doily ifirask
thursday, january 16, 1975 lincoln, nebraska vol. 98 no. 65
Economic problems focus of presidents address
(Editor's note: This article examines President Gerald
Ford's State of the Union address given Wednesday.
In Friday's Daily Nebraskan, three staff reporters will
present the reactions of Nebraska Rppresentatives
McCollistef, Smith and Thone, Senators Curtis and
Hruska and Gov. Exon.)
By Jim ZaJewski
In his State of the Union message to Congress
Wednesday, President Gerald Ford called for quick
congressional action to cure the nation's economic
problems.
Ford asked for legislation within 90 days to cut
the high unemployment rate, increase income and
production, achieve energy independence, cut federal
spending, and advance the cause of world
understanding.
The increased income will come in part from a tax
rebate program, he said. If passed, the rebate will
result in a one year tax reduction of $16 billion, $12
billion of which will go to individuals. Ford said this
amounts to 12 per cent of all tax payments in 1974.
The rebate will return $4 billion to businesses,
Ford said. In addition, he proposed reducing the
corporate tax rate from 48 to 42 per cent.
Tax returns by May
If these rebates receive congressional approval by
April, Ford said the first half of these returns could
be made by May and the second half by September.
"Cutting taxes now is essential if we are to turn
the economy around," he said.
Fundamental tax reforms needed are not included
in these rebates, Ford said. However, the proposed
measures do offer the best hopes of creating new
jobs.
Ford asked Congress not to add new federal
programs this year and said he would probably veto
any proposed.
Too many programs
"We have added too many new programs in the
past in which the cost increases every year," he said.
"We must avoid these huge deficits."
Except for energy programs, federal spending
should be restrained in existing programs, he said.
Ford also asked for a five per cent limit on all federal
pay raises.
Calling it "a matter of simple arithmetic," Ford
said only a reduction in federal spending will enable
the federal reserve system to avoid inflation.
Ford cited a need to achieve energy independence
and listed these goals:
A reduction of oil imports by one million barrels
a day this year, and by two million barrels a day in
1977.
-An end to the vulnerability of foreign economic
disruption by 1985.
-The development of every technology and
resource available so the United States will be able to
supply much of the free world with energy by the
end of the century.
Ford said he foresees difficulties between now and
1985 and that Americans will have to sacrifice if the
United States is to become independent of foreign oil
suppliers.
Surplus needed
The United States will need to develop a surplus
capacity if energy independence is to be achieved, he
said. By 1985, Ford said the United States should
have one billion barrels of oil for domestic use and
300 million barrels of oil for national defense on
reserve.
In an effort to cut long-term consumption, Ford
proposed these measures:
Mandatory thermal efficiency standards for all
new buildings.
-A tax credit of $150 for those who insulate their
homes.
A program to help low-income families purchase
insulation supplies.
A deferrence of auto pollution standards for five
years in order to cut fuel consumption by 40 per cent
cent.
In addition, Ford said the United States can
increase its energy producing capacity by 1985. He
said he has a deep belief that the American people
can meet these demands.
By 1985, Ford said the United States should have
200 nuclear power plants, 250 operating coal mines,
150 coal-operated power plants, 30 new major
refineries, and 20 new synthetic fuel shale oil plants.
"Historic opportunity"
Ford said the United States faces "an historic
opportunity" to shape the world. He said this can be
achieved by developing energy resources which would
enable the United States to help other countries in
need.
"If we turn away, the world will unleash new
dangers and unstabilities on the United States," he
said.
Although the outlook on world peace is
"encouraging," Ford said the United States cannot
take international peace for granted. With nuclear
knowledge spreading, he said, American military
forces must not be slighted in their abilities to protect
the country.
Ford also asked Congress not to pass any
legislation that would hamper his ability to negotiate
with foreign countries.
The cause of world understanding must be
advanced, he said, if the United States is to proceed
in the right direction.
"We have the ability and know-how to achieve our
goals," he said. "We can achieve . them with
cooperation from the people, the President, and the
Congress.
"Let us make America again what it has so long
been, a stronghold and a beacon of the light of liberty
for the whole world."
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President Ford Wednesday called for quick action to cure the nation's economic woes.
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Semester
write-off
remains
possibility
By Dennis Onnen
Ever had a semester that would be best
forgotten and written off the books?
That write-off will become reality if a
proposal for a bankrupt academic
semester is passed at the Faculty Senate
meeting Feb. 11.
The proposal would allow a student to
have one or two bad semesters removed
from his records if he provided a good
excuse for his poor showing, according to
ASUN Sen. Jim Macomber.
Macomber, along with Vernon
Williams, director of the Counseling
Center and architecture professor Phil
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Faculty Senate Grading Committee which
formulated the proposal.
Macomber said personal problems
would be a valid excuse. He said that, in
addition to having an excuse, a student
would have to compile 15 hours of 3.0
grade average, 30 hours of 2.5 or 45
hours of 2.0 immediately following the
bad semester in order to have it removed.
Under the proposal, a student would
appeal first to the UNL registrar. If the
registrar then considered the student's
excuse questionable, he would send the
case to the Faculty Senate Grading
Appeals Committee.
"They (the committee) would make a
judgment whether the student's appeal is
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He said some faculty members might
be against the proposal because they are
opposed to change, but Macomber said he
expects it to pass.
"A lot of it depends on who attends
the Faculty Senate meeting," he said.
"They never have a very good turnout."
Williams said he also expects the
proposal to pass.
He said the UNL proposal is modeled
after a similar system in the California
State University system. The plan here
would be less restrictive because a student
would not be required to submit a formal
written appeal, he said.
Macomber said the subcommittee
began its study late last spring. He said
the piupu&a! will be presented ai the Feb.
1 1 meeting by Steve Hilliard, chairman of
the Faculty Senate Grading Committee.
Guidlines suggested for election of ASUN head
Secretary of State Allen Beermann has suggested
new guidelines and procedures for the next election
of ASUN officers.
Now that the ASUN president is a nonvoting
member of the NU Board of Regents, Beermann said,
the elections should follow state election guidelines
and procedures.
In a meeting with Ken Badcr, vice chancellor for
student affairs, Beermann listed 15 areas he said
should be looked into to assure that ASUN elections
are valid.
The law, passed in the November election as
Amendment Number One, states that whoever is
voted ASUN president becomes a student regent.
Not mandatory
Beermann said it is not mandatory that ASUN
accept the suggestions of his office, but that it would
prevent the elections being challenged.
Bader will give the suggested guidelines and
procedures to ASUN President Ron Clingenpeel and
Student Electoral Commissioner Gary Hall.
The 15 guideline areas include notices of elections
which must be run in a newspaper three times before
elections, a poll book explaining procedures, swearing
in poll workers and ballot counters and filing with
notarization.
Bader also said ASUN may be able to arrange with
the city to borrow its voting booths.
Absentee ballots
Provisions for absentee ballots were stressed by
Beermann, Bader said, so students who are sick or out
of town on sport assignments could still vote.
Beermann said, however, that changing the
elections procedure is entirely up to ASUN and the
state "will not be involved."
According to Bader, the money for carrying out
the guidelines must come from the ASUN budget.
"It will take more man hours to organize than
other elections," he said.
But he added that there will be "no need for
massive student fund "
1 wo offices
Bader also suggested that because the next ASUN
president will, in effect, b'e voted into two offices,
students should get out to vote.
"At least the student body president should have a
good turnout," Badcr said.
Clingenpeel said he has not received the guidelines
and procedural proposals from Bader, but that ASUN
is currently working on changes in elections.
