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friday,april20, 1979
llncoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 114
Cavaiiaugh di
By Barb Richardson
The United States' obligations to care
for its resources, elderly, veterans, and,
education are not being filled, but could be
through a mandatory public service pro
posal, according to Rep. John Cavanaugh,
D-Neb.
Cavanaugh spoke to about 200 people
Thursday in the Nebraska Union about the
Public Service System proposal he present
ed to the House of Representatives April
10.
Under the proposal all males and
females must register for a six-month
period they would be available to serve
either in the U.S. civil service system or in
the U.S. military.
Those registered have the options of
volunteering for 18-months of active
military duty to be served between the age
of 18 and 26, volunteering for six months
of active military service followed by three
years of active reserve or volunteering for
two years of civilian service.
Conscription
If individuals do not wish to volunteer
for anjbf the above, they will be subject
to a random selection by the government
for 18 months of active duty in the
military, active military duty for six
months followed by a three year period of
duty in the reserves, or two years of work
sciisses conscription plan
in civil service.
Those people who fail to register for
duty under the proposal will be ineligible
for federal grants, loans, or scholarships.
Cavanaugh said that one of the premises
of the proposal is that the nation is not
meeting its obligations.
Social inequity
He outlined those obligations as main
tenance of U.S. forests and natural re
sources, the care of the nation's elderly,
the care of veterans, the construction and
maintenance of U.S. highways and the
maintenance of the quality of education in
the U.S.
"We have a diminishing capability to
meet these obligations," Cavanaugh said.
"The basic problem that disturbed me is
the social inequity," he said about the U.S.
military force.
Cavanaugh said more than 30 percent of
the army is made of minorities "primarily
black."
The figure is disturbing because 35 per
cent of the minority population is un
employed, he said.
"What we have now is a system of racial
and socio-economic conscription," he said.
The minorities and poor cannot get jobs
so, they turn to the service, Cavanaugh
said.
"Ultimately, I think the proposal I have
put forward will meet the needs," he said.
You may not agree with the solutions,
but each of us has an obligation."
When asked by a member of the audi
ence why his proposal is limited to those
between 18 and 26, Cavanaugh said that
time period is the less disruptive than
others in most people's lives.
The pool to draw people to service is de
creasing, the nation's reserves are decreas
ing, and the cost of a volunteer service is
increasing, Cavanaugh said, answering why
a peace time draft is needed ,
Cavanaugh pointed out that the Secret
ary of the Army recently announced that
the Army plans to spend $20 million on re
cruitment next year.
The representative told the group earlier
that his proposal will save the nation $2
billion in the civil service branch and $3
billion in the rnilitary.
Signs such as "Conscription is an invas
ion of Privacy," to "The 13th amendment
to the U.S. Constitution prohibits involunt
ary servitude-resist national service," in the
audience indicated disapproval of the pro
posal. Realizing that fact, Cavanaugh said, "I
think this proposal has great difficulties
ahead."-
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
Senator John Cavanaugh
Prokop letter provokes request for NU investigation
By Randy Essex
Four state senators said Thursday they
will introduce a resolution calling for legis
lative investigation of at the least the NU
Foundation, following a meeting with NU
Board of Regents Chairman Robert Koe
foot and NU President Ronald Roskens.
An interim investigation would be con
ducted during the summer, if the resolu
tion passes. The resolution is the result of
a letter written by Regent Robert Prokop,
charging that the regents and university
administrators have taken part in a
coverup.
Sens. Bill Burrows of Adams, Harold
Sieck of Pleasant Dale, Nelson Merz of
Falls City and Richard Maresh of
Milligan said the proposal will advocate
investigating the NU Foundation, and
might include outside consultantships held
by university professors.
The four are among seven senators who
received the letter from Prokop and who
met with Prokop Tuesday and Koefoot and
Roskens yesterday. They said they were
bothered by Koe foot's general attitude at
the meeting.
DisreeabIeM
Sieck described Koefoot as "disagreeable.-
Koefoot said, "(the Prokop letter) has
done more to destroy the university than
anything I know of. I cant see "how it can
help when (the accusations) are complete
falsehoods.
- Maresh said he is most concerned about
the NU Foundation because its activities
and salary structure is not out in the open.
The NU Foundation is a private, non-profit
organization which raises money to the
university.
Burrows said that although the founda.
tion is private, it is a creature of
the state m that it is a torporatioft. Herald ?
he is concerned that benefits the Organiza-'
tion provides administrators gives it an
undue amount of influence in the manage
ment pf the univeristy.
"The benefits could give the foundation
a share of influence Over individual
administrators, Burrows said.
Spending accusations
But Koefoot and Roskens were firm in
their defense of foundation activities and
integrity. Roskens said Flavel Wright,
legal counsel and former chairman for the
foundation, "has always applied stringent
restrictions" on the spending Of funds.
Burrows said questions have been raised
as to whether the foundation has-made
contributions to political campaigns,
which is illegal for non-profit Organiza
tions. But Roskens and Koefoot said
Wright and other members of the:
foundation 'would never be involved in il
legal activity.
A Nebraska Event: Pictures, and.
story illustrate the migration of?
the Sandhill crane '. .page 1 1. :
Parting shots: Health officials telK -
you how to prepare for travel
' ' abroad . , . . . ' . -. . -.page 1 2
Xt's his Vault: Trackster Randy Ray- 7
mond becomes first Nebraskan to -
dear 17 feet ..... . . . . I .page 14
Concerning other accusations M the Pro
YfmtTfBtiM t. Wafne
Dob&nr UNIMnkihi professor, is a
Ipaid consultant for any firms outside the
university.
But under, questioning from Burrows,
Koefoot said he did not know if Dobson
held such positions before. Burrows said he
believed and would check to be sure if
Dobson testified before the Legislature as
a lobbyist for the Nebraska Bankers' Assoc
iation, and had been listed in a journal as a
consultant for the Kentucky Banker's
Association.
" Research, consultantships
Koefoot said Dobson teaches in Ken
tucky during the summers, and that he
(Koefoot) was sure Dobson does not hold
any of the positions now.
Roskens asked the . senators not to dis
cuss consultantships of Dr. Philippe
Shubik. director of the Bppley Cancer Re
search institute at the Medical Center be
cause the matter is under investigation by
a federal pandjuf" '
But another accusation concerning the
Eppley Institute made by Prokop was dis
cussed. Prokop said in his letter that the
regents tried to cover Up the amount of
money paid for legal services for Eppley.
Those fees, Prokop wrote, totaled more
than $46,000.
But Koefoot said the regents dealt with
the matter openly. He said $32000
had been paid to an Omaha firm for legal
services before the Medical Center chan
cellor or the regents found out about it.
Koefoot said the late John Gourlay,
then legal counsel for NU, found out about
the payments in March, 1978, and
terminated the method of paying. The re
gents decided that legal fees for anyone
in the system, if they are to be paid to an
outside firm, have to be approved by the
board, Koefoot said.
Continued on page 2
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