University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 16, 1988
3
Campus/Area
State to cut 1990 budget; KU may lose
By Mark Fagan
Kanean staff writer
Kansan staff writer
State agencies, including the University of Kansas, should expect their budget wish lists to get trimmed back despite a state treasury increase. With revenue, a top adviser to Mike Huckabee, Mr.
KU's budget request for fiscal year 1900 is being reviewed by the state budget office, which will make its recommendations to Havden later this month.
Michael O'Keefe, state budget director, said the state could not afford to finance all of the agenies' requests and return the remainder of an income tax windfall at the same rate. The state is increasing in income tax revenues generated by changes in the federal tax code in 1986.
O'Keefe released figures showing that
state agencies had total spending requests of almost $4.93 billion, a 13.3 percent increase over this year's budgets.
KU's proposal would increase the University's present budget by 2.6 percent.
"If all the spending requests were approved as is, the state general fund would be in the red by the end of the next fiscal year." O'Keele said.
He said general fund requests, which provided the majority of financing to Kansas 113 state agencies, totaled $2.6 billion for next year, while revenue would only total $2.3 million.
The proposed level of statewide spending would result in an ending balance of $43.5 million at the end of the next fiscal year, June 30, 1990. The figure does not include money for state employee pay increases and does
not take into account returning the rest of the
bearer, which Hayden had said he was
considering as a replacement.
"Clearly, the governor will not spend more money than the state has, and he will retain what he considers adequate balances," O'Keefe said.
Evelyn Swartz, presiding officer of University Council, said the warnings of budget cuts were well-founded.
KU's proposal calls for a 7.6 percent pay increase for unclassified faculty. The increase, which would be distributed to faculty based on merit rather than across the board, was included in the $43.5 million state revenue estimate.
"One of the things about any cut is that it puts us in a less desirable position, because we don't want to have to adjust."
faculty salaries," Swartz said. "We really shouldn't be talking about cutting, but rather increasing."
Still, O'Keefe said revenues would increase and mentiure requests had increased 2.4 percent.
Last week, a group of state fiscal experts and university economists increased by $166 million their estimate for how much tax they can expect to collect over the next fiscal year.
"These numbers clearly indicate that initial spending requests must be pared down in order to return the windfall and retain the fiscal integrity." O'Keefe said.
He said the state needed to maintain a surplus of about 5 percent in the general fund so that it would not need to take out loans during the year.
The figures O'Keele released are for "C level" budget requests, one of three submitted by state agencies. The two others are based on figures supplied by the budget division and assume agencies will see either a decrease in financing or a small increase.
KU's C level request was $229.7 million.
Both two were $229.7 million and $124.7
million.
State officials and politicians sometimes refer to C level requests as “wish lists.” In the past four fiscal years, O'Keele said, he has met 85 to 93 percent of C level requests.
KU received 98.7 percent of its C level request for fiscal year 1989.
Kassebaum prioritizes Bush agenda
- The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Senator suggests fiscal policy, education top president's h
Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum speaks to about 200 people in the Big Eight Room at the Kansas Union.
By James Farquhar Kansan staff writer
Nen. Nancy Landon Kassebaina said yesterday afternoon that controlling U.S. fiscal policy should be Bush's first priority as president.
And although Bush campaigned for the office as the education president, Kassebaum said she didn't expect much change between his administration and President Reagan's. But she expected education to be near the top of the Bush agenda.
"I agree with President-elect Bush that funding solutions for education should include certain private sources," she said. "But I firmly believe we shouldn't promise more than we can deliver."
Kassebaum spoke for an hour in the Big Eight Room at the Kansas Union to an open meeting of the KU chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
More than 150 people came to hear the Republican senator speak about her expectations of her husband's foreign and domestic policy.
More attention and money should be given to improving elementary and secondary schools to improving colleges, she said.
"Such education is a crucial building block for a solid education system," she said. "Our education system is going to be a key compartment now we succeed and how well we are able to lead in the future."
However, she said that the political credibility of the United States was tied to fiscal responsibility. And, because the United States is in debt to other countries, tough choices must be made.
"As long as we owe money, we deal with a much more weakened hand," she said. "What we do with our budget deficit is so important, not only to us, but to the rest of the world."
For example, she said, Congress neglected to find money to pay for the $2 billion drug bill recently passed by Congress.
Too often, she said, Congress has passed legislation without making the tough and sometimes unpopular choices about financing.
"Currently, we have about $500 million that we can use for the drug bill," she said. "But what about the rest of the money?"
She said that a change in government leadership might yield a new direction and that Bush needed to establish priorities quickly.
"If he doesn't set the agenda quickly, the Congress will do it for him," she said.
Gena Curry, Kansas City, Kan.
senior, said she didn't share
Kassaeum's optimism that Bush
education among his top priorities.
"I would be very surprised if Bush raised the amount of money available for education." Curry added. "We concerned with no raising taxes."
T. P. Srinivasan, professor of math, said he was impressed with Kassebaum's realistic approach
Japanese studies of children's TV similar to U.S.'
By Janell Good
Kansan staff writer
Japan hopes to collaborate with the department of human development and family life on future research projects about television's effect on early childhood, a Japanese media researcher said yesterday.
Sachiko Kodaira, media researcher for NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute in Tokyo, will speak at 2:30 p.m. South Hall on March 8th to the effect of Jan.
anese children's television programs on educational development.
Kodira said that a Japanese study that began almost 10 years ago of 2 and 4-year-olds found both positive and negative results.
"These programs can be the starting point of learning for preschool children," Kodaira said. "It gives children the stimulus they need to learn everyday activities, but learning to distinguish reality from animation might take some time to overcome."
Kodaira said U.S. and Japanese children's television programs differed. U.S. programs, such as Sesame Street, were more for home use and children's entertainment in addition to their educational benefits.
developed a more intensified children's television program series. Japanese children ages 2 to 5 have the opportunity to view six different educational programs every day. The programs are designed to be used in the preschool classroom with teacher's instruction, she said.
In comparison, the Japanese have
U. S. and Japanese children in general achieved an increased attention span and attained higher identifi- cation skills in educational programs, Kodaira said.
In the future, Kodaira said, she hoped international children's television programs would be created to promote educational skills at an early age.
Kodaira's visit is sponsored by the Center for Research on the Influences of Television on Children, a research institution in human development and family life.
John C. Wright, professor of psychology and of human development and co-director of the center, said Kodaira was invited in part because Japanese and U.S. research on children's television were comparable. Kodaira's visit may offer insight for future research.
Wright said the center focused on the potential benefits children could derive from television.
Rocky Horror returns to KC
The center recently received a $1.2 million grant from Children's Television Workshop in New York for a seven-year study on television's effect on economically disadvantaged children.
Stage version of the show to run tonight through December
By Laura Woodward Kansan staff writer
With a jump to the left and a step to the right, the Rocky Horror show is back in Kansas City.
Except it is on stage, not on screen. The Rocky Horror show premieres at the Unicorn Theater, 3830 Main St. at Kansas City, Mo. Tickets are $10.
"We have the schedule to run through December 31, and we're hoping it will extend past that," said Jennifer Sullivan, assistant director for Unicorn Theater.
Hardy said the shows through this weekend were close to being sold out. Tickets for shows other than the preview tonight are $12.
Cynthia Levin, artistic director for
the show, said, "It's going to be wild with the college and high school crowds. That's the big group."
The show's storyline closely parallels that of the movie version.
It opens with a traditional newlywed couple finding themselves stranded at a mysterious old castle in the company of various eccentric characters.
After dancing to the Time Warp, the newly wed are greeted by their host, Dr Frank N Furter. The evening moves on with introductions to other members of the household and finally climaxes with the appearance of their host's version of Frankenstein.
Levin said the show was locally cast.
"Things have been going great," she said. "It is so much more fun to see the stage play than see the movie. It is so much more fun to see those who are fans of the Rocky Horror show and for those who come out of curiosity."
Levin said typical "Rocky Horror" props that people brought to the movie version, such as toast and newspapers, could not be used during the performances. The musical is recommended for mature audiences.
The show is written by Richard O'Brien, directed by Fred Goodson and has musical diection from Susan Kingwill.
Crew sues last year's coach
By Jay A. Cohen Kansan staff writer
The suit was filed Nov. 7 in Douglas County District Court by Kevin Wickliffe, attorney at Legal Services for Students. The suit concerns a rent-to-own agreement between the client and the crew in purchase two practice boats, as well as shells.
KU Crew members are suing a former crew coach for the return of two boats.
Elliot said yesterday that he was not aware of the suit filed against him. He said that about two years ago when the University of Wisconsin was selling used boats, the KU Crew purchased two and would have purchased more but did not have the money. Elliot said they understood that the crew would buy them from him.
According to court records, an agreement signed on Oct. 14, 1986, by Elliot, then crew president Woody Browne and faculty adviser Linda Beville, leased each
Elliot said he took possession of the boats Nov. 3 after consulting with a lawyer because he was concerned about how the shells were being stored and the insurance on them. He said he had written two letters about his concerns to the crew executive board but had not received a reply.
shell to the crew for $350 a year. Those fees could be deducted from a purchase price of $3,400 for each boat.
No court date will be set until Elliot has a chance to reply to the complaint.
Elliot, who now coaches the Washburn University Crew, said he resigned Aug. 1 after disagreements concerning his coaching contract with KU Crew. He said he had offered to return the 1988 lease payment.
John Milburn, crew president, said a reply had just been approved by the board when Elliot took the boats
Milburn said that lease payments had been made for the past two years and for 1988 and that all crew equipment was insured.
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