Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 21, 2001, edition 1 / Page 3
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She Daily Sar Heel Budget Soon To Pass; It's About Time A saga that has stolen the lime light of state government news for months might finally come to an end today. State legislators are set to vote on a $14.4 billion budget bill and end a three-month impasse. The House and Senate tentatively approved the budget Thursday and could take a final vote today during special sessions. A break through in bud get talks came Wednesday when legislators from both cham bers agreed on a $1 billion tax package to reduce a loom ing shortfall and ward off a threat APRIL BETHEA STATE & NATIONAL COLUMNIST from Gov. Mike Easley to veto an unbalanced budget. It’s about time. Today marks the 139th day of the 2001 session, the longest on record. If that doesn’t impress you, consider this: each addi tional day the General Assembly is in session costs taxpayers $55,000 for the legislators’ expenses and staff salaries, according to the Associated Press. During the past few days, lawmakers have shown excitement as the end of budget debates draws near. “We have a budget,” Senate Pro Tern Marc Basnight told reporters Wednesday. House Speaker Jim Black also is excited about the possible vote and appears confident that the newest bud get package will pass the General Assembly. “He thinks this might be the package that will work,” said Danny Lineberry, Black’s spokesman. Still others are not convinced that the best possible budget compromise has been reached. “We’re relieved that there is a bud get but we are disappointed with what’s in it,” said House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry. Daughtry said he opposes several aspects of the budget including mil lions of dollars allocated to Easley for special appropriations. But despite his objections, Daughtry said he is ready for the session to end. “We’re unhappy that we’ve been here for so long,” he said. Other leaders agree. “I’ve been here 16 years and I’ve never been here this long,” said Rep. Bobby Barbee, R-Cabarrus. He said he is eager to return home and get back to his job and family. Barbee said he and some other legis lators have spent much of the past week sitting in their offices while budget nego tiations were being held in closed cham bers. “You just sit here and wait for someone to tell us what’s going on but nobody’s telling us much,” he said. Rep. Toby Fitch, D-Edgecombe, also said the long session has taken its toll on legislators. Nevertheless, he said there is still work to be done. “It’s a part-time legislature, not a full-time legislature. We have jobs and homes and I’d like to be home,” he said. “But just because I’d like to be home does n’t mean I’m not going to do my job.” Fitch was among eight House Democrats who opposed earlier plans to implement sales tax increases which they argued unfairly targeted the poor. Still, Fitch said he could not describe an ideal budget that could meet everyone’s needs and one that all legislators could agree on. “What the ideal package is, you just can’t say unless it’s in front of you,” he said. However, Fitch said he would like a budget that gives adequate funding for education and allows all state residents to live a quality state of life. He might get his wish. The budget up for consideration allots $8.3 billion towards education, including a 2 per cent pay increase for K-12 teachers and $8.9 million for need-based finan cial aid for public universities. The bill also continues funding for mental health facilities, such as Dorothea Dix Hospital, that faced • closing under an original Senate plan. • While it is a sign of relief that legis ' lators have finally learned the meaning of compromise and working together, I think it makes absolutely no sense ; that the budget is even an issue nine months after the session started. This goes beyond sales taxes, lotter • ies and, dare I say, the Group of Eight. ' Legislators said they knew that last year’s budget might cause problems before it was even approved. The budget shortfall did not appear miraculously and leaders should no longer use it as an excuse. It’s about learning to work together as a team for the betterment of the state. Pass the budget and let state agen cies go about their business. Then go home. It is about time. Columnist April Bethea can be reached at adbethea@email.unc.edu. RDU to Delay Expansion, Cut Workers By Mark Seeley Staff Writer Planned construction at Raleigh- Durham International Airport has been put on hold indefinitely after severe flight cuts, an airline shutdown and a massive decrease in ticket sales resulting from last week’s terrorist attacks. RDU already has cut 115 flights per day in and out of the airport because of the shutdown of Midway Airlines, which had a major hub at the airport. More 4 f jHb ”f -W mb 1 a ■■F j i * j MHBj pi !hm I DTH/PATTY BRENEMAN Kenneth Smith of Chapel Hill takes a break to eat lunch while working on the renovation of what used to be Taco Bell on Franklin Street. The building soon will house a women's clothing store. Boutique to Fill Franklin St. Vacancy By Kristen Heflin Staff Writer Taco Bell shut its doors in mid-July, leaving 2,900 square feet of prime real estate at 120 E. Franklin St. vacant. But the boarded-up windows and barren Santa Fe facade of the former Taco Bell will soon be replaced by anew women’s clothing store set to open Nov. 1. Construction is under way for XO South Incorporated Ladies Apparel, a retail store that will bring New York fash ions to Chapel Hill. Robert Humphreys, director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Commission, said he thinks local competition might have forced the fast food chain to shut down. “Maybe they couldn’t compete with the independent Mexican restaurants like Cosmic Cantina,” he said. A Taco Bell representative from the Luihn Food Systems office in Raleigh said the chain shut down July 17 because of Officials Suggest More Security After Laptop Thefts By Ashley Davidson Staff Writer With a recent increase in reports of laptops being stolen on campus, both students and faculty are having to think not only about shutting down their com puters but locking them down as well. On Wednesday, two separate inci dents were reported of laptops being stolen from residence halls -a problem that officials say tends to occur all around campus. Captain Mark Mclntyre of the Department of Public Safety said stu dents are not the only victims of campus Filling an Information Void, Serving a Community By Sarah Sanders Assistant Features Editor Tony Quirk spends two hours every Monday morning preparing an e-mail aimed at helping 1,600 Triangle residents plan their social sched ules. As coordinator for the Local Events Listserv, the Chapel Hill resident compiles a calendar and other information for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Coming-out support groups, AIDS awareness activities and social gatherings at local night clubs are some of the events fisted. Quirk said he knows there is a tremendous need for the listserv because of his experience when he came to Chapel Hill two years ago. “When I moved here, I wanted to meet peo ple,” Quirk said. “I really wanted to know what was going on. The calendar fills that void.” Founded in 1999, the listserv was the brain child of UNC graduate student Glenn Grossman. Since taking over the listserv for Grossman in July 2000, Quirk said he has seen it grow in con tent and audience. “The biggest change I have seen over two years is that the number of events has increased," he said. “It has really gained in popularity.” flight cancellations could follow as a result of decreasing ticket sales. RDU Communications Manager Mirinda Kosoff said the new terminal project has been suspended because of an anticipated decline in airport rev enue. The project included building an addition to Terminal A, the airport’s main terminal. Kosoff added that federal funding might spur more flights in and out of RDU, replacing the 115 grounded by poor sales. “It didn’t have a drive-thru, and that’s at least half of your sales or more,” the representative said. But soon after Taco Bell vacated the property, anew plan for the Franklin Street vacancy emerged. Eli Avidn, who is overseeing construction of the store, said he began to develop the property in August. Avidn said he and his wife, Susan Harvey, moved to the area from New York and saw a market for the boutique. The ladies fashion store will carry designer shoes and cloth ing from brands like XOXO and Diesel. “I think the street needed it,” Avidn said. XO South Inc. will join other designer clothing shops in downtown Chapel Hill that target the student consumer. Despite the presence of similar stores nearby, Avidn said he is confident that New York fashion will appeal to area consumers. “Hopefully we will do well with the community’s support” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu. laptop theft. “Some are stolen out of dorms and out of libraries, but the majority have been taken from business offices and administrative buildings,” he said. Mclntyre also said this problem has been ongoing. “Over the past several years, there has been an increase in thefts,” Mclntyre said. “But then again, there has also been an increased num ber of students with laptops on campus.” The Carolina Computing Initiative, which requires all incoming freshmen to purchase laptops, began last fall. Recent laptop thefts also have pre sented a question of where the stolen In order to keep himself abreast of develop ments in the LGBT community, Quirk subscribes to several community fistservs like those circulat ed by UNC’s Queer Network for Change and similar groups at local universities. The weekly update keeps people informed about events throughout the Triangle with an emphasis on Chapel Hill. But Quirk’s personal concerns extend far beyond Friday nights on Franklin Street. He said he closely follows U.S. government policy changes that might affect the LGBT wta community. Quirk said he does not hesitate to contact legislators with input on promi -1 nent or controversial bills like the Hate IT IS? i Crimes Prevention Act and the Employment Nondiscrimination Act. He also supports the LGBT community by attending unity and political events such as the parades, rallies and concerts associated with this month’s N.C. Pride Fest. The fife of an activist and organizer is new to Quirk because he was not involved in LGBT activities in his hometown of Jacksonville. “I wasn’t out at home,” he said. “But since I’ve been (in Chapel Hill), I’ve realized there actually was a gay community there.” See QUIRK, Page 4 News the Midway shutdown. President Bush is requesting that Congress pass a bill providing an $8 bil lion relief package to the airline indus try, which was hit especially hard by last week’s terrorist attacks. The package immediately would grant $5 billion to airline companies nationwide. An additional $3 billion would be set aside for better airport safety and secu rity. The bill would be in addition to a S4O laptops are funneled. “Some that are stolen are for personal use, but there’s got to be a market for them some where,” Mclntyre said. Bruce Egan, associate director of the Academic Technology & Networks help desk, noted the ease with which laptops can be stolen. “It’s certainly a significant problem because it’s so easy to just slide them into a backpack,” he said. The increase in thefts has made stu dents more aware of the problem. Freshman business major Jeffrey Waters said he has been more attentive of his lap top lately. “I’ve thought about it,” he said. “And reading about it recently makes me mg* DTH/JESSICA NEWFIELD Chapel Hill resident and part-time UNC student Tony Quirk runs a local listserv of social and informational events for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. billion fund Bush signed into law Tuesday. Four major domestic airlines - American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and U.S. Airways - have already announced that as many as 25 percent of their employees could be laid off in the upcoming months because of a decreased demand. But RDU is not the only airport deal ing with major setbacks. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, the largest U.S. Airways hub in Nike Talks Could Finish As Early As Next Month Conflicting schedules have made it difficult for UNC officials to meet with Nike about a contract renewal. By Karey Wutkowski Assistant University Editor Talks about labor standards have held up the University’s recontracting negotiations with Nike, but officials say the process should wrap up in about a month. Director of Athletics Dick Baddour said the re-negotiation, which began last fall, has been productive and is not under a pressing deadline. The University is currendy in the fifth year of a five-year all-sports agreement with Nike. This contract provides all 28 varsity sports with Nike uniforms, warm-up gear, practice gear, shoes and some equipment and is worth between $l.B million and $2 million. Baddour said he originally hoped to have anew contract signed by spring 2001 but that two things - scheduling and labor issues - have delayed the negotiations. Baddour said it was difficult to coor dinate the summer schedules of the Nike representatives and UNC offi cials involved in the recontracting process, including UNC General Counsel Susan Ehringhaus, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Nancy Suttenfield and Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Stick Williams. “Because of people’s vacations and schedules, it didn’t go as quickly as I had hoped,” Baddour said. The negotiating team’s talks about the inclusion of labor standards in the contract also have slowed the process, he said. “Some of our discussions on the labor side got more complicated and more aware of it as a problem.” Although students know theft is something to be cautious of, most don’t alter their behavior. But Mclntyre said students do need to be aware of the risk and of things they can do to prevent theft. He said students need to have the ser ial numbers, makes and models of their laptops written down so that they can be recovered more easily if they are stolen. “Also, make sure to keep your rooms and offices secure and don’t leave (the laptops) laying out,” Mclntyre said. Students who purchase their laptops through the University are covered by Friday, September 21, 2001 the nation, has not been operating at full capacity since the attacks. U.S. Airways is set to decrease its number of daily flights by 23 percent in the coming weeks. It also will be cutting at least 11,000 jobs nationwide CDI Public Relations Director David Orr added that Charlotte-Douglas flights still are limited. “Right now only 75 percent of the See AIRLINES, Page 4 detailed,” Baddour said. “We felt it is a really important aspect of the contract, and we really weren’t under a timetable. We’ve got the rest of the whole year." Baddour said the contract with Nike does not include labor standard stipulations because when the contract was drafted in 1997, the issue of fair worker treatment was not at the fore front. Since 1997, students actively have protested the University’s ties with com panies reported to have labor sweat shops overseas. Students have staged several large demonstrations in the past few years, including a sit-in at the chancellor’s office in South Building in April 1999. Rut Tufts, co-chairman of UNC’s Labor Licensing Code Advisory Committee, has been providing the University’s negotiating team with advice. He said a major objective of the recontracting is to get the same labor standard requirements in the Nike sports agreement that are in the University’s retail licensing agreement with Nike. Tufts said there are three require ments that he hopes to get in the all sports agreement: a fist of workplace conditions that have to exist, disclosure of factory sites and mandated affiliation with the Fair Labor Association, a labor monitoring group. He also said the labor talks with Nike have focused on some agreements that could lay the groundwork for other uni versities’ adoption of labor standard requirements. But Tufts said he cannot disclose details about the talks because the con tract is not finalized. “We have been exploring some new concepts, but it does require extra time to examine the ramifications of them.” The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. Safeware insurance. Safeware insures UNC laptops for 4 years so that students are covered under the plan the entire time they are students. Though the insurance plan covers theft and natural disasters, additional security also is recommended. John Gorsuch, manager of the com puter department in the Ram Shop, said it’s always a good idea to use safety locks. “All of the laptops you can buy through UNC come bundled with a lode kit that locks the computers down.” The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. 3
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 21, 2001, edition 1
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