Readers discuss parking, movies, library
uivl uses revenue
for improvements
I have read with interest the col
umn by Brian Svoboda and the letter
by Richard Allen concerning the
parking problems at UNL. As one of
the representatives of the Faculty
Senate on the UNL Parking Advisory
Committee, I would like to respond to
the comments made.
What does UNL do with the park
ing money - both permit sales and
violations revenue - it collects? The
answer to that question is contained
in the annual budget of the UNL
Parking Advisory Committee, de
bated in open session by committee
members representing students, fac
ulty and employees of both cam
puses. The main items are mainte
nance, bond debt retirement, and
improvement of existing facilities;
indeed, not only is there no money
left over, as Mr. Allen blithely as
sumes, but we reluctantly had to raise
me parking tees trom MU to $50 mis
year because we wanted to assure mat
operating costs would be covered
from permit sale revenue so as to
have violations revenue for improve
ments. Have me two gentlemen
looked at me Westbrook lot recently?
Have they seen me resurfacing proj
ect in Lot 16? Have they observed the
new huge graveled parking lot at 19th
and R streets? No, I am afraid mat me
only parking garage that could be
built would have to be financed by
new bond debt and by user fees of
roughly $45 per month.
“We need parking facilities
now!” cries Mr. Allen (Or is that a
pseudonym for me other logical tal
ent, Andrew Meyer?). You have
parking facilities, but regrettably
they are up to five blocks away from
the student union. Investigations and
surveys conducted by the Parking
Office show mat there are at least
between 700 and 900 parking stalls
empty at any given time at UNL, even
at peak user times. No, they are not
adjacent to the classroom buildings at
the center of campus; yes, it may be
necessary to start five minutes earlier
arfd to walk for 10 minutes. Let me
give you the good news first: there is
no shortage of parking space at UNL,
although there may be a shortage of
ultra-convenient parking space. The
bad news is that this convenient space
in the center of campus will get sub
stantially more expensive andrestric
tive in the near future in order to force
users farther out to the always avail
able spaces on the periphery. This is
in line with the Parking Advisory
Committee’s policy of adapting the
cost of parking to the quality of serv
ice provided: reserved parking and
parking in the center oi campus are
higher quality service than gravel lots
at the periphery. Give us some time!
Lastly, the parking ticket issue.
Parking tickets are issued to vehicles
that are parked in violation of the
parking regulations published and
distributed to all permit holders and
usually posted quite visibly. Appeals
mechanisms exist, violators pay for
the improvement of facilities for all
users. The meetings of the Parking
Advisory committee are public;
come and sec what happens to the
permit fees. I have scrutinized the
parking budget for two years, much
to the chagrin of several offices that
Erovide substantial services, but I
ave not found any room for substan
tial savings. All members of the
Advisory Committee will be de
lighted to have constructive input
from any member of the university
community. But please, get the facts
first.
Franz Blaha
Institute for International Studies
Review programs
miss good movies
Mark Hain and Becky Tideman’s
“Become a movie snob; reviewers
offer own helpful hints” (DN, Sept.
IS), is generally dead on target.
Siskel and Ebert are the KFRX of
movie criticism; top 40 shallow elit
ism for those silly enough to fall for it.
Videocassettes allow everyone to
become familiar with the history of
film. Rem some of the old black and
white classics on tape to see what was
happening before “Do the Right
Thing” and “sex, lies and vide
otape.” Lots of it is excellent work.
But I don’t think you need to be a
“snob” to despise Ted Turner. Tak
ing a beautiful old black and white
film like “The Big Sleep” and arbi
trarily adding color wherever one
feels like it (my favorite example is
the bright pink wallpaper in Phillip
Marlowe’s apartment in the col
orized “Maltese Falcon”) really
wrecks the film.
And if you’re really interested in
films, you’re going to “embrace
obscurity,” because you’ll know
about a lot of great fi lm s that don ’ t get
reviewed on Siskel and Ebert and the
other “movie review” programs.
For example, “Heathers” was
recently a big hit, but only one re
viewer that I know of (J. Hoberman in
the Village Voice) tagged it for what
it was: a shot-for-shot, plot-for-plot
remake of Renee Daalder’s “Mas
sacre at Central High,” made over a
decade ago. “Massacre” is in many
ways a better film than “Heathers,”
but if you don’t see “obscure” films,
you’ll never realize that, for all in
tents and purposes, “Heathers” is a
ripoff of the earlier film. Or that
4 ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark” is a rip of
“Secret Service in Darkest Africa,”
or “No Way Out” a remake of “The
Big Clock.” And that, in most cases,
r
the original is better.
The main issue here is that one has
to make up one’s own mind about
movies, or books, or records, and not
put too much trust in others to do the
judging for you.
Movies are a popular art form, and
always have been. The more films
you sec, the more you’ll know.
Wheeler Dixon, director
Him studies program
UNL
Reader finds Love
helpful, informative
As with most procrastinators, you,
Kim Beavers, blame someone else
for your lack of work (DN, Sept. 18).
The Love Library is not to blame for
your stupidity, you are.
If the so-called “wind tunnel”
knocked you unconscious, a good
sneeze must send you into planetary
orbit. I admit there is a gust, but
nothing strong enough to even topple
a toddler. Also, if anything, the doors
should be easy to open since that is
the way the gust goes. Of course, you
probably thought “PULL” meant
“PUSH”.
Next, there is Love South, Love
North and the Link. Love South is the
original structure, North is the new
structure, and the Link links the two
together. There are plenty of signs
telling you which part of the building
you are in and where you’re going to.
FkckofLies. Jggr
By the way, there are maps to the
library. One is stuck to the informa
tion desk and there is also one on back ■
of the stacks directory pamphlet. All
these information pamphlets are lo
cated in the Link, and only a moron
could miss them.
If you cannot find what you’re
looking for, ask the librarian at the
information desk. I personally have
asked them many questions and was
given quick and concise answers to
them. Also, it is not the library’s fault
if students, like yourself, mutilate
magazines by tearing out articles. If
you had not waited so long, they
could have sent for a copy of the
article through interlibrary loan.
I transferred here, and with little
trouble was able to locate everything
with the aid of pamphlets and the
librarians. The library also*ponsorr*d
tours for anyone interested before the
semester officially got under way.
The only one to blame for your lack
of library knowledge is yourself. For
your information, I recalled all this
information from memory, and the
last time I did research at the Love
Library was in May.
Earl vonRentzell
junior
electrical engineering
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