Wednesday, April 25, 1834
Peg o 4
Daily Nebraskan
in style; stresses
state tax - 'reform
Ed Jaksha is ready to go out in style.
Nebraska's leading tax fighter has Filed initiative
petitions on behalf of the Taxpayers Survival Com
mittee that would severely limit-spending by state
and local government
Jaksha, who pioneered the 1979 petition drive
that led to a zero-percent lid on the Omaha Public
School district, told the Sunday Journal and Star
this will be his last tax-relief effort.
Jaksha's group is distributing two petitions. One
would limit the annual growth of the state budget to
half the rate of increase in the state's per capita
income. The per capita growth rate is determined by
the U.S. Department of Commerce. The initiative
would begin with the 1984-85 fiscal year and would
start from an arbitrary budget of $1.18 billion.
The other petition calls for limiting property
taxes to 1.5 percent of actual value. According to
state government estimates, the. average for Nebra
ska tax payments in 1982 was 2.13 percent of actual
value. Had the 19S2 rate been limited to 1.5 percent,
local government revenues would have dropped
about 30 percent, the Journal and Star reported.
The committee has until July 6 to return the peti
tions, with the signatures of 54,790 registered voters,
to the secretary of state. The petitions must meet
minimum signature requirements in at least 33
countries. If the drive is successful, the proposed
constitutional amendment would be placed on the
November general election ballot.
Jaksha's petitions are a long time in coming. The
Legislature has continued to ignore- the pleas of
Nebraska citizens for some kind of tax relief. Even
when they do discuss the issue, they talk only of
shifting the burden from property taxes to income
and sales taxes. The petitions, however, hit on the
-reduction in spending. v. - v- u-r:.
; These amendments would, of course, mean: a ;
reduction in services at all levels of Nebraska
government, including the university. But reduced
spending is the only way to bring about lower taxes.
NU, like every other state-supported agency, can
survive, and pay its employees a fair wage, if it trims
the size of its program and eliminates waste from
the institution.
Jaksha proposals are not unreasonable. The state
spending lid could be exceeded in any year by a vote
of at least 40 of the 49 state senators. The local
property tax lids could be lifted by a majority vote of
the public. " . . -
Nebraskans are fortunate. Our state law allows
us, by initiative, to do the work that bur elected
leaders cannot or will not do. The Legislature has
been given a chance to do its duty. Now it's time for
the people to act.
Unsigned editorials represent official policy of
the spring 1984 Daily Nebraskan. They are written
by this semester's editor in chief, Larry Sparks.
Other staff members will write editorials through
out the semester. They will carry the author 's name
after the final sentence. ..
Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of
the university, its employees, the students or the NU
B nf of Regents.
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cx . Lowers
Gresk camaraderie
First and foremost I would like to submit an offi
cial entry in the "Describe Greek Week in a Word"
contest (Daily Nebraskan, April 23). My word would
be comaraderie. Since I appear to be the obvious
winner Oust ask any Greek), maybe you can get me a
"Harper Eight" shirt or one from whatever residence
. hall you're from, so I too can wear it with pride! Also,
if you should happen to be walking behind the
Nebraska Union and hear some Greeks singing
please plug your ears, we don't want you to listen.
' We are going to have a banquet Wednesday to
honor those of us who did an outstanding job for the
Greek cause, please don't come.
Also, if you happen to be around the Men's Physi
cal Education Building Friday night and hear some
great.music and some great people having fun, don't
stop by,i we don't want you around. '
As far as the "Stereo Blaring Contest" and the
"Bare Chest Contest," if you're against a little "Fun in
the Sun," that's too bad! You must have been
deprived as a child. So please, to save yourself, don't
walk down R Street or 16th Street at all costs. The
signs that signify that houses were supportive and
have a general feeling of camaraderie toward Greek
Week are not there to hide the rusticity and history
of the building itself, but show support!
The conclusion Bill, the title of your article was
"Greek Week: Don't include me." Dont worry Bill, we
won't.
Television molds-lifestyle
Now that graduation is just around
the corner, I've been trying to figure
out what the future holds in store for
me and my Bachelor of Arts degree. By
researching the paths those before me
J : Mike
Frost
It ! "
have taken, I've discovered what 111
ultimately end up dair g: watching a lot
of television. I'd better get in practice
now. '
All this is by means of explaining,
that I spent most of the weekend
watching television. Heck, it was either
that or doing something non-productive
like going to a museum or theater. One
thing repeatedly occurred to nie as I
sat there mesmerized by the golden
tube. .
First of all, who watches the Cable
Weather Station? I'm sure that some
where out tilere, there is someone who
is vitally interested in the forecasted
highs for Kalamazoo. What we need to
do is find that person, and see if he or
she has any other problems.
Also, were these actual movies that
they show on-some of these cable
outlets? I just cant imagine anyone
actually payingmoney to sit in a theater
to watch The Revenge of the Mean
Cowboys with Leo G. Carroll
But the thing that kept occuring to
me during my weekend foray into the
wonderful world of video was: Wouldn't
it be strange if we all talked like they do
in television commercials?
Tou have to figure these ads were
written by real-life people who have
real-life' conversations" in their real-life
homes. Why, then; is there such a false
ring to the dialogue they write? Per
haps they believe that Mr. and Ms. Typ
ical America's daily banter goes like
this:
George;: Hi, honey; Say, that's quite a
shine on those floors;
- .Martha: That's because I use Indus-"
trial strength Shino. Keeps my floors
looking their whitest, their brightest.
George: Sounds like it may cost a few
extra pennies.
Martha: Maybe in old United States
currency it would have. But now, with
new improved money, our costs have
been cut in half.
George: Boy, with all this money
we're saving, we can afford that vaca
tion this summer.
Martha: Silly, we don't need to go on
vacation anymore. Not with new, im
proved Sense-o-cation. Here, just slip
on these headphones, and you can
hear the sound of vacation and never
leave the comfort of our own home.
Sense-o-cation: Hey, how much are
"these T-shirts? Billy, stand in front of
the Grand Canyon and let me get a
picture of you. Kids, keep your hands
inside the car window, or a truckll
come by and rip them off
George: Wow, this Li great. What villi
we do with all this mcney that we're
gomg to save.' Maybe we should gh
Dan Levy
Phi Delta Theta
freshman
architecture
Proud to be Ghreek
Bill Allen you ignorant ex-fraternity man you.
How many articles are you going to have to write
before you realize just how valuable the Greek sys
tem is to UNL?
Being a part of one of the top Greek systems in the
nation is only a small fraction of the pride I feel
about being Greek ("Greek" meaning part of a greek
letter tradition, not the nationality). I'm Greek
because Greek means involvement. A small minority
of UNL's student population is Greek and yet a vast
majority of our campus activities and committees
function mainly because of the Greek system and
the dedicated people who comprise it. Greek also
means scholarship. Take a look sometime between
your innuendos at how much higher the Greek
grade point average is compared to the all-university
G.PA
I don't judge the Daily Nebraskan by a few sense
less and dull-witted reporters, so where do you get
off on judging thousands by the unthinking and
prejudiced remarks of one or two? '
Bruce Jones
. . junior
broadcasting
Acacia fraternity
Letters ccntisssd en Pirrs 5
eatlistvle
to the poor. .
Martha: The poor dont exist any
more, dear. -
George: They dont?
Martha: No, now there is new im
proved poverty. Now, not only are
people from underprivileged back
grounds poor, but thanks to our secret
formula, Trickle-down, middle class
also is included. Philanthropists never
had it so good, thanks to new improved
poverty..
George: Great, now that that's all
settled, let's watch some television.
Announcer: IVe just been handed a
bulletin. The bombs are headed this
way. . "
Martha: Oh no, nuclear bombs?
Announcer: That's rhht. Everyone's
talking about nuclear wkxhecds, action
packed with plutonium. Everyone's
talking about them, now, you can be
the first in your country to be annihi
lated by them.
and &
Georp: Oh no, we're
it Quick! Let's go out and b
to die!
thing.