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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1975)
doilu mcncioy, spn! 14, 1075 linccin, nGbrssks vol. OS no. 111 a tjUiZm DUG M K id get aericn grow spell trouble for th is By Jim Zalewski If the national budget deficit continues to grow, the United States will spend itself into trouble, according to Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture. Addressing the annual Nebraska Press Association banquet Saturday evening, Butz said federal spending programs must be cut. He cited figures in which he said state the federal government will report its fourteenth deficit in the last 1 5 years at the end of this fiscal year in June. "At the present time," he said, "nearly a third of our gross national product goes to some form of government. The way we are going, in 15 years one half of the gross national product will go to the government." Butz frightened While it took the United States 181 years to record its first $100 billion budget in 1962, Butz said, it took only nine years to hit the $200 billion figure. He said it will top $300 billion this year, and will exceed $400 billion within two and one-half years at the current rate. "It frightens me," Butz said. "This means in the future, one-half of us will be living off the other half. I think it is time to examine ourselves and our spending." Congress must be more selective in their spending appropriations, he said. People are using the current recession as an excuse to get their programs through, Butz said. Spend, spend, spend "Every project is good if you don't put a dollar figure on it," he said. "Spend, spend,, spend. That's all these congressmen know. The more they appropriate new things, the closer , they are leading us to a path of destruction.!'. More investments in the private sector of the economy are the answer, rather than increased government spending, he said. Butz said overbuilding and overspending will mean more inflation in the future. "If there is anything that hurts agriculture, it is double digit inflation," he said. "We must make the dollar worth something again." Farmer productivity The farmers must remain productive by putting some of their own earnings back into the land in order to increase their output, he said. Butz was consistently critical of the Democrat-dominated Congress. "Our Congress has no sense of fiscal responsibility " Butz said. "We are nibbling away at our fiscal resources without putting anything back into the government. Butz was quick to point out he does not include any of Nebraska's congressmen in his category of irresponsible congressmen. He said Nebraska's representatives, including Sen. Carl Curtis and Rep. Virginia Smith who were in attendance, are "doing a fine job" in supporting President Ford's policies in Washington. Weekly editors Butz called on the editors of weekly newspapers in Nebraska to educate the public on the nation's economic woes. "The 'economic literacy rate of the electorate is low," he said. "Somebody must pay for it all, and I can't think of anyone better able to communicate to the public than the weekly editor." Conditions won't change in Washington unless the people communicate their views to their congressmen, he said. "Survival is a strong interest in Washington," Butz said. "You must begin your work here if you want programs changed in Washington." Program backbones Butz said the government was built by people who work and those who work are still the backbone of federal government programs. "We must stop talking about uncontrollable economic items and start setting priorities," Butz said. "Do you want me to spend your money, or do you'want to spend it yourself? I think people have all the government they want to pay for." ... ...... .. .,. .., . . .j I x ; Lit I ' i J ' t ' i .inwirwjiliiiiiimiliill -ly' "'" n.iniirmir-MMMWMin.iiMiJ-fi hiTfirMlitriiirMiilirrinlfiinl " -f WJ ... Duane Acker, UNL vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will leave July 1 to become president of Kansas State University. Acker chosen as new ansas State president Duane Acker, UNL's vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources will leave his position July 1 to gpecome President of Kansas State University (KSU). Acker, who has been at UNL since April 1974, said the KSU job "was a real fine opportunity". He said he "enjoyed working at universities located in the Plains states" and he looked forward to his hew position. He said he had been approached about the KSU job seven months ago, when that institution began its search for a new president. Acker said at that time he did not submit an application for the position. He said he was contacted again March 2 j when he was informed he was a nominee for the job.. Iowa native Acker, a native of Atlantic, Iowa said as KSU president, he will be responsible for overseeing the administration departments of the university. KSU has 16,000 students and a faculty of 4,000. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz said Friday that with a growing budget deficit, the United States could spend itself into trouble. Acker said he will be workine with a budeet of $70 million. He said the job is similar to the position NU President D.B. Varner has over the University of Nebraska, except that Acker will preside over a single campus rather than the 3 campus NU system at NU. Acker will be paid $46,000 in his new position, and the Acker family will live in a house on campus, a benefit included in his job. Continued on p. 7 mum Bruckner: few DWI I 4 mf suggested By Ron Wylie Contrary to citizen complaints and speculations, liquor consumption rose five per cdnt last year, and the city's hosting of conventions was up 348, from 621 in 1973 to 969 in 1974. These statistics are part of the report the Lincoln City Council released Friday after attorney James Bruckner's investigation of police procedures in the community was completed. Bruckner's report said that aggressive enforcement of the law is not the same as harassment, and that Lincoln's arrest rate per capita for driving while under the influence of alcohol (DWI), 16 per 1000 drivers In 1973 and 19 per 1000 in 1974, is lower than other cities participating in the national Alcohol Safety Action Project (ASAP). No evidence of marking cars by police officers nor of tavern "stakeouts" was found during the investigation, Bruckner states. But selective enforcement areas are maintained y patrol officers along streets which statistically yield the greatest number of traffic accidents. Such streets are often the- same as those containing numerous bars and night clubs, the report states. Bruckner reported denial of an arrest quota system by police officials, and said no evidence existed that police promotions were based on arrest" records. But Bruckner found there was a current bulletin board listing kept, which ranked officers by the number of arrests they made. Some overzealous After the' start of his investigation, Bruckner reported, the listing was removed from squad room bulletin boa'rds and said its use has been discontinued. The report said no evidence of police brutality in streets or at police headquarters was found, adding, "there have been no violations of citizens' constitutional rights." Bruckner said that some Lincoln police officers have conducted themselves in an "overzealous manner in the enforcement of the law." . During jailing, some people are being punished for the acts of others, and are denied mattresses or blankets for those placed in holding cells, the report said. Bruckner recommended greater discretion by Lincoln police officers when jailing DWI suspects, asking that they be released to family or friends in most cases rather than be locked away for four or five hours, which his report termed unnecessary. Release procedures Using better judgment on release procedures could ease certain public complaints against police practices, the report contended. Bruckner said that police could usually release the DWI suspect after checking for sufficient identification and assurance of court appearance, checking more often for other means of transportation for the arrestee and by considerating the general condition of the arrestee. This discretion is already allowed to police ofuCcrs by law, Bruckner said. Bruckner also recommended that DWI suspects be given 30 minutes after their arrest to contact a lawyer before being required to give a sample of their breath, blood or urine. And, once such a test is given, citizens should be advised of their rights to have their personal doctors make an examination confirming the results at their own expense, the report continued. Another recornmendation concerning DWI procedures questioned the police policy of towing suspects' cars to city parking lots. The report recommended that cars be turned over to family or friends when possible, or be parked out of, the traffic close to the scene of the arrest. Bruckner further recommended a je-examination of the use of the drug disulferim (antabuse) in the city's probation programs. The drug causes a violent reaction when alcohol is consumed. 7 ' ' y . ' - ..... "'-',,'..
