The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 08, 1988, Page 4, Image 4

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    Editorial
I Nebraskan
University of Nebrasks-Uncotn
Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766
Mike Reliley, Editorial Page Editor
Diana Johnson, Managing Editor
Lee Rood, Associate News Editor
Bob Nelson, Wire Page Editor
And}' Pollock, Columnist
Micki Haller, Entertainment Editor
Educated investment
Installment plan for tuition makes sense
A ssocisuon of Students of the University ot Nebraska Sen. Grp
Drceseii made a conscientious move list summer when he ap
*■ ^preached James 'Griesen, UNL’s vice chancellor for student
affairs, about alternative tuition payment plans.
Dreesen approaches Griesen about paying tuition by some other
method than in one iump sum. The two came up with three basic
ideas — and one would be a logical choke.
Dreesen and Griesen considered an insiaUmcot plan through ?JNL
using Visa or Mastercard credit cards. But those companies would
then have to charge UNL a fee every time a student used the plan.
Wrong, said Griesen and Dreesen.
I Another option wouw involve puvate corporations — ukc
insurancf would finance students’ uuuon through
payment plans. Companies would fcxut the students money for
tuition and allow them to pay it bade in instnttRieats with interest
Not bad, but not as good as die third opuon.
Dreesen and Griesen also considered setting up an installment
plan in *hicfa students would pay lor their tuition in monthly or
bimonthly installment* This is the plan with dm moat merit, ft’s the
most realistic one of the three.
Hie plan would negate some of die financial problems students
face at the beginning of each academic yepr. Those problems arise
when students have to buy boohs, pay housing bills, take care of the
plethora of other financial details that relate to school — AND pay
tuition.
I Not easy. Not 1'un. Not always practical.
Instead of the lump sum staring you in the face, a more reason
able monthly or bimonthly installment would relieve a lot of
headaches.
A pay-as-tiic-school ycar-wcars-on approach would especially
benefit the working student. This type of plan should at least be
considered for this seginen: of UNL's student population. The lump
sum would be great if your job paid you in a lump sum at the
beginning of the year. Not many jobs do. This approach would allow
working students to take just a portion of their paychecks and devote
it to the installment.
^ Like buying a bouse or $ 9«r, not a lot of people pay the whole
works right off the bat. The ones who do arc suspicious — at least to
me. But Tel them do it — and let the few who want to pay the tuition
right away do so, loo. Obviously, though, a monthly or bimonthly
installment plan would be met with favor by a lot of students. The
plan should he considered. And soon
— Stove Sipple,
for The Daily Nebraskan
Let the people decide about 401
It is true thallhc issue of withdraw* i
ing from the Central Interstate Low- I
Level Radioactive Waste Compact is |
not a simple one, but its repercussions
arc much too great to simply ignore,
as James Scnnett (Daily Nebraskan,
Nov. 2) seems to have done in his
column.
The greatest significance of Initia
tive 402 is that, if passed, it will allow
the Nebraska Legislature to re-evalu
ate the state’s responsibility for iis
own low-level radioactive waste.
Plus, the citizens of Nebraska will
have the opportunity to accept or re
ject by vote any proposal made by the
Legislature on this issue.
A vote against 402, however,
removes any further deliberations by
Nebraska oi its citizens. The com
pany, U.S. Ecology will build a low
Icvcl radioactive waste dump some
where in Nebraska, and four other
states will put their waste there. Fur
ther, voting will only be done by the
five compact states, of which Ne
braska has one vote to represent its
interests.
It would be possible, for instance,
for the other four compact states to
vote to contract in waste from outside
states. So Nebraska could end up
holding waste for more than just the
Five compact states, and we would be
powerless to stop it.
Compact language explicitly
stales that any stale can withdraw
from the compact if it so wishes. No
penalties will be automatically im
Kised As far as other costs — the
ebraska Public Power District's
highest estimates indicate that Ne
braskans may have to pay 90 cents to
$2.70 a year more than if we remained
in the compact
This possible cost is miniscule
compared to the cleanup costs should
the waste dump leak or otherwise
malfunction. There are six commer
cial radioactive waste dumps in the
United States, and five of them arc
either pcrmanenUy or temporarily
shut down because of leakage or
mismanagement. Four of these five
were developed by the leadership
ochind U.S. Ecology.
A vote for 402 gives us more time
to thoroughly investigate all of our
options, and then approve by vote a
system that will serve our stale in the
best possible way. For instance,
Nebraska could build a state-run
waste dump for Nebraska waste only,
or we could contract our waste to
other states. Regardless of what we
end up doing, Initiative 402 gives us
the right to choose our fate. A vote
against 402 tics our hands as voters.
Ginger D/crk
sophomore
arts and sciences
Signed staff editorials represent
the official policy of the fall 1988
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board.
The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers
are the regents, who established the
UNL Publications Board to supervise
the daily production of the paper.
According to policy set by the
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lies
solely in the hands of its student edi
tors.
wf Our daily n^rraskakI exit
Tbu.. MA3 X>»5COVEJ^ED TWAT
I^Ave cUosejJ A cAgt>u>*Te: Bccauscf
eat u*> SCCkJ CAn/I'^AT^S I^AMg ONl
A VAKD StOKl .
65% L|Ked CAMP'DATE& Lootf.5*
m 50% MET CANDIDATE at A PARTY
jk 50%> D\DN>T meet the CANDIDATE
J AT A PARTY.
4| 2tfffc Looked up to THE CAfJDiome.
| £ Voter is rjvsicau-Y shorter.j |
* 1 207o BECAUSg parents vjote:^
SUj FoR T^flrr FARTy .
14 ,Q7o Because tHey Actually
KkJcW V>HcRE OAMDlPAT^
^ \ stood ou am issue:.
■HMHHBHHHBHMMniHWHM
‘Read my lips: Bush is lying'
Royko bets Bush will raise taxes no matter what he promises
My conservative iriend
Grump looked alarmed. He
stared at my lace for several
seconds, then said: “What’s wrong
with you? Have you developed a
; witch?”
Nothing is wrong with me.
“Then why are you wiggling your
lips that way?"
I wasn't wiggling my lips. I was
speaking to you.
“But you weren’t saying any
thing.”
Of course I was. And if you read
my lips, you would have understood.
“Read your lips? I can’t read lips."
I’m sorry, but I thought all Repub
licans could read lips. I mean, George
Bush is always saying, "Read my
lips,” so I assumed that this was a
common Republican skill.
"You don’t understand. He says
that for emphasis, to drive home a
point, to make sure that people under
stand that he means what he
says.”
Ah, I understand. When he says,
“Read my lips: No new taxes,” he
wants us to make no mistake about it
— there will be no new taxes when he
is in the White House.
"Exactly. Now, what were you
trying to say when you were wiggling
your lips at me?”
What 1 was saying was: Read my
lips, I want to make a bet with you.
“What kind of bet."
Read my lips: I want to make a big
bet.
"How big a bet?"
Read my lips: I want to bet $5,(XX).
"That is a considerable sum. And
what is it you wish to bet on?”
Read my lips. I will bet you $5,OCX)
that George Bush is feeding us a line
of doo-doo, to use one of his favorite
macho words.
"Be careful. I will not tolerate any
insults direc ted at our Pollster-Desig
nated Commander in Chief.”
Don’t change the subject. Are you
a belong inan or arcp’t you?
“You haven’t even said what we
will be (vetting on.”
All right Read my lips. I bet you
five Big Ones that if Bush becomes
president, our taxes will go up.
“Just one moment. He didn’t say
taxes wouldn’t go up. He said no new
taxes.”
Don’t play word games, Grump. If
taxes go up, the increase is new. So
any lax increase amounts to new
taxes.
"And you arc willing to bet $5,000
that he will do this?"
Read my lips: No new taxes is a lot
of doo-doo.
"You have become increasingly
offensive.”
Hey, it’s a living.
"What you’re saying, in your usu
ally crude way, is that Bush is not
being sincere.”
Read my lips: He’s flat-out lying.
“By George, if it weren’t illegal,
I’d loss my glove in your face and
challenge you to a duel."
Never mind die doo-doo. Arc you
going to take the bet or aren’t you?
"Belling is illegal."
So is selling weapons to the
Ayatollah. Come on Grump, Colum
bus took a chance.
“How do you intend to structure
this bet?”
We will each come up with 5 Gs,
cash money. We’ll put it in an inter
est-bearing escrow account. Then we
will wait. If, after four years, there is
no lax increase, you win. If there is a
lax increase — which is a sure thing
— I win.
“Taxes are a complex matter.
Sometimes a lax increase isn’t really
an increase at all, but in economic
theory, it is a decrease.”
Read my lips: That is deep doo
doo you are talking. We’ll know it it
is an increase. But to be certain, we
will jointly select a neutral tax expert.
Or even a panel of experts. And ue
will let them decide if a tax increase
really is a tax increase.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
Think about it? Grump, read my
lips: You arc chicken.
“I don’t have to tolerate insults.’
Read my lips: You are worse than
chicken. You are a quail, which is a
liny chicken.
You are trying to pro voice me imu
a rash act."
Read my lips: Are you betting or
ain’t you?
"I think I should get odds. How
about two to one?"
I was right. You are a quail.
"Enough. Yes, there will be new
taxes. But it will be the fault ol the
Democrats in Congress.”
Read my lips: That isn’t what Bush
has been saying. He’s been saying:
"Read my lips. No new taxes.” So
let’s not start making excuses bctore
the dirty deed is even done.
"I don’t have to listen to this scur
rilous bilge. Keep your bet. I have
better things to do."
Yes, you can put up some more
Willie Horton posters.
“Good-bye, you pinko.”
With that, Grump was gone. Bui I
haven’t given up.
Read my lips: Any Republican oul
there who wants to cover my bet, jusi
givemcacall. It will prove you aren i
a quail.
Just a pigeon.
O 1988 By The Chicago Tribune.
-
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes
brief ielters to the editor from all
readers and interested others.
Letters will be selected for publi
cation on the basis of clarity, original
ity, timeliness and space available.
The Daily Nebraskan retains the right
to edit all material submitted.
Readers also are welcome to sub
mil material as guest opinions.
Whether material should run as a let
ter or guest opinion, or not to run, is
left to the editor’s discretion.
Letters and guest opinions sent to
the newspaper become the properly of
the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be
returned.
Anonymous submissions will not
be considered for publication. Letters
should include the author’s name,
year in school, m^jor and groupaflili
at ion, if any. Requests to withhold
names will not be granted.
Submit material to the Daily Ne
braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R
Si, Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.