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(08/26/04 4:25am)
As a result of the recent downturn in the freshmen student population, residence halls will be packed this year -- with empty space and unanswered questions.\nResidential Programs and Services is estimating between 9,350 and 9,400 students in IU's 11 dorms this semester, down from 9,785 last fall, said RPS Planning Director Buck Walters. He said exact figures won't be available until Sept. 10, as no-shows and transfers will need to be taken into account.\nSophomore Justin Smith said he didn't notice the shortage at Wright Wednesday.\n"It seemed crowded today," he said, "but today is moving day."\nTo compensate for lost revenue, RPS has sold double rooms to students who wish to pay extra, an unusual tactic that would have been unheard of in years past.\n"This year, we were able to grant (the wishes of) any returning student wanting a double-single," Walters said.\nSelling more double rooms to single occupants should help quell the loss of money from the occupancy crisis. For an average bill of $6,000 per student, a loss of 400 students would mean a $2.4 million dip in revenue at a time when IU's funding has already been stretched thin by budget cuts.\nThe crunch is partially due to a shortage in first-year students on the Bloomington campus. Officials are expecting a net loss of hundreds of newcomers, who are required, with some exceptions, to stay in University residence halls. \nJunior Steve Wathen said the forced-residence rule may be a turn-off for prospective students, but a necessary one.\n"I think it's good for freshmen to live on campus, but for them, it sucks," he said.\nAside from the restriction, some point the finger at new apartment developments in downtown Bloomington that have driven off-campus housing prices down and developed a buyer's market. But more evidence suggests the problem is simply the falling number of freshmen.\nWhen asked why there was shortage of new blood to fill the rooms, Watkins was uncertain.\n"I don't know," he said. "The economy?"\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.
(05/17/04 1:18am)
For State Sen. Larry Borst, it ain't over until it's over. After losing in the primary by 48 votes to Johnson County Council President Brent Waltz, he wants a recount.\nFor three decades, Borst, R-Greenwood, has been the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which decides issues as funding for public education, higher education, welfare and health care. Many thought he would be undefeatable in a election -- let alone a primary. The recount, which will last approximately three weeks, will finally show whether he is.\nBorst said he struggled with the decision to ask for a recount, but ultimately decided to because the race was so close. There were also reports of ballot shortages, which could have allowed Borst to ask for a special election, but he chose not to go that route. He said he knows some people may view it as being a sore loser, but he said a recount is necessary under circumstances such as these.\n"I paid my fee for the recount," he said. "It's more than fair and in the law."\nStill, more than 48 votes uncounted would be very extraordinary for Indiana. According to the Indianapolis Star, a recount changed the tally by only one vote two years ago, in a hotly contested legislative race in House District 86 on the city's north side.\nBorst also admits that the recount would count both Democratic and Republican votes and could possibly uncover more votes for his opponents. Nevertheless, he said he needs to "make sure."\nWaltz told the Star he'd like to put this primary behind him and move on with his campaign.\n"I would much rather have my focus on resolving the state's problems than dealing with legal wrangling," he said.\nWaltz could not be reached for comment at IDS press time Wednesday.\nWhoever wins the recount will face Democrat Terry Rice in the election.\nRice said it doesn't matter who he runs against, but he was looking forward to campaigning against Borst.\n"As president of the Perry (Township) Education Association, I've known him for years," he said. "He and I know each other from other issues and I was looking forward to challenging him on these issues."\nRice admits that he is running in a very Republican district, but said the primary controversy may actually work to his advantage. With the Republicans so divided among themselves, he said it may be the perfect opportunity for change.\n"I think I have a good chance," he said. "Nobody gave Waltz a chance, but look, he beat Borst. I think the demographics in our area are changing."\nAfter decades in the state legislation, Borst is well regarded among fellow party members as one of the most respected Republicans in Indiana and helped bring the lottery and riverboat casinos to Indiana to increase revenue.\nBorst said if he didn't get chosen for the primary, he said he'd move on with his life.\n"Maybe I'll go back to school," he said. "I've written one book, maybe I'll write another. I don't know. I could do a lot of things."\nBut for the time being, Borst isn't giving up the fight. He said he plans to fight for his candidacy and continue to serve as state senator.\n"Right now, I'm still finance chair, so I have a lot to focus on."\n-- Contact staff writer Adam Aasen at aaasen@indiana.edu.
(05/03/04 5:16am)
Adrianne Dunlap - Freshman
(04/20/04 5:28am)
SEATTLE -- The coffee urns at Starbucks Corp. aren't likely to run dry anytime soon, but the company is worried its brisk growth could create a big problem: finding enough high-quality beans to satisfy increasing demand for its lattes and macchiatos.\nThe Seattle-based coffee retailer is rapidly expanding, opening more than three stores a day and planning to more than triple the number it operates to around 25,000 worldwide.\n"Clearly we're concerned, at our company growth rate, that there's going to be enough high quality, Starbucks-quality coffee available," said Willard "Dub" Hay, the company's senior vice president for coffee.\nIt's not that Starbucks is using up all the world's coffee; the company said it only buys around 2 percent of the coffee produced. But Starbucks is a major buyer of high-quality coffee, and there is much less of that to go around.\nTo get the beans it wants, Starbucks has always been willing to pay extra -- currently, an average of $1.20 per pound. That's as much as twice the market rate, said Ted Lingle, executive director for the Specialty Coffee Association, a trade group.\nBut, as its needs increase, Starbucks is learning that paying more won't guarantee it all the beans it needs. To really solve its future supply problems, Starbucks said it needs to help farmers grow better coffee.\nSo the company has opened what it calls a farmer support office in Costa Rica, one of the world's biggest coffee producers.\n"There's a lot of specialty coffee out there," said Peter Torrebiarte, the Costa Rica office's general manager. "It's just a matter of finding it."\nBeginning with the office in Costa Rica, Starbucks hopes to eventually employ a fleet of agronomists, or specialists who deal with crop production and soil management. Armed with laptops and four-wheel drive vehicles, they will search the region for potential suppliers and help farmers who want to grow coffee for Starbucks get their crops up to par.\nStarbucks also is revamping a program called CAFE Practices that rewards coffee suppliers who make environmental improvements. The concern is the coffee farms won't be able to continue producing high-quality coffee in years to come if they don't reduce agrochemical use, conserve energy and otherwise improve how they treat the land coffee is farmed on.\nStarbucks also wants farms to treat workers better, paying them more and giving them access to housing, water and sanitary facilities and to stop using child labor.\n"You can't have a sustainable (farm) if you're mistreating workers and mistreating the environment," Hay said.\nStarbucks will pay 5 cents more per pound for one year to suppliers who meet 80 percent of its social and environmental criteria. Suppliers can receive two more one-year price increases if they make other big improvements.\nHay said the company also is leading the program because "we want Starbucks to be known for doing the right thing."\nThe company has been targeted by social and environmental activists who complain about everything from its growing worldwide pervasiveness to its coffee-buying practices. Although some activists have applauded the company's recent efforts, others still criticize the CAFE Practices program for not going far enough to help farms survive.\n"What we would like to see Starbucks do is really use its power to transform the industry," said Melissa Schweisguth of the activist group Global Exchange. It wants Starbucks to buy more coffee under what are called Fair Trade guidelines, which promote better wages and working conditions and ask buyers to pay a minimum of $1.26 per pound of coffee.\nStarbucks said it is already a large purchaser of Fair Trade coffee, but there isn't enough that meets its quality standards.\nChris Wille, chief of sustainable agriculture for the environmental group Rainforest Alliance, praised the company's effort to understand environmental concerns in coffee-growing countries, such as wildlife protection and reducing chemical use. It's an attitude he said is catching on across the coffee industry.\nKraft Foods recently started a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, and Procter & Gamble has started selling a line of coffee that meets Fair Trade standards.\n"All the companies are waking up," Wille said. "It's a new day for coffee roasting and coffee selling, as well as coffee producing."\nSome of Starbucks' customers will certainly applaud efforts to be more environmentally or socially responsible, said Carl Sibilski, an equity analyst with Chicago-based Morningstar. But he said the biggest advantage of such programs is the farmers will grow better coffee.\n"In the end, I think what it comes down to is the supply issue," Sibilski said. "Of course it's ethical to keep your supplier in good shape, but the one that's going to benefit from this the most is Starbucks."\nStarbucks brushes off any concerns about the cost of its programs.\n"Our concern is having enough great quality coffee in the world," Hay said. "That's a bigger concern than our bottom line right now"
(04/12/04 1:47pm)
ALGIERS, Algeria -- Rivals of Algeria's president said they feared fraud in Thursday's election, seen as a pivotal test for democracy in this North African nation emerging from more than a decade of Islamic-inspired bloodshed.\nDozens of soldiers in riot gear lined a highway between the capital and the restive Berber region of Kabylie, east of Algiers, Algeria, in a sign the army was bracing for potential unrest after the vote.\nThe elections went smoothly, though minor skirmishes broke out between rock-throwing youths and riot police near a polling station in a village in Kabylie, Algeria.\nPresident Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, faced five opponents, including his one-time protégé, former Prime Minister Ali Benflis, and Islamic leader Abdallah Djeballah.\nOfficial results were not expected until Friday, and if no candidate wins a majority, there will be a runoff later this month.\nFour hours before the polls closed, the Interior Ministry said the turnout was 46 percent of Algeria's 18 million eligible voters.\nCritics claimed cronies of the 67-year-old president were planning to hijack the election by tampering with votes. About 120 election observers, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, were on hand.\n"He can't win in the first round without using fraud," said Mohammed Khendek, a spokesman for Said Sadi, a candidate from Kabylie.\nIn the 1999 election, six candidates charging fraud pulled out on the eve of the balloting, and Bouteflika won a five-year term.\nThursday, police guarded polling stations as streams of women in headscarves lined up to vote.\nA smiling Bouteflika cast his ballot at a high school near the presidential palace.\nBut in the Kabylie town of Freha, just east of Tizi Ouzou, 60 miles from Algiers, protesters barricaded a street and threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas.\n"Because our demands haven't been answered, we're not going to let anybody vote," said a part-time construction worker who identified himself only as Abrahim.\nBerbers have long demanded greater regional autonomy and recognition of their language, Tamazight.\n"This is going to continue. When the riot police leave, we're going to burn the ballot boxes," said Abrahim, holding a rock.\nRebellions against Algerian authorities erupt frequently in mountainous Kabylie, and the region has boycotted previous elections.\nThe election came as Algeria, a country rich in oil and gas, lurches toward democracy.\nIts nearly 33 million people have lived in the shadow of the powerful military since it gained independence from France in 1962 and suffered through a 12-year Islamic insurgency that erupted after the army canceled legislative elections a Muslim fundamentalist party was poised to win. An estimated 120,000 people have been killed.\nBut apathy is high among voters facing chronic housing shortages and more than 20 percent unemployment.\nAlgeria's Islamic extremist movement has also increasingly become a source of terrorist activities in Europe and North America, feeding international groups that helped al Qaeda.\nIn a joint statement, Benflis and two other candidates said Bouteflika intends "to announce victory in the first round with a percentage of 53-55 percent"
(01/28/04 3:13am)
So your time in college is drawing to a close. You've met your soul mate -- the person you want to spend your life with -- and now you're thinking about tying the knot. Lots of people will be involved in your life at this special time. Your prospective spouse and in-laws, your closest friends, the federal government … the federal government? \nEverybody has been talking about the "sanctity of marriage" lately. Of course, there was the suggested constitutional amendment regarding same-sex marriage, but another proposal, regarding marriage, has slipped by without very much attention. As part of his welfare plan, President George W. Bush wants to put together a five-year, $1.5 billion plan for what amounts to subsidized marriage counseling. Grants would be given to both religious and secular programs counseling couples about marriage. \nDon't worry. I was confused when I heard this, too. Just when you think you understand the differences between the two parties, they go and change everything. Democrats are supposed to enjoy frivolous spending and big government that stays on your case. Republicans are stingy and supposed to prefer teeny, tiny government that stays out of your way. Now Bush wants to throw millions -- excuse me, a billion -- dollars to make love, with a little war on the side. \nIs this a jobs program for thousands of unemployed or displaced marriage counselors? Is there a shortage of marriage counseling in this country? Are churches turning away love-struck couples? "I am sorry, but we're full! Try Saint so-and-so." I don't think so. \nI can almost see how this brilliant plan might have been hatched in some basement office at the White House. "We have a lot of poor people and that's a problem. Single parents tend to be poorer, on average, than the rest of the population. If people get married, and stay married, there would be fewer poor people and therefore fewer parents on public assistance. What makes people stay married? Marriage Counseling! Eureka! Marriage counseling for one and all!" \nAnd so an idea was born.\nAs you can probably tell, I have some misgivings about this program. First of all, I have a hard time imagining what improvements could be made. Churches will offer the service, as they always have. People who want marriage counseling will get marriage counseling. I can't imagine that marriage counseling could be so costly people who wanted it couldn't get it. What's the point in subsidizing it? There is also the whole separation of church and state business. But that's an issue for a different column. \nIt's also incredibly condescending. As part of the president's welfare plan, it is clearly targeted toward poor people. The unfortunate subtext is poor people who want a divorce need to remember they might end up as a burden to society, so they should just grin and bear it. Meanwhile, people who can afford it, can get divorced with impunity. There are probably other, more effective ways of helping single parents escape poverty than marriage counseling. \n But maybe what bothers me more, is the irony of the federal government coming in to "save marriage." How can it hold up marriage as a sacred institution on one hand, and then, on the other hand, pretend bestowing "sanctity" is something a government program could actually accomplish? The fact that it believes the government can throw money at marriage to make it better seems to cheapen the idea -- and it's very un-Republican, too. \nIn a few years we'll get a chance to look back and see how this program worked. Did divorce rates go down? Did marriage rates go up? \nI guess we'll see how much sanctity $1.5 billion can buy.
(09/01/03 5:26am)
The weekend festivities start at roughly 9:30 p.m. \nWhile some haul couches to front porches, plop kegs down in kitchens and hang dark bed sheets in windows, others spend hours getting ready and coordinating on cell phones.\nFor some students, the quest is to find that $3 red plastic cup filled with diluted "all-you-can-drink" jungle juice or less-than-quality beer.\nFor others, it's a trip to the bars to mingle and meet friends.\nThe scene seems familiar -- another year of "Thirsty Thursdays" that bleed into all hours of the weekend.\nBut something's different.\nAfter a year at the top of Princeton Review's party school ranking, this is IU's first weekend at No. 3. \nHas anything changed?\n'Buy beer. Not just books.'\nSome feel the University is a haven for partying and social networking, but junior Troy Thompson is among those who think IU isn't deserving of a top spot. \n"We're pretty good as far as party schools go," said Thompson, partying at a friend's house. "I mean, maybe we're deserving of No. 1 in the Big Ten, but I've been to schools like the University of Florida, and it's just nuts there. Every night of the week there's partying going on. It's not really like that here."\nAfter realizing each gathering is a flesh-fest spiked with drunken debauchery among five-minute friends, cliques head out to bar crawl in hopes of finding a more pleasurable atmosphere.\nPlaces like Nick's English Hut, 423 E. Kirkwood Ave., bring in the young and alum-alike, including 1980 alumna Carol Phillips, who said the overall party scene is tame compared to that of her undergrad years.\nThe mother of three current Hoosiers, Phillips said there were virtually no restrictions when she and her friends used to get into bars with "bad fakes." \n"As a parent, it's a good thing," Phillips said. "As a college student, I feel bad for them."\nAfter a few rounds of "Sink the Biz," groups head across the street to Kilroy's Bar & Grill, 502 E. Kirkwood Ave., up to Walnut Street to hit up the Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut St., or down another block to Kilroy's Sports, 319 N. Walnut St., where the line of congregating lushes often winds around the corner.\nIU alumnus Dan Nahrwold remains loyal to his alma mater, saying IU students party harder than those from any other university.\n"We're No. 3 now because of the limited amount of exposure that doesn't convey the true party atmosphere of IU," Nahrwold said. "It all goes to how they give rankings. How do you discern what makes a good party school and what doesn't? If you come on an off weekend, your perception would be completely based on that."\nNahrwold noted IU's run to the Final Four in the 2002 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament as due cause for people to vote for the Hoosiers in the highly competitive party race. \nBut the drop to No. 3 won't keep students from having a good time this year, and Nahrwold gave sound advice for those who wish IU to regain its claim to fame: "Buy beer. Not just books." \nDrinking games\nWhen Joe Pimmel found an empty table at Nick's for he and his six friends to play "Sink the Biz," he thought it was too good to be true.\nWith cups full of beer, a pitcher at the table and the bucket in place, the game was set to begin. But after falling victim to three of the first six bismark sinks, Pimmel was singing a different tune than when the game first began.\n"At this rate I'm not going to last too long here," Pimmel said as he picked up the glass from the bucket and took it down.\nPimmel, a senior, said for as long as he's been able to go to bars at IU, he really hasn't noticed a correlation between the school's party scene and the Princeton Review's rankings.\n"The ranking has nothing to do with how fun it is here," Pimmel said. "I mean I've probably had more fun this year than last year, and I've only been here five days."\nLess than an hour into the game, the group already has ordered their sixth pitcher, and they've grown progressively louder with each pour.\n"I rule at drinking games," shouted senior Mark Hoffman as he stood, raising his hands in the air. Moments before, he had poured just enough beer into the cup, leaving senior Arshan Borhan with no choice but to sink the "biz."\n"Give it to me…I don't care," Borhan said. "I'll take it like a man."\nWith the seventh and eighth pitchers on their way, the game turns from loud to rowdy when Borhan declared "full-contact 'Sink the Biz.'" As each guy poured, the others would distract him by bumping his elbow or shaking the table. And more often than not, Pimmel ended up on the short end of the stick, or in his case, the drinking end of the bucket.\n"Man, you guys are just hilarious," Pimmel said sarcastically before he drank. "Maybe if you all weren't playing like you're 5 years old, I wouldn't have to drink every three minutes."\nJason Fowler, a senior in the group, said despite the drops in IU's party ranking, the atmosphere around campus has been better than last year.\n"The parties seem to be a lot crazier this year," he said. "It seems like there's been more people at the parties and the cops seemed to have chilled out a bit. Not as many parties are getting broken up this year."\nTen pitchers turned out to be enough and when the check arrived, Hoffman was the first to reach for it. His eyes widened and he sighed as he saw the total. \n"Whoa … I guess everybody owes 20 bucks," he said. But after taking a closer look at the bill, it seemed that a long drinking game didn't do much for his math skills. Between seven people, the bill was only $50.75.\nBy the time the game was over and the check was paid, the table was covered in beer-soaked napkins, and the seven seniors each reclined back in their chairs as if they had eaten a Thanksgiving Day meal. But they weren't ready to stop partying.\n"Dude, come on. Get up," Hoffman said. "Let's go to Sports."\nFirst time for everything\nIt's 9 p.m. Friday, and all the dorm lights are on. \nAlmost everyone in the hall is on their phone, using Instant Messenger or talking in their rooms. \nA group of students "discreetly" travel down the hall with sloshing backpacks. The guys are playing Madden; the women monopolize the bathrooms. A large group sprawls out of the cramped dorm room discussing itinerary and transport.\nA conversation is overheard from one of the rooms as they talk about "a friend of a friend who knows an upperclassmen who's having a party."\nIt's a typical weekend evening on campus. The "Party Prep and Search" is on.\nWhile they haven't had enough time to gauge the validity of a No. 3 party school ranking, most of the freshmen say they have been to at least one party since Wednesday's move-in. \nFreshmen Aaron Vogt and Michael Lucas -- flushed from pre-partying -- say they're "on the prowl" for a party. \nTheir strategy? Go to an upperclassmen's house or follow the music until they find one.\nSeveral say not knowing people at house parties doesn't phase them, and they have found hosts to be welcoming. Freshman Robert Peck says that's the laid-back "vibe" he gets from people at IU.\nEven in the dark, freshmen party-scavengers can be spotted from at least 50 yards away -- particularly on 17th Street heading to the Varsity Villas. Identifying traits: travel in herds, have quick-paced strides, are on phone getting directions to a house party and occasionally release overly-loud giggles or "Dude!"\nEmpty campus buses hiss by as crammed-to-capacity cars circle the block trying to spot a street or house number, stopping only to catcall at girls in off-the-shoulder shirts teetering precariously on platforms.\nA troop of three flip-flop clad women say they learned their lesson about heels the night before when they trekked from Foster Quad for a house party. They, like many others, request their names be withheld in fear a quote would "get them in trouble" with parents and/or authorities.\nUpperclassmen aren't exempt from legal concerns either, as they regulate underage drinkers standing self-consciously on their front porches with cups. Their "cop radar" is so finely-tuned that a resident of Varsity Villas "subtly" ushers everyone into his house and has the door locked behind him before a cop emerges out of the shadows 15 feet away. \n"I was just going to tell them to keep it down," said the off-duty Bloomington Police Department officer working security for the Villas. "That's a natural reaction by most drinkers. Makes my job easier."\nShortly after the "bust," it's time to head to the bars to enjoy the fruits of an over-21 status. At no point -- visibly or audibly -- does there seem to be a shortage of parties or partiers.
(07/21/03 1:17am)
Between the years 2000 and 2005, Monroe County is projected to add 6,899 people to its population, which is an increase of 5.7 percent. Monroe County is projected to be one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Indiana over the next five years, and the population for the state of Indiana also is expected to increase steadily over the next 40 years. By the year 2030, the population of Indiana will top 7 million.\nEvery 10 years since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a census of the nation's population. The most recent census was taken in 2000. The state of Indiana, with the help of the Indiana Business Research Center, used the information from this census to make the population projections.\nThere is a disturbing trend evident in the projections concerning the future population of Indiana. Over the next 20 years, Indiana's population -- in the age range of 25-54 years -- is expected to decrease dramatically. This is the age group that is most active in the work force and is most responsible for generating capital. \n"A drop in the number of workers in this age range would almost certainly reduce the workforce available to produce goods and services that drive the state's economy," IBRC demographer John Besl said.\nWith a possible shortage of younger workers in the future, it might be necessary for the older population -- age 50-64 -- to stay more productive in the workplace. \nMorton J. Marcus, executive director of the IBRC, said he believes education is the key to avoiding further economic recession and unemployment in the future. He said unemployment is caused by an inability to transition to new jobs, and it is important for today's youth to learn skills they can use in the workplace of the future. \nMonroe County will not suffer from these problems as much as other counties. In fact, the county is one of the few counties outside of Indianapolis that will gain population in the 25-54 year old age group during the next 20 years. \nBy the year 2020, Monroe County will be one of only three counties with a median age under 30 years old. This is due in large part to the student population on the IU-Bloomington campus. \nWhile the number of people in the 25-54 age group is dropping, the population of Hoosiers age 65 and older will be increasing greatly. From 2000 to 2040, the number of people 65 and older is expected to nearly double, from 753,000 to 1.48 million. With a senior population so large, issues such as social security benefits and senior housing could become very important in the next 20 years.\nThe report also found Indiana's population is becoming more consolidated. One-third of the state's growth over the next 40 years will come primarily from the Indianapolis county of Marion and its suburb, Hamilton County. This trend of consolidation could lead to a lack of economic resources in the more rural Indiana counties and overcrowding in the more urban ones.\nHow these projections will affect development in Bloomington and Monroe County is still unclear. IU and all of Monroe County is growing. With this growth, more developments and expansion -- such as the ongoing work in downtown Bloomington -- might be coming.\nFor county by county population projections through the year 2040, visit www.stats.indiana.edu/pop_proj/.
(06/26/03 12:34am)
At less than three hours away, Cincinnati -- the Queen City -- is the perfect destination of a summer road trip. It offers a plethora of museums, attractions, adventure and sports. \nIf you just want to relax in the Ohio River Valley, then Eden Park is for you. It covers more than 5,000 acres of the city and offers fishing, biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, golfing, camping and horseback riding. \nPerhaps you want to go to Cincinnati because of its rich historical value. William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, is entombed here, and a visit to his monument is free to the public. The house of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," is also free to visit. \nFort Ancient, a 2,000-year-old park filled with Native American mounds, can be visited for a $5 fee. Not quite as old is the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, built in 1910. It is a small-scale Notre Dame cathedral in the middle of the city that features the world's largest stained glass window at 24 feet by 67 feet. A $2 donation is requested when visiting the Basilica.\nIf you like history but would rather find it in a museum, Cincinnati has no shortage of them either. The first is found at the Museum Center at Union Terminal (1-800-733-2077) and houses the Museum of Natural History and Science, the Cincinnati History Museum, the Cinergy Children's Museum, the OMNIMAX Theater and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. The price of visiting all the attractions is $15.50. Cincinnati also is home to a medieval-style castle, the Loveland Castle Museum, which you can visit for only $2. \nThe National Railway Historical Society Library and Museum highlights the important history of the rails and is free to the public. The Cincinnati Art Museum, showing more than 100,000 works, is located in Eden Park. Admission is $4 for college students and free Saturday. The city also features a Contemporary Arts Center where admission is $2 for students and free Monday. \nCincinnati also offers plenty of performing art venues such as the Aronoff Center for the Arts. It is the city's premier place to see the Cincinnati Ballet, theater and Broadway shows. There is also the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati, with all tickets under $15. The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park offers 11 shows a year with tickets ranging from $34-42. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, hosting works from classical theater in a contemporary style, is a bit cheaper, with tickets under $20. \nIf you prefer music, then the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra is for you -- however, their new season will not begin until September. The Cincinnati Opera, being the second-oldest opera company in the country, does have a summer season. The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra also performs this time of year with a free summer concert series in various parks. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performs this summer at Riverbend Music Center. \nWhile not all sports teams have summer seasons, Cincinnati is home to quite a few, including the country's oldest professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds. Tickets to see the Reds play can be as cheap as $5. The city also is home to the NFL's Bengals, hockey teams The Cyclones and The Mighty Ducks, the arena football's Cincinnati Swarm and a professional soccer team, The Riverhawks. \nThe most well-known Cincinnati attraction is Paramount's King's Island, with more than 300 rides and attractions and a 30-acre water park, all for $42. \nThere are also numerous attractions in Cincinnati such as The Beach Water Park located near King's Island that features the Midwest's only water coaster. Admission is $25. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located in 70-acres and houses 700 animal species and 3,000 types of plants. It can be visited for $11.50. The Newport Aquarium also exhibits more then 11,000 species and features glass walls and floors for $16. Coney Island in Cincinnati features water slides, miniature golf, live shows and festivals, all for $12.50. \nCincinnati offers numerous things to please everyone. Whether you want to make a day or a weekend of it, the Queen City is your place to visit. Information on her attractions can be found at www.cincyusa.com, www.ohiocities.com or www.cincinnati.com.
(05/22/03 12:49am)
Still in Bloomington this summer and wondering what to do with your full tank of gas? Indianapolis, the nation's 12th largest city, is a little over an hour away and is packed with things to do. In fact, the early summer is the best time to visit Indy. \nThe Indianapolis 500, which happens this year on Sunday, puts the city on the map. This year marks the 87th running of the annual race, and tickets are available for as little as $20. While the race lasts for only one day, qualifications and practices take place nearly every day and are open to the public for a minimal fee. \nIndianapolis also boasts several sports teams that have summer seasons. The WNBA team, the Indiana Fever, and the men's soccer team, the Indiana Blast, have games until the end of August. \nIf sports are not your style, Indy offers several art and cultural opportunities. The city is home to many art galleries, such as the G.C. Luca Gallery, 4930 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis Art Center, 820 E. 67th St., and the Kuaba Gallery, 876 Massachusetts Ave., most of which have no admission fee. For a small price, art and history fans can also visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Rd., which offers an abundance of art from different cultures, periods and movements. \nHistoric artifacts also can be found in the nation's largest children's museum, the Indianapolis Children's Museum, 3000 N. Meridian St. The Children's Museum is home to dinosaur fossils, a mummy, numerous collections and the Cinedome, similar to an IMAX theatre. Indianapolis also boasts having a large collection of Native American art and artifacts in the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St. \nThe newest addition to museums in Indy is the Indiana State Museum, which was relocated to 650 W. Washington St. The building facade features art that highlights each Hoosier county, an Indiana history exhibit and an IMAX theatre. Coming to the IMAX theatre in June is the underwater exploration film, "Coral Reef Adventure."\nIndianapolis has no shortage of theatres; one can always find a show in production. \nThe American Cabaret Theatre, 401 E. Michigan St., currently is doing a run of the original musical revue "May Madness." The only year-round equity theatre in Indianapolis, Beef & Boards, 9301 N. Michigan Rd., is just ending its run of "MAME," and "Peter Pan" will open May 29. The Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St., is showcasing "The Immigrant" until Sunday before it shuts down for the summer. \nThe Indianapolis Civic Theatre, adjacent to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, presents its last show of the summer, the musical "Lend Me a Tenor," until Saturday. \nIndy is also home to contemporary theatres such as the Phoenix Theatre, 749 N. Park Ave., and Theatre on the Square, 627 Massachusetts Ave. Phoenix is offering performances of "The Home Team" until Sunday and "La Sangre Llama" until June 1. TOTS is putting on the musical "When Pigs Fly" until June 14.\nWhile many opportunities in Indianapolis are inexpensive, free activities might be what you're looking for. The best free activity offered in Indy is the Canal Walk located by White River Gardens. The Canal is lined with jogging trails, fountains and murals depicting Indiana history and life. If you do have a few dollars, bicycles and paddleboats are available for hourly and half-hourly rent. \nWhite River Gardens is home to the Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St.; however, it does charge $9.75 admission. The zoo houses many species of animals and features dolphin and walrus shows, a new baby elephant and an upcoming rhino exhibit. \nRegardless of your interests and budget, Indianapolis is a great resource for activities less than a tank of gas away. \nAdditional information on these attractions and other establishments and festivals can be found by visiting www.indy.org.
(04/01/03 4:22am)
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea has asked Japan to help bring North Korea to multilateral talks to defuse tension over the communist country's suspected nuclear weapons programs, the presidential office said Monday.\nSouth Korea's Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan made the request to his Japanese counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi in Tokyo on Sunday, the presidential Blue House said in a news release.\nNorth Korea insists on bilateral talks, saying the nuclear dispute is only with the United States. Washington wants to resolve the issue through talks involving Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.\n"South Korea and Japan have agreed that North Korea must take positive actions to swiftly resolve the nuclear issue and (they agreed) to continuously urge North Korea not to exacerbate the situation," the news release said.\nYoon will return home later Monday, wrapping up a weeklong visit to Washington and Tokyo.\nDuring his visit to Washington, Yoon presented what he called a "road map" on bringing Pyongyang to multilateral talks.\nCoinciding with Yoon's trip, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's top security adviser, Ra Jong-il, left for Moscow and Beijing on Sunday to discuss the crisis. Russia and China have said they support a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.\nRa was quoted by the London-based Financial Times newspaper as saying that his government believes the dispute could be resolved by laying a gas pipeline from Russia to North Korea to ease Pyongyang's chronic power shortages.\nThe newspaper quoted Ra as saying that the idea was still at an early stage and needed to be discussed with allies and North Korea.\nRa said the gas could fuel power stations and provide a peaceful alternative to the nuclear program, which Pyongyang says is necessary for generating electricity.\nThe presidential Blue House said it could not immediately confirm the report.\nOn Monday, North Korea claimed the United States may attack the communist state after the war in Iraq.\n"Once it has become apparent that the U.S. choice is to unleash a war against the DPRK, the Korean army is keeping itself fully prepared to cope with their new war preparations," said Kim Hae Yon, an officer of the Korean People's Army, according to KCNA. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
(01/30/03 5:34am)
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez appeared to be winning the battle for control of Venezuela's oil industry, overcoming efforts by workers at the state oil company to strangle it with a 58-day-old strike.\nIn another sign the strike is weakening, private banks agreed Wednesday to restore normal banking hours next week, said Central Bank president Diego Luis Castellanos. Banks and many exchange houses had previously been opened only three hours a day to support the strike.\nThe decision came after Chavez had threatened to fine banks, suspend their directors and withdraw military deposits from striking institutions.\nEven as the government boosted oil production beyond the million-barrel benchmark, the work stoppage has had devastating effects on the country's recession-ridden economy.\nProduction reached 1 million barrels a day Tuesday -- one-third of pre-strike levels, according to striking executives at state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. It had slipped as low as 200,000 barrels per day in December.\nOutput is rising because the government is focusing on newer oil fields, where crude oil is easier to extract. But the recovery should slow when the government is forced to reactivate old wells that have been idle for nearly two months, making their oil sticky and difficult to pump.\n"They are going for the lowest hanging fruit on the tree, the easiest to grab," said Ed Silliere, vice president of risk management at Energy Merchant LLC in New York. "In a few weeks, it is going to be a struggle."\nSilliere said he expects difficulties to begin when output reaches 1.2 million to 1.4 million barrels per day.\nIn an effort to regain control of the oil monopoly, Chavez has sacked more than 5,000 of its 40,000 workers. State oil company executives warn the firings will make it even more difficult to reach full production capacity.\n"That's what happens when unprepared personnel are put to work," said Juan Fernandez, the leading spokesmen for dissident state oil workers, at a press conference.\nOpposition leaders insist the strike will continue. But a public backlash over food, gasoline and medicine shortages has prompted some strike leaders to consider easing the stoppage in certain areas.\nShopping malls, restaurants and schools may reopen next week, at least part-time, said Julio Brazon, president of the Consecomercio business chamber. Some small businesses have reopened, and others never closed.\n"The lifting of the strike is not being proposed now," said Carlos Ortega, president of the nation's largest labor union. "What is being proposed are some strategies that correspond to sectors involved in the strike." He did not elaborate.\nVenezuelans must wait for hours in miles-long lines outside service stations. To ease the inconvenience, the government will impose limits on daily gas sales, said Luis Vierma, director of hydrocarbons at the Energy and Mines Ministry.\nAlthough Chavez has had some success in reviving oil production, which provides half of Venezuela's government revenue and 70 percent of export earnings, he faces a daunting task in recuperating the country's economy.\nCapital flight, stalled investment and strike damage led Santander Central Hispano investment bank to forecast a 40 percent contraction in the first quarter of 2003. Unemployment stands at 17 percent.\nA freeze on foreign currency sales to protect the bolivar, which has lost 25 percent of its value this year, was extended Tuesday. The bolivar traded at 2,300 to the dollar Tuesday in secondary markets between private parties, bankers said. It was 1,853 to the dollar before the suspension started last week.\nLimits on the amount of foreign currency Venezuelans can buy go into effect next week. The measure has been severely criticized by executives who say it could hurt businesses that depend on U.S. dollars to import goods.\n"Chavez may have the initial advantage, but over the long term, he's going to have a much more difficult path," said Steve Johnson, senior policy analyst for Latin America at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation.
(12/16/02 4:47pm)
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Hospitals across the country are desperate for nurses like Tracey Rasmussen, a 34-year-old mom with a warm, down-to-earth bedside manner and a 3.9 grade point average.\nThere's a nationwide shortage of nurses, as anyone who's spent time in a hospital lately knows. And by 2020 that shortage is expected to grow to more than 800,000 nurses nationwide, according to projections by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\nBut the problem isn't finding people who want to be nurses; it's getting them into nursing schools.\nRasmussen was rejected twice from nursing school -- one of thousands of qualified people turned away from the profession each year because nursing colleges lack space, faculty and funding.\n"It was so frustrating," said Rasmussen, who was finally accepted into Washington State University's Yakima nursing program. She has a job waiting for her in a hospital maternity ward when she graduates in May.\nU.S. nursing schools turned away nearly 6,000 qualified applicants last year, according to a survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.\n"Some of them will reapply. Some of them go to other schools, community colleges and private schools. A significant pool will be lost to nursing," said Washington State University College of Nursing Dean Dorothy Detlor, whose program rejects two-thirds of its qualified applicants each year. "It's a serious problem across the country."\nA new federal law, the Nursing Reinvestment Act, expands scholarships for student nurses, offers grants for nursing schools and includes loan forgiveness programs for nurses who earn advanced degrees and become teachers.\nNursing educators applaud the law, but are waiting to see if Congress puts money behind it. The House Appropriations Committee will determine funding next year.\nTimes have changed. Today, even in a struggling economy, college graduates get multiple job offers with starting salaries of up to $60,000 in some areas.\n"We've gotten the message out there that nursing is an exciting career," said Kathleen Ann Long, Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Florida and president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. "That's the good news."\nThe bad news is there's not enough faculty to teach them.\nNurses are in such high demand that they invariably must take a pay cut to teach. A 2001 survey found that nurses with master's degrees earn an average of $24,000 more in practice than they do teaching.\n"The universities are just not able to compete," said Johnie Mozingo, associate dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, which rejected half its nursing applicants this year.
(09/06/02 5:17am)
MILWAUKEE -- Three's company in many college dormitories this year.\nA housing shortage at some Milwaukee-area colleges has forced students to accept more roommates than usual, breaking from tradition and introducing a new lifestyle arrangement on campus.\nRyan VanDeLoo, a freshman at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wis., is sharing his dorm room with two roommates this fall. What's more, all three are stocky college football players.\n"It's pretty crowded," VanDeLoo said of the 12-foot-wide room typically assigned to just two students. "We're hoping that our parents stop bringing stuff."\nMarquette University in Milwaukee has rented an entire hotel to manage its largest freshman class in 14 years.\nWhile housing crunches are nothing new at colleges and universities, some officials say the problem seems to be worsening.\n"We haven't had to do anything like this in a long time," Marquette spokesman Ben Tracy said.\nMarquette has rented the entire 40-room Executive Inn to handle overflow temporarily until rooms open up in campus housing.\nWisconsin is not the only state where colleges are in a pinch.\nGary Schwarzmueller, executive director of the Ohio-based Association of College and University Housing Officers-International, said housing is scarce in several parts of the country.\nNot only are high school graduates flocking to colleges and universities, displaced workers and other non-traditional students are driving enrollment higher during these tough economic times -- increasing the demand for housing even more.\n"Some places are having enormous, explosive growth," Schwarz-mueller said.
(08/29/02 4:22am)
Moving in to the dorms for the first time is an exciting experience, but a trying one. For new students adjusting to being away from home is supposed to be made easier by having a place to call their own, even if it is a 12 by 14 foot cinderblock room. But many freshmen this year were denied a dorm room, and instead were forced to live in a floor lounge for an indefinite period until more rooms open.\n The overcrowding of dorms at IU has been a problem in the past, but it was exacerbated this year by the large incoming class and incomplete renovations. Students who applied late for housing used to be placed in whatever rooms were still available. Now students are living in what is supposed to be a communal area for a floor to socialize and study. With the shortage, housing problems have once again moved to the front of IU's to-do list.\n Any solutions to make university housing more available in the future will not help those who are affected by the housing shortage this year. Once open rooms are made available to the students in lounges they will need to move out, but do not receive any assistance from IU in the move. Many students moved in with the help of parents who provided transportation and extra muscle. It is ridiculous to expect students who are new to IU to manage to move all of their belongings without help, and it is unreasonable to ask parents to take another day off work to help.\nThe students who are living in the lounges are also paying for a room that they do not have. It is too much to ask students who have been displaced to pay the same amount in rent as those who were immediately placed in rooms. They are not receiving the same services from the University, therefore they should not pay the same amount.\nThe whole purpose of Welcome Week is to make students feel welcome at IU, and IU has done the exact opposite by housing students in floor lounges. The least the University can do is place the students in their room assignments as quickly as possible, but they should also provide people to help students move out of the lounges. IU should also adjust the rent these students will pay to more accurately reflect their housing situation at the beginning of the semester.\nStaff vote: Unamimous
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The Zimbabwean government on Monday banned 1,000 white farmers from cultivating their fields and gave them three months to vacate their homes as part of its "fast track" land redistribution plan. \nThe government has targeted 5,000 white-owned commercial farms, about 95 percent of all farms owned by whites, for seizure and redistribution to landless blacks. \nIn a government gazette released Monday, President Robert Mugabe invoked special powers forcing the 1,000 farmers who had already received notification their land was being seized to stop all work on it, regardless of whether they had crops waiting to be harvested or appeals of the seizures pending in court. \nThey were given three months to leave their houses. \nLands and Agriculture Minister Joseph Made said the government would begin allocating plots on the farms to 51,000 black families. \nHe said 201,000 black families had already been resettled as communal farmers on formerly white farms, a number white farmers dispute as vastly exaggerated. \n"This (plan) is now fundamentally complete and has been a major success," Made said. \nWhite farmers say more than 500 farms are lying idle as a result of political violence, while many others are in only partial production, with militants occupying some of the fields. \nRuling party militants began occupying white-owned commercial farms in March 2000, soon after voters rejected a constitutional referendum that would have further entrenched the powers of Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The government later announced its plans to seize the white farms. \nThe opposition Movement for Democratic Change won 57 of the 120 elected seats in parliamentary elections in June 2000, despite a campaign election monitors said was rife with violence, mainly caused by ruling party supporters. \nOpposition officials accuse the government of using land seizures to garner support and further intimidate political opponents ahead of what promises to be hard-fought presidential elections next year. \nVice President Joseph Msika said Sunday the government supported arming the ruling party militants following the abduction of one of their leaders. \nThe government's announcement of farm seizures Monday would further damage agriculture in a country deeply dependent on it, said Adrian de Bourbon, a lawyer for the Commercial Farmers Union, which represents most white farmers. \n"I believe this is yet another nail in the coffin of commercial farming in this country," he said. \nZimbabwe, which normally runs large food surpluses, is now facing serious food shortages.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
WASHINGTON -- The Senate is ready to take up broad energy legislation that has caused splits over automobile gas mileage, drilling in an Arctic refuge and electricity competition in the shadow of Enron's collapse.\nThe debate expected this week comes nine months after President Bush outlined his plan to increase the nation's energy supply by expanding oil and gas drilling on public land and rejuvenating nuclear power.\nThe House passed its version, but in the Senate, majority Democrats have offered legislation that relies more heavily on conservation.\nTo help bolster his argument for Senate passage, Bush checked out the engines of three "hybrid" vehicles that were parked on the White House driveway. He said more hybrids would be put onto the U.S. market next year -- good news for American consumers who "understand the ramifications of dependency on foreign sources of crude oil."\n"Dependence can lead to price shocks and fuel shortages. And this dependence on foreign oil is a matter of national security," Bush said. "To put it bluntly, sometimes we rely upon energy sources from countries that don't particularly like us."\nThe crisis atmosphere of a year ago has all but disappeared -- energy prices are low, supplies plentiful -- and the urgency to act, too, may have lost steam, say lawmakers and lobbyists.\nBush, in a weekend push to promote his plan, dismissed claims that it focuses too much on fossil fuel production and not enough on conservation and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.\n"Conservation technology and renewables are important. Yet they alone cannot solve our energy problems," he said in his weekly radio address.\nDuring his recent trip to Asia, Bush stopped in Alaska where he again stressed the need to drill for oil in an Arctic wildlife refuge. \nThe idea won mention in his Saturday broadcast, with the president saying drilling can go ahead without hurting the environment while also providing jobs.\nEnvironmentalists have pledged to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and some Senate Democrats say they will stall energy legislation if Republicans press the refuge drilling issue -- as most expect them to do.\nSenate Democrats reject development of the refuge and emphasize conservation: Sharp increases in fuel economy for automobiles, tougher federal energy efficiency standards and greater support for renewable fuels and natural gas as opposed to oil.\nTax breaks in the Democratic proposal -- about $16 billion worth, or about half of what the House has offered -- lean more toward conservation and renewable fuel sources as opposed to the oil, gas and nuclear industries focused on in the House version.\nSen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, says drilling in the refuge is essential to lessening U.S. dependence on foreign oil. He plans an amendment that would give oil companies access to the refuge's coastal plain, where billions of barrels of oil are believed available.\nMurkowski says he has the majority needed to get it passed, but not -- at least so far -- the 60 votes needed to overcome a sure filibuster.\nOther issues also could scuttle a potential compromise:\n--Automobile mileage. A Democratic proposal would increase fuel economy by 30 percent, to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2013, and remove preferences now given to sport utility vehicles. Currently, new automobiles are required to meet a fleet average of 27.5 mpg and SUVs and minivans 20.7 mpg.\n--Ethanol. Farm interests and the oil industry are fighting over whether to increase the use of corn-based ethanol as a motor fuel by establishing a "renewable fuels" requirement for gasoline.\n--The $16 billion in tax breaks over 10 years. A Democratic version would give more of the money to conservation. Republican proposals tilt toward helping producers.\n--Electricity competition. With Enron's bankruptcy fresh in their minds, senators will consider how much say the federal government should have over siting transmission lines, managing power grids and monitoring the business practices of large energy holding companies.\nThe bill Daschle is introducing may attract more than 200 amendments.\n"The big question is whether along the way the bill gets killed because it's just too big and cumbersome," says Dan Becker of the Sierra Club. "The conventional wisdom is that this is a bill that's just too heavy to fly."\nWith some many contested issues, David Owens of the Edison Electric Institute thinks it is "unavoidable" that the bill will bog down.\nThe group's members, investor-owned utilities, want the repeal -- as the bill provides -- of a Depression-era law that restricts the activities of utility holding companies.
(04/26/02 4:35am)
WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed an energy bill Thursday that features tax breaks to conserve and produce energy and directs more use of ethanol but rejects the Bush administration proposal to develop oil in an Arctic wildlife refuge. \nAfter sometimes bitter deliberations, the Senate approved the energy package 88-11. The vote sets up a showdown with the House, which last year passed an energy bill that focuses more on helping energy companies boost production, including drilling in the Alaska refuge. \nMuch of the Senate debate, which stretched over six weeks, centered on America's dependence on foreign oil and the security concerns over relying on the volatile Middle East for much of its energy. Republicans argued for more domestic production, while most Democrats maintained the answer was in conservation. \nStill, the Senate twice rejected proposals that were aimed at reducing the growing demand for fuel by automobiles and other passenger vehicles, which guzzle the equivalent of nearly 8 million barrels of oil a day. \nDemocrats said the bill, which at times had appeared to be in danger of falling apart over a tax dispute as well as Arctic drilling, provides a broad balance between energy production and conservation, including help for consumers to better insulate their homes and buy more fuel-efficient windows. \nRepublicans said it still does too little to increase domestic oil production and reduce America's reliance on imports. \nNevertheless, Republican leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the Senate bill marks "a major achievement" and praised Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska -- the chamber's most ardent supporter of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- for not trying to obstruct the legislation. \n"We need more production across the board," said Lott, indicating he expects the fight over Arctic drilling to be resumed as the Senate and House work out a compromise bill to send to the White House. \nLott lauded what he called "very significant tax incentives" contained in the Senate legislation. But the House-passed bill, which was ignored in the Senate, would funnel more tax breaks to energy production and open the Arctic refuge to drilling. \nThe Senate bill would provide $14 billion worth of tax breaks over 10 years, divided about evenly between help for renewable energy and conservation programs and the traditional fossil fuel energy producers. The House bill calls for $33 billion in tax incentives focused more heavily toward the oil, gas, coal and nuclear industries. \nOther major provisions in the Senate legislation, covering more than 580 pages, include: \n• A requirement to use more ethanol in gasoline that will result in a tripling of ethanol production to 5 billion gallons a year, a boon to farmers. \n• A ban on use of the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to contaminate waterways in many states. \n• Consumer tax credits for people who install solar panels in their homes, add insulation, or buy more energy-efficient windows, doors, air conditioners and heat pumps. \n• Federal loan guarantees to spur private interest in building a $20 billion pipeline to haul natural gas from Alaska's North Slope. \n• Requiring utilities by 2019 to produce 10 percent of their electricity from renewable fuels such as wind, solar and burning forest and agricultural wastes. \n• Repeal of a Depression-era law that limits the operations of electricity holding companies; wider authority for federal energy regulators to regulate wholesale electricity markets and transmission lines. \nWhile environmentalists won a major victory in beating back Republican attempts to drill for oil in the Arctic refuge, they failed to get the Senate to do anything substantive to rein in fuel use by the nation's motorists. \nAn attempt by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to address fuel economy was blocked as opponents of tougher federal auto fuel economy rules argued that automakers would be forced to close plants, lay off workers and deprive drivers of larger cars, including SUVs. \nEarly in the six weeks of deliberations, the Senate stripped the legislation of a provision that would have required automakers to improve their fleet-wide fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon, a 50 percent increase, over the next dozen years. A last ditch attempt Thursday to curb automobiles' energy use by curtailing the growth of oil use in transportation was rejected 57-42. \nThe bill's ethanol provision also came under attack Thursday from California and New York senators, who argued it would cause gasoline shortages and price increases on both coasts. But an attempt to delay the mandate by one year to 2005 was rejected. \n"This is a deal cut in secret," an angry Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said on the Senate floor. "We're told it's good for farmers and to take it."\nEthanol supporters disputed that there will be shortages or price spikes.
(03/28/02 5:36am)
All hope is not yet lost for lawmakers to reach a compromise on the budget crisis and tax restructuring. Almost two weeks after the regular session adjourned, Governor Frank O'Bannon and lawmakers will convene to continue working on Indiana's future. \nO'Bannon announced Wednesday that he will meet with legislators from the Democratic and Republican caucuses and fiscal directors April 9.\nThe meeting will focus on the Deficit-Management Plan that O'Bannon proposed to combat the state's growing financial crisis. \nO'Bannon said he will also determine the likelihood that the dissenting political parties will reach a compromise, warranting a special session of the General Assembly. \nHe will unveil the Deficit-Management Plan today at the Statehouse. It is a comprehensive strategy designed by the State Budget Agency.\nO'Bannon personally invited the representatives Tuesday and said he is encourage by lawmakers response. \n"Certainly nothing can be accomplished if we are unwilling to sit down together to discuss our viewpoints on these hugely important issues," O'Bannon said in a press release Wednesday.\nBrian Bosma, Republican leader form Marion County, thinks the meeting is overdue.\n"This is the first time this year leaders of the caucus and fiscal leaders have met together with the governor," said Bosma. "Better late than never." \nSome lawmakers say that the divide between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate is still too great. \n"I don't believe there will be a special session," said Republican Floor Leader Mike Smith, D-16. "We have a philosophical divide." District 16 includes Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Pulaski and White Counties.\nDemocratic Rep. Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington, agreed.\n"A special session will be a waste of money unless the legislators involved agree on a compromise package to address the budget crisis prior to meeting," Kruzan said.\nWhen the General Assembly left the Statehouse March 14, lawmakers left many questions unanswered. The governor was unable to find support for House Bill 1004, O'Bannon's proposed budget deficit and tax reform plan. The tax system had not been restructured and the $1.3 billion shortage had no solution.\nO'Bannon began making cuts totaling $332 million, which he warned would be necessary if lawmakers could not balance the budget. Last week's cuts are on top of $782 million the governor cut from the annual state budget prior to the end of the session.\nThe bulk of the money comes from the Build Indiana Fund.\nThe BIF is an account created by lawmakers, which collects its resources from gambling revenue. The BIF then uses the revenue to fund organizations and programs such as the Monroe County Humane Association, Monroe County Recreation Department and WFHB.\nThe governor said the BIF and the projects it supports must be redirected into the General Fund if the state hopes to protect schools and state supported universities. \nThe budget cuts to public universities has IU officials considering a tuition hike.\nIU has already lost $100 million in the past two years, if withheld appropriations and budget cuts are combined.\nThe state provides IU with operating support, said William Stephan, vice president for public affairs and government relations at IU.\n"They keep our doors open and our lights on," Stephan said.\nStephan also said IU officials could decide if tuition will increase as soon as next week.\nFurther education cuts unlikely\nO'Bannon received good news today from Republican party. Connie Nass, the state's auditor, and Tim Berry, state treasurer, are two of three officials who make up the State Board of Finance. Berry and Nass must approve O'Bannon's proposal to redirect funds from the BIF. \nThe two fiscal leaders told the governor that adequate resources are available to pull the state out of the budget crisis without making further cuts to education, said Berry and Nass in a letter to O'Bannon Wednesday.\nO'Bannon will meet with Nass and Berry April 8 to make the proposed cuts official. \nMany lawmakers support O'Bannon's decision to cut the BIF budget. \nRep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, said the governor is doing everything he can to protect education, but these programs benefit the citizens and local communities.\n"I regret the governor has to redirect the Build Indiana Funds," said Welch. "He is turning over every rock to try to raise money and lessen the pain."\nKruzan agreed and said the cut in programs will have a serious impact on communities.\n"Just ask the volunteer fire departments, homeless shelters and other community groups and it becomes clear the funds are not 'extras,' " Kruzan said.\nMost of the lawmakers agree that differing philosophies concerning Indiana's future was a factor in the failures of the last session.\n"Partisan politics played a huge role in the collapse of the session," Kruzan said.\nRepublicans and Democrats both think that the state must protect itself from future financial crisis. \n"I believe today what I believed years ago -- that the state should keep more in its reserves, called the Rainy Day Fund, to protect itself from budget deficits," Kruzan said.
(02/12/02 7:00am)
IU, Purdue and Ball State have joined forces to impress upon lawmakers the importance of acting on the state budget crisis before the end of the current session.\nThey are aligned as part of the Alliance for Indiana's Future, a coalition formed to protect the interests of various agencies and groups across Indiana.\n"Indiana University has been pleased to join with our colleagues in education, business, labor, and government to promote visionary thinking and the necessary action which will ensure a promising future for all Hoosiers," Myles Brand, IU president, said.\nState budget cuts could seriously impact students, faculty and larger university communities of Indiana. The state fiscal condition has inspired cooperation between public institutions, Brand said.\nIU faces a $55.5 million budget shortfall, while the deficit may cause a $90 million reduction in Purdue's funding. Ball State is estimating a $17 million loss. However, these numbers hang in the balance of decisions reached during this legislative session. \nIf voted into law, House Bill 1004, supported by Gov. Frank O'Bannon, would change appropriations for the 2001 budget. It would establish the tax relief fund and the tuition support stabilization fund. It would cap state spending and extend the general property tax reassessment, in addition to increasing cigarette and gambling taxes.\nThe issues binding the Alliance members together include the state revenue shortage that could result in a $1.3 billion budget deficit next year, reduced funding for public schools and universities, the potential property tax increase and the restructuring of the state tax system. \nThe group's members include a wide range of organizations including Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Indiana Association of Realtors, Indiana Bankers Association, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Health Industry Forum and Indiana Metropolitan Mayors' Alliance.\nMembers of the Alliance disagree on specific issues but all agree that lawmakers need to do something about the budget crisis.\nMartin C. Jischke, president of Purdue University, said he welcomes the opportunity to work collectively with the members of the Alliance for Indiana's Future.\n"I meet regularly with President Brand to discuss these issues," Jischke said. "Purdue and IU have a number of partnerships that have the potential to create new industries in the state, and we will be announcing more of them in the near future."\nAll seven state-supported institutions are active members of the alliance which has economic development as one of its five major principles.\n"Ball State is working very closely with the Governor's office and the state legislature to determine how to address the state's fiscal crisis," Blaine A. Brownell, president of Ball State said.\nIU, Purdue and Ball State are focusing on the role of research institutions to help develop the state economy. \n"The research done at universities like Purdue and IU is the engine that drives economic development," Jischke said.\nGov. Frank O'Bannon's tax and budget reform, House Bill 1004, narrowly made it out of the House of Representatives last Monday. IU, Purdue and Ball State are waiting for the Senate to vote on the budget before any official cuts or tuition increases are set. \nIn anticipation of the potential cuts in state funding, public universities have implemented hiring freezes and limited employee travel.\n"We have not make any decision as to cuts that will be imposed at Ball State since it is still our hope that the state's financial issues can be successfully resolved during this legislative session," Brownell said.
