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Wednesday, October 28, 1 98 1
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 46
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
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Thone orders legislators back to balance budget
By Melinda Norris
Charles Thone reiterated his pledge not
to increase the Nebraska income or sales
tax, and recommended a reduction in
appropriations as he called for a special
session of the Nebraska Legislature to
adjust the 1981-82 fiscal year budget by
$24.5 million.
The Legislature will convene for the
second time this year Friday at 10 a.m.,
Thone said, to come up with a plan to
battle projected deficit spending by June
1982.
'The state revenue is not going to bring
in as much money as was forecasted last
spring," Thone said.
At the end of September, the taxes col
lected totaled $7.7 million less than fore
casted, Thone said. The first three weeks in
October has shown a tax collection 10 per
cent less than anticipated for the month,
he said.
Trend is alarming
The trend is "alarming,'' Thone said.
If the Legislature does not act, income
will fall below appropriations in June
1982, Thone said.
The Legislature has two choices, Thone
said, to either cut spending or raise taxes.
Thone said he is "totally and emphati
cally" against any increase in taxes and a
large majority of Nebraskans and state
senators share his views.
Thone said he will submit to the Legis
lature a bill reducing and deferring
appropriations made last spring, reducing
expenditures by $25,360,579.
In this bill, Thone proposes to reduce
the capital construction budget by $5.5
million, deferring $1.4 million allotted to
the NU Veterinary School and cancelling
a pedestrian corridor at the NU Medical
Center at a cost of $200,000. .
The plan for the veterinary school
would be pushed back one fiscal year,"
under Thone's plan, said Steve Ferris,
deputy budget administrator.
'The plan has not been repealed,"
Ferris said. 'This deferral doesn't affect
the project.
In addition to the reduction in capital
construction, Thone asks for cuts in the $4
million the cash fund and $15.9 million in
general fund appropriations, state aid and
savings.
When cutting the state budget, State
Budget Officer Don Leuenberger said the
uncertainity of funds from the federal
government was considered.
Federal cuts exempt
Because of the "anticipated but not yet
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Gov. Charles Thone
known federal budget reductions," some
programs that could be affected by the
federal cuts were exempt from any further
reduction by the state, Leuenberger said.
These programs include special education,
public assistance and mental retardation.
Leuenberger said funding for the Nebra
ska Department of Corrections and the
special education program were not cut
because their expenditures are unknown
and are already threatened by deficit
spending.
Thone said reasons for the decline in
state revenue are the reduction of earnings
and a cut in the federal income tax.
"Nebraska is not earning as much
money as anticipated in the forecast last
spring," Thone said. Agricultural income is
down, construction has slowed and un
employment is growing, Thone said.
Because Nebraska receives a percentage
of the federal income tax, the recent cuts
by the federal government has reduced Ne
braska's share by $10 million.
The 5 percent reduction in federal in
come taxes, effective Oct. 1, caused a
"light reduction," Thone said.
The state is expecting a 10 percent cut
next fiscal year in federal funds, Thone
said.
University officials to discuss streets with mayor
By Patty Pryor
Three university officials opposed to the
construction of 1 6th and 1 7th streets as an
alternative to the Northeast Radial will
meet Mayor Helen Boosalis Nov. 6.
NU Regent Edward Schwartzkopf, UNL
Chancellor Martin Massengale and UNL
Business Manager Ray Coffey university
spokesmen appointed by Massengale
wrote a letter to the mayor several weeks
ago expressing their concern about pro
posals involving the two streets, Schwartz
kopf said.
"We indicated that we are opposed to
those (16th and 17th streets) becoming a
viable alternative," he said.
".We're just reaffirming the same
position adopted by the NU Board of
Regents in 1967," he added.
"At that time, the city encouraged us to
develop loops throughout the campus, and
the theory was to pull as much traffic off
of 16th Street as possible," he said.
The improvement to the campus that
occurred after 14th Street was closed to
through traffic in 1969 shows the value of
that theory, Schwartzkopf said.
Coffey said any alternative must
attempt to remove traffic from campus.
He cited figures that show 15,000 to
16,000 cars a day travel between R and
Vine streets on 16th and 17th streets.
"It would be absolutely disastrous to
campus to bring that much more traffic to
those streets, especially with the number of
students trying to get to classes," Coffey
said. "We need to bypass the most populat
ed areas of campus."
Various- proposals for protecting
pedestrain traffic are not feasible, he said.
"It's obvious to me that overpasses and
tunnels are expenses that would just create
a visual monstrosity and they would not be
enough protection."
A major throughfare on either 16th or
17th street would split the campus, Coffey
said.
"It seems totally inconsistent to me that
they (the City Planning Commission) are
saying it's fine to divide the university, but
not the neighborhoods involved in past
radial proposals," he said.
City Planning Director Doug Brogden
and other city officials have suggested the
city establish a corridor between 16th and
19th streets as an alternative to the radial
now in the Comprehensive Plan but defeat
ed by voters in a referendum last spring.
A university plan, originally suggested
by Coffey, proposes using 19th Street and
then curving the road west to 17th Street
north of Vine to eventually connect it with
a proposed Holdrege Street bypass.
"At the time, no one was really looking
at alternatives (to the radial plan defeated
by voters last April)," Coffey said, "and I
just threw this one out to show that there
can be alternatives.
Continued on Page 14
Self-help groups discount idea of Wless case'
By Joe Kreizinger
One of the most innovative trends in mental health to
day is the constant expansion of self-help groups.
More than a dozen self-help groups and more than 50
support groups now serve the Lincoln area. These
organizations provide individuals a common meeting place
to gather and discuss similar problems.
Instrumental in the growth of this mental health sector
is the Self-Help Information Service a non-profit
organization directed by volunteer worker Barbara Fox.
Fox's service has provided information on self-help groups
in the area, including meeting times and places since 1963.
Fox said she has a hopeful view of mental illness.
The Daily Nebraskan examines mental health and
psychological services in Nebraska in a series of stor
ies on Pages 8 and 9.
"I don't believe that there is any such thing as a hope
less case,' Fox said. "People just need to look honestly at
their problems. A support group helps them to do this."
Among the more widely utilized self-help services in
Lincoln are: Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonym
ous, Narcotics Anonymous, Parents Anonymous and Re
covery, Inc. All of these groups are self-supporting, except
for Parents Anonymous, which accepts outside contribut
ions. According to Fox, these self-help groups use a "rap ses
sion" format, allowing persons to speak of their pres
sures and traumas while remaining anonymous if they de
sire. Alcoholics Anonymous was among the first of the self
help groups to acquire prominent stature in the mental
health picture. AA requires no dues or fees, only a desire
to quit drinking. Fox said AA bases its work on a spiritual
Twelve Step" principle, which has been similarly
adopted by other "anonymous groups for overeaters and
gamblers.
The Alcoholics Anonymous Guidebook states that
following the "Twelve Steps" is essential to the indivi
dual's progress in the group. The first of these steps says:
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our
lives have become unmanageable." Fox said this admission
of the problem is vital in beginning to search for a resolut
ion to the problem.
"There is lots of hope," Fox said. "People just need to
admit their mistakes. Then the power of the group can be
of help."
Some people can become addicted to practically any
thing and everything, Fox said. She said no addiction is
better or worse than any other addiction.
"An addiction is an addiction," Fox said. "Look at
how much time and money some of today's youth put
into electronic machines. This is an addiction just as
alcoholism is."
This type of addiction, gambling, is becoming more
widespread today than ever before, Fox said. Lincoln
sector of Gamblers Anonymous is still in its initial stage of
development, she said, adding that she expects the group
to grow consistently in the near future.
"Gamblers Anonymous is today where AA was 40
years ago," she said. "People are starting to realize its pre
sence." According to Fox, Recovery, Inc., a self-help group
emphasizing mental health through weU-training is "an
extremely helpful group for students."
Recovery, Inc. has helped thousands of people who,
with no help, might have been considered insane, Fox
said. Recovery deals with pressures already known to an
individual which ne,ed to be explored and discussed, she
said. Group therapy provides an exceptional outlet, she
said.
Another relatively new self-help group, Emotions
Anonymous, deals with seeking out inner pressures not
evident to the individual.
The Abuse Victims Support Group is another of
today's emerging groups intent on supplying a foundation
for a sound mental state. Fox organized this Lincoln
group two years ago. She said the group is involved in
combating abuse at all levels and ages, whether physical,
emotional, or sexual.
Fox said the "rap session" format is especially useful in
this area of group therapy.
"We have accomplished a lot in the group sessions," Fox
said. "Some people feel disloyal talking about abuse, but
when they are surrounded with people with the same
problems, they are not afraid to make themselves
known."
Above all, Fox contends, people should not be afraid
to visit the self-help group of their choice.
"People need to deal with their problems or the results
can be disastrous," she said. "When they get into these
groups they find they can be honest with each other and
with themselves."
Fox said the new edition of the Self-Help Information
Service booklet will be available next week, at no cost, at
the University Health Center. The booklet lists meeting
times and places for all current self-help groups in
Lincon.
ImM Wednesday
Promote Health: The new medical director at the Univer
sity Health Center says increasing health center services
should alleviate problems Page 7
Whole Lotta Somethin Coin On: Dennis Wheeler of Uni
versity Program Council details several upcoming UPC
events Page 11
New Look: Charles Spoonhour and Randy Cipriano are
new additions to the men's basketball coaching staff
. this year ......... ... Page 12