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eoioiQ
Improper
proposal
It appears that the same persons who gave us
leaders such as Roman Hruska and J.J. Exon are
preparing to swindle Nebraskans with more bunk.
Leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties
recently have called for tax-supported campaigns,
and it is understandable how they might believe
such a measure is necessary.
The disclosure of the financing of the
Committee to Re-elect the President was alarming.
The committee had a war chest of $50 million. Of
that, $6 million came from 27 contributors.
It is true that some sort of steps must be taken
to stop these massive contributions and the hefty
political influence that goes with them, but
tax-supported campaigns are not the way. In fact,,
such a solution might create more problems than it
would solve.
Most tax-supported campaign proposals touted
thus far have disallowed donations from groups or
individuals. If such a plan were adopted, it would
be a violation of First Amendment rights to be
forced, through taxes, to pay for someone's
campaign.
Another difficulty inherent in such a plan is
what to do with minority candidates.
The entire plan is half-baked. If party leaders
seriously favor tax-supported campaigns, they
ought to present well thought-out plans.
Perhaps a more reasonable solution would be
limiting individual contributions to each candidate
to not more than $1,000 per person. Coupled with
this stipulation would be a law demanding
disclosure of all contributions of more than $500.
But no matter what solution is found, it should
not involve dipping into the public till.
Love Library
22
SJcti? 'north of Libray has been taken
Sown But the danger still exists according to
onstruction workers: The UNL Physical Plant had
Z sign removed. It seems as if someone is
thinking "if we take down the danger sign, the
danger no longer exists."
This is thy same kind of reasoning which gave us
"walking beneath the construction is only as
dangerous as falling on a sidewalk." That statement
was'contradicted by a construction foreman who
said that tools or concrete molds might fall on the
walkway and injure students walking beneath the
three -quarter inch thick plywood canopy. This
sounds suspiciously like someone is trying to take
the easy way out. UNL officials ought to find out
what the actual clangor is. If the corridor is safe, it
should be left open. If it is not, it should be closed.
But one question remains: why wasn't the
walkway checked before school started? Perhaps
because it would have meant (jt eater expense to the
library since it would have had to hire additional
checkers to man the south doors. If that is the
reason, and if the walkway is proved to be
dangerous, then there is something wrong with
administrative priorities.
But if the walkway is found to be safe, then
something still is wrong. Why did it take so long to
have it inspected? Slipshod management seems to
be the answer.
Michael (O.J.) Nelson
Radio broadcasts promote,
improve global relations
The U.S. Senate last week, m one of its few
( ,j r if J steadily less fiequcnt) t non n t 1 1 s of rational
action, finally dppiovil ,i SiAl ? million funding
Icvf.'l foi Radio (Hi1 utope (RH ) arid Radio
Liberty (RL) in fiscal yen At tin; same
time, it admit ably defeated an . irn f -r k i n o.-i ! t by
Arkansas Demoeiat J William I l.ilfbi iijht (sic)
to reduce ihe U.S. fedeial ( onti ibotion to GO
per cent of the radios' operation, il expenses.
These two votes, by in.jojiiis of b If) and
fjb ?0 respectively, repiesent ,, stunning, if not
unexpected, victor fot 'be causes of global
detente and heed -m of thought and
expression, f oi tunalel pete e, every te.json
to hope that the House soon v. ill ratify the
Senate's wisdom on tins t titioal issue.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and others who would kill
RFE and RL are guilty of peddling two
erroneous claims-first, that the two radios are
a financial drain on the U.S.; and second, that
the broadcasts are of dubious value in today's
world and contribute to an atmosphere of
international suspicion and mistrust.
ohn vhscad
differen
drummer
I he Sb'J '? million figum dues not piovide
for any incie.ise in piesent goods, pcisonnel 01
new equipment but meicly would maintain
operations at cunent level-,. While tins amount
is 70 bejbei id. hi fiscal ye. ii ')',', funding, the
incie.ise is needed simply to meet the increased
costs Caused by thed'.,n i lev.ilu.itn n, to cover
normal wage ,m pi j. e mue.ises ,md to
maintain piesent euuipment and far ilities.
In a lel.itive sense, 1 i , the i.idios ate
inexpensive, .hen we cmr.idei tfi.i! the U.S. is
spending '',) billion ye.nl (,u national
security, limad'ast i os!s amount to a mere
one third oi 1 per rent of othei Ameii(;,in
expenses 10 lnif." .mil total i.idio osts ate
page 4
equivalent to the price of only 10 equipped
Phantom jets (an article we regularly sell to
Israel with haitlly a protest).
The charge that the radios are a reactionary
residue from 20 years ago and are no longer
valuable also is without foundation.
Admittedly, the broadcasts contained
dangerously inflammatory material during the
heyday of Secretary of State John Foster
D"lles and his "liberation" concepts.
This, howevei, has been stamped out, and
tin.' broadcasts consist solely of factual news
matter,. Rf f. and RL aie not agents of the U.S.
government (unlike the Voice of America) and
aie run independently sepetatcly and distinctly
horn the Staff: Department or the C.I. A.
f. ast -West relations have improved
significantly in the years since these' stations
have been operating and have caused at least a
sligh' measure of political liberalization in the
targeted Soviet bloc countries. Even
Communist leaders are influenced by public
opinion at home- that is why they wish to
contiol information reaching their peoples.
The lV,i;f)nfjton I'uut, traditionally not one
of my favoiite newspaper., summer) it up
coifctly when it commented: "Detente, if it
in' a 1 1 s anything, means widening the West's
contacts with the ast, not helping the Last seal
off its people from the West. It means the
exchange of people, goods, wools, and ideas.
This is the essential business of R.I: and RL."
Intellectual writers within the Soviet Union
are demanding more freedom of expression. We
must heed the anguished cries for help from
men like Solhemtsyn and Sakharov by
continuing the broadcasts and not ignore them.
Wiitei David Halberstam, (flu; IJmt and tlw
llritjlitrst) who usually has few good things to
say about American foieign policy, has spoken
out eloquently on behalf of the tadios: "In no
way is it part of the real excesses of the Cold
Wai, fot its validity comes horn only one
f.ictoi that it contains the truth To judge it as
part of the Cold War is to find the bioadcaster
as guilty as the jammei.
"Ihe one thing that i m ex t ii niri ,h Radio
f tee I urope and quickly rob it of its validity is
foi these Communist socielies themselves If;
open up teal channels of fiee lApiession.
Most I ast Europeans lorn) foi Rf L to be
phased out but by Radio Waisaw, Radio
I'udapcst, and Radii; Prague Incoming real and
viable radio Stations."
daily nebrasl- jn
afab mmious THfc-ATtrrj oil flow Cutback' if us
MipASr POLICV ISrJorCHM-46eD. news item
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Wednesday, September 12, 1973