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thursday, October 22, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 42
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
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Fowler says Thone administration incompetent
By Roger Aden
Government by incompetency and a
lack of leadership is how Sen. Steve Fowler
of Lincoln describes the administration of
Gov. Charles Thone.
Fowler, 'speaking at the organizational
meeting of the Young Democrats Tuesday
said Thone will go to great lengths to avoid
making an unpopular decision.
As an example, Fowler cited Thone's
hint that a special session of the Nebraska
Legislature may be called to cut the state
budget, a move Fowler termed a political
ploy.
Fowler said the possibility of cutting
the budget arose when Thone lowered
taxes in response to a surplus of revenue
generated by a tax increase during Sen. J J.
Exon's term as governor.
"He may have lowered taxes too
much," Fowler said. "And now he's left
with the possibility of cutting the state
budget or raising taxes.
"This all came about because the Thone
administration had no long-range fiscal
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Daily Nebraskan photo
State Sen. Steve Fowler of Lincoln
policy," Fowler said. "It was based on the
naive belief that when Reagan became
president the economy would turn around
and Reagan would pour millions of dollars
into the state."
Fowler said Thone may ask the State
Board of Equalization to raise some state
taxes, possibly the state sales tax.
Giving equal time to the national
government, Fowler said the United States
needs more than a great communicator as
its leader.
"People say he's (Reagan) a great com
municator, but that's because he is a fair
actor," Fowler said.
"Someone gives him a speech that he
doesn't understand in any great depth, but
he can give it (the speech) with great sin
cerity so the people watching on TV
believe that it's the most sincere thing they
have heard," Fowler said.
"There's more to the president than
putting words in his mouth," he said.
Fowler said when people refer to
Reagan's tax package as reverse-Robin
Hood, taking from the poor and giving to
the rich, they are exactly right. He
mentioned tax credits as an example.
"Big business and corporations are raid
ing the pocket of the average American,"
he said. "It's been said that in three to five
years no big business will have to pay taxes
because of this type of thing (tax credits)."
Fowler said Reagan's economic program
is making the economy worse and putting a
great economic hardship on the middle and
lower classes.
Fowler told the group that as future
campaign workers in the Democratic Party,
they need to be aware of changes in
campaign strategies. He said the Republi
can Party's use of computer technology for
direct-mail purposes, is a practice the
Democrats have not yet developed.
"It's phony and artificial, but the
American public has been sucked into this
good communication," he said.
Fowler told the sparse audience they
need to learn politics well. He mentioned
specifically campaign strategies, state and
national issues, and getting to know key
Democratic leaders.
He stressed the importance of actual
campaign work, saying most candidates
are looking for people to help with their
campaigns.
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Photo by Kent Morgan Olsen
American Werewolves in Lincoln? Goblins and ghouls were seen prowling around the capitol early Wednesday af
ternoon. Although Halloween is still a week and a half away, these spooks were out to advertise the Lincoln School
of Commerce's Haunted House for the United Way, which will be held Oct. 23, 24 and Oct. 27 through 31. The
prowlers are (from left), Laura Olsen, Larry Peterson, Ann Hardy and Martha Bader. All are freshmen at the
school.
Grad asks ASUN to reach out
By Melinda Norris
UNL graduate student 0 J. King remembers the pro
tests of the '60s, when 4,000 students would gather on a
cold, rainy day to march down 14th Street. However, he
also realizes that sense of community no longer exists in
the '80s.
With this in mind, King asked the ASUN Senate Wed
nesday to listen to students' problems and become an en
tity respected by the governor, the Legislature, the UNL
chancellor and the NU president.
University student organizations are said to represent
only a minority of the students on campus, King said.
King told the senate that instead of asking "Why aren't
people coming to us?" they should ask, "How can we get
them to think they are a member of the organization
(ASUN)?"
King told the senate that today's university consists of
a variety of people with different views of the university
and their involvement within it.
"People exist on this campus that go to class and that's
it," King said.
There are different groups on campus, such as Greeks,
veterans and non-traditional students, King said. Each stu
dent has a vision of his involvement in the university.
The senate needs to concentrate on how these students
relate to the university in order to determine their views
of ASUN, King said.
The senate should conduct interviews with different
groups and develop the variety of perspectives, King said.
Then the student association could improve its communi
cation or restructure itself so more students could relate
to it.
"If the students feel they are a part of the student asso
ciation, they will respond to various projects," he said.
"Student governments are not supported by the stu
dents," King said. "The student government must provide
some type of service before people can support them."
The United States Student Association, the student
lobbying body in Washington, represents university stu
dent governments, King said. Without student support of
those governments, USSA is not respected by represen
tatives in Washington, he said.
King said it is "tragic" that students have to play poli
tics with education, but "for the sake of their degree and
future degrees, they have to start."
Water information
committee formed
By Joe Kreizinger
Few Nebraskans appreciate the tremendous impact
water has on the economic stature of this state, said Jack
Hart, aide to Governor Charles Thone.
Hart said an ad-hoc committee has been formed recent
ly to generate public information about water resources.
He said the group is composed of several state agencies,
including the Natural Resources Commission, the Depart
ment of Agriculture and the Department of Environment
al Control. Also involved in the project is the U.S. Soil
Conservation Service.
"We are coming to an era of terrific competition for
water," Hart said. "Nebraskans must depend on water
management for their economic well-being."
The Competition for water will exist primarily between
Nebraska farmers, who rely heavily on water for irrigat
ion, and mineral researchers of the Rocky Mountain
region, whose research work requires vast supplies of
water and electricity. .
Hart said Nebraska is currently the most intensively
irrigated state in the nation. He said the value of water is
not realized by the majority of Nebraskans.
The committee will rely on all modes of public com
munication to spread its ideas, Hart said. This will include
the news media, public speakers, informative brochures
and talk shows on public television and radio.
Hart said few problems have risen for the project so
far. He said one difficulty which could arise concerns
relaying unbiased information.
"Different people always have different views on
water," Hart said. "We will have to develop accurate, un
biased information to pass on to the public. From our in
formation, people can develop their own conclusions."
Hart said a second committee of state officials works
to promote water conservation in the state. This com
mittee appeals to Nebraska irrigation farmers to conserve
water.
"It is important that we impress on farmers the
necessity to improve water conditions," Hart said. "Many
farmers have been taking part in voluntary programs in
the past few years in efforts to conserve our water
supply."
Hart said this second committee issues irrigation
schedules farmers are asked to follow. These schedules ask
farmers to conserve water by shutting down their wells on
certain days. Voluntary response to this program has thus
far been good, he said.
DOQSDCs
Seniors in Session: Nebraska's Silver-Haired Unicameral
meets to propose legislation for senior citizens . Page 6
More Than Focus and Click: Amalie Rothschild discusses
the role of women in filmmaking Page 8
Tiger Redemption: Missouri will be trying to avenge two
straight losses to Nebraska when the Huskers and the
Tigers meet Saturday in Columbia, Mo Page 10
