University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY June 17, 1993
The Student Voice Since 1903
Closure could cost UCO
Tinker closure impact could exceed $2.6 billion
Storms pound Atlanta, sinkhole kills woman ATLANTA (AP) — Severe storms caused a 100-foot-wide sinkhole to open up Monday under a parking lot near downtown, killing a woman who was trapped in her car, authorities said. Rescue workers were searching for other cars that fell into the crater when it formed in the parking lot of a Marriott Courtyard hotel. The crater is about 25 feet deep and more than 100 feet wide.
Cuba base that houses HIVinfected Haitians shuts down
By Joe Umbarger Staff Writer
The economic impact on the University of Central Oklahoma, if Tinker Air Force Base is closed, could exceed $2.6 billion, said Lt. Gen. Richard A. Burpee, vice president for Development and Community Relations at UCO. Burpee, who is also the primary witness for Tinker at the Base Closure and Realignment Committee hearings, said that was a conservative estimate. "To put things in perspective," Burpee said, "The annual budget for the state of Oklahoma is $3 billion." Burpee commanded Tinker's Air Logistics Center (ALC) from 1983-86, and also commanded the 15th Air Force, which is half of S trategic Air Command, during which time he was the "user" of the products that Tinker repairs in Oklahoma. He said he believes his background help
the committee listen when he talks about economic impact and military strategy in general, and the importance of Tinker AFB specifically. Burpee said that when the history of buildups and reductions in the United States armed forces is charted on a graph, it forms a redundant series of "peaks and valleys." Massive buildups occurred during World War II, the Korean Conflict and the American involvement in Vietnam, as examples, with intervening "valleys" during which the military budgets and personnel were cut. Burpee said it makes more sense to have a constant level of preparedness to be able to respond quickly to developing events worldwide, and until the Clinton administration published its plan for long-term military strategy, no one would know what such a level might be. Burpee used an example from Vietnam as an illustration. "When we first got to Vietnam, we had
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — The dusty, razor-wire-encircled compound that held HIVinfected Haitians for nearly two years began shutting down Monday. A New York federal judge ruled last Tuesday that the camp should be closed and the Haitians, who fled their homeland after President JeanBertrand Aristide was overthrown in a 1991 military coup, allowed into the United States. Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. described the compound as "nothing more than an II1V prison camp."
Bill raises fees for UCO students By Roy Howe Staff Writer
Sioux barred from regulating hunting, fishing WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court today barred the Cheyenne River Sioux from regulating hunting and fishing by non-Indians at Lake Oahe on the tribe's reservation in South Dakota. Congress canceled the tribe's authority to regulate such use by non-Indians when the federal government bought the land to build a dam, the court said in a 7-2 ruling. Today's ruling reversed a federal appeals court decision that said the tribe had the authority to regulate non-Indian hunting and fishing on most of the disputed Lake Oahe area.
airplanes that could carry 14 bombs each, but we only had one bomb per airplane, because we had downsized our military forces to a point where we had almost no bombs at all. Every 'mom and pop' shop around the country was starting to build bombs." "The present administration has what it calls a Bottom Up Review strategy," B urpee said, which replaces the Cold War and Base Four strategies of past administrations. Relying on his experience as commander of Tinker's ALC, Burpee was able to explain to the committee that the listing of "yellow" on Tinker' s encroachment was in error. "It's definitely green," Burpee said, indicating there was plenty of room for expansion, both physically and in number of flying operations. Will the ALC at Tinker AFB be closed? Burpee is optimistic, but admits that it isn't a sure thing either way.
Toni Bishop plays with a ball while sitting in the lap of her mom, Jerri Bishop, wife of UCO student
Jeff Bishop, while Jessica Henderson takes a sip of her drink. (Photo by Chris Smith)
Governor David Walters gave his approval last week for institutions of higher education to raise tuition and for a portion of the state's emergency funds to be seized for higher learning. Walters signed the Bills 13 days after he received them. He had the option of signing the legislation within 15 days, not signing them at all and allowing them to become law without his blessing or vetoing the bills. House Bill 1321 allows the State Regents for Higher Education to approve tuition hikes at the state's 26 higher learning sites. The increase is set to begin this fall with hikes of 8 percent at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, 7 percent at four-year universities and 6 percent at the state's two-year colleges. Earlier this year, Walters said he would not approve any increase in class costs unless institutions cut administrative expenditures. This prompted state regents to come forward with an administrative cost cap plan. With UCO expecting a large enrollment this fall, George Nigh, UCO president, can opt for an eight percent hike. He said he will stay with the seven percent rise in an effort to keep costs "reasonable" for students. Senate Bill 390 will release $44 million dollars from the state's $100 million plus emergency fund with $ 28.4 to help fund higher education.