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friday, november 13, 1981
lincoln, nebraska vol. 107 no. 57
Copyright Daily Nebraskan 1981
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Equalization board holds taxes at present rates
By Patty Pryor
The State Board of Equalization voted unanimously
Thursday to retain the current sales tax rate of 3 percent
and the current income tax rate of 15 percent of the fed
eral tax liability.
At the hearing, Gov. Charles Thone also announced
State Tax Commissioner Fred Herrington will resign effec
tive Nov. 15. Herrington, 71 , submitted his letter of resig
nation Oct. 15 because of poor health, Thone said.
State Budget Director Don Leuenberger, who has been
with the budget office since 1968, will replace Herrington.
Leuenberger, in testimony before the board, said bud
get cuts approved last week by the special session of the
Nebraska Legislature reduced state appropriations by
more than $20 million. Thone said such a reduction was
necessary because of low agricultural production, rampant
inflation and high interest rates.
'The proposed budget cuts will allow us to meet the
state's needs without raising taxes," he said. "The Legis
lature did its job in keeping its promise to the people."
Nebraska taxpayers have been saved more than $100
Senators defeat requirement
that parties not discriminate
million in the last two years, he added.
John Decker, deputy state tax commissioner, said in
testimony that sales tax revenue this year has provided the
state with $32 million more than last year.
But despite the improved returns, three people spoke
in support of an increase in tax rate.
Don Norden, legal counsel for Sen. Calvin Carsten of
Avoca, presented a letter from Carsten that supports a
tax rate increase.
In the letter, Carsten, chairman of the Legislature's
Revenue Committee, suggests a dual approach, combining
a small increase in the tax rate and the accepted budget
cuts.
That approach would avoid a "dramatic increase all at
once" when the changes in federal tax laws begin to take
effect, the letter says.
New lower federal taxes began Oct. 1, but a further 10
percent decrease is planned to start July 1 .
Sen. Vard Johnson of Omaha suDoorted Carsten's view.
saying that a 5 percent reduction in federal income tax
rates this year and a 10 percent reduction each of the next
two years will decrease drastically the state tax base.
"A raise in the tax rate to 16 percent now will, in ef
fect, create a stand-off to federal tax reductions, which
will narrow our own tax base and revenues," he said.
"It would be a wise act at this juncture to raise taxes
by 1 percent," he added, so there will be money in the
basket ready to use when it's needed."
In response to Thone 's plan for reduced spending,
Johnson said that "with 12 percent to 14 percent infla
tion, spending has been cut as far as possible."
Bill Harris, a Lincoln businessman, also testified on be
half of a rate increase.
"It's an uncertain time for individual Nebraskans and
for state revenue," he said. "A raise in the tax rate by 1
percent to a total 16 percent is needed as a cushion
against error in projection."
State Tax Commissioner Herrington, State Treasurer
Kay Orr, Thone, who chairs the committee, State Auditor
Ray A.C. Johnson and Secretary of State Allen Beermann
are the board members.
By Melinda Norris
New Electoral Commission rules -minus
a requirement that political parties
not discriminate were approved 24 to
four by the ASUN Senate Wednesday.
The senate failed to ratify Electoral
Commission regulations Oct. 28 and Nov. 4
because the regulations required a party
statement of intent showing that "no in
dividuals were denied candidacy in the
party on the basis of race, creed, or sex.
Failure of a party to show that it provided
equal opportunity would have made the
party ineligible for inclusion on the ballot.
The revised rules accepted by the Senate
will change the clause from a mandatory
statement of intent to a recommendation.
Since the senate is a branch of the uni
versity, UNL's discrimination rules apply
to the senate, David Decoster, dean of stu
dents, said. The Electoral Commission is
making a non-discriminatory statement
that would be hard to enforce when appli
ed to a political party, he said.
"But, if such a candidate is elected into
office, that candidate is accountable to the
discriminatory rules of UNL," Decoster
said.
If the candidate does not comply with
the rules after being elected, he could be
subject to recourse through the student
court or legal action brought on by the
administration, he said.
Sen. Joel Heim said he opposed the
original regulation because people have the
right to associate with any political party.
"The senate didn't have the right to tell
people who should be in a political party,"
he said.
Sen. Jan Deeds opposed the revision.
"That person even if they adhere to
university policy - . . you cant honestly
tell me they will go out of their way to.be. ,
fair," Deeds said. They are not in the least
concerned about equal opportunity.
" 'Recommend' has no weight," Deeds
said. "We pretend to try to bring in
minorities; we pretend to support Affirm
ative Action. This (regulation) is real
wimpy."
Heim said the senate doesn't have the
legal authority to do more than make a
recommendation.
"Put a little faith in the political
system," Heim said. "People are smarter
than that."
Sen. Tim Rinne said racism and sexism
issues never come up in elections.
"If the candidates themselves don't
clarify their platform, how can the voting
public?" Rinne asked.
V rw V lb fa0 -sr -
Photo by Mark Billingsley
David Joseph (standing), Gloria Romero, Kim Davila (sitting with face toward cam
era) and Alicia Lopez enjoy a fall afternoon talking by Broyhill Fountain.
Regents to discuss student fees, street proposal
By Laure Perlinger
The Fund A student fee allocation issue at UNL and a
proposal requesting the Lincoln mayor and City Council
to provide an alternative to 16th and 17th streets "as a
major thoroughfare through the UNL city campus" will
be discussed at today's meeting of the NU Board of Re
gents. The student fee issue was tabled at the Oct. 9 meeting
because, according to Regent Chairman Robert Prokop of
Wilber, the issue had not been fully discussed by board
members.
The 16th and 17th street proposal is sponsored by
John Goebel, UNL interim vice chancellor for business
and finance. In 1968, a UNL campus plan adopted by the
regents identified city campus land requirements. The
plan provided for the elimination of through traffic on
city campus on 16th and 17th streets.
Radial prospects changed
At that time, construction of the Northeast Radial was
still a possibility. In November of 1980, the City Council
adopted a ho-build alternative for the radial and last May
a citizen-initiated referendum to restore the radial was de
feated. The recommended resolution is to close the streets
to through traffic.
Prokop requested last month that the existing student
fee policy be rescinded. In effect since May 1980, the pol
icy allows students to apply for a refund of their Fund A
student fees, which support the ASUN Senate free legal
services, the State Student Association, the Daily Nebras
kan and the University Program Council, which sponsors
speakers, films and dances.
Prokop was unavailable for comment on his reasons for
wanting to rescind the policy.
Regent Edward Schwartzkopf of Lincoln said Wed
nesday morning that he thought Prokop had waived his
request. But Bill Swanson, corporate secretary for the
regents, said the item is still on the agenda and he expects
it to be discussed Friday.
Approved by regents
In April 1980, the student fee Fund A policy was ap
proved by a 5-3 vote of the regents. There was some con
troversy about whether students should be taxed for
something they might not wish to support.
In May 1980, the board gave student governments the
power to allocate Fund A student fees on the respective
campuses, subject only to approval by the appropriate
chancellor.
The regents then asked that a referendum be placed on
the senate ballot concerning student support of the cam
pus newspaper, speakers and salaries of student govern
ment officers.
The voting showed that students favored the use of stu
dent fees for such items.
The Daily Nebraskan has often been criticized by Pro
kop for stories he said were inaccurate. Some regents have
also questioned using student fees to pay for controversial
speakers on campus.
Other items on Friday's agenda include:
- Termination of the master of arts program in general
science at UNO. This was recommended becauuse no de
grees have been awarded since 1968 and no students have
been admitted to the program since 1970. By eliminating
the program now, no students would be affected.
Approval of an amendment about the guidelines for
use of the NU logo. This would allow NU to earn income
when the seal is used on commercial items.
A proposed master of sciencedoctor of philosophy
degree program in pharmacology in the NU graduate col
lege. - A proposed bachelor of arts and bachelor of science
degrees with a major in geology at UNO.
- Approval of a program statement update and revi
sions for the laboratory science building at UNO. This is
included in the approved priority listing for the 1982-83
capital construction budget request approved July 25,
1981. This building would replace temporary facilities at
UNO. The multi-million dollar project has been question
ed by some regents.
- Approval of an increase from $500,000 to $561,944
in the Schulte Field House addition budget, resulting from
variances in estimates for the general and mechanical con
tracts and utilities connections costs. ;
- Approval of the bid of Paciolan Systems, Inc., of
Rolling Hills, Calif., for $99,100 in hardware and software
purchases for the UNL Athletic Department.
Continued on Page 2
live From the Middle East: An ABC correspondent - also
a UNL journalism graduate talks about expulsion
from Egypt and the changing media Page 7
Td Sooner Watch It In Person: Husker football fans who
dont have tickets to the Oklahoma game received
some good news Thursday when KETV announced it
will produce.its own live broadcast of the game .Page 10
Francois Flick: A review of Truffaut The Last Metro
Page 12
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