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Wednesday, February 29, 1C34
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vo. 83 No. 110
Sales and income tan rates
considered in Legislature
Craig An2resenOs;y r.e&rsskan
John Hurray ir.al:es a p Lr.t about the efTects of TV violence on children at,
a emir.ar cn the subject at UNL's Law College Tuesday afternoon.
i v violence -examined
EyJchnIccprr.n
On the one hand, studies have
shown th at viewing violence cn television
seems to be significantly related to
violent behavior in children, according
to John Murrey, psychologist and direc
tor of youth and family policy at Boys
Town. '
' On the ether hand, he said, "cur
rently there is no evidence to surest
that the implications are long-range or
particularly negative.
On the cne hand, considering the
nature of communications law as it
applies to broadcasting, further reg
ulation and censorship could be forc
ed upon the industry if TV violence is
found to be excessively harmful, ac
cording to John Snovden, associate
professor cf law at UNL.
On the other hand, he said, plaintiffs
have had a poor record in lawsuits
which tried to claim damages due to
TV violence sgainst media companies.
On the one hand, television i3 re
sponsible for bringing a wide variety of
culture and other beneficial program
ming to children and people of all ages,
according to Larry Walklin, chairman
of UNL's broadcasting department.
On the other hand, he said, the
broadcasting industry generally reg
ulates itself and tries to stay within the
guidelines of federal statutes concern
ing obscenity, nudity and other such
areas.
The three spoke Tuesday afternoon
at a seminar entitled TV Violence, Child
ren and the Law" held at the UNL Law
College.
Murray defined three responses
found in children who watch a great
deal of television, especially cartoons.
He said they are "desensitivized"
they have less reaction to violent
scenes , . -
Others have a different perception
of the world, he said. They are more
likely to fear society and be more
restrictive in their movements outside
the home.
Murray noted the same character
istics are found in the elderly, another
group which watches more television .
Snowden explained a number of
ways the government could regulate
TV violence. It could proclaim violence
is not in the public interest or it could
say it is in the public interest and order
opposite programming or pro-social
programs.
The government, he said, could man
date that TV be shown only at certain
hours of the day. It might order that
manufacturers install lock boxes on
television sets. And it might require a
warning be aired prior to any show
which contains violence.
Walklin said broadcasters don't go
out of their way to program harmful
shows. The question, he said, is
whether, the media is responsible for
what happens in society.
By Patty Pryor
A number of bills to establish state
sales and income tax rates were heard
before the Legislature's Revenue Commit
tee Tuesday.
The current income tax rate is 20
percent; the current sales tax rate is 3
xh percent, with an extra lh percent tax
which automatically expires near the
beginning of April.
The proposals for next year's rates
vary from 18 percent to the current
rate for income tax and either 3 percent
or the current rate for sales tax.
LB892, sponsored by the Revenue
Committee and presented by Donald
Norden, counsel for the committee,
would leave the rates as they are.
Support for the bill came from represen
tatives of agriculture and education.
Jim Wickless, director of the Nebraska
Association of School Boards and a
Lincoln Board of Education member,
said sufficient funding is necessary to
make strides in the quality of public
education.
Increased funding would help bolster
teacher retirement programs and take
some of the burden for educational
costs off property taxes, Wickless said.
"(LB)892 is the only bill that would
provide this," he said.
David Putensen, a member of the
Nebraska Task Force on Excellence in
Education, and Sue Ellen Wall of the
Nebraska PTA also spoke on behalf of
LB892.
"We're one of the only states in the
nation that relies so heavily on property
taxes for educational funding," Wall
said.
If anything, she said, sales and income
tax rates should be raised to help
accomplish the goals set out by the
task force.
Neil Oxton, representing the Farmers
Union of Nebraska, also supported
maintaining the current rate.
Farmers, especially, need property
tax relief to survive today's market
economy, he said. Reducing the sales
and income tax rates will only increase
their property tax burden.
The most drastic cut in rates is
proposed in LB770, introduced by Sen.
Chris Abboudof Ralston. The bill would
establish an 18 percent income tax
rate and a 3 percent sales tax rate.
"Our tax rates are no longer competi
tive with neighboring states," Abboud
said. A study conducted by the Arthur
Little consulting firm showed that in
1981, Nebraska had the fewest new
plant locations among 11 neighboring
states, because of high tax rates.
More reasonable tax rates would
cultivate consumer spending and speed
economic recovery, Abboud said.
A third measure, LEC53, would als
Continued cn Page 2
A former Soviet Union consultant
for SALT negotiations Monday warned
thai discontinuing deployment of Persh
ing II and Cruise missiles would in
crease the likelihood of a Soviet nu
clear attack.
Dr. Igor Glagolev, who defected from
the Soviet Union, said deterrence is the
only method "here and now" to pre
vent a nuclear war. Therefore, it i
necessary for American existence that
U.S. strategic forces become less vulner
able. In a speech Monday night sponsored
by the Nebraskan Young Americans
for Freedom, Glagolev said the Soviet
military has gained an edge in nuclear
weapon power over the United States.
The U.S. military, he said, must res
tore its strategic defenses through
rapid production of the MX missis
and B-l bomber, deployment of stra
tegic bombers and mobile missiles out
side the United States; an increase in
the number of patrolling submarines
with nuclear ballistic missiles; and de
ployment of an anti-satellite system to
detect a nuclear attack.
During the last 20 years, several U.S.
administrations decreased the coun
try's strategic forces, Glagolev said.
Soviet administrations welcomed each
reduction as an opportunity to further
communist influence.
Continued cn Parte 7
; , : ,
L i . J
Inside
UNL students respond to the university's
proposd to build a performing arts center
.. .... Pc-s-4
Harvard and Nebraska officials disagree
on the value of SATs and ACTs Pcd 0
Oklahoma State's Cowboys threaten to
dominate Big Eight baseball in 1S34...
............ Pc-3 9
Index
Arts and Entertainment. 10
Classified 11
Crossword . ..12
Editorial 4
Off The Wire 2
Sports S
Equality not uniform in military
By John Ko
Despite many advances toward racial and sexual
equality, all is not well in the military, said a social
actions officer at Offutt Air Force Base.
"Racism and sexism are alive and well in the Air
Force, and it exists in enough of a proportion to hold
back blacks and women," Jeff Ross said Monday
night.
Ross spoke of discrimination problems in the Air
Force as part of UNL's Black History Month celebra
tion. Newman Dalton, a retired Air Force Captain,
also spoke.
Ross said that from the racial turmoil and riots of
the 1930s came a series of Pentagon and Air Force
regulations designed to ensure equal opportunity
and treatment. The four main steps consisted of:
The Human Goals Proclamation was a "blanket"
order designed to rid the military of racism. It
encouraged "respecting" one another, Ross said, but
it didn't work because it was too vague.
DOD Directive 1322.11 spoke of "easing racial
tensions" and "getting along better with one another,"
but that didnt work either, Ross said.
Executive Order 1 1478 defined anti-discrimina
tory practices for military personnel as well as civ
ilians working on military bases.
Air Force Regulations 30-1 and 30-2 said dis
crimination by active Air Force personnel would not
be tolerated, and people "who could not practice
these standards would not be fit to command. Ross
said the orders showed that the Air Force was
committed to the idea of equality.
Most recently, the Air Force accepted the condi
tions of Affrmative Action. Ross said the Affirma
tive Action plans in the Air Force are not the same
as those in the rest of the country. He said it seeks
parity, equal treatment, equal selection and equal
representation.
"We want equality, that's all it says," he said.
Ross said the Air Force has instituted four phases
of interracial communication designed to help
members of different races and sexes better under
stand one another's problems.
Dalton, who spent 25 years in the Air Force, said
he thinks the Air Force no longer places as much
emphasis on affirmative action as before. One can
think of the problem as that of a pendulum, he said.
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