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14 THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2004 BOARD EDITORIALS AVOID MORE CUTS With unexpected corporate tax revenue in state coffers, legislators should steer clear of the University when leveling large budget cuts. UNC-Chapel Hill can hardly afford another round of cuts. After enduring years of simul taneous tuition hikes and budget cuts, stu dents and administrators are finding themselves in a bind once again. The University has had its budget cut by SIOO million and is waiting on another round of cuts that amount to $10.5 million. The last few years’ budget cuts, while unpleasant, have been somewhat understandable since the state has faced budget shortfalls of SBSO million in 2000- 2001, $1.6 billion in 2001-02, and $221 million last year. But legislators cannot continue using the UNC system to shoulder their mistakes without doing sig nificant damage to its operations. UNC-CH Provost Robert Shelton told The Daily Tar Heel on Tbesday that next year’s budget cuts will manifest themselves visibly in many different forms on campus. “Something will have to give,” Shelton said. “Classes may get larger. Sections may be cut. “We can’t keep taking money away and not see any effects.” Ironically, The Associated Press also reported TViesday that North Carolina’s revenue collections are up, approaching today’s tax deadline. The AP article reported that the state has taken in $112.5 million more than projected for the first nine months of this fiscal year with the year-to-date sur plus standing at $35.9 million. The article continued by suggesting that legisla tors are optimistic about the potential to help pay for state employee pay increases, teacher bonuses and school enrollment increases during the next fis cal year. Certainly, these are important priorities for leg islators and for the state of North Carolina. But the N.C. General Assembly has bled the system for the past three years while shifting a substantial FAIR AND THRIFTY If N.C. lawmakers reform sentencing laws and make rules for habitual felons more fair, they could save at least $1.3 billion over 10 years. In an effort to protect better its citizenry from the threat of crime, North Carolina and other states have established mandatory minimum sentences for habitual felons. The idea seems fair and practicable at first glance: It guarantees that repeat offenders will be put away behind bars for longer periods of time, keeping such individuals out of public life where their consistent illegal actions could harm others. As pointed out by advocates of sentenrfhk reform Tuesday, however, mandatory minimumi'place an excessive burden on the state while doling out pun ishment that often does not fit the crime. Reforming the state’s policy for repeat offenders, while lessening sentences for small-time criminals, would provide state officials with more than $1 bil lion to help suffering state programs. Repeat offenders are sentenced to terms typical ly reserved for violent crimes no matter the nature of the offense. The problem lies in the fact that 87 percent of those who fall under the habitual label are serving time for nonviolent crimes, mostly dealing with drugs, theft and property damage. If the state were to take the advice of the reform ers and enact a state commission proposal from two years ago, the nonviolent offenders would not face the mandatory minimum sentences. Average sentences would change from about five to nine years in prison, and punishment for violent crimes would not be altered. The N.C. General Assembly would not put others in danger by adopting the reforms and would allevi ate many of the state’s budget woes at the same time. The costs of maintaining correctional facilities are tremendous and are exacerbated by the longer sen tences created by the habitual offender require EDITOR'S NOTE: The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board, and were reached after open debate. The board consists of seven board members, the editorial page associate editor, the editorial page editor and the DTH editor. The 2003-04 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. READERS* FORUM Playboy debate misses out on issue of woman's choice TO THE EDITOR: I would like to praise Linda Shen’s story on Chelo, a hair and makeup artist for Playboy. It seems as though in our socie ty a woman’s body is the physical incarnation of both Satan and chauvinism. I think people have morally and politically analyzed this situation to a point where even the cotton tailed icon is rolling her eyes and stamping her foot on the ground. Although I don’t regularly read the magazine and don’t always approve of the method in which they display women, I don’t feel as though Playboy, or even the porn industry, is in any way responsible for sexual assault crimes. That’s like blaming the tragedy at Columbine on television shows like Bufly the Vampire Slayer. This is nonsense. For some strange reason, women are not allowed to be proud or even comfortable with their bodies. For centuries we have been forced to hide our natural being underneath our clothes. Why is it that what is natural is also inde cent? I do not feel that Playboy represents chauvinism in any way; I think it represents women who are confident enough to bare all, regardless of society’s standards. Also, I thought feminism was about a woman’s right to choose. amount of the financial burden onto students. This trend must come to an end. Legislators should use any new funds to help relieve the financial pressure that is forcing the University to choose which important positions to eliminate. Shelton said losing faculty members is the great est danger for the University if it faces another round of cuts. He said that even with a 1 percent budget cut, cur rently employed faculty might have to be cut in addi tion to the 10 to 30 vacant faculty positions expect ed to be eliminated next year. Furthermore, Shelton told reporters that 30 to 90 support services positions are at risk of being elim inated for next year. Tony Waldrop, the vice chancellor for research and economic development, told the DTH on Tuesday that budget cuts would reduce the number of research opportunities offered through class cred its, of which 30 percent of UNC-CH students take advantage. Stephen Jarrell, interim vice chancellor for infor mation technology, said budget cuts could limit serv ices offered in his department. “It would affect our help desk operations and the hours we would be able to offer support,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to upgrade equipment in dire need of upgrade, and we would have to reduce our staff.” The University system needs its faculty and staff to make progress on its goal of becoming the top public university in the nation. North Carolina should make investments in its future work force a top priority for any surpluses that might arise in the budget. Budget cuts have put academic achievement at the University at risk. Legislators should take advantage of this rare opportunity to remedy that problem. ments. North Carolina spends approximately $21,000 every year to house each inmate in prison. Last year, plans were approved for three new pris ons at a cost of $234 million. Given the massive price tag associated with building prisons, the state can expect to spend much more as time progresses. The money certainly could be put to better use. North Carolina’s tight budget of the past few years has’ftfdaht less spending on many of the programs nectary to make life better in the state. Higher education in particular has not been ade quately funded, a deficiency that directly affects stu dents in the form of tuition hikes. Taxpayer money that is being spent on prisons and inmates could be budgeted for education, health care and transportation. If the reform proposals were enacted, the short er sentences and less substantial prison population would allow a dramatic reduction in correctional spending. It is estimated that the reforms would prevent North Carolina from having to build at least five prisons during the next ten years, saving the state a minimum of $1.3 billion. The state must evaluate its priorities and consid er the sentencing reforms. Are we as a society better off by imprisoning someone with three convictions of dnig possession for a longer sentence than many violent criminals receive? Are we better off stuffing an ever-expanding prison system to the gills while not adequately fund ing the social programs that directly improve lives? For the sake of higher priorities and practical gov ernment, the General Assembly must reform the state’s sentencing policy. Why are feminist organizations condemning a woman’s decision to expose her body in this magazine? It seems as though feminism on this campus has become quite the paradox. I applaud the women brave enough to participate in this pro gram. We should all appreciate their courage and confidence for it’s not every day that one of the most pop ular magazines comes to UNC. I wish these women luck in their futures. Carly Triche Dramatic Art Junior Freshmen should attend 'Crunkfest' at Morrison TO THE EDITOR: Well, first years, we’ve made it. Our GPA wasn’t axed by Econ 10, we found the third floor in Venable Hall and we now know how to correctly pronounce “Dey” Hall. Now to show that we are ready to move onto our sophomore year, we must demonstrate our mastery of one last skill: socializing. On Thursday, April 15th, stu dent government’s Freshmen Focus Council and the Black Student Movement’s First-Year Class Committee, along with Morrison Residence Hall Association will host the ’O7 Opinion Crunkfest, celebrating the comple tion of our first year at UNC. The event will be held on the Morrison Blacktop from 6 to 8 p.m. Yes, every first-year student is invited. Yes, there will be free food and music. Yes, we’re asking you to party on a Thursday. This is your last chance to come hang out with your friends and classmates before exams. If you’re not there, you should probably go to Dook. See you there. Doug Omoff Sophomore Chemistry March on Washington, D.C., to demand choice, rights TO THE EDITOR: On April 25th, thousands of organizations concerned with civil liberties and women’s issues will march on Washington in solidari ty, demanding the preservation of reproductive rights in the U.S. and the improvement of reproductive health care availability worldwide. With a goal of one million indi vidual participants, this march promises to be the largest for women’s issues in history. The ACLU, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Feminist Majority, NARAL, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, NOW and Planned Parenthood are ON THE OUTS NEWS ‘To hell with posterity! What’s posterity ever done for us?” UNKNOWN LOUISIANA LEGISLATOR EDITORIAL CARTOON MIS SIT/ SPEAK! BEG/ \ \. \ ROLLOTERI ERRORS! ' \ \ tomcULKTE. \ \ IS HE? COMMENTARY Uncle Sam takes too much and spends inappropriately Today marks the one “spe cial” time of the year when all Americans put aside their differences and come together in a unified effort. Unfortunately, it’s a day most Americans loathe. Yeah, it’s Tax Day. The day in which our same beloved “relative,” Unde Sam, comes to take our hard-earned money from us or at least send the reminder that after each pay check, we get to donate to the greatest slush fond on Earth. It’s OK though, right? I mean, although everyone rushes to file their tax returns before today’s deadline, they can be assured that their forgone income will go toward only worthwhile public investments that are for the pub lic good. Right. I’m as likely to believe that as much I am to believe that manufacturing jobs are going to return to North Carolina. Face it it’s just not going to happen. What would make me such a cynic? Being that I am Republican, one could assume that it’s because I favor limited government. In truth, it goes a little farther than that. Let’s take a look at some recent examples of corruption that aug ment my distrust. Durham’s latest scandal con cerning the mishandling of tax payer money exemplifies such corruption. If you don’t know what I am talking about, let me provide a quick synopsis. Durham resident Marlynda Bodison received a loan from the city in 1994 for $30,000 to pay for her housing. According to The (Durham) Herald-Sun, the city never made attempts to enforce Bodison to all involved as principal organiz ers. The timing of the march is crit ical. President Bush’s administration has been launching assaults on women’s rights for years, starting with the introduction of the glob al gag rule less than three days after his inauguration in 2001. More recently, the so-called “partial-birth” abortion ban became the first federal bill in his tory to criminalize a medical pro cedure even when it is lifesaving. Laws such as this send the mes sage that women are not worthy to be in control of their own health care decisions, and with vague and general language, the bill is a set up for further blows to Roe vs. Wade. The current Supreme Court votes in favor of a woman’s right to choose, but only by a slim margin. If new appointments are made under the current administration, over thirty years of progress in reproductive health will be for naught. For this reason, it’s vital that the March for Women’s Lives is well attended. This issue truly affects everyone; if not directly, then through moth ers, sisters and friends. Showing support for this criti cally timed activism effort is a pow erful way to help make an impact. Join fellow UNC students on the bus ride to Washington, D.C., on rs BRENTLEY TANNER FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN pay the loan but instead “responded with kindness, refi nancing her loan down to zero percent. And just last month, the city nearly paid for thousands more in repairs and upgrades.” While it was true that the City Council eventually reversed an earlier decision to forgive Bodison of her debt to taxpayers, they did so only because not acting would have been political suicide. You can best believe that had the information not become pub lic, Bodison would still be enjoying her free residence on Canal Street. Shocked that something like this could happen? You shouldn’t be considering Durham’s track record. According to WRAL news, it was only three years ago that the city was criti cized for “failing to collect on more than SBOO,OOO in small business loans. Many of the small businesses did not even exist.” However, don’t think that Durham is the only entity rife with corruption and incompetence. This week, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported that State Auditor Ralph Campbell reviewed the spending history of state agen cies, primarily ridiculing the Medicaid Program for misappro priating $414 million from federal fonds. Questionable practices include: “formation of a ‘liaison committee’ to distribute Medicaid disproportionate share fonds, using outdated information that April 25th. For more information, visit http://www.marchforwomen.org. Jessica Polka Freshman Biology Attention Applications are now available for columnists, cartoonists and members of The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board. The forms, which can be found at the DTH front desk in Suite 104 of the Student Union, are due by 5 p.m. Tbesday. All of these positions provide opportunities for dedicated stu dents to present their views and opinions to the newspaper’s read ers. If you have any questions, please contact Editorial Page Editor select Elliott Dube at dubee@email.unc.edu. TO SUBMIT A LETTER: The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. 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 num ber. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaranteed. Bring let ters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail them to editdesK@unc.edu. lotlg ®ar liwl led to overpayments to members of the aforesaid liaison committee, not performing cost settlements since 1996 that resulted in hospi tals being overpaid for Medicaid costs, and hospitals that were inel igible for (Department of Health and Human Services) payments received it anyways despite not having required information gath ered.” Of course, both Campbell and the DHHS are shifting blame to the other, since neither side wants to be held responsible for the mis deed. Either way, taxpayers deserve better than this. How about Verizon Wireless receiving money from the Job Development Investment Grant, despite the fact that the company violated the clause in the program criteria that states that “projects for which a grant is not found to be necessary for their completion in North Carolina will not be awarded grants.” Apparently, construction at the site began a month before the grant was approved, leading some to believe that the grant money wasn’t necessary or was promised before it was administered. All in all, the government can’t be trusted with your money. Although the aforementioned cir cumstances demanded attention, they are but a handful of the many instances of corruption that exist in our state, be it because of indo lence or pork-barrel spending. Either way, North Carolina should make sure it uses tax rev enue more productively. That or stop taxing the hell out of people who work hard instead of catering to those who hardly work. Contact Brentley Tanner at gtanner@email.unc.edu. Established 1893 111 years of editorialfreedom ©fye Sattij oar Uwl www.daUyta2heei.com ELYSE ASHBURN EDITOR, 962-4086 OFFICE HOURS 2:15-3:15 PM MON, WED. DANIEL THIGPEN MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 JENNIFER SAMUELS PROJECTS MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 NATHAN DENNY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, 962-0/50 BROOK R. CORWIN UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 EMMA BURGIN CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 ' CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR. STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN MACPHERSON SPORTS EDITOR, 962-4710 MICHELLE JARBOE FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 NICK PARKER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 ALEX OBREGON COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN CASSELLA PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 MICHELLE KUTTNER DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 KRISTEN OLIVER ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750 JOHN FRANK PROJECTS TEAM LEADER, 962-0246 ERIC GAUTSCHI OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Eric Gautschi at gautschiOemail.unc.edu or 918-1311.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 15, 2004, edition 1
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