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Monday, April 4, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Comment
Opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Kansas or the School of Journalism
Vote 'no' on change
Proponents call it a plan to increase the voice of the people in Lawrence city government. Opponents say it would reduce the cost of the city government while increasing its cost.
Proponents say it would bring decisions out of the offices of professional planners and into full view. Opponents say it would be more important to the government to answer the city's needs.
"IT'T IS A proposal on Tuesday's city election ballot to change the Lawrence government form from manager-compromission to mayor-council. In many ways, the proposal is a more basic and more serious issue than the election of city commissioners.
Lawrence now has five city commissioners elected at-large throughout the city. One of the commissioners acts as mayor, and the office rotates every year. The commissioners hire a full-time secretary. Commissioners earn a nominal $100 yearly salary for their work; the city manager receives a salary in the $30,000 range.
THE PROPOSAL TO change the government would eliminate the city commissioners and city manager and replace them with an eight-member city council and a mayor. Council members would be elected from four wards for two-year terms; the mayor would be elected at large for two years; the mayor would be either full or part-time; their wages would be determined later if the plan was approved.
Voters are considering the proposal because of the efforts of a coalition of young people who gathered more than 3,000 votes on a petition calling for the ballot question.
Many of the people who made the petition drive successful were involved in recent neighborhood organizing efforts in older areas of the city. It seems that the push to change Lawrence's government form is an outrowth of the neighborhood organizing.
PROPONENTS THINK that a mayor-council government—in which the mayor is elected at-large but council members are elected by the wards in which they live—would be more responsive than the present form.
The choice is between professionalism in Lawrence's city government and a faint hope that a change might produce a more responsive government. Voters should think about the efficiency and efficiency and vote "no" on the city government change question.
Lawrence is simply too big to expect a part-time mayor to run its business. It is also too small to attract a qualified person every two years to become a full-time mayor.
ONLY FOUR KANSAS cities with
populations of more than 10,000 have a mayor-council government. Of the four, the largest—Prairie Village—is barely the size of Lawrence. That should give some indication of the wisdom of a mayor-council government in a city the size of Lawrence.
In the commission-manager form of government, it is easy to spot the chief administrator of the city—he is the city manager. He is a professional who should act with a higher degree of competence than a mayor who blows into office and back out within two years. If the city manager doesn't prove competent, he can be ousted any time—not just at election time every two years.
IN A MAYOR-COUNCIL form, many of the duties of running the government would fall to a city administrator working for the mayor. Even proponents of the change admit that such an administrator would be necessary. The day-to-day operation of Lawrence's government would become more vague because an unselected official, answerable only to the mayor, would be largely responsible.
Proponents of the change argue that city commissioners elected at-large aren't listening to the needs of individual neighborhoods. They say council members who answer only to their wards would be more aware of the needs of individual neighborhoods.
BUT THE PROPONENTS fail to say how a city council would avoid the trap of pitting ward against ward—that is, neighborhood naisten neighborhood. A council member from Ward A would have less responsive from Ward D than a city commissioner elected at-large.
And proponents also say, in a campaign newsletter, that "only those able to campaign on a massive scale" can now win election as commissioners. Proponents would really see massive campaigning if they could use the mayor's "open to a city-wide vote."
FINALLY, FOR those who see city matters only in terms of dollars and cents, the mayor-council form would be more expensive. The mayor and his administrator would both receive full-time salaries; backers of the plan envision a salary between $1,800 and $4,500 for the eight council members, who would be expected to devote more time to the city than commissioners now do.
Increasing the responsiveness of the city government is an admirable goal. But for Lawrence, it seems to be a goal that is best reached within the present form of government. Voters should avoid making an unnecessary and potentially harmful change; they should vote "no" on the change of government question.
The Miranda problem occurs from case to case
WASHINGTON - Hard cases make bad law. The maxim is doubtless as old as the art of jurisprudence. It applied precisely last week in the case of Robert Anthony Williams, a lawyer who had bad law may not prove as bad as it looked at first glance.
This was one more in a string of criminal cases that have come to be identified generically as "Miranda
her, and dumped her body by the highway as he fled by car to Davenport, 160 miles away.
Once the murderer onto Williams once. The murderer had been own carrying a large bundle of weapons on Christmas Day, police issued an all points alarm. Williams, meanwhile, had telephone calls to Desmond McKenzie and McKenzie. The lawyer advised Williams to
James J. Kilpatrick
(c) 1977 Washington Star Syndicate, Inc.
cases.” They date from the June day in 1966 when Chief Justice Warren talked a bitterly divided court into a major extension of the rights of an accused person at the time of his conviction. The case has remained bitterly divided on these issues ever since.
The Miranda principle is sound. It derives from the protections of the Sharon and Sheikh Mohammed No person may be compelled in any criminal case to a witness against himself; and every accused person shall enjoy the protection of the defence of counsel for his defense.
AS SOFTEN TEMHES, the trouble arises in the application of these “due process” principles to particular cases. This results in the matter of Robert Anthony before just Christmas in 1988, he escaped from a Missouri mental institution and wound up at a YMCA in Des Moines. On Christmas Eve, William Pamela Powers, year-old Pamela Powers, who had turned to the YMCA to watch a wrestling match. He abducted the child, raped and suffocated
surrender, but instructed him to answer no questions until he could have counsel at his side. He would be understood with the Des Moines police. Detective Captain Cletus Learning and another detective drove to the truck to pick up the suspect.
IN DAVENPORT, Williams conferred with still another lawyer, Thomas Kelly, who gave him the same advice: Answer no questions until he could confer with McKnight in court. In these several processions authorities five times-five times!—read Williams the required "Miranda warnings."
THEY DROVE ON for two hours. Then Williams abruptly led them to the spot where he had discarded the child's shoes, then to the place where he had tossed away a blanket, finally to the spot where he had concealed himself as the victim for murder, the prosecution, of course, introduced this evidence of Williams' guilt.
On the afternoon of December 25, as they began the three-hour drive back to Des Moines, Captain Learning made a little mistake in predicting several inches of snow for tonight, and I feel that you yourself are the only person that knows where this little girl's body is . . . and if you get a phone you may be able to learn Learning expressed his feeling that the child should be entitled
to a Christian burial, and he asked Williams to "think about it."
In its 5-4 decision last week, the high court found Captain Learning guilty of such conviction that he had conviction had to be reversed. In the majority's view, "the Christian burial speech" amounted to forbidden interrogation. The evidence against him was Court gave Iowa authorities 80 days to decide on a retrial.
THE DECISION, in my own view, was a palpable miscarriage of justice. Williams was perfectly aware of his right to remain in service. He had been an abundant warmer under the law. His waiver of his rights impresses me as allogather voluntary. He was not "interrogated" in any rational manner; he was not coerced or hulled or beaten into a confession.
On the front page of today's Kansan, there's a little box announcing that applications for the posts of Kansan editor and business manager are now available. That is the interviews will be conducted and selections will be made next week.
But a close reading of the six explosive opinions persuades me that the majority made no sense in the case. The Williams case turned solely on different perceptions of the facts. If Justices Powell and Stevens, the swing men, should have different perception in another case, we would write better law. In the name of little girls, let us hope so.
(Note: This is the second of two columns about the selection and duties of the Kansan editor.)
The making of an editor: 1977
Such boxes appear every semester, followed about a week later by a small box announcing the new editor and the editor in chief, who is supposed to give some idea of what happens between the appearances of the two boxes. COLLEGE neapers pick their editors in an incredibly short time; the editors are elected by the staff in a simple, democratic way. Other editors are elected by the entire student body. Some are selected by a student senate, by the student body president or by the journalist school.
The Kansan traditionally has thought that the first two methods, although nice in theory, were too risky in practice. The paper supposedly is sterving toward putting out a product, and an elected editor isn't a step in this direction.
And having the student government or journalism faculty choose the editor doesn't seem to be the way to go if you are trying to have an independent, free student press. Both groups deserve some say in the choice of the editor because the Senate pay for the student subscriptions and the school provides the paper with reporters and valuable advice. However, neither should have anything close to dictatorial powers.
THE KANSAN editor is selected by the Kansan board, a group which is the approximate equivalent of the board of directors of a newspaper corp. The editorial staff of the board are the Kansan editor and business manager, the news and business advisers,
The board has no voice in the day-to-day operation of the Kansan budget and the Kansan budget and approves or disapproves
the dean of the journalism school and the chairman of the Senate's Communication Committee.
votes. The Kanans news and business staff are hired by the newly selected editor and business manager, with the board approving or disproving their salary schedules.
Those are the mechanics.
But, as in any sort of hiring procedure, there is a lot more
Editor's Note
Jim Bates
equipment purchases. It also has the sole power to hire (or fire) the editor.
Kanen to become editor. But, if you haven't, you'd better have had some outside journalism experience. Working journalism experience and an understanding of exactly how the paper works probably are the first things the board looks at.
involved than simple mechanics
Next Tuesday, the board will meet and interview the candidates for editor and business manager. Each candidate usually has a 10-minute interview. Then the board discusses the candidates and their qualifications and, finally,
ANYONE CAN apply for editor. All one has to do is pick up an application, fill it out, turn it in, and show it to show up for the interview.
But, in the end, only a few people have a serious chance of getting the job.
You don't have to work on the
Since, unfortunately, not that many graduate or special students with experience as professional journalists apply, he will take journalism students with Kansan experience. The board has to choose from these candidates on the basis of talent, personality and counties, personality and counties, almost undefinable, factors.
TO SOME extent, these students play a game called "Kansas Politics." Just as their counterparts in the real world, ambition as well as love of what they're doing is a motivation for
doing a good job. In the back rooms of Kansan parties, slightly drunk assistant campus editors will tell of their schemes and dreams. Which is more prestigious—a campus desk position or being a copy chief? Is sports a dead end? Who has been the best news adviser who thinks I'm a talent or the communications chairman I once badly misquoted?
In the end, the assistant campus editor never really knows why he became—or didn't become—editor. Somehow, the board members, synthesize their likes and dislikes, the applications, the data, the tools, the GPAs and the candidates' abilities to work with people to come up with an editor.
Exactly how is something I guess I'll discover next Tuesday.
A vote for status quo is best
In both cases, however, with one exception, the best change is no change.
Lawrence voters Tuesday will have a double-barreled chance to fight city hall.
Three of the top four finishers in the city primary, Barkley Clark, Jack Rose and Carl Mibee, either are or recently have won a game. Each has a record of involvement in the community.
Not only do they have the opportunity to substantially change the make-up of the city commission, but also they can vote to change the form of city government in Lawrence.
and that involvement has usually been of benefit to all of Lawrence. Any of the three
mission. Carter's understanding of local problems and his expertise in the
would be an acceptable choice for the commission.
Brent Anderson
Editorial Writer
THE EXCEPTION is Ed Carter, a former director of the Chamber of Commerce and the New York Stock Exchange hasn't served on the com-
Not that there is any more honor in commercial advertising Hardcover best films we read about in the national news magazines are
management of resources and personnel make him an outstanding candidate for city commissioner.
At a time when the city's ability to manage its affairs is under constant fire, Carter's
Although voters have a choice of six candidates for the city commission, they have only two choices on the proposal to change to a Mayor-Council form of government: yes or no.
willingness to seek a seat on the commission is especially impressive.
TO VOTE YES, in my opinion, would be a mistake that would take years to correct and would cost the people of this community thousands of dollars and hours of frustration.
It is a fluke that the issue is even on the ballot. The idea of changing to a masony-council district is a handful of Lawrence residents
whose hearts are in the right place but whose goal for a more responsive and democratic city government simply can't be met by their mayor-council proposal.
To put the mayor-council proposal on the ballot, 10 percent of all registered voters in the city had to sign a petition supporting the proposal. There were 29,077 registered voters at the time of the last election, and 488 signatures were needed for the issue to be placed on the 1977 general city election ballot.
Viewers of the seven Watkins films shown here would, I think, agree that they were all well prepared to watch these films in interest and that any of these films would have made money and impressed large audiences, if they had been produced for a formal commercial distribution.
Letters
Watkins' films defended
To the editor:
It seems urgent to take issue with two characterizations of visiting filmmaker Peter Watkins in the otherwise adverse interviews that appeared in the Kansan and the Journal-World.
It might be true in some sense that Watkins is, as the Journal-world asserts a "revolutionary" concern for adequate public information on the most urgent issues of the century. His politics are the politics of truth, de-education and survival for the human race.
It might also be true in some sense, as Chuck Saw wrote in the Kansan that Watkins isn't a "popular" filmmaker. But "popular" is, of course, an incomplete term; always demanding that we ask "popular with whom?"
And it is in the nature of the monster called the mass media that Watkins' "unpopular" and revolutionary film have become the best television and film watchers numbering in the hundreds of millions. How many people have read a novel by William Faulkner or Patrick White, or a novel by Neruda or a Robert Frost?
shown commercially in Lawrence.
Edward Ruhe professor of English
Candidate criticized To the editor:
It distresses me to see that Paul Wolfe may be elected to the Lawrence School Board. Although his claims are impressive, his actual record leaves much to be desired.
Wolfe is the coordinator of Instruction and Research Computing at KU. Wolfe claims in one of his advertisements that he has been recruited to recruit and retain an excellent faculty and staff." However, he has made the working environment at the Computation Laboratory last one, at least nine members of his own full-time professional staff (out of a total of maybe 35), counting secretaries] have resigned. I'm not referring to those dedicated, full-time professionals, some of whom had been at the Comp Center
longer than Wolfe. It is well known that these people resigned because of Wolfe's management.
In a recent Lawrence Journal-World article, Wolfe said if problems were coming directly to board members rather than through channels, there's a system. There again, voters should look at Wolfe's record. Several people, including myself, have found it necessary to go over Wolfe's head to Delaware Chancellor and chancellor, to get any results. In light of all the above, I find Wolfe's assertions that he wants "to get a job done more efficiently," he is "easily, experienced informed" to be a bad joke.
A common complaint at the Comp Center is that Wolfe doesn't welcome suggestions about a new job, and also won't listen when people take their problems to him—quite a complaint against a man who describes himself in his book. (Comp 24) as "willing to listen."
Tax bills welcome To the editor:
As we approach another tax day (April 15), there are a few reasons for this. House of Representatives that will be of interest to many
Some 54 million Americans are hit with an income tax penalty of up to 20 per cent because they are single, or because they are married with both partners working. The Committee of Single Taxpayers has been working for several years to accomplish this goal. Rep. Ed Koch has again introduced HR 850 in the House Ways and Means Committee.
students and faculty of the University of Kansas.
Also pending in Ways and Means is HR 84, introduced by Rep Herb Harris, which would make a step toward income tax for renters similar to what has been available to homeowners.
Anyone interested in more information about these bills is urged to send a legal size, self-addressed stamped envelope to the Office of the Governor below, mentioning that this letter was read in the Kansas.
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THE INDIVIDUALS who wanted the change to a mayor-council system in Lawrence had a difficult time getting the signatures several months. As the deadline for submitting their petition drew near, they were forced to go to the University of Kansas needed for the proposal to be on tomorrow's ballot.
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A strategically located table in Allen Field House gave the mayor-council proponents access to thousands of KU students, who were enrolling for the spring semester.
"Would you be willing to sign a petition to change the form of Lawrence city government?" was the innocent, almost unimportant question asked of students as they were leaving the field house. Theircesssees got involved and manner got the mayor-council proponents the signatures they needed.
THERE IS A serious moral question as to whether KU students should be the ones to decide how Lawrence, a town they'll probably live in only four five years, should be governed and who should govern it.
It is hoped that everyone who votes will consider the candidates and issues carefully, then vote responsibly. Each candidate's voice determines the outcome of tomorrow's election.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
published at the University of Kansas daily August 14th, Saturday and Sunday. June and July except Saturday. Sunday and Holiday August 23rd. Subscriptions by mail are $2 a semester or $4 a year outside the county. State student subscriptions are a year outside the county.
Editor
Jim Rates
Business Manager Janice Clements