4 / Wednesday, March 2, 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 Arts festival works "Accent the Arts," SUA's 25-day arts festival, draws to a close this week with the production of Paul Stephen Lim's play "Homerica," which opened last night in the Kansas Union Ballroom. "Accent" is a successor to "Festival of the Arts," which sputtered for several years and finally died last spring. But the new festival is more than just an attempt to revive the tradition, but also to present and scope that may well mean "Accent" will prosper where "Festival" died. The old event was one week long and consisted almost entirely of major talent from outside the University. Students could buy books of tickets for the entire week and, on paper, it was quite a bargain. But in reality there were just too many last-minute cancellations of big-name talent that was already too expensive. Refund offers became commomplace. The new festival doesn't rely on big names. It relys instead on the abundance of talent that KU itself can provide. The 25-day program has included student and faculty members from various concert circles, writers, poets, lectures, theater productions and the Rock Chalk Revue. All in all, it was a great idea. KU has all sorts of artists who deserve to be accented. And these local artists are also likely to care for the public service and considerably less likely to back out. "Accent the Arts" deserves a long and well-attended future. Carter guards CIA The nomination of Stansfield Turner as CIA director was confirmed by the Senate last week on a voice vote without dissent. Turner, the man who has promised to provide the Senate Intelligence Committee with full information about the CIA's clandestine programs, may have wished the confirmation had come at some later date. The 53-year-old naval officer's confirmation came amid reports of millions of dollars of payments over a 20-year period to Jordan's King Hussein. The reports also told Jimmy Carter ordering the payments stopped earlier last week. Many are saying that other foreign leaders have been involved in similar transactions. THESE REPORTS, when combined with reports about Carter's efforts to conceal them, raise doubts about whether the United States will have a more open CIA than in past years. In fact, it looks as if the agency is going deeper into the closet than before. Carter's concern for the publication of the reports at the same time Secretary of State Cyrus Vance visited King Hussein seems to have merit because the administration is optimistic about a quick Middle East settlement. The reports, which said the payments "were made directly to the king and for his benefit and with political concern," are denied by Hussain. He called them a "complete fabrication" and said "the assistance was designed only to enhance our intelligence and security capabilities. period." But Carter's apparent attempts to kill publication would be the Washington another matter. CARTER TOLD a Congressional leadership meeting last week that he knew that the Post was at work on a story about the CIA payments, after which he extended an invitation to the Post to meet with the reporter, Bob Woodward, to visit with him at the White House. Reportedly, Carter didn't explicitly ask Bradlee and Woodward to kill the story or to postpone publication but obviously would have preferred it that way. He explained to them the "great sensitivity" of the Vance trip and his hopes for a quick settlement in the Mideast. "Therefore, I pleaded with them on that basis to withhold any story—or at least give us 25 hours before breaking it," Carter was quoted to have told Congressional leaders. "I think the press should publish the story, 'there was nothing I could do about it, given their attitude.'" HE ALSO told the leaders that the Hussein report and others that identified CIA sources were "drastically disruptions" U.S. intelligence-gathering capability, and he asked them to help curb leaks by restricting congressional access to intelligence data. Several congressional panels now have access to CIA reports, including the House and Senate foreign relations committees, armed services and appropriations committees, their appropriate subcommittees, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Carter himself has reduced the number of executive branch officials who have access to details of CIA operations from 40 to five. SPEAKER OF THE House Thomas P. O'Neill Jr., and Rep. Clement J. Zablocki, a Wisconsin Democrat who has CIA access as a foreign relations subcommittee member, both have agreed with Carter's ideas. Both are supporting the creation of a House Intelligence Committee that would result in House other committees, including Zablocki's. The Senate created its intelligence committee last year. But the chairman of that committee, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has said he doesn't believe it would be proper to limit access to CIA covert operations to one committee in both the House and Senate. All of this happened to poor Stansfield Turner in the week he was approved for a new job. And it happened to an agency which produced it, and not out in recent years since its 1947 inception. Carter's promise during his campaign for more openness in government apparently doesn't apply to the CIA. Or at least his attempt to restrict congressional access to CIA covert operations banishes the likely starting point. State sales tax change promoted The Kansas Legislature has a chance to help the people of Kansas who need it the most, and all it would take is a minor alteration in the state's sales tax. The legislature is a. mean, however, that the tax is necessarily unfair. A tax is regressive only if it isn't based on one's ability to pay it. An income tax, described as a progressive tax, is based on Before the legislature is a Brent Anderson Editorial Writer proposal that would exempt food, drugs and prescription medical aids from the state's three per cent sales tax. If the proposal were to become law, senior citizens in settings and citizens receiving lower than average incomes would gain the most. To offset the loss in revenue to the state, the legislature could increase taxes on alcohol and liquor sales, and refuse to increase the state personal tax exemption from $000 to $750, and extend the legislature will consider. THE REGRESSIVITY of the state's sales tax could be counteracted by eliminating taxes on food, drugs and prescription medical aids. A regressive tax like the sales tax, which increases prices on all taxpayers, ignores one's ability to pay the tax. Don't let the term "regressive" be construed to one's ability to pay because it increases as the ability to pay it increases. IF A PERSONN'S INCOME falls below a certain level, depending on marital status and living situation, no income tax is paid, regardless of whether it is a federal tax or tax on the income tax. A sales tax, on the other hand, is paid by everyone who buys almost anything, regardless of income, marital status or unforeseen hardships. If the kids are food for them, she pays the same three per cent tax, in Kansas, that the governor pays. Though regressive, the sales tax is unfair only when it places an unusual burden on the person who pays it. If my income were $10,000 would be spending it on boats and bowling. My first concern would be food, my second, clothing, and my third, shelter. IN KANSAS, there is a three per cent tax on food and clothing, necessities which shouldn't be taxed. And, for senior citizens especially, the sales tax on drugs and prescription medical aids is bad. Fighting inflation is tough enough for persons on fixed incomes, but when the government costs them time they buy groceries or go to the drugsstore, it is no wonder they grow weary of "the system." Taxes and tax reform have, not surprisingly, captured the attention of the state's For those who live above the subsistence level, a change in the state's sales tax law probably won't affect who they already can't afford to live, it is long overdue. WE CAN AFFORD these changes in the sales tax without throwing the state into turmoil. We can afford the tax to the sale of liquor alone would cover at least 25 per cent of lost revenue from exempting food, drugs and medical aids. If necessary, a half per cent increase on the sales tax on other products is required for special sales tax on items determined to be "luxuries". No tax increase would be needed, however, if the legislature were to continue to pay the money spent on spending and restrained government. That doesn't seem to be asking too much. THE SHOW SO far has seen the death penalty bill, which once threatened to become one if the more controversial issues this year, pass without even a chance of repeal, be abolished. As the bill passed through the legislative processes, "death" was deleted from "death penalty" and now the bill provides incarceration for premeditated murder for at least 30 years before punishment. Again, for the reason that isn't considered cruel and unusual punishment. '77 legislature faces old issues Good day, everyone. This is the Kanass Intranet Sensory Service (KISS), reporting what in the world is happening-in- kansas, where we know as Kanass. My name is Arthur. Here is the news: it has now reached the halfway point in the Kansas Legislature, with the spirted second half to be played out soon in the hallowed halls of Topeka. Despite efforts to substitute other elements into the titanic, yet pedantic battles between the two arenas, the same issues, i.e. death and taxes, are being batted around as religiously as in previous sessions. lawmakers and ordinary citizens alike. A BILL HAS been introduced calling for imposition of an additional four per cent sales tax on all retail liquor sold in the country. The new law is posed by the liquor industry, through public petitions. The increased revenue that would seem inevitable that confusion and slip-ups would arise. Last week it was revealed that a topena店铺 had been extending credit for liquor purchases to, of all people, the governor and the state Republican Party. That is a violation of Alcoholic Beverage and Control (ABC) the state would receive from the tax, $6 million, would suppose offset the effects of other propose tax reduction measure. Another liquor-related bill would increase by 50 per cent the tax per gallon on liquor sold wholesale. The added revenue would be used for the state's alcohol programs. Fair enough. WITH ALL OF this alcohol business being bandied about, it That bill would eliminate sales tax from food and drug purchases, but would increase the sales tax on all other merchandise from three to four per cent. Paul Jefferson Editorial Writer unethical liquor transgression, but he is showing no signs of temperance. This is the second time in four months that the governor has been involved in some type of THE GOVERNOR HAS stated that he supports liquor-by the drink, but doubts it will be legal. He before the next cocktail party. board regulations. But since the governor is in charge of the ABC, he couldn't fine himself. So the retailer's license was suspended by the ABC for 10 days. The passage of liquor-by-the-drink would eliminate the current system of "liquor-by-the-person," instituted at the various not-so-private-clubs around the state. in other news, Rep. Mike Glover's annual proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana was met with both outright alarm and cautious optimism. The bill lifts its legal out of the hands he has control almost surely will go up in smoke before everybody calls it nuits in April. THE BINGO LAWS of Kansas, always rife with geriatric and church-related scandals, have recently been cleared up by diligent legislators, closing loopholes in the criminal legalization. Now, only organizations with convicted felons as members (e.g. the Coxsackie Foundation, a nonprofit or participating in this high pressure parlor game. Still to come in other reports: the new medium-security prison proposed by Gov. Bennett is compromised today by deciding to locate it somewhere and the legislature decides to let the state mind its own business by limiting itself to only one inspection a year of nursing homes for the aged. That's all for today, so until next time, have a pleasant tomorrow. This is Arthur, and he was born in Kansas. His Kansas Intrastate Sensory Service (KISS) news. But for now, it's KISS-off time. To the editor: But what have we done with this recruiting edge? As Jeff Nelson pointed out in his letter to the Kansan on Feb. 25, many of our blue chip recruits either quit the program dissatisfied or seemingly never reach their full potential. Nelson also said he applied against nationally recognized teams since 1971. Most assuredly, it is none too impressive. New coach needed I side with those who believe that the so-called "Gong Owens" bit is carrying a seem to mention that students should be able to find a more tasteful way of interacting with coach Ted Owens. The controversy boils down to whether we should or shouldn't replace Owens and his staff with a new coaching regime. When thinking about this, it is interesting to look at the parallel between the basketball situation now and the situation Although I disagree with the means used by these students, I am of the opinion that certain skills definitely need to be made. But Courtney Thompson, in her article on Feb. 23 downplays this fact by pointing instead to our "sparkling" Big Eight record over the years. I hope it is a reflection of reporting that the Big Eight is among the poorest basketball conferences in the country. Generally, everyone agrees that KU has one of the finest basketball traditions of any school in the nation. This tradition, combined with the excellent facilities provided for athletes by the University and its athletes, is one of a field base packed to the rafters with screaming fans, should be enough to give KU a substantial recruiting edge over other schools. Letters Ted Wens, I am sure, is a nice guy, too. But you know what Leo Durocher said about nice guys, and, if in Ted's case, we're not talking about last, certainly most certainly mean fourth of fifth. that existed with our football program two years ago. When Don Fambrough said he was going to "step down" from him, they insisted a great protest from many Jayhawk followers who thought of "nice guy" Fambrough the entire KU football program. People were skeptical when an unknown assistant at Alabama was appointed to succeed Fambrough as head coach. Now, two years later, he is one of the team's to-back winning seasons, and the football program is in its strongest position in years. Larry Fine Milwaukee senior To the editor: KJHK offers jazz To the editor: The morning jazz show has been part of our format since KUOK-AM became KJHF-KM in October 1975, and as KUOK-AM, jazz certainly was part of the overall music format years earlier. In the Kanasa article Friday on the local jazz music scene, entertainment editor Bill Uyekd's acknowledgement of the morning jazz program on KJHK-FM was greatly apologetic. The timing is hardly a "recent" addition to our station. Rather than try to keep up with everyone else musically, KJHK has tried to set musical trends for KU and the Lawrence community, instead of copying them from others. Bill Kempin Bill Kempin Leavenworth junior program director, JKH-FM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY THE CITY OF WALKER BAY KANSAN Published at the University of Kansas daught August 21, 2014 www.uni-kansas.edu/usnews/June and July except Saturday Sunday and Holiday week. 60344. Subscriptions by mail are $9 a semester or $18 per month. A year outside the county. Student subscriptions are $15 a semester or $25 Editor Manager Editor Jim Bates Managing Editor Editorial Editor Greg Hack Stewart Brannan Campus Editor Alison Gairn Alson Gwinn Associate Campus Editor Assistant Campus Editors Barbara Crawford Copy Chiefs Bernie Johnku, Tim Pursell Sports Editor Associate Sports Editors Dan Bowman, Photo Editor Photographers Mike Campbell Jake Yooeler Moan Appleby, Jin Cumb Make-up Editors Business Manager Jason Clements Advertising Manager 忌 O T-Shoe Assistant Classified Manager 忌 A T-shoe Classified Manager 忌 Riggle Highse Assistant Classified Manager 忌 Danny O'Gorman National Advertising Manager 忌 Rocky Gourier National Advertising Manager 忌 Richard