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Wednesday, May 2, 1990 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Interstate 66 proposal
Road of dreams would be a costly dead end for taxpayers but an advantage for motorists
A new and improved Interstate 66 could give motorists a trip down memory lane
But at a price no one can afford.
The 2,400-mile route that would stretch from coast to coast, along the route of the famous Highway 66, could provide a quicker avenue of travel for millions of motorists each year. Proponents said the highway would save about half a day's journey.
The interstate potentially could become the economic salvation for the southern tier of Kansas counties by providing an access for trucks carrying goods from industries. As anyone from that region will attest, southeast Kansas can use good, four-lane roads as a mechanism for economic development.
Interstate 66 would help alleviate the projected increase in the volume of traffic on I-70, which cuts across northern Kansas, and I-40, which cuts through Arkansas and Oklahoma. Another highway would extend the life of these roads into the next century.
However, the biggest drawback to this road
of dreams is going to be the cost. The state can ill afford such a road after it approved the $2.65 billion highway package. On the national level, there are other worthy programs and the ever growing debt. While the route could pay for itself through the potential for economic development along the way, the initial cost and the cost of maintenance will be large.
Congress and the state legislatures along the route should not get caught up in the dream of a super highway. Yes, it is a good idea, but the United States has millions of miles of roads and bridges that are crumbling. It makes little sense to build more roads if the existing ones cannot be maintained.
If the interstate is a toll road, some of the cost could be recovered in eastern and western states as other states construct other links. An attempt to build it all at once without financing or support would not be the proper avenue for future development.
Interstate 66 at best is a dream. In reality, it is a dead end road.
John P. Milburn for the editorial board
Ambiguous politician
Quayle needs to stand up, tell us who he really is; Poll suggests he is not qualified for presidency
fifty-four percent of the public, including 43 percent of Republicans, said he was not qualified to be president, according to a recent Gallup poll. Forty-nine percent thought George Bush should pick a new running mate for 1992.
He is the son of an enthusiastic supporter of the John Birch Society. But in 1976, he took a running leap off the far-left end when he suggested that marijuana be decriminalized.
He is J. Danforth Quayle, and he is next in line for the presidency.
Last weekend he addressed an anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C., portraying himself as a long-time friend of the anti-abortion movement.
But in 1890, he was quoted as saying he wanted to avoid an appointment to the judiciary committee because he did not want to deal with issues such as abortion.
So where does he stand? What does he stand
for? Has he ever taken a stand on his own?
tor? has he ever taken a stand on his own?
Little Danny Quayle, it's time you stand up,
let go of daddy's hand and tell this country who
you really are.
Your free ride has ended. If you expect to be respected, you better start showing us something. Daddy can't bail you out of this poor performance as he did all the way through college.
One of Quayle's college professors once said of him, "I looked into those blue eyes, and I might as well have been looking out the window."
His own party does not like him. His college professors ridicule him. This man would have a tough time in an election against Mickey Mouse (Our apologies to Walt Disney for putting the two in the same category).
After all, we've all seen Mickey Mouse
Dan Quayle, you're no Mickey Mouse
Stephen Kline for the editorial board
U.S. policy released hostages
Editor's note: A second hostage, Frank Reed, has been released since Paul Greenberg wrote today's column on the hostage situation.
Paul Greenberg Syndicated columnist
The wife of the just-freed U.S. hostage sounds hopeful and foolish. To quote Feryal Polhill, "The mood seems to be as if the hostage issue, the hostage file, will be finally closed." And then she makes a mistake. Like President Bush not to spare any effort to free all the hostages."
Her husband is free today precisely because a U.S. president finally learned to spare some effort on the hostage issue. The kidnappers at first demanded that Washington make at least some small observation to their cause by dispatching an assistant secretary of state to their bailiwick before they would release Robert Polhill. The White House wisely declined. The time for kowtowing to kidnappers had passed. Result: Polhill was released soon enough to the appropriate Syrian general, who turned him over to the appropriate U.S. embassy.
Polhill is most welcome home. He also is, like all other hostages, a declining commodity, so long as his country will not pay ransom for him. Let's face it: the bottom has dropped out of the hostage market, which makes more releases all the more likely. Syria now cooperates in returning hostages rather than seizing them. The Palestinian Liberation Organization has come out against the practice. Even Libya's Moammar Ghahdafi has asked that the hostages be freed. There's nothing much to be gained anymore by taking hostages exeimental oblique.
The more interest taken in a hos
tage's case, and the greater efforts made to obtain his release, the longer he may be使住. Making hostages a national obsession is a good way to keep them hostages. Polhill can be thankful that his government wasn't willing to take extra pairs in his case, or he might have been held much longer. Now if George Wilson sees noises about how the hostages are on his mind day and night and in between, the other hostages might get out.
Iran's always-confused government seems to think it still can get some mileage out of hostages. Apparently it paid the small price for Polihil's release. Its associates in Lebanon were showing off some new play-pretends after the deal was consummated: tanks, armored personnel carriers and some rocket launchers. Iran's mullahs still want many things from Washington, and they hope to get them in exchange for U.S. hostages. Naturally they would never put the matter so crassly, mainly because crassness no longer pays.
Instead, the Teheran Times speaks oh-sel迪靠-, saying things like "the release process must be expeditioned by acts of good will by the leaders of our country and must be a 'a two-way street.' It's as if we were talking about a normal diplomatic procedure here, which, in Iran, kldmapping may be.
The only honest, self-respecting, and yes, effective, policy would be to tell Teeran what it can do with its Release Process. And that is pretty much what the White House finally has learned to do. On the off chance that Iran's leaders still are ready to hagle, What is it they want? Lots!
- The remaining Iranian assets seized in this country when the first set of hostages was taken at the U.S. embassy in Iran.
Various items of military equipment that Iran claims to have paid for but that never were delivered merely because that country held Americans hostage. (How touchy these American are.)
Then there are certain intangible assets that good relations with the United States might help secure, such as Iran's return to international respectability. Trade with the United States in something besides hostages might be useful, too, and might even assist others to do business with Teheran.
In short, what Iran wants and needs is international respectability, and it only slowly comes to realize that respectability cannot be obtained by disreputable methods. Hence the mullahs' cooperation in this latest release. So long as the mullahs maintain their tags, there is little point in keeping them. It's a matter of supply and demand.
Mrs. Polhill, bless her, is right about the hostage file being closed. But it is being closed by the United States.
▶ Paul Greenberg is the editorial editor of the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Commercial.
Other Voices
Too much TV leads to obesity of mind
No wonder there are problems in the schools. If youngsters to 20 5 years old are watching television for 25 hours a week, as U.S. pediatricians report, there is a good reason for problems.
The warning is based on a study by the American Academy of Pediatricians. The group cited data from A.C. Nielson Co. that shows that by the time one of today's children reaches 70, he will have spent seven years, or one-tenth of his life span, in front of the television.
Watching television is a passive, sedentary activity. As the doctors report, it can lead to obesity in children whose health would be much better served by sports and active play.
is trivial, tasteless fare, the equivalent of yesterday's pulp magazines. Spending that much time in such an undemanding pursuit also leads to obesity of the mind.
Much of television's programming
The pediatricians recommend limiting children's viewing to one or two hours daily and encouraging them to spend other time in athletics, reading and hobbies. They also support legislation mandating broadcasting of high-quality programming for license renewal and requiring at least one hour a day of educational programs for children.
But the real solution lies with parents. They need to recognize the perils of excessive television viewing and do something about it.
From the Post-Bulletin, Rochester Minn., April 20.
News staff
Richard Breck...Editor
Daniel Niemi...Managing editor
Christopher R. Raleton
Lisa Moseh...Planning editor
John Milburn...Editorial editor
Candy Nieman...Campus editor
Rick Cooley...Rope editor
E. Joseph Zurge...Photo editor
Stephen Kline...Graphics editor
Kris Berguellet...Art/Feelings editor
Tom Eaton...General manager, news adviser
Margaret Townsend...Business manager
Tamir Rank...Retail sales manager
Missey Miller...Commercial manager
Kathy Rodgers...Regional sales manager
Mike Lehman...National sales manager
Mindy Morris...Co-op sales manager
Nate Stamos...Production manager
Mindy Land...Australian production manager
Jennifer Hollis...Marketing director
James Giappone...Creative director
Janet Rorholm...Classified manager
Wendy Burtz...Travel consultant
Hannah Hinton...Sales and marketing adviser
Business staff
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LETTERS to the EDITOR
Moseley is good
In the April 30 Kansan, we see only negative aspects of the Bill Moseley nomination. There is not a single direct quote in the article about the good things Moseley has done for KU. As a senator who keeps an open mind and open ears, I want to remind people of what Moseley has done and is doing for KU students.
First, one person in the article said Moseley "has done serious damage as a representative to the Legislature." How? The article never said anything that Moseley had done wrong except make the comment about financing. But the story was meeting Wednesday, no one ever brought up one example of Moseley's supposed ineptitude. What is documented, however, are serious achievements in Moseley's favor.
He urged the ASK Policy Council to request that the Kansas Minority Scholarship Program be doubled in size for 1992. He has worked with handicapped accessibility and the YES Program, a program that provides stipends to under-represented college students to tutor and mentor at-risk children. Perhaps most important, he works for all minorities, not just ones with grade point averages above 3.5, by directing ASK to investigate other minority scholarships. He also opposes qualified admissions because of the threat it poses to minority recruitment and access to higher education.
Even in his application to Student Body President Mike Schreiner, Moseley said, "I hope to seek and receive diverse student input on all upcoming issues." Moseley already has contacted such groups as Hillel and Black Teachers Association to be involved with ASK. This is just some of what Moseley has done for all students. He has done many things on the local, state and national levels as well.
I hope people keep these things in mind during this Wednesday's Senate meeting. Do some homework and discover the things Moseley has achieved for KU. Don't ignore the facts because your coalition or the people next to you told you "he was a bad person." One speaker said Wednesday night that he judged a man on his passions. Given everything Moseley knows about students, government at all levels and the concerns of all people, regardless of their race or anything else.
Jennifer Roth
Jennifer Roth Salina sophomore Noise ordinance
The Crossing is one of three bars that serves as an outlet for original live music in Lawrence. Recently, the city has enacted a new noise ordinance that is unnecessary, too easily abused and the city can already existing business through its arbitrary execution.
A Lawrence citizen always has had the right to call police when noise was thought to be too loud. The police would come to the scene down, and if they had to return, a citation would be issued for disturbing the peace.
With this new law, no warning is required. Often, a person is unaware any law is being broken. How can you be audited to loud? How is this measured?
In the case of the Crossing, a KU hangout since 1925, the law could have a disastrous effect on the way it operates. The bar has been a showcase for local live talent for more than 10 years. In my three years, only once did the police stop by on a noise complaint. It was handled amicably and with no citation issued. In the past two months, however, I have been visited four times, the last resulting in a citation with the promise of more if business continued this way. Why the problem? We know that most performing have been here much longer than I've been the owner. This vaguely worded law is being abused. There is no protection against an overzealous police officer.
The law has no balance. It gives too much power to one side and little fairness to the other. It's too easily abused and only can strain relations between police and the college community.
Tom Conroy Owner of The Crossing
CAMP UHNEELY
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IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO
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BY SCOTT PATTY
A GREAT WAY TO Pick UP CHICKS IN BARS!
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