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thursday, april 10, 1975 lincoln, nebraska vol. 98 no. 109
Legislators preparing for UNL budget fight
By Ron Yylie
Some Unicameral senators are getting ready for
the fight over UNL's budget, emerging from the
Appropriations Committee later this week.
Committee chairman Sen. Richard Marvel of
Hastings said Wednesday he sees some significant
changes in n budgeting procedures concerning
university financing primarily the consolidation of
major areas receiving appropriations.
Many of the recommendations, Marvel said, will
put pressure on those who manage to do a better
in-house job of allocating funds.
Veto override
Considering the prospect of a veto on an increased
university budget, Marvel said, "It's going to be more
difficult to override a veto this year."
Omaha Sen. John Savage said he doesn't believe
that many Appropriations Committee
recommendations will differ from those made by the
Legislative Fiscal Analyst, because "we just don't
have any money to play with."
But Lincoln Sen. Shirley Marsh has been fighting
in the committee for additonal salary increases for
faculty members and said Wednesday she believes
legislators will support a considerable increase.
"We've been able to pull the bill back once this
week already," she reported, "and we've amended it
so maybe some of the flexibility for administrators is
gone, but this will allow for more support."
Back university
Marsh said there is enough support in the
Unicameral to override a veto and that the last
amendment vote on the univeristy allocation (35 to
0) indicates that senators are backing the university.
Marsh said she was concerned about the
university's Areas of Excellence program.
"I think we made a moral commitment for
funding it'for three years," she said.
UNL administrators have started their own
information efforts to convince Nebraskans the
university's budget proposals represent sound
economic policy.
Facing major budget reductions as well as a
promised governor's veto of any allocation over his
recommendations, UNL Chancellor James Zumberge
has issued a policy statement and explanation of fund
use entitled An Open Letter to UNL Friends.""
Zumberge letter
Described as an effort to establish credibility, the
letter asks Nebraska residents to consider "long-term
progress involves more than annual increases in our
budget. It must involve trast between those of you
who pay and those of us who spend."
Zumberge's letter contends that declining
enrollments mean less tuition Tor the university at a
time when inflation costs the system more to do what
it already is committed to do.
Nebraska's tax support for major universities has
not increased as rapidly as other areas, Zumberge
reports. He cited statistics from the American
Association of University Professors (AAUP) showing
UNL has dropped from a 1970-71 position among
Ph.D.-granting institutions, when Nebraska ranked
below 71 per cent of the universities to a 1973-74
ranking which shows UNL below 91' per cent of all
other institutions.
Continued on p.7
Written by Lincoln man
ill would allow deduction
I -
When you fill out tax returns next year,
another item might be added to the tax
deductible list-your college tuition.
HR4727, a Congressional bill introduced by
Rep. Charles Thone, would allow an educational
tuition tax deduction of as much as $490.
If the bill basses, college students could thank
Antony Mark Ruprecht, Nebraska Wesleyan
University. He wrote the bill and is lobbying in
Washington for its passage.
The need for the deduction is evident from
the soaring costs of education, Ruprecht said.
Between 1958 and 1968, tuition rates climbed
34 per cent at public colleges and 59 per cent at
private institutions. The number of college
students tripled in the same period.
Lower income benefits
Ruprecht maintains this tax credit bill meets
the resulting needs of most Americans.
Two-thirds of the benefits would go to families
earning less than $15,000 a year, he said, and
because of a special provision, those with an
annual income over $45,000 are excluded.
The special section was added to the bill,
Ruprecht explained, because of objections that
the first tax credit bill helped the rich more than
lower income families. The new provision
outlines a graduated tax scale, in which families
earning more than $20,000 receive lower
deductions.
The tax credit formula is also weighted in
favor of the public and land-grant colleges,
Ruprecht said. "The deduction is based on 100
per cent of the first $300 of tuition fees and
books costs; 25 per cent of the next $300 and 5
per cent of the next $1 ,000.
"The lower-tuition schools get a higher
percentage of benefits," he said.
Passage possible
Finally, Ruprecht said, this deduction allows
taxpayers to use part of their gross earnings to
pay their own or their children's education.
Since most objections were overcome by the
graduated scale provision, Ruprecht said, he sees
positive possibilities for the bill's passage.
Ruprecht outlined other factors contributing
to the likelihood of the bill's success.
More Democrats occupy Senate and House
seats, he said, resulting in a more liberal
Congress. The House Ways and Means
Committee, where the bill is being discussed, has
also gained more liberal members. Finally,
.Ruprecht added', support from the bill has come
from congressmen, college students, college
presidents and about 300 schools.
Snag support
To snag their support, Ruprecht sent out
letters to various schools which explained the bill
and asekd for the schools' acceptance. He also
encouraged schools to make sure their
congressmen receive a copy of the tax credit bill.
This mailing list is paid for by local
contributions from Lincoln schools-"$175 from
Nebraska Wesleyan University, $100 from Union
College and $150 from UNL."
Ruprecht said contributions were only asked
from Lincoln schools.
"Since the bill originated here," Ruprecht
said, "we want to present a united effort in
Lincoln." Time is also a factor, he added,
because searching for funds requires too many
hours.
Consequently, Ruprecht shouldered much of
the lobbying responsibility. He flew to,
Washington several times.
"Nobody was there to centralize the efforts,"
he said, "so I decided to lobby myself."
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Antony Mark Ruprecht, left, and Rep. Charles Thone in
Washington.
Late April
Indian
pow wow
scheduled
Like a light switch, Pow Wow 75 has
been pn again, off again, and it's finally
on again. The pow wow is now scheduled
for April 25 to 27.
The pow wow had been shrouded in -dispute
between the Minority Affairs
Office, the Council of American Indian
Students (CAIS) and the UNL
administration.
After a series of meetings between the
three groups, an agreement was reached
which ended the boycott of the Minority
Affairs Office by the CAIS and allowed
Pow Wow 75 to be a reality.
Began last year
The dispute between the Indian
students and the university began last
year when Karen Buller, the Indian
counselor, resigned. The CAIS began a
boycott of the Minority Affairs Office
protesting her resignation and asked for
certain measures to improve Indian
student conditions.
- Bad communication, emotionalism
and politics between the three groups
prevented any positive progress, said Ken
Bader, vice chancellor for student affairs.
At a meeting on March 21, the day
three
before spring break began, the Minority
Affairs Office and CAIS v signed an
agreement.
According to Charles Lapointe,
nt cf the CAIS, the agreement had
points: that Cordon Kitto, the
Indian counselor, would not have to sign
the CAIS checks; that Indian students
would have a voice in selecting Indian
counselors; and that an ad-hoc committee
would be established between the
Minority Affairs Office and the CAIS.
$5,000 apiece
Bader said that earlier this year he had
given $5,000 to each of the
minority -ethnic gioups for cultural
activities. However, he said a stipulation
was added requiring that the CAIS checks
to pay for expenses be signed by Kitto.
"The CAIS felt that I was trying to
break their boycott of the Minority
Affairs Office," Bader said. But the
agreement between the groups removed
the stipulation that Kitto sign the checks.
The question of Indian student input
into selection of an Indian counselor was
one of the original CAIS demands when
the boycott began.
The formation of an ad-hoc committee
between the CAIS and the Minority
Affairs office officially ended the boycott
which began in March 1974.
Boycott
According to Lapointe, the boycott is
still in the minds of a lot of CAIS
members, but through the committee,
solutions to some of the Indian students'
problems might be reached.
Bader said he has become
"increasingly distraught" that the
position of the Indian students hasn't
improved, but he added that progress
now should begin.
The CAIS is continuing to make
arrangements for the pow wow, Lapointe
said. He said the pow wow will begin on
Friday, April 25, with Indian speakers.
Over the weekend there will be dancing
contests.
In previous pow wows, traditional
Indian foods had been prepared by
workers in the Nebraska Union. This
year, the food will really be "traditional
Indian food" because it will be prepared
by local Indian women, Lapointe said.
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