daily nebraskan
friday, december 1, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 53
Consumers too protected speaker
By Kim Wilt
After admitting that questioning the "consumer pro
tection movement" may be an unpopular stand, Clemson
professor of economics Richard McKenzie did just that
Thursday afternoon.
At a speech sponsored by the ASUN's Convocations
Committee, McKenzie said that putting the government in
charge of consumer protection was "like putting Dracula
in charge of the blood bank."
"How do we regulate the regulators?" he asked. "How
do we protect consumers from the protectors?"
McKenzie said that while product quality, safety, and
consumer confidence in products were desirable, they
came at a cost that was too high.
"Not all consumers want the same amount of safety,"
he said. He cited Health, Education and Welfare Secretary
Joseph Calfiano's recent anti-smoking drive as an attempt
to 'lead us all down the path of righteousness," and said
that people will continue to smoke if they want to,
regardless of the dangers.
Give consumers choice
McKenzie said that he was in favor of government's
requiring information disclosures, as in labeling of
products, because "it still leaves a choice for the consum
er," whereas making products meet certain standards elim
inates such a choice.
"It is apparent that the general well-being of consumers
is being exploited by special interest groups (in govern
ment) in the name of government regulation," McKenzie
said.
As an example, he described Transportation Secretary
Brock Adams, who has proposed that airbags be manda
tory for all cars, as "apparently oblivious to the social
consequences of forced airbags. He assuemd that he had
an obligation to force the purchase on the consumer."
Increase recklessness
McKenzie said that the forced use of airbags will
ultimately lead to an increase in the amount of reckless
driving, because the person in a car supplied with an air
bag will not feel as concerned for his own safety. He said
this would result in increased traffic deaths.
McKenzie said the voluntary wage and price controls
recently requested by President Carter, which would ask
workers to hold wage increase requests to 5 percent or
less, and businesses-to keep prices at no more than .5
percent of last year's increases, were ineffective and
too complex.
He said it was uncertain whether Carter's proposals
will increase or decrease worker incentive and product
ivity. "One may suspect that the regulators do not always
know what they are doing," McKenzie said. "We have an
obligation to seek out information about our purchases,
to know the imperfections of the corrective proposals,
and to find alternative means to correct problems."
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Photo by Bob Pearson
Clemson professor Richard McKenzie says govern
ment protection is like "Dracula being in charge of
a blood bank."
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
Avery Hall, second home for journalists, historians, geographers and chemical engineers may or may not be any worse than
any other building on campus, but someone, sometime, could not resist the urge to speak his or her mind with a black
grease pencil.
Education for blacks stressed at seminar
By Doreen Charles
Atlanta-Despite the progress made by
blacks in the 1960s toward acquiring
higher education, the struggle for equality
is not over, according to Dr. Benjamin
Mays, president of Moorehouse College in
Atlanta, Ga.
Mays, along with National Black Journ
alists Association Chairman Vernon Jarret
and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, was
one of the many speakers featured at a
conference sponsored by the National
Organization of Black University and
College Students. A group of UNL students
from the Afro-American Collegiate Society
and the University Program Council
Culture Center attended the NOBUCS
convention, which was held over a three
day period from Thursday, Nov. 16 to
Saturday, Nov. 18 at Moorehouse College.
The first recipient of the United States
Education Award, the 81 -year-old Mays
stressed the importance of education as
the key to success. Black colleges must
continue to provide high quality educa
tion, he said.
"Black colleges are the last frontier m
the civil rights struggle," Mays stated.
However, he noted. Blacks should strive
to obtain an education the best way they
can, whether attending predominately
white or black colleges.
Bakke decision
The recent Bakke decision marks a
reversal of the progress made during the
period from 1954 to 1965, Mays said.
Blacks can no longer be assured that funds
will be available to them for various pro
grams oriented towards minority students.
Karen Zuniga of the White House
minority affairs staff agreed that obtaining
money was a problem. A large number of
students were denied Basic Educational
Opportunity Grants and, as a result, could
not afford to attend school this semester.
Zuniga suggested that schools invite Wash
ington federal officials to their campuses
to discuss problems.
Civil rights activist Dick Gregory urged
black college students to take the lead in
the continuing struggle for equal rights.
'These fraternities and sororities should
be providing role models for black child
ren," said Gregory. "Students should con
centrate on the more serious aspects of
college and not just the social life, he said.
Gregory jKo pointed out how blacks
must realize hat the struggle in America
for equal right is connected with that of
the people in South Africa. Instead of use
less violence, blacks should organize an
effective protest, he said. General Motors
is a harmful corporation to the South
African people, he said, and blacks should
concentrate on organizing effective activ
ities, such as large scale boycotting of GM
products. Creating violence in this country
will not help their situation.
"People in Rhodesia do not need your
ability for revenge," he said.
Effects of propaganda
Gregory warned students against
succumbing to the effects of the propag
anda spread by the media.
"Movies which glamorize dope and
materialism are affecting blacks minds," he
said. Blacks must not let themselves be
brainwashed , he said.
"Black people must also realize their
connection with the struggle of the Ameri
can Indian, Gregory said. Blacks must unite
with Indians and help each other in the
struggle. Gregory proposed National Red
Brother Week to emphasize the need for
unity between the two groups.
In addition to the presentations from
the speakers, students were able to attend
several workshops in which problems of
black students were discussed.
More BEOG grants
possible next year
By Cindy Coglianese
The abolition of some income limita
tions for Basic Education Opportunity
Grants at UNL will allow a greater number
of applicants in the 1979-80 academic
year.
Financial aids officer Debbie Knight
said students eligible for BEOGs may be
double next year nationwide. There are
2,500 BEOG recipients at UNL this year.
There were about 8,000 applications for
financial aid, and Knight said about 5,500
students have been granted some type of
financial aid.
Knight said the income ceiling dropped
on the BEOGs so now families who were
not eligible under the old formula may
qualify depending on the family finances.
Knight explained that a typical family
of four with an average annual income of
up to $26,000 with one child in college
and one parent employed would be eligible
for a grant. The minimum grants available
will range from $200 to $1,800 a year.
Knight also said that special consideration
has been given to the assets of farm
families.
"By getting more funds for the BEOG,"
Knight said, "we will be able to assist other
students with campus-based loans and
more institutional funds will be made
available."
Knight said interested students should
complete a Financial Aid Form in January.
Forms are available in the Financial Aids
Office in the Administration building.
Doug Seevers, financial aid officer, said
a job location development program is
being implemented for students. The pro
gram is a type of work-study program that
locates jobs for students in the surrounding
community.
Seevers said the program has been
successful since its implementation, adding
that the number of positions has increased
at least 50 to 75 percent.
inside friday
A plea for help: A Lincoln organiza
tion offers drug counseling and
education page 10
A taste of India: Sitarist Ravi
Shankar performs for a receptive
audience page 12
Extra, extra, read all about it:
UNL athletics have been getting
a good deal of extra publicity
lately page 14
