ion Board attempts reconciliation with ASUN
By Mike Patten
The Nebraska Union Advisory Board took a step to
wards reconciliation with ASUN Tuesday night, but
Union Director Allen Bennett may have erased that step.
Bennett told the Board that ASUN charges that stu
dents did not know about the proposed new signs in the
Union were not true.
The Board was meeting for the first time since ASUN
passed three resolutions calling for more student involve
ment in Union policy decisions.
Tcople tell me that the students didnt know about
the signs" Bennett said. 44y frank and honest comment
is that that is Mot of b.s."
"The students that care about the university know
about it (the signs)," he added.
Bennett urged the board to "develop a rapport" with
, ASUN, so that he could feel free to work on projects and
not have to worry about being told to stop because the
students did not have any input.
The Board unanimously approved two motions that
would enhance cooperation with ASUN. The first motion
calls for the Board president to attend ASUN's first meet
ing of every month to serve "as a liaison and advisor" to
ASUN.
The second motion was to provide ASUN with a copy
of the Board's minutes. The Board also passed a motion
calling for a paid-secretary to take the Board's minutes.
Bennett said work on the Union sign project has been
stopped. He presented the "incomplete project" to the
Board- and urged them to take it under advisement for a
Wednesday, february 9, 1977 vol, 100 no. 72 lincoln, nebraska
few weeks.
"I told myself I wasn't going to try and sell this to
you," Bennett said, "because you (the Board) bought it
once. You just never got around to the final review,"
He told the Board it could even table the project for
all he cared, "I know my way around the building," he
said, "1 know where the men's room is."
"I dont have final approval on this," he added. "The
Regents have to turn the key to spend the money,"
Board President Mike Shanahan said the sign project
does not need student approval anyway.
"It's a little ridiculous," Shanahan said, "Do we need
to take a survey before replacing the carpets or painting
the walls?"
Bennett agreed and said the sign project is a house
management decision. '"Signs to us are like doorknobs,"
he said. Bennett said the money for the signs will come
from the Equipment Replacement Reserve Fund. When
asked if the signs will mean an increase in student fees he
replied, "No, absolutely not,"
Bennett said the Union spends "5500-S1 JD00" a year
replacing old signs anyway, and said the Board must ask
itself, "at what point does a 56 Chevy become a 58
Chevy?"
"Sooner or later you have replaced the entire engine
and then you have a "58 Chevy, "he said, '
Snowless winter
saves UN L money
Cold weather has driven heating costs up, but a dry
winter in lincoln is saving money for the city and UNL,
If there is no more snow this year, well be real
happy," said Uoyd Bomberger, superintendent of the
Roads Division of the Lincoln Public Works Dept.
"Lots of salt and sand are still on hand," he said,
and the roads division "may come out in the black"
financially this winter.
Jay Schluckebier, assistant to the director of univer
sity grounds, said, "If we don't have any more snow, well
save 1,000 man hours."
The Grounds Dept. budgeted 4,677 hours for snow
removal for Gty and East campuses, but have used 3,500
hours so far, he said. '
However, the City Campus is running over its budget,
he said, because the snow removal crews have only one
loader and one four-wheel drive truck, compared to two
of. each last year.
'" If there is no more snow, Schluckebier said, the extra
man hours wCl be channeled into inside building improve
ments and repairs such as sprinkler systems. There are 25
to 30 persons on university snow removal crews, mostly
fulltime,he said.
However, snow removal is not the only expense in the
winter, he said. "We are still cutting ice out of the gut
ters" from an earlier storm, he said.
"We don't have to hire outside contractors for a two
inch storm, but if the snow is over three or four inches
deep, expenses go sky high."
7 ft ! f
Photo by Kevin Higity
Rolls and rolls of snow fence have been lying around in the dirt this winter, instead of fighting off drifts of snow,
of which there has been a small amount.
Political part
ies may be possible at State Capitol
By Paula Dit trick
There could be a few parties in the State Capitol if
senators approve a bill now in the Nebraska Legislature's
Constitutional Revision and Recreation Committee.
The parties would not be social gatherings, but
political parties. .
Omaha Sen. David Newell introduced LB 105,
proposing an amendment to strike "obsolete language"
from the state Constitution which requires senators to be
nonpartisan.
Two-thirds of the Legislature and a majority of general
election voters would have to approve the bill before it
could return to the. Legislature for enactment, Newell
said.
Even if LB105 is passed, the Legislature could remain
nonpartisan if the senators wanted to retain that struc-
ture, said Newell, who added that the bill would allow,'
but not demand, the Legislature to become partisan.
partisan. ,
The bill now awaits a decision concerning the Constitu
tional Revision and Recreation Committee's resolution to
conduct an interim study cn the bill.
He said no other state nor the federal Constitution has
such a clause demanding nonpartisanship.
"1 don't think it ought to be in Nebraska s Constitu
tion either," Newell said.
Troper way to go
He'said he believes an amendment was "the proper way
to go," but admitted he was unsure of the likelihood of
the bill's passage. ... . . , .. v.
Predicting that the committees wffl kill the bOl. Newell
promised he would attempt to bring LB 105 out or
committee and onto the legislative nooriftlus happens.
A total of 30 votes would allow the bill to be debated
among the senators. Newell said he thought the bid
could draw the votes necessary to bring it out of
committee.
Lincoln Sen. .Wally Barnett agreed that senators will
vote to bring a bill out of committee so that discussion
can be heard, even though those senators might not favor
Uie bill itself.
Newell, a registered Democrat, said committee
members believe it is- in "their own best interests" to
continue on a nonpartisan basis.
Many senators "don't want a lot of people involved:
They would rather be the kings themselves," he said.
A partisan basis would "increase the opportunities
for direct popular input," he said. A partisan basis would
make it easier -"to affix responsibility on one party or the
other."
Increase accountability
A partisan Legislature would increase accountability
toward the public, and lessen the impact of. special
interest groups, he said.
Newell said, "Better legislation would come out of this
(a partisan) body " He said the voters are the only ones
who do not now know a senator's party and philosophy.
Hemingford Sen. Sam Cullan, who opposes the bill,
said personal accountability is now high among senators,
lie said nonpartisanship maintains an independence which
he called "essential to a unicameral."
Nebraska was rated first in accountability among state
governments by the American Council of State Govern
ments, Cullan said.
Describing his political affiliation as Independent,
Cullan said that if he runs for reelection, he will be elected
on his merits and personal record, instead of riding a
party's bandwagon. '
Cullan said he "strongly predicts the bill won't make it
out of committee." . "
Omaha- Sen. Tom Fitzgerald, a Democrat, said he
receives more calls from Republicans than Democrats.
He said the Legislature now works well and said he
opposes LB 105.
Both Cullan and Fitzgerald are members of the
constitutional committee. The bill's introducer, Newell,
is not. .
Both major political parties have endorsed the bill.
Spokesmen from both parties said their organizations
give senators campaign advice and party volunteers work
in senator's campaigns.
However, neither party gives senators financial support.
Republican State Chairwoman Anne Batchelder of Omaha
said the party hopes to give senators such support in the
future, but added that the limited funds are first given
party candidates.
Batchelder said partisan state senators would provide
"a field of party candidates for higher offices."
She predicted that partisanship would not eliminate
the influence of special interest groups, but added that
such groups find "it easier to pressure an individual than
they would find it to pressure a group."
Nebraska Democratic chairman Dick White called the
Legislature "a powerblock outside the mainstream of
politics" and said partisanship would bring state senators
"into tune with the rest of the country and state."
He warned that the bill faces "an uphill battle to get
through the Legislature." . -
White said a partisan Legislature would draw "not less
attention, but less influence" from special interest groups
and lobbyists.
Both White and Batchelder agreed that the parties
state platforms would be easier to implement with a
partisan Legislature.
News: Back when women had a curfew on cam
pus . . . - p. 6
Entertainment: A relatively raucous round-up of re
cent recorded releases. p. 7
Sports: The recreation office announces intramural
basketball ratings. p. 10
