Opinion Jana Pedersen, Editor, 472-1766 Alan Phelps, Opinion Page Editor Kara Wells, Managing Editor Roger Price, Wire Editor Wendy Navratil, Copy Desk Chief Brian Shellito, Cartoonist Jeremy Fitzpatrick, Senior Reporter Cut all the manure President’s hit list too thin to matter As Congress gears up to run another budget deficit in the hundreds of billions of dollars, President Bush has been watchdogging the prickly pear people. Prickly pear research — $100,000 worth — is one of a hit list of projects Bush recently released as a group of rescissions he would like to see in the budget for fiscal year 1992. Alto gether, Bush proposed $3.6 billion of wide-ranging cuts. To understand the nature of this list, it should be divided into two categories. Of the 68 programs identified, 66 together make up less than 10 percent of the total the rescissions would save. The other two make up 90 percent of the savings. Far and away the largest savings would come from the pre viously announced axing of two Seawolf nuclear submarines costing $2.8 billion. Another $547.7 million chunk comes from funds allocated for new public housing construction. The remainder of the cuts includes a variety of smaller pro grams from around the country, some of which appear to have Konn phnertn Knpoiicn tbm; minBt p/mimH fonlit-h In %/ntAre anH others that don’t appear to have been chosen for any particular reason. The Washington Post reported that, according to Republican congressional aides, many of the projects were recommended for the chopping block because they were not originally authorized “under normally applicable requirements.” Apparently, the other billions upon billions of deficit dollars were authorized according to the “requirements.” The list does contain a smattering of decidedly silly pro grams. Lowbrush blueberry research, vidalia onion storage, manure disposal and similar projects were each budgeted hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, why other programs were included on the hit list is unknown. James Merchant, an associate professor with the UNL Conservation and Survey Division, said the projects, such as a water study he is involved with, had little in common with each other. There is one thread that ties the list together: Except for the defense and housing cuts, none of these nroiccts amounts to anything in the big scheme of things. One B-2 bomber costs more than 90 percent of these projects put together. Some voters may gel a kick out of this “crusade,” but the pork the president picked is but a tiny collection of minuscule hams in a giant barrel. Election-year politicking won’t help the budget deficit. Office of Management and Budget Director Richard Darman said a longer list of more rescissions will follow the first. If it’s just more of the same, the list will barely be worth the govern ment funds the Administration will use to publicize it. Bush should be spending his time coming up with a logical, comprehensive plan — not sticking his nose in prickly pears tuiu iiianuiV/. | Homosexuals face prejudices I would like to thank Mall McDonald for the informative edito rial he wrote on Wednesday (“Liberal ignorance resurfaces,” DR, April 1). I had heard that sodomy was ille gal, but I did not realize that law had Been so recently tested and constitu tionally verified by a Supreme Court decision (Bowers v. Harwick, 1986). I am glad that this fact was published because most people arc unaware of the extent of the prejudice that homo sexuals face. A lot of people think that homosexuals only have to deal with hostile, ignorant individuals who call them names and beat them up unprovoked. However, you have il lustrated that the prejudice against homosexuals even infiltrates our laws. As you pointed out, under the law, male homosexuals who have known each other for years and who love each other deeply enough to daily face prejudice and persecution as a result of that love, these men still do not have the right to copulate. How ever, under the law, two willing hetero sexuals who just met at a party do have the right to have a one-night stand if they wish. They are not even required to have any tests done first to check for AIDS or STDs. The legal system, as it now stands, reminds me of a past lime when, under the law, even ihc most abusive, prejudiced w hile men had the right to vote, but women and blacks did not. I am also impressed with the fact that you uphold such high morals and do not smoke, drink or speed. You remind me of some very religious pharisees who, in the time of Jesus, used to accuse Jesus of sinning by committing loving acts of healing on the Sabbath, which was, of course, against their religious law. Finally, I want to commend you for gearing your future to fix the problems that you sec in society However, you weren’t very specific in how you will do that. Do you do ii in the way that Jesus used to? He used to hang out with “sinners and tax gatherers,” eating and drinking witf them, and showing them love anc compassion. Do you also socialize with those you view as immoral? Dc you visit gay bars or volunteer tc minister to AIDS victims? One final question, what sort oi social problems arise when an undis eased man who is in love with anolhci undiscascd man, places his penis intc the other’s anus in the privacy of thcii own home? Jery Sanon Lincoli -EDITORIAL POLICY— Staff editorials represent the olti- aesK cmci; orian anciuio, cariuuii cial policy of the Spring 1992 Daily ist; Jeremy Fitzpatrick, senior re Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily- porter. Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem bers are: Jana Pedersen, editor; Alan According to policy set by the rc Phclps, opinion page editor; Kara gents, responsibility for the editorial Wells, managing editor; Roger Price, content of the newspaper lies solely wire editor; Wendy Navralil, copy in the hands of its students. IlillfllHIBI illl i l I i a _ ' /rs/ PAUL SOUPERS Politicians should end nastiness Political nastiness is reaching an all-time high in Washing ton (D.C., that is, not the state, which is far too flaky to breed mutant armies of nasty politicians). Hot on the heels of the congres sional check-bouncing, post office and stealing-candy-from-babies scandals comes a House of Representatives’ inquiry into White House travel ex penses. Apparently, the best-traveled presi dent since we’ve started having presi dents is unable to account for the source of all his travel money. If it takes $50,000 an hour to operate the presidential jet Air Force One, why is George Bush’s total AF1 flight budget a mere S29,000? For pocket change like $29,000 a year, I’d expect the president to be flying back in the sardine scats with me. Actually, sending the commander in chief out in coach class isn’t such a bad idea. It would be great for George’s apparent lack of identification with “the little guy” (i.c. non-millionaires). After all, the bom-wealthy Bush proba bly never has flown anything but first class, even in his pre-political in idiicy. What a photo opportunity! If Mr. Bush can’t run down to the local mall to fetch a pair of socks without selling up a major media event, think what great publicity riding nine hours shoul dcr-to-shouldcr with a 300-pound skunk farmer and his sniffly, non potty-trained two-year-old would bring. Of course, the head exec of the world’s richest nation can look for ward to his complimentary snack of a teeny handful of unsaltcd peanuts and his dinner choice of either baked tuna l souffle or mcatloaf almondine. And all of this free national press , would come with massive savings for > the average taxpayer, who will no longer need to shell out annual execu ■ live travel bills in the neighborhood of tens of millions of dollars. That’s a • pretty nice neighborhood — the kind » of neighborhood where presidential * aides getchauffeured limousine rides to work every day. i Speaker of the House Tom Foley i claims the inquiry is aimed only at finding where the money actually docs come from (probably military and Actually, sending the commander in chief out in coach class isn’t such a bad idea. It would b£. great for George's apparent lack of identification mth ‘ the little guy” (i.e. non-million aires). secret service budgets) and why Whitt House accounts don’t reflect tht expense. Foley says he’s not interested ir why the money is spent the way it i< ;m