tape. If it exists in an office such as the department of student housing, it surely exists everywhere else in life. Thanks to housing for preparing us for the real world. Now we are capable of understanding what it takes to stand up and demand fair play.
Sarah Jackson Miller Hall president Abilene junior
Bush's tax plan not regressive
John Audlehelm's column in the March 13 Kansan ("The rich must pay more in taxes to help the poor") provided an incorrect assessment of President Bush's tax plan. A correction of all errors made in the column would be fairly lengthy; therefore, I will focus on only one: the suggestion that President Bush's proposed tax plan consists of a regressive tax.
In Audlehelm's bubble gum example, the wealthy person pays a mere 1 percent (1/100) of total income compared to 10 percent (1/10) paid by the poor person. This is clearly a regressive tax—a tax that taxes low-income people more heavily as a proportion of income.
Currently, the United States income tax is a progressive tax—a tax for which rates increase as income increases. For a person with single filing status, the rates range
Ryan Edwards Erie junior
from 15 percent on a taxable income less than $27,050 to 39.6 percent on a taxable income greater than $297,350. For the same person under President Bush's proposal, rates would range from 10 percent on a taxable income less than $6000 to 33 percent on a taxable income greater than $136,180. (Taxable income is a taxpayer's gross income remaining after deducting all adjustments, exemptions, and deductions. For a single taxpayer claiming one personal exemption, a taxable income of $6000 would correspond to a gross income of no less than $1,200). Similar rate reductions are also included for all tax brackets, as well as for a person with a different filing status. Not only is this proposed plan still a progressive tax, but it also reduces rates for the poor, as well as the rich, a fact that should appeal to most Americans, including Mr. Audlehelm.
Helping rich helps everyone
Before I begin, I would like to say that although I may sound Republican, I am just making observations.
I have never heard Republicans say they favor sales tax; they just prefer less income tax. More than 70 percent of the U.S. economic output is from small business, most of which fall within the higher tax brackets. If we ease their burdens, that should boost the economy. Also, in case you forgot, Bush's plan still taxes the rich the highest. It also drops millions from paying any income taxes, but the liberals here at the Kansan discount (or forget) that.
The article also stated that Reagan's cuts did not work, causing deficits. What caused the deficits was not the tax cuts but increased spending, most of which went to fight Russia in the cold war. Russia was bankrupted because it tried to keep up with our spending. In essence, it was a big poker game in which the stakes were far greater than the deficits. If these liberal journalists look back to see what Reagan did, they would not criticize him—he saved this country from nuclear war! Yes, the result was a huge debt, but one we should be willing to pay if it meant peace.
Now, we are closing in on a bear market. Tax cuts will help more quickly than rate cuts to boost the economy. I applaud Bush for trying to save the economy. Whether his plan has bugs in it right now is a minor detail. The idea is the main goal.
is like saying ballplayers do not play baseball. Common sense tells me that if people have money, they will spend it. If they spend it on services, big deal.
The article also mentioned how the rich won't spend their money. That
They are driving the biggest sector of the economy! Also, why do you not think the rich will not give to charities? They are tax deductions! It is not the best of motives, but it works. If I could find ways to reduce paying 39 percent on taxes, I would do so. That is also common sense.
Russell Warren Lawrence junior
Christianity can close minds
Sheri Martin's column provoked adamant rebuttal. The writers were obviously more concerned with making their point than making any sense thereof.
Being a "born-and-raised Christian" does not mean she is one now any more than saying I was born and raised in Leavenworth means I am there now.
Not that it matters because attacking her faith does nothing to refute her argument. Further, to imply that she considers kindness and unselfish love to be outdated values is to assume that they are exclusively Christian. For two millennia, Christian theologians struggled to interpret and reinterpret doctrines to ever-changing values. There are now so many interpretations, dogma can probably be twisted to support anything. The only way to make sense of the religion is to trace it to its roots. In them, God was a male deity. People talk of Virgin Mary without mentioning males' virginities. It is a sexist system, the product of a sexist society. (Yes, I am a male saving this.)
Faith is not a bad thing, but it should not be used as an excuse for a closed mind. Perhaps if people listened to what Martin had to say, their attacks on her would not be so empty.
Samuel L. Lane Leavenworth sophomore
Greed drives athletics cuts
It is apparent that athletics director Bob Frederick's announcement to eliminate the men's tennis and swimming and diving programs follows an alarming pattern in men's athletics, primarily among smaller universities that cannot respond to Title IX with increased spending for women's programs. But as managers of a major state university and shapers of tomorrow's citizens, athletics directors have a higher calling. They carry, in addition to their administrative duties, the responsibility of serving the citizens of their
state with options not available else where. And the decision to eliminate these programs may be extremely short-sighted.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the greed associated with professional football, basketball, and baseball is beginning to drive people away from these sports — as if ticket prices alone would not accomplish this. But TV viewing is dropping at a time when these sports are demanding public-supported arenas to facilitate the outlandish salaries and lifestyles of what were at one time heros and role models. The backlash is only a matter of time. As a public servant, Frederick bears the responsibility of finding a way to support the minor sports now, so that he can, at the very least, demonstrate to his constituants that his support of athletics is universal and aimed at contributing graduates to society who are not simply performing to enhance their pocketbooks.
He also owes it to graduating high schoolers to demonstrate that opportunities beyond the traditional sports do exist and are worthy goals for these young people. I think he devalues or has not considered the work ethics involved in non-hero-worship sports.
These minor sports, or cult sports, require an inner strength and focus that these young people will take into the world as responsible graduates and adults. They are not recipients of the kind of adulation given to the "major" money-making sports. As a result, they face no illusions about who they are and become realistic, responsible citizens—and ultimate team players in our society. And at a time when so many sports stars seem to think that they are owed a right of passage because of heroes on the athletics field.
It is true that TITLE IX has created a backlash for men's athletics that was not intended in the name of equality. And it is true that the minor sports do depend on the money-generating capability of the major sports.
But it is also true that the goal of a public institution is to provide equal opportunity for as many students as feasible and mold responsible adults to send into the world. I believe that your goal is to take the high ground and establish objectives that will support these ideals, then use creativity to find a way to achieve them. To simply cave in to the numbers is a weak case. Not everyone can be a football, basketball or baseball player. And many don't want to be.
Roger Binkley Austin, Texas, resident
With state government failing to adequately fund higher education, the University of Kansas should look to its own Athletics Department for ways to overcome budget woes.
Athletics offers budget advice
First, eliminate nonrevenue-producing majors, such as education and social welfare. Most of these alumni will never earn enough money to make significant donations or leave hefty endowments to KU.
Second, class space should be allocated to the highest bidders. Need a class to graduate on time? It'll cost you. This approach could also be used for admittance to degree programs. Wealthy parents could make hefty donations to get their kids into competitive or highly regarded degrees such as business, law and medicine. Unfortunately, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds would be relegated to the "cheap seats" (English, journalism, fine arts, etc).
Finally, the University should sell advertising space on chalkboards and above building and classroom doors.
Granted, these measures might alienate many people who have enthusiastically supported KU for decades, but that's the cost of busine
David Day
KU alumnus
Lawrence resident
... uh ... education.
Teams will fight for existence
I am writing this letter in support of saving the University of Kansas men's swimming and diving team and the men's tennis team. The $600,000 that cutting these programs saves does not seem like a huge amount of money to cut from the athletics budget. Surely there are other ways to do this instead of cutting two programs entirely.
It seems to me that simple across the board cuts to the entire Athletics Department (including administrative cuts as well as cuts to all the athletics programs) would solve the problem. I cannot believe that cutting these two programs was the only solution available. I agree with my son; it seems as though someone took the easy way out. Perhaps it was thought that these kids would just take the news and quietly go away. Well, think again — they are fighting for what they know is right! I am behind them 100 percent and will keep fighting with them until a solution is found and these programs are reinstated.
Rose Howard Southbury, Conn., resident
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