10The Daily Tar HeelMonday, January 30, 1989
Ufa? Satlg
96 th vear of editorial freedom
KAREN BELL, News Editor
MATT BlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
JON K. RUST, Managing Editor
Will Lingo, aty Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Am Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
SHELLEY ERBLAND, Design Editor
A breach of towing etiquette
If there's anything worse than
having a car in Chapel Hill and not
being able to find a parking space, it's
finding one and then getting towed.
Last week, 10 to 20 cars were towed
from Boundary Street, marking the
end of an era; the street has long been
a haven for the many unfortunates
who cannot get parking stickers for
campus lots.
Some students left class and walked
to Boundary Street only to discover
their cars were gone, without any signs,
notes or clues about where they might
be. The frantic students eventually
discovered the cars had been towed
not an unheard-of practice in
Chapel Hill, home of the parking
crunch.
This time, however, the University
and Chapel Hill police could not be
tagged the villains. This time, it was
local developer Gerry Barrett who
sicced the tow trucks on cars parked
along Boundary Street.
Barrett, who extended and deve
loped the street, had the cars towed
because he insists the street is private
property and he does not like it being
used as an extraneous parking lot for
University students. However, Barrett
posted no signs, a method which
would have been more considerate and
effective than unannounced towing.
It's no fun, counting illegal aliens
In the 1780s, politicians from
Southern states fought hard for the
inclusion of non-citizens namely
slaves in the head count to deter
mine the number of a state's U.S.
representatives. Ironically, 200 years
later, the same constitutional clause
could limit the representation of these
same states.
: Unless a North Carolina-backed
federal lawsuit is successful, the recent
influx of illegal aliens into the United
States will affect the reapportionment
of U.S. House representation after the
1990 census. States with a high
population of illegal aliens, such as
California, Texas and New York,
would receive additional congressional
districts while other states would lose
them.
North Carolina has joined Pennsyl
vania and Kansas in a legal battle to
keep illegal aliens from being included
in Census Bureau figures, which will
be used to reapportion Congressional
districts in 1990. Estimates have
indicated that California and Texas
rnay receive four and three additional
seats, respectively, after the nation's 3
million to 5 million illegal aliens are
(taunted. North Carolina could lose a
J 2th congressional district that it
Otherwise would have gained if this
class of non-citizens were not counted.
; But the success or failure of the
lawsuit could hinge on North Caro
lina's ability to prove that it would
indeed suffer if illegal aliens are
dounted. This may be a difficult
About once a week, the DTH's editorial
board fries to publish a "board opinion"
editorial. Contrary to popular belief, these
editorials don't reflect only the opinion of
Jean Lutes, our illustrious and much-feared
editor. Rather, they are the result of
intelligent and well-informed debate that
occurs weekly in our editorial board
meetings. The board includes the editorial
writers, the associate editors (otherwise
known as the backbone of the DTH) and
Jean. During the meetings, we discuss
potential edit topics for the week. Under
ideal circumstances, we come to a consensus
on one important issue; the board opinions
are truly board opinions.
In February, we will bring to you, our
readers, the ultimate series of board
opinions the candidate endorsements for
campus elections. Unlike last year, when
all the editors participated in the process,
only the lucky editorial board will conduct
the hours of endorsement interviews (much
to the dismay of all the other editors, of
course). In order to form responsible
opinions on which candidates are most
qualified, members of the editorial board
will survey current campus leaders to find
the answers to such questions as what
oTar Hetl
Jean Lutes, Editor
KAARIN TlSUE, News Editor
LAURA PEARLMAN, Associate Editor
KRISTEN GARDNER, University Editor
WILLIAM TAGGART, State and National Editor
Dave Glenn, sports Editor
Leigh ann Mcdonald, Featmres Editor
BRIAN FOLEY, Photography Editor
Kelly Thompson, Design Editor
Furthermore, there is a legal ques
tion as to whether Barrett actually had
the authority to have the cars towed.
The town of Chapel Hill has assumed
responsibility for maintenance on the
street, which should make it a town
street. And according to attorney
David Crescenzo of Student Legal
Services, parked cars cannot be towed
from a street unless signs prohibiting
parking are posted.
Crescenzo has written a letter to
Barrett asking him to reimburse the
students for the tow charge. If Barrett
does not comply with the request,
Crescenzo said he will take the case
to small-claims court to recover the
$30 to $45 towing charges.
Assuming Barrett did have the
authority to tow the cars it was
, questionable at best not posting the
street as a no-parking zone and towing
even though students have parked
there for years was a rotten thing to
do.
Barrett should begin to straighten
out this mess by reimbursing the
students who were towed and then
finding out from town officials who
has the legal right to dictate parking
policies on the street. If Barrett does
indeed have that authority, he can post
the street and then call in the tow
trucks at will. Sandy Dimsdale
undertaking; a similar suit was dis
missed on these grounds in 1980.
Including illegal aliens in the reap
portionment process is detrimental to
our democratic system of government
in two ways. First, as U.S. Rep. Tim
Valentine of Nashville has pointed out,
the practice allows people guilty of a
criminal activity to reshape the govern
mental structure. WI don't see any
justice at all where people who have
little enough respect for our system of
government to come here illegally
should . . . influence representation in
the House of Representatives." He said
it would be a "ridiculous situation" for
any state to lose congressional repres
entation because of people who ignore
our laws.
Also, the people for whom new
districts would be created are non
voting citizens, and they would not be
represented by their elected U.S.
representatives. If anything, the repre
sentatives probably would try to
impose stronger enforcement mea
sures on them. And in districts with
a high number of illegal aliens, the
citizens would have exaggerated
representation.
Whether through the judicial system
or through the amendment process,
the practice of counting non-citizens
for the purpose of reapportioning
House districts must be stopped.
Otherwise our nation's entire system
of representative government, not just
North Carolina's, will be weakened.
Louis Bissette
iha last word
personal qualities make a competent
student body president, what issues will face
the next Residence Hall Association
president and what experiences would be
most helpful to a Carolina Athletic Asso
ciation president. Board members also will
be required to attend at least one candidates'
forum. Based on the information compiled,
the board will form questions to ask during
endorsement interviews.
In the interviews, the candidates will have
a chance to give their platforms and then
answer the board's questions. Following
these interviews, the board members will
discuss the candidates' positions and vote
for the candidates of their choice. (The vote
won't be anonymous because we're such a
happy, close-knit bunch on the editorial
board.) A vote count will be published with
the editorials to give readers a better idea
of how strongly a candidate was supported.
This process is designed to give the
editorial board the best possible base for
forming an opinion, and hence to give the
readers the best possible idea of whom to
vote for. In the true spirit of board opinions,
the board will struggle together and decide
together, helping each other along that
rocky path. in the never-ending quest for
The Truth. Laura Pearlman
Bailout shouldn't be depositors' burden
TT really want to be a good citizen, so
will someone please explain why I have
JLLto foot the bill for the savings and loan
industry bail-out? Someone? Please?
I pay my taxes. I want to do my part
for the strength of my country's economy.
I'm even willing to make a few sacrifices
if it will help out in the long run. But I
draw the line at financing a give-away for
rich people.
Not that IVe got anything against rich
folks I just doubt they really need my
money.
But George "Read my lips" Bush seems
to think so. Last week he suggested a way
for me to help pay for the savings and
loan bail-out without paying more taxes.
George's plan is that every time I go to
the bank to make a deposit there will be
a Fed there to take a cut off the top.
Then George will take all that deposit
money and put it in a big national
collection plate. When he gets $100 billion
or so, voila! No more savings and loan
crisis!
Nice try George.
Now, I'm no economic expert, and I
don't pretend to be. Ask me to name the
leading economic indicators and all 111 be
able to tell you is "money." But I know
what a tax is, and a tax by any other name
stinks as bad.
I also know what a bill is. I pay bills
every month with money I earn. I consider
my taxes a bill, money paid for services
rendered by my government. I don't always
feel happy when I pay bills and taxes, but
my parents raised me to be responsible,
and paying your way is the American way,
isntit?
Minors stifle
education
To the editor
I read with interest the prop
osal by the Academic Affairs
Committee of student govern
ment for establishing an aca
demic minor.
If .students favoring the
option of a minor at UNC are
operating on the assumption
that it will help them in the job
market, they need to think
again. Establishing a minor will
only lock students into addi
tional rigid requirements. Cur
rently, students who wish to
supplement their major with
coursework in another area
may choose the courses they
wish and legitimately claim
them on their resumes as a
"secondary concentration." If a
minor is available at UNC,
students will no longer have
this . flexibility.
University Career Planning
and Placement Services
(UCPPS) recommends that
liberal arts students planning to
enter the business world
directly upon graduation take
elective coursework in account
ing, business, statistics and
computer science. If the objec
tive is to increase attractiveness
to employers, students would
be better off encouraging these
departments to offer more
service courses to non-majors
than pressing for the establish
ment of a minor. Rarely is the
effort and narrowness of a
double major (or a minor)
required or even appreciated by
an employer.
I encourage students as well
as the Academic Affairs Com
mittee to consider very care
fully their reasons as well as the
1-30 dTH
Liquid diets,
" think he will be overthrown soon. I
would not bet 10 rubles on Gorbachev."
Yelena Bonner, human rights activist
and wife of Andrei Sakharov. Bonner and
Sakharov told the French daily Le Figaro
that they believe Soviet President Mikhail
Gorbachev will be ousted because he has
failed to seek popular support in direct
elections.
ana
"I was a very angry young man during
the first wave. I thought I had all the
answers to all the problems. It wasn't until
I was about 30 that I realized not only
did I not have all the answers, I had just
begun to realize how to ask all the
questions." Franklin McCain, a civil
rights activist, on his role in the sit-in
protests of the 60s. McCain was speaking
as part of the Martin Luther King birthday
celebration week.
"That's not the last thing III remember
about Bill. I'll remember the things that
happened before that. " John Haydock,
friend and co-worker of William J.
McMichael. McMichael was shot and
killed after forcing his way into a Chapel
Hill home on Jan. 10. Police have
concluded that McMichael had taken LSD
hours before the incident.
HDD
"We don't need the cushy seats. What
we need is more people. It would create
a more Carmichael-like atmosphere. "
CAA President Carol Geer, on the
possibility of installing bleachers in the
student sections of the Dean Dome.
Daniel Conover
Staff Writer
But paying the bill for the savings and
loan industry is not my responsibility, and
it isn't yours either. Our S&L's are in debt
because they gambled their money away
when Ronald Reagan deregulated them
early in his presidency. He believed the
market would weed out the sickly thrifts
while the strong ones would survive, that
economic Darwinism would make the
economy healthy. We now know it didn't
work out that way because Reagan's
political offspring is asking us to pay for
this failed experiment.
The failure of the deregulated thrift
industry has a complicated history, but
here's the Cliffs notes version: Reagan let
the thrifts loan money they didn't have to
people who couldn't pay it back, somebody
made a fortune off the transaction, and
now you and I have to come up with $100
billion or we all go into an economic
depression.
You and I come into the equation
because the federal government (with our
tax money) insures S&L deposits. The
financial executives who squandered the
money in the first place now say they don't
have enough money to cover their deposits.
They've passed the bill to us.
This system of insuring and regulating
financial institutions was invented in the
depression after banks and thrifts ran
amok in the 1920s. Reagan said the
Readers9 Forum
GUNS DON'T
vino cud Liy W
PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.
facts before endorsing a prop
osal for a minor at UNC.
MARCIA HARRIS
Director
UCPPS
Pageant closed
to campus
To the editor:
As I read the article about
the "Miss Omega Psi Phi"
pageant in the Jan. 25 DTH
("Fraternity pageant's proceeds
to benefit black scholarship
fund"), I became disappointed
in Mr. Penasoto (the spokes
man for Omega Psi Phi)
because his comments came
across as sexist, hypocritical
and patronizing.
Specifically, Mr. Penasoto
was quoted as saying, "Five
girls are entered in the contest."
As a black man I resent anyone
referring to black women as
girls. Girls are in high school;
women walk UNC's campus.
Also, as a black man I resent,
and am embarrassed by, the
statement, "Letters about the
pageant were sent out to several
campus minority groups . . .
But it was basically open to
everyone." If only campus
minority groups were informed
(badly, I might add) about the
pageant, then it was effectively
not open to everyone!
I have no problem with a
pageant for black women. But
if it is that, then saying it is open
to everyone is absurd. I, and
many other blacks, can think
of too many analogous situa
tions in the real world where
we have been (under) informed.
In the future, perhaps Mr.
Penasoto will truly inform the
entire campus about the
pageant, or hell not put his foot
in his mouth by saying the
pork rinds and
Week in Quotes
"We've been really busy lately because
of the Oprah Winfrey thing." Anne
Wilbourne, medical secretary for the HCA
Raleigh Community Hospital, on the
popularity of the liquid diets administered
by the hospital.
DBA
" think guys here will all sit together
in bars and watch the girls go by. They
don't have the guts they wait for the
girl to make the first move. " A female
senior economics political science major,
on the trials and tribulations of dating at
UNC.
ODD
"We want to provide accurate and up-to-date
information, act as a referral service
and talk on a one-to-one (basis) with
people who have concerns about sexuality
and relationships." Devetta Holman,
assistant health educator at Student Health
Service, on the new Sexuality Hotline.
BOO
"The people of Florida today have
administered justice. If there's ever been
anyone on Florida's death row that
deserved the electric chair, Ted Bundy was
that individual." Gov. Bob Martinez of
Florida on the execution of murderer Tpd
Bundy.
regulations were strangling enterprise, but:
as soon he took off the yoke the S&L's;
were at it again. The result is so much"
privatt icbt that the FSLIC reserve cannot
cover existing deposits.
The government can't afford to buy the
bad thrifts, but unless it arranges for their
protection a rash of failed S&L's could
send the nation spiraling toward depres
sion. As a compromise, the government
has given sweetheart deals to solvent
companies and banks who buy up S&L
debt. It's a risky business, so the Feds had
to sweeten the pot with tax incentives and
loan guarantees.
Simply put, the Ford Motor Company
buys a bankrupt S&L and then doesn't-;
pay corporate taxes for the next four tot;
seven years. My economist friends tell met
folks who buy up these bad S&L's ar
going to make a lot of money. That's lit
the savings and loan system doesn't got
belly-up and sink the whole country. 'K
In other words, fellow citizens, your
friendly neighborhood savings and loan is'
holding our economy hostage. And we're C
paying the ransom. : : ;
Well, if it's a choice between forking over:
my pay to George and his friends or selling!
apples on a street corner, I suppose 111
empty my pockets. It would be great if
we could mail the bill to Ronald Reagan .
and his free-market carpetbagging cronies,
but in the real world the unethical leave
no forwarding address.
Where have you gone, George Bailey? :
Daniel Conover is a junior journalism
major from Carrboro.
KILL PEOPLE,
Aw wir rKv&
pageant was open to everyone.
Maybe he will retain what little
credibility he has left by not
saying anything at all.
J.L. WESLEY III
Graduate
Business administration
Letters policy
The Daily Tar Heel
welcomes reader comments , .
and criticisms. When writing.'
letters to the editor, please'
follow these guidelines:
a Place letters in the box,
marked "Letters to the Editor '".
outside the DTH office in the,;
Student Union.
B All letters must be typed
and double-spaced, for ease of
editing.
electrocution
"Give my love to my family and friends.
Bundy's last words.
OOD
"We continue to be strained in terms
of the budget that allows us to offer the
options that students want and deserve.
I think faculty are already at the end of
their ropes." Donald Boulton, vice
chancellor and dean of student affairs, on
the record number of classes closed at
drop-add.
t
B B B
" do not intend to be an international
Anglican gadfly, moving around to proj
mote ordination of women, but I will b'q
as supportive as possible. " The Rev,
Barbara Harris on her election as the first
woman bishop in the 2,000-year history
of apostolic succession.
BBS
"Same way that some Texans were born
in Kennebunkport. " House Speaker Jirh
Wright's explanation of how a bottle of
Texas hot sauce presented to President
George Bush could have a made-in-North
Carolina label.
' BOB
"Just lovely. " Bush's reaction when
presented with the hot sauce and a jar of
pork rinds by Wright and other leaders
of Congress.
Compiled by associate editor Matt
Bivens.
S