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Ford blasts Carter's programs in Lincoln speecli
By Randy Essex
Gerald Ford might hot be candidate for
president, but, last Week he did his best to
show that his plans to deal with energy
Problems and inflation worked better than
resident Carter's policies.
The ex-president declared at the outset
of his afternoon press conference that he is
not - and has no intention of becoming -a
candidate. ' .
But, "1 learned i long time ago never to
say never," he added
Ford also said his administration left the
country in better shape than It was found
in, and charged the Carter administration
with "blowing" the nation's economic pro
grams, not having a strong enough energy
program i and not supporting the shah of
Iran as had been promised t
In his speech to a sparse crowd at the
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce's annual
meeting, Ford elaborated on his themes.
He said economic prospects are dismal
for the housewife and the working man
alike because the annual inflation rate has
more than doubled since he left office.
Wrong villlan
"The Carter administration is pointing
its fineer at the wrong villlan," Ford said.
Federal spending, not organized labor
and private management, is the real culprit,
he explained to the businessmen who paid
him to speak.
Kelly opposes lower jury age,
says it hurts drinking age bill
By Randy Essex
Grand Island Sen. Ralph Kelly is
worried that legislative approval of a bill
lowering the age of those eligible to serve
on a jury will have ah adverse effect on his
effort to raise the drinking age.
LB234, Which is a comprehensive revis
ion of jury regulations, originally lowered
the jury age from 21 to 18. But the Judici
ary Committee amended the bill so the age
would be 21 Tuesday Neligh Sen. John
DeCamp moved td change the age to 19.
Kelly rose In opposition to the amend
ment t saying that if the age for jury were
set at 19 arguments favoring a uniform age
of majority should Include the drinking
age.
"On that basis, and that basis alone, 1
oppose this amendment" Kelly said. "It
shouldn't be part of the (drinking age) dis
cussion, but It will be."
Kelly argued that those opposing his
drinking age bills will point to the. jury age
and say, "We're giving 19-year-olds the
responsibility to vote on a murder case, but
not the responsibility to drink."
Issues separate
But DeCamp urged passage of his
amendment reassuring Kelly that the
issues Would be separate.
Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, who
supports raising the drinking age, told
Kelly his statement lacked merit.
"You're willing, because of your drink
ing age bills, to deny 19 and 20-year-olds a
trial before a jury of their peers"
Chambers told Kelly.
Chambers argued that any person who
could be brought before a jury should be
able to have a trial before his peers. Since
19-year-olds can face jury trials, Chambers
said, that should be the age for jury duty.
Lincoln Sen Steve Fowler said it was
ironic that the Legislature was considering
keeping a legal age at 21 when the body
lowered the age of majority during turbul
ent times on campuses.
"Now campuses are quiet protest is
frowned on, the accepted way of going
about things is to Work through the
system, and now the Legislature Is telling
them they are hot mature," Fowler said.
"The message we are sending to young
people is 'Don't be quiet, don't be content,
don't work through the system; raise a
little hell,'" Fowler said.
Fowler, DeCamp and Chambers won
their battle on a 25-20 vote, with 24-year-old
Sam Cullan of Hemlngford casting the
deciding vote.
Barry Reutzel of Fremont, who opposes
raising the drinking age, criticized Kelly for
"confusing this issue with LB22 1 ."
Omaha Sert. Larry Stoney, who has
voted to advance LB350 (a constitutional
drinking age bill) from committee, said a
great deal of maturation occurs Between 19
and 21.
Amendment failed
Dave Newell of Omaha suggested that
the age of majority should be the legal age
for all subjects, Including the drinking age
and jury age. An, amendment offered by .
Newell to change "19" In the bill to "age
of majority" failed by a substantial
margin.
Rex Haberman of imperial argued in
favor of keeping the jury age at 21, saying
jtiry duty should not be a learning process.
Lincoln Sen Dave Landis, an attorney,
argued that in addition to fulfilling an
obligation to society, jury duty teaches
citizens about the legal process.
Patrick Venditte of Omaha favored the
higher age, saying many 19-year-olds have
never held a full-time job, and some have
no idea of what money is, and would be
unqualified to determine settlements in
civil suits. Venditte has voted to advance
LB221 from committee.
Bellevue Sen. Frank Lewis said the jury
age could be set as high as 40. Lewis has
Voted to kill LB221.
"Then you could make it between 40
and 45, because we all know people might
begin to diminish after 45," Lewis said.
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fie said a consistent, firm economic
policy resistant to special interest groups is
needed. A balanced federal budget must be
the goal of any anti-inflation plan, and any
thing less would be an economic disaster,
Ford said,
He said that 66 bills he vetoed saved the
country $30 billion, and were part of the
reason his administration reduced inflation
from more than 12 percent to 4.8 percent.
He said Carter's voluntary economic
guidelines would have been more effective
two years ago, and that the present admini
stration "let the horse out of the barn."
Energy problems
Similarly, Ford said the president's
energy policies are "misdirected and Insuf
ficent." He said a better program is needed
to avoid gasoline rationing, a program he
described as very harmful to farmers.
Ford pointed out that he fired James
'Schle singer as secretary of defense, but said
he Would pass no judgment on
Schleslrtcer's ability to be secretary of
energy, his post In the Carter administrat
ion Conservation, Increased production
spurred by deregulation of the oil industry,
better use of coal, and increased, safe use
of nuclear power were described by Ford
as part of a correct program.
Deregulation of the industry, Ford said,
would provide an incentive for oil compan
ies to find new sources of energy.
"The energy problem must be licked,
or industrial nations will continue to face
economic uncertainty," he said.
At the press conference, Ford criticized
Carter for his "up and down" policy to
ward the shah before the shah stepped
down.
Promises undercut
Ford read a toast Carter gave the shah
ort New Year's Eve, 1977, praising the shah
and promising consistent support. But after
that Carter kept "undercutting the shah in
one way or another," Ford said
"If our support had been as consistent
as President Carter said It would be we
could have avoided the chaos and confus
ion in Iran," Ford said.
In his evening speech, he said the United
States now must support the government
of Oman because Iran is no longer pro
American. Ford explained that 60 percent
of the world's oil is transported through a
strait between Iran and Oman
"We didn't worry about the flow of oil
as long as Iran was stable on the one side'
he said, but now the possibility of "road
block" forces the United States to support
Oman.
Saying a revolution is seldom finished
by those who start It, Ford warned that
Iran is "falling apart" and is "just right for
Soviet pickings.''
Treaty cost okay
On other subjects, Ford said the $5
billion the American taxpayers will pay for
Egyptian-Israeli peace is not too high if the
treaty is really a step toward a comprehen
sive Middle East peace.
He said the United States should not
minimize conflict between China and Viet
nam, but should "keep its cool and keep at
arms length."
With "problems at home matched by
global concerns," Ford said it would be
easy to be pessimistic about America. But
he said he is optimistic because the nation
was in adversity.
"I believe the things that unite Us as
Americans are greater than the things that
divide us," he added.
He also said he believes the nation
should have a Republican president, and he
vowed his support to the candidate select
ed at the 1980 convention. Although Ford
was firm in stating his non-candidacy, he
said that he did not think he had to con
duct a campaign to prove his ability to do
the job.
PHOTOGRAPHY, POETRY
FIGTIOB CONTEST
$200 in Prizes
RULES & REGULATIONS
1 . Open td UNL students who are not on the Daily Nebraskan staff.
2. Winners will be published in Fri. May 4 issue of Fathom, Daily Nebraskan magazine.
3. All entries must be submitted with name, address, phone.
PHOTOGRAPHY
1 . Previously unpublished black and white photos of people, places or things.
2. Submit in 8 x 10 or 11 X 14 sizes.
3. Top three will win $50 , $30, $20 respectively.
4. Photos will be returned.
POETRY
1. Previously unpublished poetry no longer than 50 lines.
2. Top three winners will win $25, $15, and $10 respectively.
3. Poetry already submitted to Fathom is automatically entered.
FICTION
1 . Previously unpublished short stories no longer than 2,500 words.
2. Top three winner! will win $25, $15, and $10 respectively.
3. Fiction already submitted to Fathom is automatically entered.
wJf dallu
ALL ENTRIES DUE
BY WEDNESDAY, APRIL. 11
at noon.
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