Wednesday, november 9, 1977
page 4
daily nebraskan
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The machines chime tribute as the numbers
roll by faster and faster going higher and higher.
No it's not pinball. Tnere's no silver ball and
you can't tilt the machine. It's a gas pump, grin
ning its price per gallon at those stuck with the
bill.
Lots of things contribute to the high prices,
many of which are not under local control. How
ever, the Lincoln City Council does have control
over a couple of pennies per gallon. And those
pennies are adding up.
Self-service gas stations still remain a distant-1967-memory
for Lincoln becausethe City
Council has not allowed them since then. As a
result, Lincolnites rack up some good score with
their pinball pumps-but no free games are passed
out.
Ex-CIA director gets by with little lie
because he is establishment member
Washington-The American public probably couldn't
care less, but there is a lot of buzzing here about how
Richard Helms, one-time CIA director, got off on charges
of lying before a Senate committee.
Most Americans these days are alternately enjoying
the glorious autumn season or fretting over the expenses
of the upcoming holidays and a tough winter.
In Washington, however, there was discussion and
debate over whether Helms, who- admitted lyu - ider
oath for what he believed was the good of the country,
should have been punished or treated in the mild fashion
he was.
Back in 1970 the Nixon-Kissinger axis was concerned
that Marxist Salvatore Allende would become president of
Chile in the scheduled free election. Since the Soviet
Union and other Communist nations had long helped
subsidize Leftist forces and publications in Chile, the
Nixon White House reasoned that the United States
should do the same for the opposition to Allende.
nick thimmesch W
Millions of dollars were funneled to these pro-American
forces in Chile, some of them through the branch of
an American bank in Uruguay. The CIA was in charge of
this operation, although its specialists already had
declared that "the U.S. has no vital interests within
Chile," yet also claimed there would be "tangible eco
nomic losses" if Allende became president.
The CIA also saw such an event as a "psychological
setback" for the United States, while noting that it would
not significantly alter the world power balance.
Balance of power
Nixon and Kissinger were worried about such matters
as American strength and the balance of power, so they
enlisted Helms in the an ti-Allende effort. Helms was in up
to his neck.
But when he was questioned about it under oath in
early 1973, Helms waffled and wavered and did not tell
the truth.
When Watergate rushed and the CIA investigation
followed, Helms secrets were revealed. The Department of
Justice initiated its inquiry into Helms' testimony two
years ago, and the Carter Administration was left to see
the case through.
Helms had been in trouble before in this town and was
never prosecuted. While Watergate figures were scorned
and spat on in public, Helms was feted at small dinner
parties by leading members of the establishment,
including senators, journalists and others who should have
been investigating him.
That was his good luck as a long-certified member of
the establishment. Henry Kissinger enjoys the same good
luck. Kissinger also lied under oath a fair number of times,
but show me the person who will prosecute him and I will
pCf l$ A5AUT
show you a ghost of the Revolutionary War.
Only pillar
The Hon. Leon Jaworski, orice confronted with allega
tions that Kissinger had lied under oath, sputtered: "But
Henry is the only pillar left in this Administration."
Helms lied under oath, but so did others who were
prosecuted and wound up in the slammer. Helms cited
national security in his defense. So did John Ehrlichman,
but he never could get it into the record, and he now
works nights in a federal prison camp.
In this town there are many connections between law
firms, corporations, labor unions, foundations, special
interest organizations, layers of upper-level bureaucrats,
lobbyists and hangers-on. Put them all together and they
spell establishment.'
Launch a major assault on the establishment, and you
are in trouble. Be fortunate enough to be a central, even
quiet, figure in the establishment, and you wind up plead
ing no contest to misdemeanor charges. Your name?
Richard Helms.
Some purists in this town complain there is a double
standard of justice, and indeed there is. Some declare that
if Helms gets off this way, others in the establishment will
lie to congressional committees in the future. Indeed,
they will. Some people say that life itself is unfair. Yes, it
is.
There haven't been too many basic changes in human
nature since Adam and Eve.
Copyright 1977, Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
Harlow Hyde, independent candidate for the
First District Congressional seat, brought up the
self-serve issues last week. Although he claims
he's not trying to pump the issue for campaign
purposes, we have a hard time buying that.
Despite Hyde's motives, the issue deserves
discussion.
City Council Chairman Richard Baker says
it's a matter of fWsafety. Self-service stations are
more dangerous, he says.
We cannot accept that. Statistics indicate that
self-serve stations are not much more dangerous
than stations with attendants.
The real difference is price. It costs less at self
service stations because there is no attendant to
pay.
Self-service successfully has swept the rest of
the state. Gas station owners say all types of peo
ple pump their own gas from businessmen in
three-piece suits to the high school kid getting a
dollars worth for the big date.
The latest survey by the American Automobile
Association indicates that average gas prices in
Nebraska are at a record high. The City Council
should help stop that mad race to go over the
top on the pinball pumps.
letter
So the editor
Thank you for an interesting account of the Fourth
Polar Bear Chess Tournament (Daily Nebraska Nov.
2). However, I would like to call your attention to a
rather large factual error.
The article states that Loren Schmidt was beaten
by Brett Martin in the tournament. This was not
the case. In fact, Bruce Draney, Brett Martin, and
Loren Schmidt tied for first place with four wins,
no losses, and no draws. (This tie was because of the
large number of entrants.)
The trophies were awarded on the basis of tie-breaking
points. These are determined by the results of the
player's opponents through the tournament.
Since Mr. Martin's four opponents scored 10M
points as opposed to my opponents's 10 points,
he was awarded first place, and I second.
Loren Schmidt
Captain, UNL chess team
Bottle bill: a question of resources
With the issue of whether Nebraska is to have a bottle
bill (Legislation seeking to discourage the use of throw
away bottles) again fast approaching, it is appropriate to
place the comments of Mike Simpson, Midcontinent
Bottlers of Omaha (Daily Nebraskan, Nov. 4) in pers
pective. It has long been recognized that the strongest, and per
haps only, opposition to the bottle bill has come from
those with vested interest in the retention of nonreusable
bottles: the container manufacturers.
James curtiss
guest opinion
Their influence has been strongly felt in other states,
where they have marshalled their, resources to defeat or
repeal bottle bill legislation time and again.
In Washington state, an initiative providing for a man
datory five cent deposit on bottles and cans was defeated
The author is a second year student at the NU Law
College. He is from Lincoln.
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after a $1 million newspaper and television campaign op
posing the measure.
Similar 'Victories" have occurred throughout the
nation and will continue so long as (1) the public is mis
informed (2) state legislators continue to sell out to the
bottle industry.
This nation currently manufactures 60 billion throw
away bottles a year, requiring 3.8 million tons of glass.
Moreover, it is an avowed goal of the bottle industry to
increase production to 100 billion nonreusable bottles
annually.
Given such an outrageous waste of our natural re
sources, one thing is clear: non-reusable bottles are not
economically desirable.
Energy requirements to manufacture glass are consider
able. Between 6 and 7 million British thermal units
(BTUs) are needed to make a ton of glass from raw
materials. In one year alone, the unnecessary expenditure
of energy to produce nonreturnablc bottles amounts to
211 trillion BTUs. This represents the energy consumed
over the amount required to produce only to the
returnable bottles would reduce the energy used by
about 40 percent, contrary to the allegation by Mr. Simp
son that the use of nonreturnable bottles saves energy.
As for the economic "benefit," nonreturnable bottles
bestow upon the consumer, it has been determined that
the use of throwaway bottles adds seven cents to the cost
of a beverage above the cost of the same beverage in a
returnable bottles. Complete conversion to nonreturnable
bottles would save consumers $1.4 billion per year.
Finally; the aesthetic costs of increased roadside litter
are categorically Ignored by the bottle Industry in its
never-ending campaign against the returnable bottle. Am
ericans discard 60 billion cans and 30 billion bottles an
nually, creating solid waste disposal problems of immense
proportions.
There is no doubt that nonreturnable botllcs represent
a convenience for the American public. The larger issue,
however, is whether we can continue to tax our resources
at an ever-increasing rate without serious consideration of
the real costs associated with such consumption.