thursday, January 19, 1978
page 4
daily nebraskan
Fee question silently simmers on the back burner
The student fee controversy-it is
much like a baked alaska.
When it came, it was flaming.
People kept adding brandy, it
flamed higher and higher.
Finally, when it reached the NU
Board of Regents table, it was going
strong. ; ;
Now, the issue has been spiked
and is flaring again.
Tuesday night, about a dozen
people met to discuss mandatory
student fees. According to ASUN
president Greg Johnson, it was not
under the auspices of ASUN.
The effort was admirable. The
principle was good.
But when the controversy is spiked
behind our backs, it tends to leave a
bitter taste in your mouth.
The student fee controversy has
been a bitter, hot one, indeed.
At issue is the future of speakers
such as William Buckley and Jane
Fonda-on our campus. There should
be little question that these speakers
benefit the students. They are an
education, be it conservative or
liberal.
In higher education, programs like
the Union Program Council's Talks
and Topics committee provided a
perspective one does not always find
in the classroom. Without mandatory
fees there would be few, if any,
outside speakers coming to UNL.
The cost of bringing quality speak
ers is too high for a single student,
or even for a financially sound stu
dent group, to finance.
It is beneficial to be presented
views different than oursi It can only
broaden our horizons. And, it is
true, some of our horizons need to
be broadened.
What is unfortunate is that above
board discussion of the mandatory
student fees issue has been lacking.
The Young Americans for
Freedom raised the issue by writing
letters and urging constituents to
complain about the funding to the
regents.
ASUN, in turn,has written a letter
to the regents supporting the issue.
There it sits, amidst the regents.
On which side of the table the
regents sit is still unknown. There
seems to be some support, some
dissent.
Meanwhile, all that has been done
visibly (which was by accident)
is what Johnson said was a meeting
of "students" to "give information"
on "the fees question." .
Granted, it looks clandestine.
Granted it is an effort.
But we need something more
substantial.
Both sides of the issue Jiave been
publicly qufefj 'Q ' J .J
The regents remain mum.
All this silence is deafening.
Nebraska politicians are off and running in the race for office
As 1978 opens, talk among those in
volved in politics revolves around the up
coming congressional and the gubernator
ial elections.
For the first time since Nebraska be
came a state in 1867, Democrats could win
control of both the state's congressional
delegation and the governorship, replacing
the Republican party as the dominant
party in Nebraska politics.
At the same time, a hotly contested
primary battle is shaping up for the Repub
lican gubernatorial nomination, a battle
that may influence the direction of the
Republican party.
WOI
gemot?
Gov. J. James Exon, the dominant
force in Nebraska politics for the last eight
years, has announced his candidacy for the
U.S. Senate, hoping to join fellow Demo
crat Edward Zorinsky.
Exon is expected to run unopposed for
the nomination, and must be considered a
favorite to win.
At least two and possibly four Repub
licans will compete for the chance to
oppose Exon in the general election.
Nebraska State Auditor Ray A.C. John
son has announced his candidacy, as has
Don Shasteen, former administrative assis
tant to retiring Sen. Carl Curtis.
Also mentioned as possible candidates
foj the nomination are: state Attorney
General Paul Douglas and North Platte
cattleman Jim Baldridge.
With Exon expected to capture the
Senate seat, the race for the governorship
takes on increasing importance as the best
opportunity for the GOP to capture one
of the three most important positions
in the state.
The eventual Republican nominee will
be called upon to assume a prominent
leadership position in his party, filling a
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vacuum created by the retirements of Sens, former North Platte Mayor Robert Phares
Curtis and llruska. ' and Stan Juelfs, a Kimball oilman.
The campaign has begun to heat with
charges of factionalism and hierarchial
control being made by one candidate and a
pledge to spend up to $300) 00 to win the
nomination from another.
Charles Thone, 1st District represen
tative, must be considered the early front
runner for the Republican nomination, as
he is the only candidate who has been
elected on a large, areawide basis and has
much greater name recognition than his
opponents.
Thone is endorsed by llruska.
Another Lincolnite, former Nebraska
Weslcyan University President Vance
Rogers also is seeking the GOP nod and has
the endorsement of Curtis.
The two Lincoln residents are being
challenged by two men from Nebraska's
expansive 3rd Congressional District,
Phares has raised the question of hier
archial control of the GOP, a control
demonstrated and represented by the
endorsements of Thone and Rogers.
Juelfs, a millionaire, has pledged to
spend $300,000 to compensate for his lack
of name recognition.
Lt. Gov. Jerry Whalen has announced
his intent to seek the top job, and it init
ially appeared he too would be unopposed
in the primary. However, several possible
opponents are being mentioned.
Among those said to be considering
running lot the Democratic nomination are
Douglas County Commissioner Dan Lynch
and Terry Carpenter of Scottsbluff, a
perennial figure on the Nebraska political
scene.
As 'I hone gives up his seat to try for the
governorship, the 1st District House race
becomes important as a political barometer
of Nebraska.
If the Democrats can capture the seat
along with the Senate position, they will
control four of the five votes Nebraska has
in Congress.
The Republicans would like to retain
the seat to offset the Democratic majority
in Washington and to help maintain their
majority in the state.
State Sen. Douglas Bereuter of Utica is
the only announced candidate on the GOP
ticket, but he is expected to be challenged
in the primary, probably by his colleague
in the Legislature, Loren Schmit of
Bellwood.
On the Democratic side, three
candidates are seeking the nomination.
They are: Lancaster County Commissioner
Bruce Hamilton; Hess Dyas, former Demo
cratic state chairman and nominee for the
1st District; and Allen O'Donnell of
Wayne, Democratic national committee
man. In both the 2nd and 3rd Districts, in
cumbents are seeking re-election in what
appears to be relatively "safe" elections.
Rep. John Cavanaugh has only one
announced GOP opponent in the Omaha
dominated 2nd District, Hal Daub, Douglas
County Republican chairman, and is
expected to be unopposed for the Demo
cratic nomination tor a second term in
Washington.
The same situation exists for 3rd
District Rep. Virginia Smith.
She has a probable opponent In Demo
crat Marilyn Fowler of Lexington, a mem
ber of the state Board of Education, and
she is not expected to have opposition
from within the party.
The outcome of these contests will
undoubtedly alter the state's political
complexion.
This could be the year in which the
Democratic party takes firm control of the
state of Nebraska or it could indicate a
return to the Republican dominated past.
But whatever the outcome, these con
tests will make 1978 an interesting year in
Nebraska politics.
letters
to the editor
In reply to Tim Knott's letter to the
editor in last semester's final issue of the
Daily Nebraskan, we would like to take
exception to his charge that the panel
selection was "unfair".
(Editor's note: The pane! concerned the
Norden Darn project on the Niobran
River. It was sponsored by the UNL Geo
logy Club.)
We. believe that the panel members
provided a well-balanced and informative
discussion of the Issues Involved.
In regard to the showing of "an expen
sive promotional film which oversimpli-.
ficd many of the Issues Involved, we
believe that two of the panel members,
William Wayne and Bruce Johnson, did a
more than adequate job of exposing the
oversimplifications.
Also, many additional objections to the
project were discussed during the question-and-answer
period following the. formal
presentations.
If Knott believes most of the Issues
surrounding the Norden Dam Project
weren't touched, he wasn't listening.
In order to keep the program within the
limits of an evening program, It was
decided to construct e panel of four mem
bers, each presenting a 20-minute talk.
Tfiiis schedule was adhered to closely,
with what we believe were successful
'results.
Because of the small size of this panel,
all groups Involved in this Issue, both
pro and con, simply could not have been
represented.
Finally, If Knott believes there might
have been a pro-project prejudice in the
selection of the panel, we would like to
state that several of the organizers of the
Geology Club's Norden Dam Debate
support construction of the proposed
dam, and several members oppose the
project,
Val Kotruus
San ford Sandy Kaplan
Co-chairmen UNL Geology
dub organizing committee
My name is Harlan Roeber, 21. and am
serving one-and-one-half years In the
reformatory,
I have no family and would appreciate
I few pen pals.
I am really harmless and am in jail
for burglary, I'm from Grand hland and
a Libra.
Harlan Roeber 31363
Box8I24S
Lincoln, Neb. 68501