57 him'j&jmi
thursday, february 14, 1980
lincoln, nebraska vol. 104, no. 24
Larger budget increase draws support
By Michelle Carr tural groups, nursing interests and other
outside groups complemented testimony
An impressive array of representatives from NU administrators faculty members
of various interest groups in .the state and students at the annual budget hearing.
Wednesday gave the Legislature's NU President Ronald Roskens said the
Appropriations Committee their blessings " outside support "was not drummed up,",
of NU's request for a 15 percent increase in but "fell together rather nicely."
state financing for the 1980-81 fiscal year. "mere always nas oeen a greai aeai oi
Representatives of insurance companies, interest in the university budget, but never
dental and medical associations, agricul- in terms of people showing up like this
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Daily Nebraskan Photo
year," Roskens said.
He said three consecutive years of 7 per
cent increases . from the Legislature
apparently gave citizens, of the state the
idea that it "was time to show up and do
something."
However, not all testimony was in the
form of a blessing for support of the 15
percent budget. .
A statement prepared by Regent Robert
Simmons of Scottsbluff, which was read by
William Swanson, corporation secretary of
the NU Board of Regents, stated that Gov.
Charles Thone's 8.5 university budget
increase recommendation is adequate.
ASUN President Bud Cuca and Sen.
Brad Belt, while stating their support for a
15 percent budget increase, were critical ot
, the university's budget procedure.
"The university is in dire need of
increased dollar support. Dollars alone will
serve only as a temporary fix to some more
structurally inherent problems," Belt said.
Under the continuation -plus budgeting
programs continue indefinitely unless an
official questions its existence, he said.
As an example of the problems created
by continuation-plus , creates budgeting,
Belt cited the "disparity" between the bud
get of the UNL College of Business
Administration and the Teachers College.
The two colleges have the same enrollment,
yet the Teachers College receives a budget
of $4.6 million and the business college has
a budget of only $2.4 million. Belt said.
See page 12 for more on the statement
made by Regent Robert Simmons of
Scottsbluff at the Legislature's Appropri-.
ation Committee hearing. .
Belt also suggested that salaries and
utilities be financed separately. Aside from
" the budget process, Belt said a need exists
for better planning, review of the Central
Administration and all levels of
administration, duplication programming
and a review, of the purposes of the
university.
Belt called on the legislators to provide
"the necessary stimulus, and the necessary
leadership to, see that vital changes are
made."
Cuca said that the university's budgeting
process needs student input. Currently,
Cuca said, "there is virtually no student
input."
He also said that the budget process
needs to be revised to include more than
just "two or three persons."
Later Cuca told the Daily Nebraskan
that after conferring with members of the
Appropriations Committee, he thinks the
committee will recommend a 10.5 percent
budget increase to the Legislature.
Regent Robert Prokop of Wilber said .
that he does not know how much money
the university should be appropriated
because he does not have enough
information a"bout the university's needs.
He asked the committee to grant a
special appropriation of $15,000 to each
regent for the purposes of hiring staff to
conduct research about university issues.
"It is hard for me as a regent to receive
information on which to form a sound
opinion "he said.
If more research had been done, some
regental decisions may have been different,
Prokop said.
"Certain members of the board don't
want others to know'what is going on," he
said.
Roskens, who headed the list of more
than 40 testifiers, said that even a 15 per
cent increase ht appropriations would not b
be enough to cover inflation-induced
reductions that have occurred in the
operating budget. ;
Roskens urged the legislators to think ot
the tax funds allocated' to public education
as investments, rather than expenditures.
An increase in tuitton is not the solution
to cover budget deficiencies, Roskens said.
"The board of regents has traditionally
resisted placing a disproportionate share of
the financial burden of operating the
university on students and their families."
Roskens said that the recent 10 percent
tuition increase approved by the regents
will represent the fifth consecutive year For
an increase and will place NU "near the top
of the Big Eight universities in terms of
general tuition rates."
Scali: Public U.N. view changed
By Mary Fastenau .
John Scali, ABC correspondent, has followed the Iran
ian crisis for J 02 days, but on the day of a major break
through Scali was explaining the event in Lincoln, Neb.
instead of reporting from New York. .
Scali, senior correspondent for ABC and former United
States ambassador to the United Nations, was the featured
speaker Wednesday night for the kickoff of the 1980
Model United Nations.
Scali's contract, which was negotiated last fall, didn't
make provisions for the unpredictable world situation, so
he was not a member of the news teani which gave the de
tails of negotiation between the United States and Iranian
government through the auspices of the United Nations.
The terms of the negotiation; as reported on the ABC
livening News and interpreted by Scali, were the forma
tion of a Commission of Inquiry composed of five to
seven nonaligncd countries who will have hearings on the
United States' role in the Iranian situation. Scali said the
hearings should take about two weeks.
Negotiations also give the option of releasing the hos
tages to a neutral third party or setting them free. The
American hostages would then be allowed to decide if
they want to testify in the Commission of Inquiry.
Scali told the group of about 400 gathered in the Ne
braska Union that the negotiations to release the 53
American hostages also began in the fall. .
He said Carter began negotiations under his own direc
tive, not as a result of the recent suggestions of Sen. Ted
Kennedy; Democratic presidential candidate.
Scali's expertise on the franian situation was not the
subject of his speech, but was revealed during the question
and answer period which followed his presentation and
during the press conference held earlier in the day.
The ABC correspondent's address centered on the im
portance of the United Nations in the current complicated
diplomatic situation.
Scali said the United Nations has passed through a
"dark and very controversial period" where it was char
acterized by a spirit of confrontation and anger," but
public opinion has recently reversed itself. The last three
years, according to Scali have shown the United Nations
with a "detectable spirit of cooperation."
He credited much of the change of attitude to Secre
tary General Kurt Waldheim whom he described as "an
authentic, impressive and remarkable figure who deserves
the title statesman " .
He said there have been mumblings of the United
States withdrawing from the United Nations, but he does
not think any nation is so powerful or secure that it can
ignore the policies of other nations.
Scali's reasons for the United States remaining in the
United Nations were its position on the 15-member
Security Council which is vital for the nation's
security and the complicated world situation, where
nations can't survive on their own. He also said the United
Nations is the only recognized neutral meeting ground
outside of the public spotlight and that the international
organization serves as a "badge of equality' for all
nations. ' . ,
He also acknowledged that the United Nations would
survive and endure without United States membership.
A commitment to the United Nations would mean that
the United States must spend more time and effort to
develop solutions which are beyond the grasp of indivi
dual countries, according to Scali.
He said that he is not certain at this point if helping
other nations includes a war, especially a war that would
be fought 12.500 miles away.
Although Scali praised Carter for his utilization of the
United Nations, he said he could not agree with his judg
ment that the situation in Afghanistan is the most serious
dilemma the United States has faced since World War II.
17
Photo by Tom Gessner
John Scali
A long road: Lisa Kramer's road to the Big Eight meet
hasn't exactly been a smooth one Page 8
Sing Alleluia: Christian music takes a turn toward popular
sounds Page 10
Records may be sealed: A legislative bill proposes to close
some criminal records after one year Page 1 1