Pago 4
Thursday, December 15, 1933
Daily Nebraskan
no
Academics
losing ground
to parking lots
At a time when every penny in NlTs teaching and
research programs is being scrutinized for possible
elimination, the NU Board of Regents has approved
a $2.2 million parking project on the UNO campus.
By a 6-2 vote, the regents approved the purchase
of a home from Anderson Excavating and Wrecking
Co. for the appraisal price of $175,000 Saturday.
The lot, located 150 feet west of UNO's campus, is
the first of 12 lots the university plans to buy. After
buying the lots, the buildings on them will be torn
down and the land will be used for parking lots and
an access road.
Tuesday's Daily Nebraskan included a long, de
tailed list of budget cut recommendations and "real
locations" for UNL. UNO faces similar cuts.
Increased parking should be at the bottom of any
priority list when there is a threat to educational
programs. ,
As desperate as the parking situation may be,
both on the UNO and UNL campuses, spending
money on parking lots cant have any positive effect
on the school, other than increasing parking space.
Last semester, several programs and dozens of
instructors were cut from UNO. This semester the
budget cuts are threatening to eliminate many NU
research and teaching programs and positions.
One has to wonder how many programs that $2.2
million would fund over the same period that it will
be spent. There is the chance that the Omaha City
Council will not approve the plan. Who knows where
the money would go if that happened.
Roger Holthaus, an Omaha attorney representing
the Citizens' Action Association, argued at Satur
day's meeting that the plan to expand UNO's park
ing by 1,200 spaces would be beyond the campus'
needs. . -
He also said the plan was premature "in need and
design " The new lot would cause sewer problems
from increased drainage, he said.: ; : "; : ;T
If there is any doubt that UNO doesn't absolutely
have to have those parking spaces, that $2.2 million
should go to saving programs and positions.
There is doubt
UNO has struggled along for many years without
the spaces, and I'm sure they could continue. Park
ing is a hassle, a nuisance, a royal pain at times, yes.
But somehow, we always find space to park. c
Besides, if the lot is built, and programs and
teachers continue to be eliminated, there will be less
students and teachers; perhaps not enough to fill a
brand new lot.
Chris Welsch
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U.S. Salvadoran policy inconsistent
Newsweek is puzzled these days about what it
views as conflicting signals the Reagan administra
tion is giving out on El Salvador. In the Dec. 12 issue,
Newsweek writers pointed out the irony of trying to
1
1
Eric
Peterson
discourage right-wing death squads at the same
time that human rights certification requirements
for continued El Salvadoran military aid were
allowed to lapse.
But the reasons for this strangely divided policy
are surely clear. The Reagan administration wants
to have the appearance of being against random
and political killing while not having to do anything
because of this supposed opposition.
By not signing an El Salvador bill before Congress
adjourned, Rengan pocket vetoed an extension of
Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd's rule that further
military aid to the El Salvadoran government be tied
to certifications made every six months that the
government is making "concerted efforts" to improve
human rights in that country.
Four such certifications have been made since
1981 each of which was very dubious but not
even this administration felt it could write up a
convincing pack of lies next January.
White House spokesman Larry Speakes said (per
haps ironically) that "such requirements distort our
efforts to improve human rights, democracy and
recovery in El Salvador." As further evidence of the
administration's concern about human rights in El
Salvador, State Department officials have noted
that 30 percent of $64 million in military aid to El
Salvador this year will be withheld until the killers of
four American nuns are convicted. Five Salvadoran
national guardsman have been brought to trial for
it, but the delays have been interminable and prob
ably deliberate. ;
Some State Department officials said Reagan's
objections to certification stemmed from his oppo
sition to congressional restraints on his foreign pol
icy authority, according to The Associated Press.
However, the recent pattern of Congressional
"intrusion" into foreign policy i3 legitimate and
essential to true democratic involvement.
"Congress cannot be dealt out of foreign policy
decision making," Dodd has said.
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