daily nebraskan
monday, november 6, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no.41
Polls predict precedent in Nebraska Senate election
Analysis by L. Kent Wolgamott
Nebraskans appear to be ready to set a
precedent, jump off a bandwagon, and de
feat an environmental clean-up measure
when they go to the polls on Tuesday.
The precedent would be the election of
Democratic Gov. J. James Exon to the
Senate, allowing him to join Edward Zorin
sky as the first two Democrats from Ne
braska to serve in the Senate
simultaneously.
Exon seems to be riding the crest of his
high popularity as he leads Repuclian op
ponent Don Shasteen by over 40 percent
age points in copyrighted polls released
Sunday by the Omaha World Herald and
the Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star.
He led Shasteen by 67 to 25 percent in
the World-Herald poll conducted by Joe
B. Williams and by 64 to 20 percent in the
Journal and Star poll conducted by Selec
tion Research Inc.
Off bandwagon
The bandwagon which Nebraskans
appear to be prepared to abandon is the
national tax revolt begun by the passage of
California's Proposition 13.
Proposition 302, Nebraska's tax
measure, which would place a five percent
limit on increases in local government
spending, has lost support since it was
placed on the ballot by citizen initiative
and now seems headed for defeat, accord
ing to both polls.
The Williams poll shows 35 percent of
the 753 Nebraskans surveyed favor the
measure while 50 percent say they oppose
it.
Similar figures are presented by the SRI
poll which indicated 29 percent of the 930
people surveyed favored the
lid while 45 percent opposed the proposed
amendment.
The results of both polls are reversals
of earlier surveys which indicated support
for the measure by those surveyed.
Efforts by teachers, school boards, fire
fighters and other local groups against the
posposal should be credited with any
change in opinion which has occured.
Bottle bill reversal
Another reversal in opinion occured on
Proposition 301 , the bottle bill.
Polls taken by Williams in August and
September showed the bottle bill was sup
ported by 60 percent of those surveyed.
However, the poll released Sunday re
ported an about-face in opinion as only
36 percent of those surveyed support the
measure while 58 percent opposed it.
The reversal may be attributed to the
advertising campaign waged against the
amendment by Nebraskans for Freedom of
Choice.
Proponents of the measure have filed
charges with the Nebraska Political
Accountability and Disclosure Commission
which claim the ads in the estimated
$350,000 campaign, have been misleading,
charges which the opponents deny.
Too close to call
Two of the five major races for state
and national office remain too close to call.
The contest for the governorship be
tween Democratic Lt. Gov. Gerald Whelan
and Republican Rep. Charles Thone and
the 1st District House race between Demo
crat Hess Dyas and Republican State Sen.
Douglas Bereuter are very tightly con
tested, according to the polls.
Although both polls show Thone
leading, the SRI poll indicates a change by
Whelan who has come to within four per
centage points of Thone at 41 to 37 per
cent, narrowing a 14 point gap to a point
near the statistical margin of error-plus
u ''Ih!5 "safest dryi ' "f
Photo by Ted Kirk
The distance from the intersection of 27th and O streets to the O Street viaduct seems so close, bui yet so far. . . This photo
was taken with a telephoto lens.
or minus three percent-for the statewide
survey.
However, the Williams poll showed
Thone increasing his lead by four percen
tage points from 49 to 53 percent, while
Whelan stayed at approximately 40
percent.
Both polls were taken over the same
period of time, from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1
with the Williams poll being conducted
on the last three days.
Aggressive campaign
Whelan has continued his aggressive
campaign since the polls were taken, at
tacking Thone for his "veto" of a
rebroadcast of their debate on Nebraska
Educational Television.
The polls also vary on the leader of the
Dyas-Bereuter race with the Williams poll
indicating a 6 point lead for Dyas at 47 to
41 percent while SRI's poll shows Bereuter
leading 42 to 38 percent.
Both of these leads also are close to the
statistical margin of error for the samples,
indicating an extremely close race.
So, it seems these races will depend on
voter turnout to decide the winners.
Both the Dyas and Bereuter campaigns
have shown their ability to get voters to
the polls, Dyas in his 1974 and 1976 Con
gressional campaigns and Bereuter in this
spring's primary race against State Sen.
Loran Schmit.
The Thone organization has traditional
ly been strong in the First Congressional
District, but it remains to be seen if this
ability will be carried statewide.
Voter turnout
Whelan should be aided by the heavy
turnout in predominantly Democratic
Omaha being predicted by Douglas County
Election Commissioner. A high turnout in
Omaha and a good showing in Lincoln,
aided by the Dyas effort could be the cru
cial points for the Whelan campaign.
Weather also could be a large factor in
fluencing voter turnout. Although it is
difficult to determine which candidates
would benefit most from poor weather,
Thone probably would be aided most by
weather which allows farmers to leave their
fields and go to the polls.
Representatives John Cavanaugh and
Virginia Smith are maintaining comfor
table leads over their challengers.
Cavanaugh leads his Republican chal
lenger Hal Daub 52 to 37 percent in the
SRI poll and 57 to 38 percent in the
Williams poll, despite Daub's efforts to
make Cavanaugh and his record the issue in
the campaign .
Smith, demonstrating a popularity equal
to that of Exon, leads Democrat Marilyn
Fowler by margins of 73 to 12 percent in
the SRI survey and 76 to 20 percent in the
Williams poll.
Free home-weather izing available to qualifying students
By Randy Essex
Off-campus students shivering from the
knowledge that winter's low temperatures
and high heating bills are just around the
corner may be able to find some warmth in
knowing they may qualify to have their
rented homes we atherized free.
The Lincoln Action Program provides
free insulation, weather stripping, caulking,
storm windows and doors and labor for
persons whose incomes are low enough to
meet federal guidelines, according to
Donald Hunter, LAP executive director.
Hunter said low-income tenants in need
of the service are eligible if they pay utilit
ies and if their landlords sign a form
promising not to raise rent for one year
after weatherization.
"Some landlords won't go along with it,
but most do because their property is being
improved at no cost to them," Hunter said.
Hunter explained that two federal
agencies, the Department of Energy and
the Community Services Administration
provide money for materials and determine
who qualifies as low income.
Income levels
A person living alone making less than
$3,140 a year qualifies under energy
department poverty levels. Two people in a
household whose combined annual income
is less than $4,160 also meet those require
ments. Energy department levels for three and
four people in one house are $5,180 and
$6,200, respectively.
Community Services Administration in
come levels are more liberal, Hunter said.
One person making less than $3,925
annually qualifies for CSA materials. Two
people must make less than $5,200, three
must make less than $6,475 and four less
than $7,750.
However, Hunter said, LAP runs into
problems with duplexes and other multi
ple family dwellings. All people living in
the unit must be classified as low-income
or the house cannot be weatherized under
the program , Hunter explained.
LAP recently received $60,000 for the
program from the energy department and
$7,100 from Community Services Admini
stration. Hunter said. He added that CSA
provided $45,000 about a year ago and he
expects the agency to provide more funds
soon.
"This money comes in on and off," he
explained. He said money is directed to
LAP by the State Department of Energy,
which receives federal funds directly.
Labor costs
Labor costs for the program are paid
with funds received from the Lincoln
Urban Development Department, the
Lincoln Comprehensive Employment and
Training Act office and the State Depart
ment of Labor, Hunter said.
The money is provided partly because
weatherization saves energy and partly in
an effort to improve communities and low
income standards of living, according to
LAP literature on the program.
Linda Dohmen, secretary for program
coordinator Jim Glisan, said 250 homes in
Lancaster and Sanders counties were
weatherized under the program from
October 1977 to September 1978.
Dohmen said 20 of those homes were in
the Malone neighborhood of Lincoln and
54 were in the Clinton area. Malone is just
east of the UNL city campus, north of O
Street, west of 27th Street and south of X
Street (approximately).
Clinton is north of Malone, borders the
city campus to the west, east campus to
the east and Comhusker Highway on the
north. Both neighborhoods house many
UNL students.
Hunter said the average cost for
weatherization is $500 per home. He also
said he hopes the Department of Energy
property levels are "liberalized" in accord
with CSA levels.
People believing they are eligible should
apply at 1908 S St. for free weatherization.
inside monday
Not quite a piece of the rock: A
new approach to health care
comes to Lincoln in January
page 8
Rock V roll returns: Dylan put a
new face on old songs in Omaha
Saturday page 12
Wish Saturday would come Sooner:
Huskers prepare for Oklahoma by
beating Kansas 63-21 at Lawrence
page 14
