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VOTE TODAY ★ POLLS OPEN 7 A.M. - 7 P.M.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Vol. 99, No. 52 (USPS 650-640)
PUBLISHED SINCE 1889 BY THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Tuesday November 8,1988
Candidates wrap up campaigns
The Associated Press
George Bush sent his case to the voters yesterday, leading in the polls as he pledged a "steady hand" to build on the accomplishments of the Reagan years. Michael Dukakis campaigned over intotime, promising a "November surprise" that would land him in the White House.
Some polls suggested Bush's support might be eroding as both men raced across the United States in a final-day search for votes. Both campaigns spent nearly $1 million apiece on competing half-hour
appeals on network television, and the vice president also aired a new five-minute commercial that sharply attacked his Democratic rival.
"It's in the hands of the gods and the American people," the vice president said before heading for Houston and the final rally of his candidacy
"I'm going to do my best to be a fine president and a good leader and somebody you can be proud of." Dukakis said.
Dakaiks was on a 48-hour campaign blitz through 8,000 miles that wouldn't end until
election morning in Boston. He told a crowd of 20,000 in California that Democrats would kick Bush "right out of our future."
Both presidential campaigns relied on their 30-minute network commercials to reach the millions of voters that the pollsters said hadn't yet chosen a candidate.
Bush's blended snippets of biography, family tenderness and praise from Reagan with a final taped appeal from the vice president. "Americans are better off than they were eight years ago, and if you elect me president you will be better off four years
from now than you are today." he said.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Lloyd Benten appeared on stage in Texas with a caged quail — an obvious dig at his Republican rival, Dan Quayle.
Bush threw a singing jab at Dukakis, saying, "We don't want to return to my opponent's favorite song: 'For all you do, this recession is for you.'"
The Democratic nominee campaigned without letup on his pledge to stand up for "average working families."
Not all precincts are created equal
By Barbara Joseph Kansan staff writer
Undecided voters casting their ballots at Checkers Low Food Prices today might take their cue from the Busch beer behind the voting booths.
However, no beer will be sold while the polls are open, according to state law. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Checkers, 2300 Louisiana ST., is one of 33 polling places in the City of Lawrence. said Patty James, Douglas County clerk.
"In Kansas City, they have used individual garages," she said. "The most unusual place we've ever used is a grocery store."
At Checkers, the 10 voting booths are in front of the beer cases, across from the frozen burtons and the Blue Bunny ice cream.
Jim Lewis, store owner, said the tradition of using the store as a polling site started with Rusty's Food Center, which once was located on the same corner where Checkers is now.
"It's a patriotic thing to do." Lewis said. "I'm a red, white and blue idiot, as you can tell by the flag outside." A large U.S. flag flies above the store's parking lot, at 23rd and Louisiana streets.
Lewis said Election Day didn't particularly help business.
Across town, at Babcock Place,
1700 Massachusetts St., the public is voting in the hobby room, where the senior citizen residents have parties and play cards. The 130 residents are voting in the lobby
"People take the prime parking places," he said. "They usually just vote and leave. They might pick up a few items."
"It's exciting to have a lot of 'it's people in and out,'" said Ascension "Toots" Schultz, manager. "The residents come and visit, especially those who don't come down often. It's something differ-
One of those residents, Dulin Robert, was sitting in the lobby.
"It's going to be quite an election," he said. "People don't know who to vote for. I don't. You can't believe what the candidates say."
At First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway, voting is in the Fellowship Hall, used mainly for wedding receptions, classes and dinners.
Behind the booths hang appliques honoring Christ's disciples. Voters may stand next to a cross and keys applique honoring Simon Peter or a fish and Bible appliple symbolizing the ministry of Simon the Zealot.
The church has been a polling site for more than 15 years, said Cheryl Harmon, director of Christian education.
"We do nothing but open the doors," Harmon said. "The city delivers the equipment, sets it up and takes it down. We just need to have the building open a little earlier than usual."
KU's Allen Field House is another polling site. The booths are just off the running track in the east lobby. Voters can peruse the KU Hall of Fame and relive the Jayhawk's victories as portrayed in the trophy case area.
"They've voted for as long as I can remember," said Floyd Temple, assistant athletic director.
Called to vote
William Scott, Lawrence Democrat, makes last minute calls to voters on the eve of the national election. Several Douglas County Democrats worked last night at their headquarters in the Southern Hills Mall shopping center.
Foreign students frustrated with U.S.election
Kansan staff writer
By Debbie McMahon
The 1988 presidential election has been shallow, and without much voter interest, some KU foreign students said yesterday.
She said she thought it was strange that a campaign could be run on a few seconds of negative commercials.
"My impression of the campaign is that the level of discussion is really, really low." said Annette Kuhlmann, Hamburg, West Germany, graduate student. "People have lost a lot of faith in the process."
Bolin Mamudain focused on the positive aspect of the United State's political system.
"This is a wonderful system you have here," said Mainuddin, assistant instructor in political science from Dhaka, Bangladesh. "Every system has its flaws, and every system has its merits. But in spite of its flaws, it has worked for 200 years or more. And it has ensured a systematic and a peaceful transition."
practice.
Even so, not all eligible voters will exercise their right today, despite systems of communication and transportation that make voting easier for U.S. citizens than for citizens of other countries, he said.
"For Americans, voting is just one normal aspect in life." Maddaind said. "In other countries, developing countries, people take it more seriously because they don't often get the chance to and don't know when they will again."
Whatever the reason for low voter turnout, Heinrich Nissen, Gelting, West Germany, junior, said such apathy bothered him.
"It's scary to me, the disinterest in the United States of America." Nissen said. "Many of my American friends don't really care and feel they have no choice."
he said personalities and prestige were more important here than in West Germany, where the candidate's party had more influence.
engage.
"I think Dukakis is more concerned with the people in the United States." Omar said. "Bush only cares about capitalism and the rich get richer. I think it is always this way between Democrats and Republicans."
with the issues.
Nayef Omar, Sareh, Jordan, senior, said he would vote for Michael Dukakis if he were eligible.
"It's much more of an issue of how good looking your president is than of concern with the issues." Nissen said.
Omar said the U.S. electoral process did not allow just anyone to be a candidate.
"They have to be known in Washington, (from holding other political offices)," he said. "It's just like acting. They are not from the people."
If Tainishing Ma, Taipei, Taiwan, graduate student, were eligible to vote, he would have voted for Dukakis, too.
"George Bush is too conservative," Ma said. "I saw him on television, and he was saying bad things about Dakis. That's not the way I think a president should act. He's so negative."
Ma said that because Dukakis' parents were immigrants, the Massachusetts governor would be able to deal with foreign countries better.
Stephan guilty of breach of contract
Jury awards $200,000
in harassment suit
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — A federal court jury yesterday awarded $200,000 to Marcia Torsonon Stingley, finding that Attorney General Robert T. Stephan breached a contract when he disclosed terms of the settlement of a sexual harassment suit she brought against him six years ago.
However, the jury rejected Stingley's arguments that publicity generated by the Oct. 29, 1985, news conference at which the terms were disclosed had shown her in a "false light." At the news conference, Stephen and a political adviser of Bob W. Storey of Topkea, said that Stingley was paid $24,000 to settle the 1982 sexual harassment suit.
Stingley, a file clerk in Stephen's office for three years until she was fired in 1982, was seeking $5.2 million in the breach-of-contract lawsuit. The jury's award was for actual damages only. It awarded no money for punitive damages.
The jury's verdict after less than hours of deliberations yet remains unchanged.
Stephan declined comment follow ing the verdict, but $ \textcircled{s} $ scheduled a news conference for 2 p.m. today.
Stephan sat at the defense table impassively as the verdict was read just before 5 p.m. in U.S. District Court.
The attorney, general bowed his head and stared downward as Judge Dale E. Saffells dismissed the jury. The assistant attorney general who helped with his defense, Carl Gallagher, comforted Stephan, patting him on the shoulder.
Asked for his reaction, Stephan said, "I don't have any comments — not right now."
storey also declined to comment after the verdict was read, but bulged his attorney, Deanne Hay, and smiled broadly.
Stingley sued Storey for placing her in a false light with his statements at the news conference, but the storey found Storey did nothing.
Stingley declined to say much about the trial or the verdict, although when asked by reporters, she said she was not unhappy about the outcome. She also said she would move back to England after completing until returning for the trial. Stingley filed the suit when she went by the name of Tomson
Defense attorney Gerald Michaud said he assumed the judgment would be appealed, but said he had not asked whether to handle any appeal.
Asked who would pay the judgment, Gallaher said it was too early to discuss the point. The state paid all of Stephan's legal bills in the first lawsuit, but not the $24,000 paid to settle it. That money was raised through donations by friends of the attorney general.
The jury found only that Stephen had breached a contract and set actual damages at $200,000. It said neither Stephan nor Storey held her in a false light, and awarded no punitive damages.
KU requests $5.7 million budget increase for 1990
By Mark Fagan
The University of Kansas is asking the state for a $22.7 million budget for fiscal year 1990, a $5.7 million or 2.6 percent increase over this year's budget.
Kansan staff writer
increase.
The proposal, currently under consideration by the state budget office, calls for a 7.6 percent increase in the total allotted for faculty salaries and the creation of 41.6 new teaching positions. It also covers several mission-related enhancements, with much of the money going toward instruction, libraries and student services.
and student services.
The state budget director's recommendations will be sent this month to Gov. Mike Hayden, who will present his state budget in January to the Kansas Legislature for approval. The budget will go into effect July
Most of the increases come under the Margin of Excellence, the three year plan to
Under the Margin portion of the proposal, the total allotted for faculty salaries would increase by 7.6 percent. Five percent of that would be a base increase to keep pace with the peers, and 2.6 percent would help bring salaries closer to peer levels.
increase total financing of Board of Regents schools to 95 percent of peer institutions and faculty salaries to 100 percent of their peers.
The increase would not be across-the-board; individual faculty salary increases are determined solely on merit.
Sid Shapiro, chairman of KU's Planning and Resources Committee, said that the second year of the Margin was essential.
"There's simply no way to reach those levels without continuing funding of the Margin of Excellence," he said.
In fiscal 1989, which ends June 30, the average salary for an unclassified KU faculty member is estimated at $40,400, or 90.8 percent of peer earnings. In fiscal 1988,
Shapro said that not enough of the money allocated for the Margin in fiscal year 1989 went to faculty salary increases.
the average KU salary was $37,645, or 88.5 percent of the peer average.
"Almost all the money from the first year was spent on needs created by increases in enrollment," said Shapiro, professor of law. "Thus, we really haven't had an opportunity to use the Margin. At the moment, we're trying to use it to hold our own."
brying to ask it.
"We're not talking about building any excellence yet. We're talking about recovering from the catastrophic effects of the addition of hundreds of students to the University."
Several mission-related enhancements also would receive special consideration under the Margin Instruction, which includes interdisciplinary programs, scientific equipment and research, would receive $560,000.
$^{8217, 8218}$ The budget proposal itself is separated into three different proposals based on different levels of state financing.
Libraries would receive $250,000, largely to strengthen buying power for acquisitions.
Student services, including basic services, recruitment and retention, would receive $217,000.
The other two proposal levels are based on May 31 state budget office planning estimates.
The highest level, which includes the Margin, is based on figures approved by the Regents at its June 23 meeting. The $229.7 million proposal is what KU officials want and hope they will get, said Keith Nitcher, University director of business affairs.
"We're optimistic. You have to be optimistic," he said. "It's not just a wish list. The state is in good financial condition, and we has been endorsed by our leadership."
"The B-level really just provides marginal base increases," he said. "In real terms, it would cause a reduction in some levels of service."
The middle level calls for $220.7 million, which could force cuts in University programs, said Michael O'Keefe, state budget director.
The lowest level calls for $12.17 million O'Keele said the state budget office would not consider this proposal because the state was in good financial shape.
("The state) has been that way for a long, long time," he said. "All we need is for the Kansas economy to keep growing. If it does, a lot of good things can happen."
O'Keele would not say which proposal he expected to be approved. Hayden, he said, supported the Margin and would most likely try to approve much of it.
it. 'It's not a question of whether he supports it,
it's a matter of whether he can finance it.'