Editorial
I Nebraskan
University of Nebraska-Uncoln
Curt Wagner. Editor, 472-1766
Mike Reiliey, Editorial Page Editor
Diana Johnson, Managing Editor
Lee Rood, Associate News Editor
Bob Nelson, Wire Page Editor
Andy Pollock, Columnist
Micki Haller, Entertainment Editor
Proceed carefully
Beware of Lincoln's unaware drivers
Lincoln, Neb. — Home of the Comhuskers, the first
female Republican governor and horrifying drivers.
At least that’s what the recent flood of letters to
the Daily Nebraskan indicate. The Setters have criticized
the driving habits of both local and out-of-town drivers on
Lincoln streets.
It’s amazing how touchy people are about driving.
The argument made by two letterwriiers said 2-county
(Lancaster) drivers threaten lives.
Lincoln drivers may indeed wear blinders, but it’s
doubtful. Rather, they’re simply unaware that there are
others on the road ahead of them, behind them or beside
them.
In Lincoln, turn signals are only fancy accessories to
the automobile. Its use is optional and more or less non
existent. The lack of use of the turn signal may explain
why few people change lanes. Lincolnites simply don’t
recognize the meaning of the flashing tail light
Lincoln is a health hazard in comparison to San Anto
nio, Texas, a city of one million-plus people. A driver
using a turn signal on Loop 410 in San Antonio during
rush-hour traffic will see parting traffic similar to the Red
Sea. And the same goes for other metropolitan cities such
as Washington D.C
Apparently there is an unwritten understanding among
drivers in larger cities. People seem to understand that,
although they ate in a hurry, others on the road also need
to be somewhere soon. The drivers are more courteous in
that sense, and obviously recopizs tne meaning of turn
sjgnais*< *• .
townerf who learned to go when the light is green and M
stop when it’s red may not be aware or this Lincoln
driWi^orm and shoukl bewam because of the bli!Kfe|
drive 15 miles uuder the^peed huniTcpo^sibly because
they’re admiring the scenery, like the Lied Center con
struction), or they drive over the speed limit and ride right
behind another car’s bumper.
There is no remedy for this. After all, no one recog
nizes the use of the turn signal, so they can’t change lanes
to pass or get out of the way. It’s a vicious circle.
So the best advice the DN can offer out-of-town drivers
is, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Just put on
your blinders, take to the streets of Lincoln and put those
defensive driving skills to good use.,
, , V?' — Ann(i Muhri
for the Daily Nebraskan
ppipior^
Reader says to analyze your
options and vote for the best
Pretty soon there is going to be a
new president of this country. He is
also going to have the title of ‘£om-.
mander-in-chief’ of all the armed
forces guarding this plot of land. Now
I’m not going to advertise one older
man over the other right now. Al
though I do have a preference of one
over the other, I would like for you,
the voters of the future, to theorize on
this term “one over the other."
There are a bunch of fellow citi
zens of these United States running
around trying to convince enougn
people to vote for him over another.
.. iust another American who thinks
hefs belter than everyone else. You
know, I’ve had delusions of grandeur
before but some older man out there tn
incorporation-land is trying to get a
hold of all this country *s defenses for
four whole years, or until the job gets
the better of him.
I mentioned earlier that I’m not
going to promote my choice come
voting day, not even my wife isgtring
to Wndfc what feilkgbon inside tfcose
curtains that day. You, the future of
this planet, need to get out there and,
of your own free will, clearly choose
who is going to be over you in the
amount of toys he has. Remember his
will be much deadlier!
This great soil tliat we call our
home is steadily getting infected by
far too many chemicals. We are
spending more money than we have.
We are sticking our noses into busi
ness left alone. We are sweating the
little stuff while we’re missing the
boat. So November 8 is coming, it’s
not very far away. Analyze your op
tions closely because it only happens
every four years. Just do it! OK/
Anthony T. Motto
junior
English
*How embarrass i Me/ .1
can't-be seen on Motional
Television wi-H^ THESE"
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■ ■**
Susanne Williams Daily Nebraskan
Reagan ignores Jefferson’s words
Outgoing president got his jollies, but saddles nation with debt
"Then 19 years is the term beyond
which neither the representatives of a
nation, nor even the whole nation
itself assembled, can validly extend a
debt.”
— Thomas Jefferson, Sept. 6,1789.
□he debt Jefferson refers to is
what we call the national debt,
when the government spends
more money than it has. What Jeffer
son was saying was that the govern
ment does not have the right to extend
debt between generations. He used 19
years as a generation in this case.
Until 1980, most presidents had at
least tried to keep their national debt
to a minimum.
Then came the Reagan admini
stration. In its first four years, the
administration doubled the national
debt of all the previous administra
tions. Since then, the administration
has eased spending, but only at the
insistence of both Congress and the
people.
It s the responsibility of an ad
ministration to present its budget to
Congress. If the budget submitted is
not even close to balancing, there is
not much that Congress can do.
Looking back at those first budgets of
the Reagan administration, one can
see why we have the debt problem we
do.
So what is the big dealof a national
debt? Our generation is the Qpc that
will have to pay for it. I’m getting'
close to graduation and I’m not sore I
want to. Face it, taxes will increase.
Everyone knows it, but no one will
say it. Somehow, the debt must be
paid and increasing taxes' is the most
feasible way. • • • •
So next year, instead of basking in
the land of real paychecks, I’ll be in
the land of taxes from hell. I’ll be a
middle-class American, and who do
you think will bear the brunt of the tax
increase? The middle-class Ameri
can.
I guess I missed it. I should have
been working these last five years
instead of going to college. I sure
would have liked to get in on some of
those Reagan tax breaks. That as
sumes I would have been making big
bucks, though. The middle class has
been living in taxation hell for a long
time.
One can attribute the incredible
debt partly to defense spending. In
1980, Reagan told us how far we were
behind the Soviet Union in defense.
He told us that unless we embarked on
a program of massive buildup, we
faced annihilation.
Wrong. Look at the numbers. We
were not behind the Soviets at all. We
were even with them with about
20,000 nuclear warheads each. Does
anyone really know just what 40,000
nuclear warheads can do? I'd hale to
see it.
Well, we spent billions of dollars
to “catch up” with the Soviets. We
give money to every contractor with
an idea, no matter how lame.
We make our North Atlantic
Treaty Organization neighbors very
angry by placing missiles in Europe.
Wc spend ourselves into debt. To
whai end? Eight years later we find _
ourselves still about even with the”
Soviets and In major economic
trouble due to the debt.
. Funny thing about the missiles in i
Europe. When wc placed them in*
1983, the Soviet Union offered jo
make an arms deal concerning inter .
mediate-range nuclear missiles or
INF. The Reagan administration flat -
out refused to deal with that '‘evil
empire.” Then, four years later,rRe
agan pals himself on the back for
signing such a dramatic treaty. My
question is why dido’ l be do iun 19$3
and save a lot of money and .maybe
have better relations with bur NATO
allies.
Other things bother me about the
Reagan administration: WWdoc&hQ*
plan to do when the oil- from the
Middle East runs out? Former Presi
dent Carter had a fairly comprehen
siveenergy plan. He included alterna
tive sources of energy, other sources
of oil and conservation. He was
torcea somcwnai ny me on situation
in the Middle East. Once it was re
solved, he kept the programs intau.
Reagan has ignored the upcoming
energy problem. In his eight years as
president, there have been almost no
advances in alternative energy. The
advances that have been made have
been done with private money. The
problem is that private industry is not
known for its ability to plan for the
future, that has been left to the gov
ernment.
I could go on. I could talk about the
environment. Acid rain has finally
been recognized by the Reagan ad
ministration as a problem. Govern
ments in other countries, like Canada,
have recognized the problem for
years.
And what could prove to have the
most long-reaching conseijtie»ces ol
the Reagan legacy is the Supreme
Court. He has appointed three judges
during his term, each in his ideologi
cal mode. This could have disastrous
effects on many civil rights issues. I
fear that we could sec intrusions into
our private lives in the years ahead as
a direct consequence of this.
Fortunately, Keagan s term •>
almost over. 1 admit the choice we
face on Nq.v',.8 is not great, but it
better than what we haye. II Michael
Dukakis, is-elected, which docsn t
loUlfout country would
dct'uy.tftfy^Mtm If George
Burhis oiectedj hshouldn't be as had
ITlf felw. *
Remember 1980, when Bush ran
against Reagan and differed on many
issues? Hopefully, not too much has
vyomofi->:.v *
■ What angers mo most about Re
agan, is that he didn't look to me
future. Fwish be would have given me
the same'chance to make it as my
parents had.
Instead, we face thealmost impos
sible task of fixing eight years ol fun
times. Too bad we didn’t get to share
in them. I hope we make something
\yorlt children will have a
chance to live in a strong, just and lair
America...
An America like Jefferson envi
sioned 200 years ago.
Heck mao Is a senior International affairs
majoi and a DN editorial columnist.
editogkd-j -
Signed staff editorials represent the
official policy of the fall 1988 Daily Ne
braskan. Policy is set by the Daily Ne
braskan Editorial Board. Its members are
Curt Wagner, editor; Mike Reilley, edito
rial page editor, Diana Johnson, manag
ing editor; Lee Rood, associate news
editor; Andy Pollock, columnist; Bob
Nelson, wire page editor; and Micki
Haller, entertainment editor.
Editorials do not necessarily reflect
the views of the university, its employees,
the students or the NU Board of
Re its.
itorial columns represent the opin
ion of the author.
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According to policy set by the regents,
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