PT Editorial Nelwalskan
^ A ^ ^ A ■*■ Friday, March 2,1990
(Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Beard
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Amy Ildsvards, Editor, 472-1766
Boh Nelson, Editorial Page Editor
Ryan Sleeves, Managing Editor
Uric Pfanner, Associate News Editor
Lisa Donovan, Associate News Editor
Brandon Loomis, IP ire Editor
Jana Pedersen, Night News Editor
Veto gets support
Students need to stand behind KLPAC
Student fees are a tricky business.
Wednesday night, ASUN senators supported
Bryan Hill’s veto of the University Program Coun
cil Fund A student fees allocation.
The veto was brought on by appropriations for the
Kimball/Lied Performing Arts Committee, which origi
; nally asked for $100,000. CFA cut the budget to $90,000
and ASUN further reduced it to $75,000. Hill said he
thinks $5,000 should be added back into the budget to
account for inflation.
KJLPAC’s budget is the largest part of UPC. In 1986,
its budget was $29,500, which more than doubled the
next year to $60,000. Last year, KLPAC received
$75,000.
I concern over tne amount of student dollars appropri
ated to KLPAC’s budget stems from the message that
amount would send to Lied Center officials about the
commitment students have to the performing arts at UNL.
Students receive discount tickets to the arts on campus.
And, although KLPAC’s budget docs not directly subsi
.§ dize those discounts, the committee plays an important
role in the investment students put in those programs.
If the budget does not increase, officials may think
students are not concerned about the performances avail
able to them.
James Griesen, vice-chancellor for student affairs, told
ASUN senators that the Lincoln community pressures the
Lied Center for more tickets, but he doesn’t think Lied
officials intend to take away student-discounted tickets.
But as more people become interested in performances
at the Lied Center, that public pressure will increase. If
students don’t show an avid interest in supporting the arts
now, officials may overlook their interests in the future.
Yes, students are tired of increased student fees, and
CFA has spent long hours trying to keep those fees to a
minimum.
But Hill made a good move when he rejected ASUN’s
cuts.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have the
(unique opportunity on this campus to attend performances
at a lower cost. They should take advantage of that oppor
tunity and support K.LPAC to show they want to retain
those reduced prices.
~ Amy Edwards
for the Daily Nebraskan
Reader’s sarcasm hits Loomis
Being one of your most loyal read
ers, I was fascinated by Brandon
Loomis’ latest column (DN, Feb. 26)
on the Iran-Contra hearings and how
the recent developments have shown
Ronald Reagan for what he truly is. I
know the readers are truly thankful to
have such a wise and competent writer
as yourself to show us the true nature
of the man we had as president for
eight years. Why, just the other day I
was walking to class contemplating
the terrible economic plight our beau
tiful country is in when I was ap
proached by a man campaigning for
Mr. Reagan’s head to be carved into
Mount Rushmorc and believe me, I
gave him a piece of my mind.
OK, I’ll admit Reagan left our
epuntry with the lowest unemploy
ment rate in three decades and, OK,
we’ve been experiencing the most
prosperous economic times in the ’80s
synce the years of Ike. But, I agree
with you Mr. Loomis, I think Re
agan’s shot at being elected God is
history. That political suicide analy
sis you support is a real gem. I mean
sure in 1984, Reagan won every state
but Minnesota. But if an election was
held today, I’m sure the good candi
dates like Gary Hart, Albert Gore and
Michael Dukakis would give him a
good thrashing at the polls.
Another good point you brought
up was how that conniving old man
never increased the taxes of the rich
more but, ah rats, he didn't increase
anyone’s taxes. Yeah, but how about
that foreign policy, that terrible
bombing in Tripoli. OK, OK, so we
haven’t heard a peep out of the ter
rible colonel since his tent was hit.
Alright, how about aiding those ter
rible Contra’s. Yeah, that’s a good
point. Nicaragua chose Daniel Ortega
and the Sandinistas freely. Oops, he
was just defeated last week in the first
free election in Nicaragua.
You know I agree with you Mr.
Loomis. Former President Ronald
Reagan was a complete failure but,
you know, it’s funny how all the
Warsaw Pact countries and even parts
of Mother Russia arc gaining inde
pendence from communism and adapt
ing capitalism. Is President Bush really
so influential that in only about a year
in office he could turn the tide in these
regions? No. I don’t think so. I think
we can trace these recent develop
ments back to those eight miserable
years of economic prosperity under
Ronald Reagan.
You know Mr. Loomis, 1 agree
with you. At least we should have a
good Democrat in office. Someone
who cares about the people. Take
Teddy Kennedy for instance. At least
he could retire to a mansion instead of
a stupid ranch.
Jack Miles
senior
history
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Krugerud’s finals binge ruined
Small revenge satisfying to victim of terrible towing industry
L L /hereismy(explc
car?!?”
It was here last
night, (sentence fragments littered with
expletives).”
A couple months ago, right before
Christmas Break, just finished with
my last final, I raced down to a neigh
boring bar for a final’s Friday night
binge. A night of debauchery before I
returned home to mom and dad for
some rest and relaxation.
I parked my rusty Camaro in a
vacated lot and strolled into a local
bar frequented by greeks. Greek bars
usually do not captivate my interest,
but my roommate told me to meet
him there, and besides, it’s easy and
sometimes fun to pretend you’re greek.
Just act Republican, wear something
with five different colors, include the
TODAY and VISION parlies in your
conversation and smile.
I found myself in my apartment,
hung over on Saturday morning. I
woke my roommate Scott to help me
retrieve my car, which I left that night
in the lot, and start my six hour drive
home. Yet, when we got to the lot the
car wasn’t there. ‘‘It’s been lowed,”
Scott deduced. Scott drove me back
uj uur aparimem, ana i ocgan my
quest for the missing car.
1 first called the Lincoln Police
department and asked which lowing
company lowed from the lot. After
several switchovers and put-on-holds,
some officer narrowed the list of
possibilities to three.
I called them all and none of them
had seen a rusty, red Camaro with
Minnesota plates, yet the last one
suggested I try Auto Ambulance lowing
because they tow from that vicinity.
“But they close at noon,” she added.
It was 2 p.m.
I interrupted Scott’s packing and
asked him to take me to Auto Ambu
lance towing, immediately. Along the
way, I stopped at a bank for a cash
advance to pay, what I’m sure, would
be a grossly overpriced fee.
Auto Ambulance, a small towing
operation, is located in a seedy part of
town. The lot is surrounded by empty
houses, remnants of industry and rail
road tracks. I walked up to the lot and
took a look. Inside the chain-link fence,
topped in barbed wire, guarded by a
sickly German shepherd, was my
Camaro.
I went to the door of the trailer
home office, and, using my most
authoritative knock, pounded repeat
edly, and asked if they were open.
jj|£^ Krugerud
Obviously not. A big closed sign had
been placed inside the door’s grimy
window. “Closed!!! For how long?”
I cursed, screamed, jumped up and
down, pulled my hair and gritted my
teeth, all in the normal tantrum fash
ion.
Scott gave me a ride to our apart
ment and said goodbye, for he, with a
car, was able to go home for break.
Alone, with no car, no company, a
few days before Christmas — 1 drank
beer, listened to James Taylor, read
Sylvia Plath and contemplated turn
ing on the gas oven.
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uunuu;, « viivvivvu uiv iwi u^am u;
noavail. And relumed Monday morn
ing, bright and early, to get my car
and gel the hell out of town.
Inside the office of Auto Ambu
lance, I found, what I assumed to be,
the head nurse. A big name plate with
the name, “Shirley,” indicated who
the president of this husband/wife
business was. The boss was firmly
planted behind a garbage heap of a
desk, smoking cigarettes, watching
game shows and baby-sitting, what 1
assumed were, her four children.
“Yea, can I help you?”
“Yes, you have my car, the red
Camaro.”
“Uh huh, that will be S50 towing
fee plus $20 storage fee.”
“Excuse me, $20 storage fee? You
were closed. How can you charge me
storage when you were closed?”
Hey, son, there’s a sign out there
where we can be reached to open the
gate on weekends.”
I ran outside and eased the trailer
they call an office. Sure enough, in
side a dirty, broken window, behind a
dying cedar tree was a faded sign with
the on-call number.
I dashed back inside and declared
that one could not read the sign, there
fore, I would think it more than fair to
exempt me from the storage fee.
“If ya don’t pay,I’II call my hus
band working out back,” she said.
I could imagine the man lucky
enough to marry this flower of pas
sion. Big, with hairy back and shoul
ders, in a greasy t-shirl, wearing
Wranglers revealing half his rear,
smoking a cigar. A college halci. I
paid.
As Shirley opened the gate, 1 gave
my poor car a minor inspection. Tow
truck drivers arc known to treat your
car with a certain lack of respect, and
I needed to know how many curbs
had been hit. I found only minor lire
damage, so I started it up and headed
out only not before a little revenge.
As Shirley held the gate open, I pulled
out and squealed din and gravel all
over her, honked the horn and flipped
her the bird. Feeling satisfied and
avenged, albeit immature, I headed
quickly up to Minnesota.
iiuw mail) uiiil> iiiu.m [AA/i 1111iv/
cent people be subjected to the ob
scene powers of the lowing industry?
I live in constant terror every time 1
park my car. Some act of God may
cause the meter to magically expire, a
yellow line to suddenly appear under
my car, a fire hydrant to metamor
phose itself beside my car or my past
violations to catch up with me.
Then it’s Big Brother towing - the
repo men - to deliver swift Lincoln
traffic justice. Some derelict, with no
high school diploma, will pull behind
my car, scratch the hell out of the
paint hooking up the crane, extin
guish a cigarette on the hood, laugh
hideously while Ictiing go of the clutch
and then, hit every curb on the way to
his or her lot.
There is not much that normal,
respectable people can do.
Yet, in my own little way, I get
even. Whenever I see a tow truck
slopped or in pursuit, I inflict pain
and thus ruin the driver’s day. I yell to
get his attention and insolently give
him the towering finger of defiance -
once again proving the power of a
college education.
Krugerud is a senior secondary education
major and I)ailv Nebraskan columnist.
editorial -—
Signed staff editorials represent
the official policy of the spring 1990
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members are Amy Edwards, editor;
Bob Nelson, editorial page editor;
Ryan Steeves, managing editor; Eric
Planner, associate news editor;Lisa
Donovan, associate news editor;
Brandon Loomis, wire editor; Jana
Pedersen, night news editor.
Editorials do not necessarily re
flect the views of the university, its
employees, the students or the NU
Board of Regents.
