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10 Monday, May 1, 2000 Concerns or comments about our coverage? Contact the ombudsman at budman@unc.edu or call 605-2790. Scott Hicks EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Katie Abel UNIVERSITY EDITOR Jacob McConnico crry EDITOR Editorial Series Financial Repair Chancellor-elect James Moeser must get to work on fixing the University's finances as soon as he arrives in August. UNC’s financial dealings involve billions of dollars. At such a large institution, it can be difficult to keep things straight. This is evi dent in the recent financial and budgetary problems the University has faced, and straightening things out should be a top pri ority for incoming Chancellor James Moeser. The Problems of the Past The financial woes became public last summer, when the completion of a massive two-year audit by the Internal Revenue Service estimated the University owed $20.5 million in back taxes. Though the final set tlement reached last December between UNC and the IRS was for a “mere” $905,115, the estimated legal costs put an extra burden on an already cash-strapped school. The University was forced to set aside $1.5 million for “legal lia- Chancellor’s Checklist 1. & 2. Part one of an editorial series examining the issues Chancellor elect Moeser should make his top priorities bilities” in this year’s budget. Some of the more costly problems cited by the IRS were $510,110 incorrecdy deducted for the money-losing Finley Golf Course and $346,312 in taxes that were not paid on prof its from events held at the Smith Center. Rental fees and outside sales at Horace Williams Airport, making up $181,610 in tax able business income, were also mishandled. Problems also arose from unpaid taxes involving foreign students, professors, researchers and University students who ■were also paid employees. In 1997, for instance, $859,538 was not withheld from the paychecks of nonresident aliens and for eign nationals. The hefty tax bill could not have come at a worse time for the University. It was already facing a $9.8 million budgetary shortfall. Asa result, interim Chancellor Bill McCoy had to tap his business experience and find ways to cut away at operating expenses. Department heads and research directors, for example, were forced to trim anywhere from 1.6 percent to a staggering 10 percent from their base operating budgets. The results were tangible. University libraries were forced to cancel subscriptions to academic journals. Nonteaching employ ees faced layoffs. And as the University cut jobs to save on costs, those who remained at their posts often dealt with increased work loads to cover the new vacancies. Despite the changes, much remains to be done. That’s where Moeser comes in. Moeser's Budgetary Background Chancellor-elect James Moeser is no Want to Write (or Draw) Your Opinion in The Daily Tar Heel? Apply to be a columnist editorial board member or cartoonist for fall 2000. Applications are available in the DTH front office in Suite 1 04 of the Student Union and are due back by 5 p.m.Thursday. Those selected will be notified by 5 p.m. May 9. Questions? Call Editorial Page Editor-select Kelli Boutin at 962-0245. GJfje Daily ®ar Heel Business and Advertising: Janet Gallagher. Cassel, director/general manager; Chrissy Beck, director of marketing; Laurie Morton, dassifiedlcustomer service manager; Lisa Reichle, business manager; Jennifer Mackey, assistant business manager; Elizabeth Martin. retail sales manager. Marketing Group: Cindy Rice, specialist; Carrie Davis, Ben Hartmere, David Huffines and Williams and Michael Wlodek City: Robert Albright, Tricia Barrios. 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Jim It* editoruA aoprawJ try the meyxity of the editorial board ntwh is composed of the ednor. editorial page editor, assistant editorial page editor, cartoon editor and seven editorial writers the Daly Tar Heel is published by the DTH Publishing Cap, a nonprofit North Carolina corporation, Monday-Friday, according to the University calendar. Callers with questions about billing or display advertisaig should cad 962 1163 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p m Classified ads can be reached at 962-0252. Editorial questions should be directed to 962 0245 Rob Nelson editor Office Hours Friday 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. stranger to tight budgets. While president of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he made quick budgetary decisions at the beginning of his term, including reallocating funds from one department to another. Some called his hard-line attitude toward the bottom line unfair. “There are times when he will tell faculty that there is an administrative decision that he has to make, and it can be frustrating to faculty at times,” said Sheila Scheideler, incoming president of UNL’s Faculty Senate. In addition to knowing how to work with in budget constraints, Moeser has been acclaimed as a fund-raiser and lobbyist. These qualities will be critical this summer, when he lobbies the N.C. General Assembly for a huge university bond package. Moeser also has said he would make boosting UNC’s $1 billion endowment by using private resources such as UNC alum ni a high priority. During his four years at UNL, Moeser racked up more than $350 million in private donations. His talents will come in handy. Moving Out of the Red UNC has had to pay taxes for more than two centuries, and it’s ridiculous that no one caught the mistakes before the audit. That’s why Moeser needs to call for a long, hard look at UNC’s finances, not to mention push for the hiring of a vice chancellor of budget and finance to replace Jim Ramsey, who left in 1998. The University cannot afford any more embarrassments, and it needs someone who can be accountable. But UNC’s financial health will remain in danger if Moeset also does not increase the endowment. The return on UNC’s endowment is cur rently below that of its peer institutions. In February, investment officials at Duke University anticipated getting a 23.4 percent return on the endowment. At the same time, the portion of N.C. State’s endowment that’s controlled by the university grew 11.1 per cent, almost two percentage points more than UNC’s, which only grew 9.2 percent. The return on the endowment is the por tion of it the University can spend on any type of campus needs, typically scholarships. A high return on a university’s endowment encourages more donors to give to the uni versity, because they feel their money will be invested wisely. The only way to improve the return is to invest in higher risk investments, and Moeser should push the Board of Trustees for a more aggressive investment strategy. Moeser has stated he wants to make UNC the best state university in the country. It’s time for him to put the money where his mouth is. Professional and Business Staff Ashley Ryneska, associates Customer Service: Holly Herweyer, Locoya Hill, Courtnee Poole, Kelly Russell and Ashley Ryneska, representatives. Display Advertising: Julie Roper, Andrea Van Hoever and Catherine Wilkins senior account executives; Katie Bawden, Katelyn Bottoms, Jackie House, Kelly McKellogg, Skye Nunnery and Jenn Tyburczy; account executives; Eleanor Editorial Staff Patricia Wright. Graphics: Jason Cooper, Dan Helias, Hannah Hollar, T Jay Richards and Heather Todd. Online: Wendy Aemer. Photography: Cara Brickman, senior photographer; Valerie Bruchon, Elan Dassani, Alison Domnas, Katherine Eaker, Laura Giovanelli, Martha Hoelzer, Meredith lee, Kate Mellnik, Kaann Moore, Christine Nguyen, Casey Quillen, Emily Schnure. Margaret Southern and Greg Wolf. Special Assignments: Geoffrey Graybeal, Kaiilin Gurney, Chris Hosteller and Courtney Weill. Sports: Evan Markfiefd, Brian Murphy and Hugh Pressley, senior writers; Brad Broders, Joe Disney, James Giza, lan Gordon, Adam Hill, Roland Hoffman, Ted Keith, Kelly Lusk, Adam Pohl, Matt Terry, Umur Tuncer and John Zhu. State & National: Kristina Casto, Jessica Chtsjri, Worth Civils, Anne Fawcett, Alicia Gaddy, Kimberly Grabiner, Jennifer Hagin, Lani Harac, OISN #10709436 Office: Suite 104 Carolina Union Campm Mall Address: Cl# S2lO Box 49, Carolina Union U.S. MaH Address: P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hid, NC 27515-3257 alt? Satlg aar Mni Established 1893 • 107 Years of Editorial Freedom www.unc.edu/dth Matthew B. Dees STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR T. Nolan Hayes SPORTS EDITOR Leigh Davis FEATURES EDITOR Cameron, Tonya Day, Locoya Hill, Nathan Mayberry and Melissa McDaniel, assistant account executives. Advertising Production: Penny Persons, manager; Julie Marks and Lauryn Mitchiner. assistants. Classified Production: Melanie Todd Alex Kaplun, Taena Kim, Kristian Kordula, Rachel Leonard, Jonathan Moseley, Deepika Narasimhan and Gavin Off. Tech: Jennifer Fauteux, Alex McAllister and Eric Williams. University: Jason Arthurs, Elizabeth Breyer, Allison Ford, Will Eoushee, Harmony Johnson, John Maberry, Courtney Mabeus, Kale Macek. Derick Mattern, Katy Nelson, John O'Hale, Beth O’Brien, Shahrzad Rezvani, Brooke Roseman, Denise Scott, Matthew Smith, Aisha Thomas, Mark Thomas, Jamila Vernon, Geoffrey Wessel and Karey Wutkowski. Editorial Production: Stacy Wynn, manager. Printing: Triangle Web. Distribution: Triangle Circulation Services. Opinions Robin Clemow ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Carolyn Haynes COPY DESK EDITOR Miller Pearsall PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR More Than Simply ‘of the People’ It all started Thursday while I was listening to the the UNC Symphony Orchestra per form over in Hill Hall. Good show, good show. But hard-core classical music not being my favorite, I was lost in thought, wishing they would play the Indiana Jones theme and imagining how things would liven up if the conductor were to use sparklers and a bull whip to keep the musicians on track instead of the baton. But somewhere between drumbeats I began to figure out the answer to a query that has bugged me for nearly two years. Classical music will do crazy things to you. After all, it was a good question that the man asked.“ What is it that binds us to this place as to no other?” inquired famed alum nus Charles Kuralt in his country voice during the University’s bicentennial year. That speech tingles my spine. Kuralt mused that our “love for this place is based on the fact that it is as it was meant to be- the University of the people.” Sorry, Chuck. I never bought that line. For starters, the “stone walls” and the “dog woods blooming” and the “crisp October nights” are all rather compelling. Toss in the sunny spring days, and that all might very well do the trick for me. You can’t ask for much more. And even then, a real “university of the people” would at least have a few benches on campus for us to enjoy all that beauty Kuralt glossed over. The people, I say, need benches, especially after hiking in from South Campus. But quite frankly, I do not like this University because it celebrates the common man. And while some folks complain that Mr. Jefferson’s university one state to the north is too “upscale” for their taste, few people love Carolina because it’s egalitarian. It’s even up for debate whether we are a “University of the people” these days - or ever. There’s an awful lot of Abercrombie & Fitch around here, which certainly doesn’t Readers' Forum Miscommunication Caused This Year’s Elections Problems TO THE EDITOR: It has just been brought to my attention that Student Congress has been slandering my name and the Elections Board because of a prob lem Congress created. Supposedly, Congress has been sending the Elections Board e-mail over the Congress listserv. This is information that pertains to resigna tions, open seats in Congress and who knows what else. However, no one on the Elections Board is on the Congress listserv. This could be the reason for the mis communication between the two groups. The Congress members have thought that I was on the listserv. I have never received any information from Congress. Many times Congress has assumed that I know certain ele ments, and I was actually left in the dark. Maybe this was what led to the redistricting and registrar problems during the elections. I do not deny that the Elections Board had its problems this year. However, there are certain things Vicky Eckenrode & Cate Doty MANAGING EDITORS Thomas Ausman DESIGN EDITOR Megan Sharkey GRAPHICS EDITOR William Hill ONLINE EDITOR ■ BRANDON BRISCOE VOICE OF REASON reflect most of the population’s tastes, not to mention wallets. What was once a school that served the entire South now allows roundabouts 15 per cent of its freshman classes to be from any where out of state, charging the lucky few an arm and a leg at that. And to come here next year, you’ll need to pack a laptop computer, those not generally haring a price tag that reflects their size. Exactly which people is this a University of? True, it can’t be denied that tuition is rela tively cheap. Nor can we forget that groups of any race or religion or ethnicity are free to come here to celebrate their values and cul ture and what not. What’s more, this state is certainly proud of its University, though at times reluctant to raise its allowance. Indeed, it serves more people than most other schools. But I doubt that’s what concerns most of us. And that’s not what binds us to this place as to no other. To some extent we love this place because it’s “college.” We like about Carolina the same things we would like about any other school. Freedom, friends, Friday nights and, for a few freaks, Frisbee golf. But those things don’t bind us to this place. And yet Kuralt was right. It is the people - and the opportunities they provide - that make this place so great. Today, we enjoy the legacy of people of the that the board has accomplished that have been overlooked. We have started the online voting process, successfully completed the first Homecoming as a board, redesigned the ballots, purchased a publicity banner and made an Elections Board with experienced members who want to return. Many Elections Board members are plan ning to return next year and solve the past problems. Would there have been such criti cism if the technical difficulties did not occur and the results of the elec tion were given out by 10 p.m.? Who knows? The Elections Board members have the heart, determination and commitment to still be willing to par ticipate next year. Most people would not have gone through such criticism and remain to fight. We still have one more election to go, and we believe we will fill the seats. The Elections Board is also sup porting the appointment of Marissa Downs as the future Elections Board chairwoman. We have personally seen her capabilities and know her ideas to change the actions that occurred in the general election. The Elections Board takes the blame for many incidents, but we are Terry Wimmer OMBUDSMAN past. Folks from William Richardson Davey to James K. Polk to Dean Smith and all the oth ers in between have made this University what we love today. And this place is great, too, because we are now imagining what it will be years down the line. Master plans and increased enrollment ideas are already paving the way for students, faculty and administrators who will determine the University’s future. But of course it is people here today that really bind each of us to this place. Perhaps never again will we be so closely surrounded by so rrtany capable and talented people. You want intellectual stuff? Go to class. Or watch Professor Peter Kaughman deliver a first-rate, humorous lecture as he did Thursday to interested parties in the Cabaret. You want music? Besides the orchestra con cert, the Clef Hangers performed this past weekend, not to mention the weekend’s hand ful of music students’ recitals. The list is endless. From athletes to jour nalists to assistant Pit preachers, Carolina boasts an expert on nearly every subject. It takes a place this large to collect and cre ate so much expertise -and with it, opportu nity. Yet we’re bound together enough to make the opportunity accessible to everyone. Of course we will all come and go, but there will be new people to create more opportunity. And when we’re gone, it’s the folks we met and worked with that we’ll remember about this place. We were not all Tar Heels bom; but we cherish that identity bred in us, proud to be associated with so many class acts and out standing individuals. You can’t say that about many places. Brandon Briscoe is a junior journalism and mass communication major from New Orleans, La. who has appreciated your feedback this semester. Send your comments to brandon_briscoe@unc.edu. not the only ones that created the election problems. Catherine Yates Elections Board Chairwoman CAA Listserv Will Be Students’ Source For Athletic News TO THE EDITOR: As the Carolina Athletic Association prepares for the upcom ing sports seasons, we want to invite the entire student body to be a part of our latest endeavor. We have created anew listserv so that anyone can be notified of CAA activities. This includes schedules for Homecoming and Beat Dook Week, as well as bas ketball ticket distributions and sched ules of all UNC sporting events. To sign up for the listserv, go to www.unc.edu/caa and click on the link that says “Click here to subscribe to the CAA announcement listserv.” Follow the directions, and you will be hooked up to the best source for UNC athletic news. Julie Colvin 2000-2001 External Relations Director Carolina Athletic Association ahp iaily (Tar Hppl fS> A The Daily Tar Heel wel comes reader comments and criticism. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone number. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaran teed. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to; editdesk@unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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May 1, 2000, edition 1
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