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lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 55 ( Q
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Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
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No voice on council makes
car tax unfair, resident says
By Roger Aden
Several area residents complained at a
City Council public hearing Monday that
imposing a vehicle or wheel tax on every
one who works in the city is "taxation
without representation."
Currently, an $8 tax used to upgrade
city streets and highways is assessed on
vehicles belonging, to people who live in
Lincoln. Non-residents are exempt from
paying the tax.
The proposed change would increase the
tax to $12 in 1982 and increase it to $18
in 1984. In addition, people who have paid
the tax will have a sticker attached to their
vehicles, showing that they have paid. The
change would include non-residents who
drive to work in Lincoln.
Council member Mike Steinman, a UNL
political science professor, offered an
amendment that would maintain the status
quo in terms of who is assessed. His amend
ment would exempt students from the tax,
according to Lincoln City Attorney
Bill Austin.
Bill Terry, 6104 N.W. 7th St., told the
council that people who live outside
Lincoln, but work in the city, will be pay
ing taxes yet have no say in city govern
ment because they are not represented on
the council.
''Several people have said this is
taxation without repressntation, and
you're going to hear it again from me be
cause that's exactly what it is," Terry said.
"If you want to give me a seat on this
council,, I'll be glad to take a look at this in
a different light,' he added.
Nette Nelson, chair of ASUN's Govern
ment Liaison Committee, spoke on behalf
Food stamp program cuts
concern Nebraska group
By Mary Louise Knapp
New food stamp regulations will ad
versely affect thousands of Americans
participating in the program, said Jogues
Epple, state coordinator for Nebraskans
United for Food (NUFF).
Epple said that a cap on federal
spending will force 10 percent to 20
percent of the nation's 23 million food
stamp recipients out of the program by
as early as Christmas.
Since the food stamp program is
partially administered by the states,
many states are having to come up with
ways to cut the number of food stamp
recipients in order to adjust to cutbacks
in federal funds for the program, said
reports published by NUFF and the Ad
vocator Welfare Answering Service.
AW AS is published monthly by the
Advocator Welfare Answering Service, a
non-profit organization..
The number of Nebraskans using
food stamps has increased since 1979
from 34 percent of those eligible to 47
percent. An estimated 160,000 Nebra
skans are eligible for food stamps but
only 7363 are participating in the pro
gram, Epple said in a report published
by NUFF in October.
In spite of Nebraska's agriculturally
based economy people have died of
hunger in this state, Epple said.
Epple said in the report that the
government's cuts in the program, not
only will hurt poor people, but will
cause the economy to suffer as well.
"The food stamp program is vital not
only for the poor, but for farmers and
food processors " he said.
"For every dollar spent by hungry
people $7 comes into the agricultural
economy " he said.
of UNL students. She said the council is
considering the tax for two reasons - to
increase revenues and make the tax equit
able - and both of the reasons have draw
backs. Nelson said the tax increase and dist
, ribution of stickers will be difficult to en
force, while the cost of producing stickers
will cut down on the projected increase in
revenue.
According to Nelson, proponents of the
change say the tax will be more equitable
since students will be contributing more to
the city's economy.
However, Nelson said students already
bring to the Lincoln area more than $100
million through property taxes, deposits in
financial institutions, income from visitors
and direct student spending.
In addition, Nelson said the proposed
tax is inequitable because it will effect only
students driving to their jobs, without
taking into consideration the number of
hours the student is working or how far
they have to drive to get to work.
"Students will be penalized for holding
a job," she said.
In other testimony:
-Jerry Corey, 114th and Adams, said
the council is inviting trouble by trying to
change the tax.
"I know a lot of people in Lincoln that
don't like this tax and if you try to assess
it, you'll be stirring up a hornets nest," he
said.
-John DuPont, 6209 Cullen Drive, said
the benefits of a good street system
outweigh the costs of paying more taxes.
The council deferred action on the pro
posal until its next meeting, Monday, Nov.
16 at 1:30 p.m.
Epple said the Nebraska economy
has a market from the food stamp pro
gram of between $42.5 million and
$54.7 million. Governmental cuts in the
program caused Nebraska farmers to
lose about $79.13 million since 1979,
Epple said.
Women and children will be hurt
most severely by governmental
cutbacks, he said.
"Fifty-one percent of food stamp
recipients are chikuen,"he said.
The Women, Children and Infant
Supplemental Food Program, a special
division of the food stamp program,
faces cutbacks to 1980 levels, he' said.
School lunch and breakfast pro
grams, which are especially beneficial to
single parents, also may be cut, Epple
said.
Churches and private charities cannot
feed those who will be eliminated from
the food stamp program, Epple said in
his report. For private charities to do
the job the money spent would be at
least $444 more per person annually for
the same level of nutrition supplied by
the food stamp program.
Epple said the major problem with
hunger in the world is not lack of food,
but inefficient food distribution.
"The thing that is ridiculous is that
there is enough food," he said. "We
have enough food now to feed the
entire population of the world."
Enough food is wasted in the United
States alone to feed 49 million people -twice
as many as the food stamp pro
gram fee ds now , he said .
Epple predicted a dangerous social
climate in the next few months if
federal aid to the poor continues to be
cut."
"I foresee the Polish scenario (in the
United States) he said.
Daily Nebraskan photo
Workmen hang high above Nebraska Hall as they remove an antenna which was
thought to have caused interference problems with police and paging frequencies.
The antenna was removed Monday and, according to Dan Petersen, a UNL radio
maintenance technician, the problem still exists.
Health center will be tested
for accreditation next week
By Susan MacDonald
The University Health Center will be re
viewed Nov. 16 and 17 for accreditation,
according to Steve Blom, health center ad
ministrator. The reviewing group is the Accreditat
ion Association for Ambulatory Health
Care Inc., of Chicago.
"This is a primary accreditation associ
ation for ambulatory care facilities," Blom
said. "They do, as a main function, univer
sity health centers all over the nation."
The AAAHC performs an on-site survey,
conducted by full-time, practicing admini
strators and physicians from an organizat
ion similar to the one being reviewed.
The AAAHC publishes standards the
facility must meet in order to attain
accreditation, Blom said. The standards en
compass every area of the health center.
"We don't have to be perfect, but we
have to meet most of the standards," Blom
said. '
He said he foresees only one complaint
the review team may have about the health
center and that is the lack of space.
Blom said the health center was built in
1957 for a smaller student population and
overcrowding has resulted.
"But it's not enough of a problem to
not receive accreditation for," he said.
There are many university health
centers across the country that aren't
accredited, Blom said. He added that more
student health centers and clinics are be
ginning to use accreditation as a necessary
way to maintain quality of service.
"It proves you're good," Blom said.
The health center was one of 10 nation
wide to receive accreditation three years
ago, Blom said. It was the first time the
center had been reviewed for accreditation
purposes.
"The staff thinks accreditation is very
necessary, because student fees are manda
tory," Blom said. "It behooves the health
center to maintain quality. Accreditation is
a way to ensure an excellent health service
for the fee you pay."
One thing the health center has done re
cently to meet AAAHC standards is for
mulate a patient bill of rights and responsi
bilities. Portions of the bill state that each
health center patient has a right to care and
treatment, regardless of race, creed, sex,
national origin, or religion; the right to
diagnosis, " prognosis and method(s) of
treatment that are explained clearly, and
the right to refuse treatment to the extent
permitted by law.
In turn, the bill also states that each
health center patient has the responsi
bility to provide accurate information
relating to any health matter; to follow the
treatment plan recommended by those pri
marily responsible for patient's care; and to
accept personal responsibility for refusing
treatment.
The health center will pay $3,400 for
expenses incurred by the AAAHC during
the review process.