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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Friday, December 3, 1982 Page Eight Sometimes a little gas tax hike 5s a good thing Ronald Reagan and Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis both recently a gallon federal tax approved a increase on gasoline and diesel fuel. Also, the House Ways and Means 5-c- ent on gas tax from four to nine cents will come at a politically uncomfortable time for Reagan. Just one month ago, in national elections, the Republican Party and Reagan received a jolt when the Democrats took away Republican House seats, Committee gave tentative approval governorships and further closed the gap in the Senate. Thursday to the increase, bringing this proposal closer to fruition. This $5.5 billion attempt to rebuild and Whether Reagan's impetus for the same unemployment rate while, at the measure was really broken down roads for jobless voters is a moot point, however, since both problems needed to be dealt with drastically. The move also, of course, will be a boos for Reagan politically, as he systems. Conveniently, though, the federal rise About 320,000 people are to be improve America's infrastructure interstate highways, bridges and mass transit systems is a great step forward in alleviating the nation's 10.4 percent seems to be changing his vow of not supporting jobs bills. time, improving delapidated transport If it's Wednesday this must be Bolivia Bogota ... ... uh, uh, George, where the hell am I? President Reagan, proposing a toast to the first host country on his Latin American tour, stood at a podium in Brasilia and raised his glass to Bolivia. Brasilia is in Brazil. "I mean Bogota," the president corrected himself, saying that was where he was going next. Actually, the next leg of his trip was taking him to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and then he was going to Bogota in the country of Colombia with a C. The toast was made after he promised $1.2 billion in aid to Brazil with a B. He better have someone else address the payment envelope, just to make sure it gets to the right country. Illegal bussing President Reagan's security men are beefing up their forces to protect the president from Brazil's notorious "Kissing Man." The man has made something of a reputation for himself by sneaking past police lines and kissing celebrities. Some of his past victims have been singer Frank Sinatra and Pope John Paul II. Police are concerned the kissing bandit may try to buss the prez while he's in Brazil ... oh, Bogota ... no, Bolivia. Headline of the week It would be hard to deny the statement made in a page B- -l headline in Tuesday's Deseret News which claimed "Orrin's a lame senator." Some of us knew that before Hatch pulled an Achilles tendon in a weekend basketball game. The injury put him in an ankle cast that according to the News will force him "to hobble through session of Congress." Why not? He's the current three-wee- k hobbled lamely through most of his first term and will undoubtedly hobble through the next term as well lame duck sessions or not. six-ye- ar A missile by any other name would be as deadly The New York Times reported last week that the administration had some difficulty deciding on a new name tammy harrls employed by the $5.5 billion increase, while the cost to the average driver will be about $30 a year. Moreover, the benefit to Utah drivers will be well worth the cost. Much of Utah's share of the money will be used to put a dent in the backlog of repairs, which runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars in Utah alone. To cite one example of the sad state of the state's infrastructure, 27 percent of Utah road bridges (364 of 1334) do not meet federal standards. million dollars is needed to repair these bridges alone. Fortunately, though, the prospect in Congress for approval of the tax increase Two-hundr- ed appears to be bright as it enjoys bipartisan support despite recent problems. Many object, for example, to higher raises in heavy truck taxes and increases in maximum truck weights and sizes on interstates. We can only hope that Congress passes this bill so that the nation's infrastructure, and more importantly, the nation's laborers, can be put to work again. The gas tax increase is indeed a first step, but further attempts to curb unemployment must be made, especially in heavy industries and the housing industry. As House Speaker Tip O'Neill said Monday as the lame-du- ck session of Congress "The highway bill is a start." opened, for the MX missile. As you may recall, when President Reagan finally found a home for the errant missile, he gave it a new, however outrageous, name as well. He dubbed it the "Peacekeeper." But the Times said the missile was first to be called the "Peacemaker" until someone decided that was too close to "pacemaker." Indeed, it could have proved confusing. Pacemakers preserve lives and Reagan's "Peacekeepers" take them. World conflict One of the most important debates ever to take place in the hallowed halls of the United Nations broke out spontaneously Monday when Iceland and Ireland voiced their objections to a resolution saluting Christopher Columbus, long recognized as the man who discovered America in 1492. Not so, said the two countries. Iceland maintains Viking hero Leif Ericson discovered "Vinland" or what is now known as Newfoundland in the year 1000. Ireland claims Irish monks made several Atlantic crossings in the 5th century. The resolution called for a "dignified commemoration" of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery on Oct. 12, 1992. Who says the Chrony doesn't know news from beans? We'll have a chance to prove we know our beans Saturday when the Chrony chili-cooki- team enters its best ng Center's chili batch in the Central City Multi-Purpocook-of- f. Our hot stuff will be in competition with recipes from other media and community organizations and the tasting public will vote for the "top bean of the day." The festivities begin at 10 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 279 So. 300 W. The admission of $2 entitles you to all the chili, Coors beer and Pepsi you can digest. Hey, what's a little shameless publicity among friends? Proceeds go to the Advisory Board of the Central Center. City se Multi-Purpo- WE "PEACEMAKER BOMB se Karen Juell Demonstrators stoop to level of the opposition It's nice to know that people are opposed to the Ku Klux Klan the implication being, of course, that people believe in equality. mnirTfl UtAlH It's not so nice to watch some of the tactics used to show this opposition. The Ku Klux Klan is remembered for f THE SCUM OF THE EARTH I DO BELIEVE. violent, outside-the-la- w methods of perpetrat- ing the belief in white supremacy. While members of the KKK have the right in America to believe in white supremacy, they certainly have no right to use violent and illegal tactics to express this viewpoint. And those of us who don't believe in white supremacy have no right to use violence to express our point of view, either. Yet this is exactly what happened Saturday in Washington, D.C. The 40 Ku Klux Klan members, I am sorry to say, came out looking better than the 3,000 anti-Kl- an demonstrators. The demonstrators strayed far from the issue at hand. I fail to see how breaking windows, stealing bicycles, overturning cars, and injuring 12 policemen will stop the spread of racism. If anything, it will increase racism by making those opposed to racism appear irrational and uncontrolled. Monday's Deseret News reports that one of the groups organizing the anti-Kldemonstration blames the city of Washington for the violence because the city granted a permit to march to the Ku Klux Klan. I disagree. The blame for the violence rests on an the heads of the rioters, even taking mob psychology into consideration. In a country founded upon the ideals that ours is founded Editorial Board: Brian Aggeler, Joe Baird, Karen Juell, Joan O'Brien, Brian Wilkinson. The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published daily during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions are $25 a year, $10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription correspondence, including change of address, to the Business Manager, Daily Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112. Editor-in-chi- ef O'Brien ............ Joan . Joe Baird Editor ......... Associate News Editor Assistant Copy Editor Assistant Sports Editor Senior Reporters . . . Brian Wilkinson Karen Juell Editor Copy Brian . Editorial Editor Aggeler . .' . . Tony Tsakakis Sports Editor Blair Kunz Photography Editor Kevin Sandstone Editor Night Entertainment Editor . . . , ' . Lesly Herbert Assistant Entertainment Editor Kinde Nebeker .......... .......... Photographers ... Michael Morris Tina E. Neinstedt . . upon, the Ku Klux Klan has a perfect right to march and rally in expression of its beliefs. In fact, one of our most important responsibilities in a "free" country is to ensure that all people and all groups have freedom of expression. That a belief is unpopular or even morally wrong (as the KKK's beliefs happen to be) does not in any way mitigate our responsibility to ensure that this belief may be expressed. Those who would claim otherwise are not dedicated to the ideals of a free country. Prejudice is an ugly thing, whatever form it may take. To assume that we are better than another merely because we were born looking differently is stupid. But to think that senseless violence will cause people with such an opinion to change is even more stupid. Not being terribly logical creatures, human beings will probably always hold prejudices. Yet those of us who are somewhat logical and who recognize the inherent follies of prejudice will continue to rally for support for our viewpoint. We must not stoop to the level of the nf thf Ifn Tflnv Vlan f tnrtirs JWaiVlJWHl. Prejudice is an emotion, not the conclusion of a rational thought process. We cannot eradicate prejudice by a show of violent emotion, but only, if at all, by an appeal to higher intellect. Ad Representatives ..... Peter Behle Matt Adelman Steve Green Ann Jardine Jill Johnson Kim Osborn Mark Saal Mike Johnson Robert Pennington Sandi Wolf BusinessJManaaobCT Accountant . Secretary Backshop Foreman Backshop Assistants Typesetters . . . Steve Hausknecht Julia Jenkins Scott Pitt Troy Wilson Bonnie Thomas , Lori Goodin Ric Hallock Nadine Diaz Leslie Keith Brian Moss Philip Cone ' Sandra Garcia Heidi Hilton .............. |
