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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1993)
Netjra&kan Monday, March 15,1M3 Neljraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chris Hopfensperger...Editor, 472-1766 Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Opinion Page Editor Alan Phelps. Managing Editor Brian Shellit*. .Cartoonist Susie Arth.".Senior Reporter Kim Spurlock. .Diversions Editor Sam Kepfield..Columnist 4 Mountains of money Lawmakers should put funds to good use America’s former lawmakers arc sitting on $ 11.8 million of leftover campaign funds that federal gridlock has virtually given to them to use at their discretion. The system allows the former lawmakers to use the money however they choose because the Federal Election Commission, in 1990, split a vote on whether spending unrelated to campaign expenses violated federal law. So far, some of the lawmakers have returned money to con tributors, while some spent it on typical campaign expenses like advertising and postage. But better ideas abound. Public Citizen, a political watchdog group, favors putting the leftover campaign Kinds into a single account to provide financing for all candidates. That system would bring some equity to races that are often decided on name recognition. And it would ease politicians’ dependence on lobby ing groups with money to spend. But many of the former senators and representatives are using the money for personal reasons, according to an Associated Press survey. • Several of them threw parties for campaign woikers. Joseph Early, of Massachusetts, spent $3,769 for a “workers’ apprecia tion dinner.” • Former Rep. Stephen Solarz, of New York, paid $250 in parking tickets and paid legal bills of $197,000. • And former Rep. Guy Vander Jagt, of Michigan, reported spending $1,483 on Washington Redskins tickets for constituents. But that does not mean they arc all taking advantage Of the situation. Some of the lawmakers are making respectable use of the money they still have. • Former Rep. Charles Bennett, of Florida, donated $270,835 to the National Park Service. • And former Rep. Claude Harris, of Alabama, spent $30 to take handicapped children to see “Disney on Ice.” It is refreshing — and shocking — to see some of the money being put to good use. But America as a whole deserves to benefit from the large stockpiles built up. Those lawmakers who helped contribute to the inefficiency of Congress should be willing to donate to its alleviation in the future. ' \ Nothing new Republican reforms rehash Reaganomics Ever since President Clinton unveiled his budget proposal, the Democrats have asked their critics to offer a valuable alternative. But some Republicans obviously didn’t understand the ques tion. President Clinton and the Democrats challenged them to come up with new ideas that would help the U.S. economy; the Republicans have produced a thinly veiled 1990s version of the promises of Reaganomics: deep domestic spending cuts, salvaged military spending and “no new taxes.” The Democratic proposals, on the other hand, reflect Clinton’s plans to raise taxes on the rich and on energy use, cut defense spending, and increase funds for education and economic growth. Americans should not be fooled by the Republicans’ claims that the budget ills can be cured without a tax increase. George Bush said the same thing to get elected in 1988, and time proved him to be a liar. This time, however, the president has pledged to help solve some of America’s domestic ills. Americans may have to swallow a tax increase, however unpleasant, but they should also expect some results. Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1993 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students orlhe NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the regenu, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of iu students. The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should included the author’s name, year in school, nuyor and group affiliation, if any. Rcqucsu to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. vteU- <£***(* lb VAVBtWME- Na*J. she. N4\u- ^E£. NOVi ** V^E_ ?UU. a- -? Cost In response to Sam Kepfield’s edi torial “Cost of success in life is high,” (DN, March 10, 1993), I agree with Kepfield’s views. Like him, I have been through the party days in my undergraduate years and the rigorous years through law school. In my se nior year in law school, I was disillu sioned by employers knocking down my door offering me a $40,000-a year job. This fantasy did not occur. Currently, I am working on my master’s degree and developing more respect for education. More impor tantly, I have learned that searching for a career is more than sending out resumes and pouting about rejections. - One has to go beyond this stage, take chances and work harder than one normally expects. One may get the perfect job immediately or wait for several years. Working odd jobs flip ping burgers or mowing lawns are only temporary hardships. This is re ality! Job opportunities are available, but they are not going to come to you. For May graduates, do not listen to the grim statistics of the Department of Labor or a friend telling you that no career opportunities exist. Just put your ears back and go for it! Sooneror later, the intended career will materi alize. Bryson Bartels graduate student Claims I happened to read Biljana Obradovic’s article “Media distorts Serbian action” (DN, Feb. 25,1993). Believe me, I was extremely shocked. Her claims, as every sane person real- V izes, were totally fallacious. As every single day passes, the atrocities com mitted by Serbian federal troops in crease. It seems to me that one has been transported to the medieval era where no rules or values exist. Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia is at its zenith. From multiple gang rapes to mass murders, every possible war crime is being committed. I would like to ask Obradovic, “Is every major new agency in the world biased?" Whether it be CNN, BBC or ITN, everybody is screaming out loud against the atrocities of the Serbs. The video Films accompanying the reports support die claims. Is all this fake? Is all this dramatization? No! I think that it is time that Obradovic should open her eyes and see what is really going on. Just this Friday, CNN telecast a report showing Serbian forces evacuating Muslim villages at gunpoint. On Tuesday, the forces shot and killed numerous Bosnians while looting their aid supplies provided by the United States. AH these are but a few examples of what has been happening for the past nine months. With so much evidence around, I find it hard to believe my respected fellow student. I think her being president of the International Student Organization, she should re frain from such allegations toward Muslims. According to Obradovic, she goes to the recreation center to relieve her tension. If my nation was involved in war crimes, it would have taken a hell of a lot more to relieve the tension. How can you do so? Saad M. Alavi , ... freshman electrical engineering I ■■ ■ ■ ■ ^ ^ — ■ * James Mehsling/DN ‘Sacred cows’ 1 just read one too many letters in response to Mark Baldridge’s article about his visit to India (DN, Feb. 25, 1993). I thought about writing lOdays ago, but Figured the nonsense wouldn ’ t last. Reading it again, I thought to myself what Baldridge in fact said in the article: “... If you think it’s a put down, all my talk about the smells of the place, you haven’t read closely enough.” I found his account to be informative, honest and in a down-to earth kind of way, enlightening. It did nothing to deter my dream of visiting there someday. I wish I could remember who it was who said, ‘‘Sacred cows make great hamburger.” It might have been Mark, if he’d thought of it first. That, loo, might have offended our friends from India, but that wouldn’t be Mark’s fault. It seems humor is found as much in the mind of the beholder as the joker. In this case, I don’t think Baldridge was even trying to be particularly funny, though it’s sometimes hard to tell. I’m sure Baldridge learned some thing from all those indignant re sponses, but I hope he doesn’t let them inhibit his openness or his knack for focusing in on things about which most people are hesitant to speak. Dan Clinchard senior . biology Smoking Much has been said lately about smoking, how it makes breathing dif ficult for non-smokers, how it nause ates them, and how it endangers their lives. One issue, however, has not been approached and that us the issue of pollution—no, not pollution of the air we breathe which has already been mentioned, but pol lution of the ground where many smokers throw their ciga rette butts. For many smokers, part of the smoking ritual seems to be to throw the cigarette butt onto the ground where it often smolders by itself for everyone who walks by to enjoy. Even if it’s not still smolder ing, it’s an eyesore. Not only are smoke-free buildings such as Oldfather Hall surrounded by spent cigarette bulls, but I’ve been to na tional parks and seen the same scene. I can’t help but ask myself, “Why?” Paul Koester senior airrnnnmv Limbaugh I would like to respond to Jim Anderson’s letter (DN, March 2, 1993). Many of Limbaugh’s critics need to take his advice and lighten up. Where’s your sense of humor? Limbaugh nimscif admits that it may take a few weeks of listening to his show before you can gain a real ajyre cialion for his sense of humor and the things that happen during the show. If you were to tune in to the Rush Limbaugh show on a regular basis, you would hear his statements assur ing the audience that the comments he makes arc all in the name of humor and are not meant to offend anyone (unless he is poking fun at uptight liberals). But in all seriousness, even his statements against liberals (all of his so-called “derogatory” statements are directed in some way toward that ideology) arc simply in good-natured fun. Limbaugh is only attempting to reveal the humor that exists in the madness that makes up the world around us. So please everybody, lighten up. Kim Ryan senior political science