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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1995)
VOL. 94 NO. 79 inside I ednesday Sports Scott Frost leaves Stanford, page 7 Arts & Entertainment Underground ’zines surfac all over Lincoln, page 9 January 11, 1995 Proposed tax credit: incentive for businesses to train Program said to offset Nebraska worker shortage By J. Christopher Hain Senior Reporter ) One of the key components of Gov. Ben Nelson’s economic development program was brought to the floor of the Legislature Tuesday, aiming to stir up some skilled jobs in Nebraska. The Tax Increment Training Act, which is part of the governor’s 12-point economic de velopment package, would provide a tax credit to businesses that establish training programs for employees. LEGISLATURE Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln, who introduced the bill on behalf of the governor, said it would ben efit workers and businesses. “It provides more job skills to workers that enhance their salability,” Schimek said. One key part of the bill, Schimek said, was that it only provides tax credits for jobs that pay at least average salaries for their industries. “We will not be creating more minimum wage jobs,” Schimek said. “Hopefully, we will be enhancing the pay scale of the state.” Barry Kennedy, executive vice-president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and In dustry, said the bill was an aggressive program that would provide Nebraska businesses with a recruiting tool. Nebraska has a shortage of workers, Kennedy said, but this program would help offset the expensive solution of bringing workers to the state. The program helps employers pay for the training needed when business have to hire workers who don’t meet all their requirements, he said. “Everyone would like to see an ideal re sume,” Kennedy said. “But that just doesn’t happen. “It provides an incentive for companies to train workers, and then offers a means for them to recoup some of the cost of training.” Stu Miller, deputy director of the Depart ment of Economic Development, said a busi ness’ tax credit would be based on the esti mated taxes and wages paid to workers. “Basically, it would allow the tax revenue that would be generated from new employment to be turned into an incentive,” he said. Allen attacks Spanier, his agenda again By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter Both Chancellor Graham Spanier and Regent Robert Allen commended the football team for winning the National Championship, but that was where their agreement stopped. Spanier and Allen debated the di rection and academic achievement of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Tuesday during an Academic Senate meeting. “Everybody agrees we deserved the National Championship,” Spanier said, laughing. “After that, it drops very quickly.” They even disagreed about who held the championship trophy. Allen said he heard that Spanier was “hog ging” the trophy as he and the coaches were coming off the plane. Spanier said he never put his hands on the trophy. Spanier tied athletic and academic success together by mentioning the respect shown for UNL’s high aca demic achievement at the NCAA meeting in San Diego. He also men tioned the academic awards received by NU football player Rob Zatechka as an example. “It has been a championship year » ill the rest of the university as well,” v he said. He mentioned UNL’s ex panding degree, honors and research programs, outstanding faculty mem bers and the success of NRoll. Allen, who has criticized Spanier’s policies in the past, said Spanier’s academic achievements at UNL were overshadowed by social issues. Allen passed out an unsigned docu ment from a group called the UNL Committee of Concerned Professors; it listed Spanier’s inadequacies. The document stated Spanier was pointing UNL in an unfavorable di rection, and that his “social agenda” See SENATE on 6 GerikParmele/DN Iffil”1* “S??1ln05 “S?*1 hj? time before the Academic Senate Tuesday to again criticize UNL Chancellor Graham Spanier. Allen also handed out a message from an anonymous group called the UNL Committee of Concerned Professors, wnich is against Spanier s policies. smith takes plan on engineering to commission By Matthew Waite Senior Reporter NU President Dennis Smith Thurs day outlined four recommendations for improving engineering education in Nebraska. Smith presented his plan to spend more than $4 million on engineering education to the Coordinating Com mission for Post Secondary Educa tion. The commission is charged with the oversight of the affairs of Nebraska ’s community colleges, state colleges and the NU system to elimi nate duplication. Smith’s recommendations are al most the final chapter in a debate that has waged for more than a year over the establishment of a separate engi neering college in Omaha. The debate started in August 1993 when Omaha business leaders ex pressed a need for more engineering education in the city. After feverish politicking and two reports from dif ferent sources, the debate ended Dec. 9 with the NU Board of Regents’ approval of Smith’s recommendation to not create the second college. But there is one final chapter. The commission must pass Smith’s recommendations before they can be implemented. The recommendations Smith out lined to the commission are: —The expansion of master’s pro grams and continuing education pro grams, especially in Omaha; the en hancement of undergraduate studies; and the expansion of extension ser vices with Nebraska engineers. The cost to NU for all of these would be $420,000, Smith said. — The establishment of scholar ships and marketing projects to at tract more high school students; and the establishment of two-year pre engineering programs at selected schools. The cost to NU would be $864,000. — Building repairs at the Omaha and Lincoln campuses. At UNO, $900,000 would be spent to repair See SMITH on 6 Resignations cause shake-uo By Brian Sharp Senior Reporter It’s administrative hokey pokey — take one out and shake ‘em all about. So goes life in the office of the vice chancellor for business and finance. The shake-up has fallen in the wake of Gary Schwendiman’s res ignation. The vacant deanship of the College of Business Adminis tration was filled by John Goebel, then-vice chancellor of business and finance. Paul Carlson, associate vice chancellor, became interim vice chancellor. His spot was filled by James Main, the assistant vice chancellor; Viann Schroeder, di rector of publications management, took on Main’s duties. But Carlson said his office wasn’t shaken up over the changes. “There’s never any confusion here,” he joked. “Well, no more than usual.” Like any change, he said, there are new things to learn, as well as more late hours and an added work load. Schroeder will continue to over see the printing and mail depart ments, Carlson said, and will add four other departments to his su pervision. Main will see a similar over load, Carlson said. The acting as sociate vice chancellor will head radiation safety, vending, hazard ous materials, purchasing and en vironmental health. “It will be a learning curve for each of us,” Carlson said. “But I think we ’re all going to be working through this just fine.” Carlson will find out within a year if he will retain his position, he said. If not, Carlson said he would return to associate vice chan cellor and a vice-versa shake-up would occur. Administrative hokey pokey doesn’t end with Carlson’s office. The college of engineering and technology isdoipgthesame dance. When Stan Liberty resigned as dean of the college in December, William Splinter came out of re tirement to serve as interim dean. Splinter, who retired in July 1993 as vice chancellor for re search, said he was surprised when he was asked to serve as interim dean—mainly because he thought there would be a promotion from within. Splinter said he would serve as dean for at least six months. Along with the confusion over who sits behind what desk comes a mild shake-up in pay. A1 Kilgore, associate vice chancellor for aca demic affairs, said most salaries would remain constant. Goebel will stay at his present salary, he said, but Carlson will be seeing the biggest change in pay— a $10,000 raise. Goebel’s salary stands at almost $ 130,000, person nel records state. Carlson’s previ ous salary was about $84,000, records state. Carlson said Main, who report edly pulls in about $75,000, will receive an increase of $500 a month. Schroeder, who receives more than $54,000, will get an additional sti pend of $450 a month, he said. For Splinter, coming out of re tirement may have its rewards. Splinter said he was told he would receive the same salary as Liberty — $134,000. At retirement, Splinter’s salary stood around $112,000. The university will continue to pay all or part of the old salaries for both Liberty and Schwendiman, Kilgore said. For Schwendiman, who will become a professor in the depart ment of management, that means a salary of more than $124,000.
