Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Jack Dunn Editor in Chief C. E. Holman Managing/Viewpoints Editor Jay King Copy Desk Chiet/rhoto editor Ann Winchell News Editor Desaree Hollins Carolina! Editor Andy Borgeru Sports Editor Sean McGuinness Graphics Editor Paul Jon Cartoonist Jim McKellar Student Media Coordinator Laura Day Production Manager Jim Green Assistant Production Manager Shannon Wadrord Production Assistant Renee Gibson Advertising Manager Erik Collins Faculty Adviser The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of c iL r?. 1; i u 1 i i oouui v aioinia anu is put'iiMicu three times a week on Mondays. Wednesdays and Fridays during the fall and spring semesters and weekly during both summer sessions. with the exception of university holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publica (.lVJUa dllU v^Ulllil IUI11C dllUl la 15 111C publisher of The Gamecock. The Student Media Department is the parent organization of The Gamecock. Change of address forms, subscriptions, requests and other correspondence should be sent to the address below. Subscription rates are $46 a year. First class postage paid at Columbia, SC. The Gamecock is a registered student organization of the University of South Carolina and is partially lunded by student activities fees. The Gamecock P.O.Box 85131 University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 NEWSROOM 777-7726 ADVERTISING 777-4249 1^^ State House : By ANN WINCHELL News Editor Next year South Carolina government support to higher education will continue to shrink, as it has for the past few years. In 1990, 44.75 percent of USC's operating budget came from legisla live appropriations; however, that figure is clown to 36 percent for the upcoming 1993-94 budget, according to USC's Office of Business and rinaliCc. Guidelines for funding South Carolina education exist, but only public school formulas are actually mandated, in the Education Finance Act and the Education Improvement Act, according to Charles A. Brooks Jr., director of the State Budget Division of the S.C. Budget and Control Board. "The state has guidelines for higher education but the guidelines don't have the force of law." Brooks said. Public schools are underfunded too, but the local districts can raise property tax to help themselves, Brooks said. The S.C. legislature has made dramatic changes in the state revenue structure over the last 10 years which has reduced the state's income by $500 million, Brooks said. Over the past decade, the state cut taxes to encourage economic development and to provide relief to citizens, according to a special report from the Office of Economic Fundamenta By CLAY MURPHY Staff Writer A USC course began Monday that: leaders call "bigoted," but school ad and faculty say it is clearly within th being taught. The doctoral level education cour: being offered as a seminar for one se discuss the effects of Christian Fun< on public education, Jim Sears, who the course, said. But Christian Life Committee Cf Oliver said the course is a direct ai ideals of conservative Baptists. "It's a form of religious bigotry to dollars to teach educators how to beliefs of a certain population of Oliver said. Ben McDade, associate director of board of the State Baptist Conve Baptists believe in autonomous thoi one member can speak for another, because Baptists generally hold o views, the course could be offensi members. "We are conservative, especially < society at large, and we are unapoh that," McDade said. "With more tf Baptists in South Carolina (the st? denomination), the course could face strong opposition." support for hi^ "We just have had very limited success trying to 'shift priorities' and free up dollars for higher education at the expense or otner Duaget items. -Rep. Timothy F. Rogers, D-Richland County Research of the Budget and Control Board. For example, since 1980 the legislature has leuuccc! the individual income tax by indexing personal exemptions and standard deductions. The corporation tax rate has decreased from 6 percent to 5 percent. Various new exemptions in sales tax include a cap on per unit tciv nn Qiitnc vulnpH ni;pr f\ 000 Taxes on beer, wine, liquors, coinoperated devices, gasoline, and soft drinks are taxes that do not increase as prices rise. State revenues haven't kept up with growing state budget demands. Brooks said. "We just have had very limited success trying to 'shift priorities' and free up dollars for higher education at the expense of other budget items," said Rep. Timothy F. Rogers, D-Richland County. The state is poised to have a pros perous ciecacie necause or tne tax incentives for economic development put in place in the 1980s, according to the State Budget Division. Douglas Woodward and Frank lists protest co Sf?nr? <ai<l hi< nivn hni some of the opposition to state Baptist "I think that is an issu ministrators Sears said. "The purpose < e bounds of encourage the freedom of ity has nothing to do with se, which is Oliver said he believe mester, will effect the course negative! lamentalism "Since the homosexual * is teaching the Judeo-Christian movei " i- i ,?i V-.1H151U1II ruiiuuilicilldl lairman Jim objectively by a devout ttack on the said. He said neither Sears use state tax capable of teaching thi combat the because they both hold : the state," subject. McDade agreed sayin " the general Sears is bound to bring s< ntion, said class." Light and no Sears said his views But he said course, but the subject wil conservative "I do have my opinioi ve to many some of the beliefs of tl mentalists," Sears said. " :ompared to observer, but there is a di igctic about objective and being fair." tan 720,000 Sears said the course w ite's largest ty of speakers and he ei some really opinions. "This is what democrc ^her educatio Hefner, USC associate professors of economics, say conditions look better here than in oilier states. Woodward and Hefner each have concluded, on the basis of the S.C. bconomic Indicators, published by the USC economics department and the S.C. Employment Security Commission, that South Carolina is not in as bad a recession as in 1982. "A lot of things did not drop as much as a typical recession," Hefner said. "Consequently, we don't have a typical recovery phase either." But South Carolina's economy depends partly on exports, so the state didn't suffer as much as other states, he said. r- j ii.. o ,i. n i: runuamenuuiy, oouin Carolina s current business conditions remain solid, despite concerns about the base closing in Charleston, according to the figures shown in recent S.C. Economic Indicators. Woodward noted an efficient transportation infrastructure, the Charleston port, and a good tax structure for business as good reasons for business incentives. He said die labor force cost less than in cnmp nthpr cfatpc anrl \i/ac better educated and more consistent than workers in foreign countries, making it more attractive for investors. However, faced with student growth that will cost an additional $250 million dollars by the end of the decade, new prisons that will cost $200 million, and Medicaid intent of educ nosexuality has caused said. "Free die course. information i e. That's unfortunate," USC Fdu )f academic tenure is to Stevenson sr professors. My sexual- controversy the course." experts on th s Sear's sexuality will The nat ly. Excellence i movement runs against sor of relig ment, a course studying Chicago anc ism cannot be taught fundamenta homosexual," Oliver decided to p said. nor himself would be Although e course objectively, USC board strong opinions on the board's June Board n g, "As a homosexual, Committee ome mental baggage to and other b< plaints fror will be evident in the course. II still be studied fairly. "Althougl is which disagree with also agree v le conservative funda- should not 1 I'm nnt n ilwintprpslwi tain hplipfc *' fference between being He said tl of the cours 'ill have a wide diversi- finds the cl; icourages a variety of the board is "To my k icy is all about," Sears the board ha n shrinking demands that will take between $100 and $150 million of additional money, the state cannot afford to allow its tax base to erode, the State Budget Division s report said. "And states have more government than they can afford, given the current tax structure and way of providing services," according to a different State Budget Division report prepared this year which was presented to the Senate Budget Advisory Committee. The report recommended providing less government, and changing the tax structure and method of ueiivsriiig services. Brooks thinks South Carolina hastnn mnrh renetilinn in its state agencies and its higher education facilities. "Georgia has one state medical school, for example, and we have two," he said. "In general, I think that state governments, local governments, and government agencies are going to have to do what it finally took a recession to wake GM and IBM up to, and restructure to cut out things that were added in more plush economic times...including some miscinnc Wn*v#? hppn cicL-pr! In <tn ci lot," Hefner said. "IBM only has one job - make a profit, and it's very clear to them what to do to do that, and it's not always clear to stale agencies," Hefner said. The job of universities is to educate, but what exactly that means is open to debate, he said. ation course inquiry is necessary to disseminate to the public." cation Department Chairman Ken tid the course has benefited from the by gaining the attention of national ie subject. ional director of Citizens for n Education, a distinguished profesious studies at the University of 1 a Notre Dame expert on religious lism are some of those who have articipate in Sear's class, Stevenson the class is already underway, the of trustees will review it at the 17 meeting. lember and Academic Affairs Chairman Mark Buyck Jr. said he oard members have received comv* ^Anctitnonto ti/K A Akioot t A t k A II tv' II o.l llUtlll.i Wliu V/UJVVl IV/ IIIV h I believe in academic integrity, I vith these people who believe USC x; encouraging the dismissal of cer' Buyck said. te board will investigate the purpose e, but Buyck said even if the board *ss unaccepiaoie ne isn i suie wnat capable of doing. nowledge this will be the first time s reviewed a specific course," Buyck