Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2001)
Legislature grapples with prison healthcare ■ One proposal would eliminate red tape surrounding medical records; another would improve healthcare. BYQWENTTETQEN State law says if patients request to see their medical records, the records must be made available. But if an inmate wants to do the same thing, he faces a barrage of bureaucracy. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha hopes to clear things up with LB 15, which would provide access to medical records by inmates and public counsel. The law on the books is unclear on what rights inmates have to access their medical records. For prison inmates, state law says inmate files "shall not be subject to public inspection except by court order for good cause shown and shall not be accessible to any person committed to the department." Because state law doesn't specify whether or not medical records should be included in an inmate's file, the Department of Corrections turned in 1995 to Attorney General Don Stenberg for his opinion. The attorney general said medical records must be included in an inmate’s file. Because the attorney general said medical records are a part of an inmate’s file, an inmate cannot see his or her medical records. After the hearing, the bill was held in the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Chambers said in his statement of intent: “No valid state interest is being served by denying inmates access to their medical records.” Chambers said it was disappointing to have to introduce such a law. “It should not be necessary to make a statutory change to fill a gap created by the absence of common sense and human decency,” Chambers said. In April, an opinion by the attorney general’s office said even though inmates do not have access to their files, the state ombudsman’s office can not have access to medical records without the inmate’s written consent. The attorney general’s office said without the written consent of the inmate, the ombudsman’s access to these records could be seen as an inva Legislature sion of private property. Before, the ombudsman's office was allowed to access these records without the inmate's written consent "I just want the committee to restore the status quo that existed before the attorney general released the opinion in April,” State Ombudsman Marshall Lux said. Lux said many inmates contact the office in writing asking it to look into a medical issue. Lux argues the inmate's written con sent only slows down the investigative process. “When someone asks us to look at something, it should defer that we can look at their medical records,” Lux said. Lux, along with a governor’s task force, has been investigating Nebraska prisons and the health care inmates receive in prison since last year, when the task force was created. LB 154, also introduced by Chambers, implements the major rec ommendations of the task force. The bill focuses on creating a stan dard of decent medical care in Nebraska prisons, Chambers said. While introducing the bill, Chambers made several amendments to it One amendment consisted of put ting into statute that the health care service will seek to obtain accredita tion. This accreditation will force into law certain standards for the prison health care service. Lux said the problems in prisons, which are filled to 161 percent of capac ity, have been systemwide and only a systemic solution will help. "The result of this situation has been disastrous, including the loss of a life,” Lux said. Anthony Lato Jr. knows exactly what Lux is talking about. In his testimony supporting the bill, Lato described his problems with the system while he was held in prison. Lato, who was released in July 2000, had a dental bridge knocked out of his mouth and wanted to get it replaced. He first inquired about seeing a dentist in May 1998, and though he received various responses, none offered him definite medical help. “There are definite violations of 7t should not be necessary to make a statutory change to fill a gap created by the absence of common sense and human decency.” Ernie Chambers Nebraska state senator medical authority going on down there,” Lato said, “and even bigger vio lations of civil rights.” No one testified against the bill, but Harold Clark, director of the Department of Corrections, offered neutral testimony. Clark said the corrections depart ment has not been perfect and will strive to be better. “We want to be the best system in the country we can, including our med ical facilities,” Clark said. Lato reiterated the need for action. “The legislators and the governor's office needs to act on this issue now,” Lato said, as he speculated about the potential of a riot. “There can’t be any more waiting around.” Brain Drain:Teachers talk salaries ■The Legislature is considering more than 100 bills dealing with education;50 of them would increase teacher pay. BY GEORGE GREEN Rob McEntarffer, a psychology teacher at Lincoln Southeast High School, watched his meager pay fall this year because of increas ing health care costs. For the first time in his career, McEntarffer said, he thought about throwing in the toweL And he is not alone. “There is a big morale problem,” he said. Poor teacher pay is the primary culprit for dwindling teacher morale, he said. But McEntarffer said he found solace in the Legislature’s roster of bills, which con tains 180 bills dealing with education. Of those bills, 50 focus specifically on teacher pay. "The numbers show the Legislature rec ognizes this as a problem,” he said. Sen. Ron Raikes of Lincoln, chairman of the Education Committee, said the Legislature will use a priority process to filter through all of the bills. The priority process grants each senator a bill he or she can designate a “priority,” which means the bill can be forced into die legislative lineup. Bills that aren’t stamped with priority status may or may not hit the floor for Legislature debate, he said. Duane Obennier, executive director of the Nebraska State Education Association, said the sheer number of bills indicates the Legislature is ready to tackle lagging teacher salaries. Nebraska ranks 44th in teacher salaries. But Obermier cautioned some bills are better for teachers than others. Obermier spotlighted LB305 as the bill with the most potential to bail out desperate teachers. LB305, introduced by the Education Committee, includes all of the recommen dations a teacher task force made last year. The Legislature formed a teacher salary task force last year and charged the group with studying teacher pay in Nebraska. A year later, the group returned armed with nine suggestions to bolster teacher pay. Obermier said the centerpiece of the rec ommendations is a provision that funnels state money directly to teachers in the form of salary stipends. “NSEA solidly supports LB305,” he said. A $78 million price tag in the first year alone and a promise from Gov. Mike Johanns to veto any tax increases provide some major road blocks for the bill, he said. Fortunately, Obermier said, senators have proposed several different ways to fund all or some of the recommendations. Raikes said the Legislature has three options to fund teacher salaries: The cash has to come from property, sales tax or income taxes or some combination of them all, he said. “Hopefully, the 49 senators will find a creative way to do it," Obermier said. McEntarffer, though, said the Legislature's slew of bills geared toward funding salary increases reflects the sena tors' underlying sentiment that teachers aren't that important If senators were genuinely concerned, he said, they would tackle the issue head-on by agreeing to give state aid directly to schools. Jule Kirchhoff, a fourth-grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary, said teachers were particularly disappointed by the governor's State of the State address where he promised not to raise taxes. “He put education on the back burner," she said. She said Johanns’ remarks exposed his lack of concern for education and took teacher morale down another notch. If morale continues to plummet, she said, the quality of Nebraska’s educational system will fall as masses of teachers hit the road for other states. But Obermier said he wasn't ready to write off Nebraska's educational system as doomed. “I’m optimistic that something positive will happen,” he said. Law & Order Police arrest man for burglary in theft of VCR, Ramen noodles Lincoln police arrested Michael Mabry, 36, on suspicion of bur glary and assault Tuesday. Police say Judy Soundsleeper, 44, returned to her home, 3720 Adams St., at 9:30 p.m. and found her mobile home unlocked and the screen on the door cut away. She discovered her RCA VCR, her Motorola cellular phone and her 8 mm camera were all missing. Also gone were two round steaks, packs of Ramen noodles and 11 cans of tuna fish. The total value of the stolen goods was $714, and an additional $25 was assessed for the damage to the door. Police talked to Soundsleeper’s ex-boyfriend Mabry, a transient who resided with another man in the same mobile home park. Upon searching the mobile home where Mabry lived, police found the stolen electronics and food hidden in a closet, which led to his arrest Compiled by Charlie Kauffman Perlman to speak in forum at union FROM STAFF REPORTS Students can munch on snacks and chat with Interim Chancellor Harvey Perlman tonight at the Nebraska Union. Any student question relating to the university is fair game for Perlman, who will meet students at 6 p.m. in the Georgian Suite. He is expected to address questions relating to university goals, services available to non-traditional students and how the university accommodates non-traditional students. The Independent Student Association, which provides a forum for non-traditional students to discuss their concerns, is sponsoring the event. The event is open to all students. www.dailyneb.com (402)472-2588 FAX: (402) 472-1761 dn@unl.edu $5.25/15 words $3.50/15 words (students) $0.15 each additional word $0.75 billing charge $0.75/line headline Deadline: 4 p.m. weekday prior Classifieds 220 Furniture For Sale Couch and love seat set good condition $50. CaH 421-6433. Futon $50. Walnut desk and credenza $300 obo. 421-6433. 240 Misc. For Sale Snow Boards Save big and go large. Snow boards and snow board accessories on sale at 720 Snowboard Shop. Products from Burton, North wave, Vans. 25-50% off. 720 Snow board shop located at Cycle works at 27 Vine. Close to Campus 475-2453. Surplus City Scooters, camoflauge, airsoft pistols, jeans and much more. 3241 South 13th. 420-5151. Women's 1/3 carat princess cut engagement and wedding ring set, $800. Men's two-tone wedding ring, $200 or both for $1000. Two 12 Inch Rockford Fosgate subwoofers, $200. Sher wood 2 by 50 ampler, $100. (402)525-4337. 290 Vehicle^ For Sale ‘95 Prism 4 door, auto, $4850. ‘94 Centra, 4 door, auto, $3250. '89 626, 4 door/5 speed, $1650. '88 Accord LXI 4 door, auto, $2650. Baer* Auto 1647 South 3rd, 477-6442. 350 Health and Fitness Lose Weight Cot you afford to lose weight? Yesl Inexpensive guaranteed, risk-free. Cal 1-888-688-7967. 352 Income Tax Experienced tax preparer with college student special! Fast, reliable service. Cal Valerie tor de Ms, 464-7372. 365 Legal Services Auto Accidents & DWI Other criminal matters, call Sanford Pollack, 478-7474. 378 Pregnancy Free Pregnancy Test Birthright is a confidential helping hand. Please call for appointment or more information, 483-2609. Check out our website www.bkttvight.otg. 400 Roommates Female non-smoker roommate wanted ASAP. Very nice, washer/dryer in unit, no lease. Call 476-5148. Female roommate needed for large 3 bedroom home. 5 minutes from UNL, W/D. $400/month (covers aH). 435-3215, leave message. Female roommate wanted for 1/15 or 2/1. Non-smoker, no pets. Washer/dryer, dishwasher plus all utilities paid. Located in quiet neighbor hood. $400/month. Leave message at 438-3434 or 416-3263. Female, share 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 27th and Old Cheney. N/S. $290 plus utilities. Call 423-6362. Looking for female roommate for 3 bedroom apartment. $250/month + utilities. Close to UNL. 325-6292. Male to share newer home in southeast Lincoln. Many extras. 421 -0977 leave message. Roomate needed male or female by February 1st. $190 rent and 1/4 phone and cable. Close to campus. 477-6160. Roommate needed for huge apartment 5 min utes from campus, off-street parking, other perks. $250/month 477-6665. 420 Rooms For Rent Furnished home to share, private bedroom, 2 bath, intercultural household, cable TV, central heat/AC, washer/dryer, fireplace, deck, large yard, off-street parking, 1 block from #3 bus, 20th & South, utilities included. $275/month. 474-7729. Room for rent in 3BR house, Includes phone, cable, laundry, utilities. Five minutes from cam pus, $300/month. 476-5580. Leave message. 430 Houses For Rent 4 bedroom, 2 bath, garage. 3443 T Street. $750. Available now. 450-5*74 or 430-3073. 2521 Sumner 5+1 Bedroom House for Rent, $1200/month. Huge w/Tireplace. Must come see, 560-4732 or leave message 475-0750. Large 5 bedroom house. 2822 R street. 2 bath , central air, off-street parking, washer/dryer, dishwasher. $950 + deposit. 560-9330. 440 Duplexes For Rent 4 bedroom, 2 bath, Garage. Washer/dryer hook up. New duplex. 1758 N. 27th. $1000 per month. Available now. 450-5674 or 430-3073. 200 Hartley. 5 min. campus, 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths, finished basement, double garage, W/D/DW/Frig. $950+deposit, available 3/1/01. 474-4674. Minutes From Campus 4BR, 3 full baths, garage, deck, 2 family rooms, washer/dryer, available. $1250.476-4905. Walk to campus. Large remodeled 2 bedroom. Central Air. Washer/drier. Off-street parking. 2410 Vine. $525.432-6476. 450 Apartments For Rent 2222 Orchard.1Bd.$345 501 North 29th....iBd.$395 306 North 32nd.....2 Bd.$425 1502 David Dr_J3 Bd.$650 450 Apartments For Rent ***Close to City Campus*** 1 & 2 bedroom, electric-entry, 20/G Street, $349 to $479.475-7262. _ 3 bedroom, 2+ garage, 1 bathroom and laundry room only $750.2501 E Street 432-6476. 1 623 S. 19th Available - clean, affordable 1&2 bedroom apartments. Dishwasher, dis posals, laundry facilities, off street parking. Leasing specials now being offered. No pets. ZIMMER APTS 402-423-4634. 3010 Center. Brand New. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, ail appliances, fireplace, double garage. $1075. 316-6328. Available February, 2BR, $420, near haymarket. A/C, D/W, pet ok, references. 474-4054, leave ""^AVAILABLE NOW! 1 or 2 bedrooms, all electric, FREE CABLE, no pets/no smoking. $360 & $460.1900 Knox. 477-7684. Clean 2 & 3 bedroom apartments. Newly re modeled kitchen and bath. Rent $345 and $415 plus electric. For more information, call Pat or Melody, (402)434-2610 or hearing im paired/TDD, (402)434-2613. Furnished one bedroom near capital, 819 South 12th. Security building, washer/dryer, $260. 432-6476. ★1 BR Near Campus* Appliances, dishwasher, mini-blinds, coin-op laundry, off street parking, gas/heat/water trash paid, cats ok, 3 or 6 month leases, super dean. 2504 Vine St., 3 closets, $375 1109 N. 28th, outdoor pool, $375 1121 N. 28th, outdoor pool, $385 Cherry Hill Co. 402-489-4857 Newer, 3 bedroom, 240 S. 26th, double-slide door balcony, built in microwave, off-street parking. Leave message. 483-2357. $625. Nice basement suite, 1 BR, Available now. $330/month, plus 1/3 utilities. Close to East Campus. 325-9643. Studio and 1 BR Vintage-studio and 1 BR close to both campus es, $300-$350. 432-2288. The Willows, 1800 Knox St., 1 & 2 bedroom, available. Call 437-8322 for more detalils. Two bedroom, close to UNL, fireplace. Available November 15. For details contact 438-0777 or 466-8181. ♦ One Bedroom 2000 J St Parking $310. ♦ One Bedroom 1507 S 19th. Roomy $335. ♦ 3 BR 5232 Cooper, w/d hookup, fire-place, MB $730. No Smokers/Pets 440-3000. F*ort*ri(» We Offer • 1,2 and 3 bedrooms • Apt, Duplexes and Houses • 24 Hour Maintenance call 438-0946 450 Apartments For Rent <4&> Century >WUX MUBMBIMNIflEMDrrOOk We provide: ♦ Locations throughout Lincoln ♦ 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance ♦ Professional & Personable Leasing Staff Call us today! 402-437-8300 500 Help Wanted $9-$12 Per Hour for Delivery Drivers Domino’s Pizza is now hiring for day and eve ning shifts for delivery drivers and limited eve ning inside help. No experience necessary. All you need to start is a good driving record, relia ble personal vehicle, liability insurance, and a good attitude. Apply at any of the Domino’s lo cations. 63rd & Havelock Deli Clerks-PT evenings/weekends Fun job at great store! Minimum age 18, week end availability required. We are an tOE offering 401k, profit snaring, Health/Dental ins., tuition reimbursement, direct deposit, and much more Stop in and apply today, or contact Dave at 484-5804 for details. A Great Way to Earn $30 TODAY! Donate your blood plasma to help save kids’ lives. Earn $30 Cash (for approximately 2 hours) Call or stop by: Nabi Biomedical Center, 300 S. 17th Street, Lincoln. 402-474-2335. Fees and donation time may vary, www.nabi.com. Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Students Would you like to learn about your college and help your fellow students in a fast-paced work environment? The Arts & Sciences Advising Center is looking for friendly, outgoing students to be Advising Assistants. Applications available in the A&S Advising Center, 107 Oldfather. Deadline is Monday, January 29,2001. Attentionl Growing international company $500-$5,000 PT/FT. Serious opportunity. 866-569-RICH. Civil Engineers Join a progressive, growth-oriented ENR Top 500 consulting engineering firm. We are seeking individuals interested in water resources, trans portation and municipal engineering. Responsi bilities include assisting with design, project management, surveying and field observation. Experience with AutoCAD and Softdesk helpful. Professional environment with an excellent com pensation and benefits package. Please send cover letter and resume to: Olsson Associates, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Lincoln, NE 68508. EOE. 500 Help Wanted CellularONE Hardt Communications, a leading CellularONE Dealer, is looking for sales reps for multiple lo cations. We need some daytime availability of 12:00 noon and also weekend availability. Above average earnings. Talk to any of our sales reps about how they like their jobs. Great part-time job. Apply at our Nebraska Bookstore location downtown at 13th & Q Street. Cornhusker Place Detox Seeking individuals to work on-call as Addiction Service Workers. Must be a team player and have an interest in the human services field. Must possess a current driver’s license, have excellent communication skills and the ability to work with a diverse population. Apply in person all Patti or Pam at 477-3951. at 721 K Street or call I EOE. CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Ci Direct provides high-tech inbound customer relationship management services to the insur ance industry, and we need you as we grow! You must have a desire to help others, good Windows PC skills, be able to type 25 WPM, and have a great smile over the phone! • $50.00 Hiring Bonus • $7.5Q/hr after training • FT, PT, days, evenings, weekends • Extensive benefit program ENTIAL FOI R SPANISH BILIN • WAGE DIFFEREI GUALAGENTS • See www.cidirect.com for more info. Apply in person between 8am and 5pm or send or fax resume to: Oireot 5001 Central Park Drive (One block south of 50th & R) Lincoln, Nebraska 68504 FAX (402) 466-2171 EOE ENGINEERING AIDE Lincoln Electric System is looking for a junior or senior majoring in Electrical Engineering with power system emphasis. This position would be part-time during the school year (approximately 20 hours a week that can be worked around your class schedule) and 40 hours a week dur ing the summer months. You would be working with Engineers in our System Protection Depart ment, gathering and recording data on electrical failures, protective relaying databases, load flows, and communication systems. Apply at LINCOLN ELECTRIC SYSTEM HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT 1040 ‘O’ STREET /'www. les. com Equal Employment Opportunity Employer Engineering Technicians Join a growing, Top 500 consulting engineering firm located in downtown Lincoln. Positions in clude: Student Technician to work with a group involved in land development, utilities and pav ing projects. Knowledge of AutoCAD helpful but not required. Student Technician to work with a group involved in designing flood control struc tures, drainage structures, and storm sewer sys tems. Responsibilities include computer-aided drafting/design, construction observation and surveying. Knowledge of AutoCAD or other drafting software desired. Professional environ ment, retirement plan and paid holidays. Please send cover letter and resume to: Olsson Associ ates, 1111 Lincoln Mali, Lincoln, NE 68508. EOE 500 Help Wanted jan’s Pub Part-time cook ana cocktail waitress needed. Experience preferred. Good pay, flexible hours. Call 477-3513 or stop by at 11 & K. Excellent Staff Needed! Flatwatwr Grill restaurant and Top of the Rock banquets are taking on a new adventure and ex panding our business! We need Day and Night Servers (prefer Day) and line cooks (2 yrs. min. experience) for Flatwater Grill, which was recent ly named one of the best restaurants in Lincoln by the Ground Zero. We also need Banquet Staff for night and weekend hours; and Full-Time/Part-Time Housemen for banquet set-ups. Excellent pay and fun work environ ment! Ptease stop in to Flatwater Grill at 14th and P Streets to fill out an application TODAY) LAST CHANCE!!! Baseball Umpires Needed Spring/Summer leagues, experience preferred, great pay, flexible schedule. Free clinics start next week. Call Jim at 325-9560 for info. Call Today, spots limited. Office Assistants Successful, progressive engineering firm has Cart-time openings available in our downtown incoln office. Positions include: Accounting Assistant responsible for data entry and filing for AP/AR, general financial administration ana other administrative duties. Experience with word processing and spreadsheets helpful. Marketing Assistant responsible for design and layout of presentation materials, preparation of marketing materials and company newsletter, errands and other clerical duties. Graphic design experience and scanning software helpful.These positions are part-time during the school year (15-25 hours a week) and full-time during the summer optional. Professional environment, flexible hours available, retirement plan and paid holidays. Please send cover letter and resume to: Olsson Associates, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Lin coln, NE 68508. EOE. VISIT US ATeeee dailyneb.com Why Rent? 1242 Pawnee • $69,500 One bedroom bungalow. Completely Upadated. 1 Stall Garage. All aplliances Included. This one is a beauty! Open this Sunday January 28,2001 12:30-2:30 Owning a home can be easier than you think. Call me for information on home ownership. -Bruce Hahn ^ PJM 890-4246 A 434-3510 laX