University of Tennessee Knoxville - Volunteer Yearbook (Knoxville, TN)

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27 Issues and Events

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Bil'l Owens wins; serves Third District legislative seat The election of Knoxville's third district state legislator concerned students, since UT and Ford Sanders fall within its bound- aries. The choice in 1974 were between Republican Edith Missy Dickey and Democrat Bill Owen. Having formerly served on the Knox County Election Commission, Ms. Dickey said she felt she was aware of some of the problems facing the third district. The main issue in Mr. Owen's campaign was her voting record while on that com- mission. Mr. Owen said that since Ms. Dickey had voted against allowing stu- dents to register to vote on campus, she could not fairly represent UT students. Both contenders ran on similar plat- forms. They favored liquor on campus and opposed legislative interference in coeducational residence halls. Mr. Owen's 1,695-vote victory margin was attributed to his strong door-to-door campaigning style, his image and slogan of An Honest Young Man and support from students. At the campus and Fort Sanders polling places, Mr. Owen won 1,300 votes to Ms. Dickey's 443. Another election which interested stu- dents was the race for the seventh state senatorial district. The candidates were Martha, or should we say Victor, Ashe, Betty Cathey and Jack Comer. Interest in this campaign was aroused by a court ruling declaring 29-year-old Victor Ashe ineligible to run. Under Ten- nessee law, senators must be 30 years old. RIGHT: The strain of a vigorous campaign shows on the face of Bill Owen. as he answers a question at a debate in the University Center in late October, FAR RIGHT: Victor Ashe's campaign was thwarted by a court ruling which removed his name from the ballot for senator in the Seventh District, His mother, Martha Ashe, won the seat on a promise to resign LOWER RIGHT: Edith Missy Dickey was the loser in the Third District legislative race, She is a former member of the Knox County Election Com- mission, 26 - Issues and Events Jack Comer, Victor Ashe's opponent for the House in 1972, filed suit in Chancery Court against Mr. Ashe. On October 10, the State Supreme Court ruled Rep. Ashe was not qualified to run, but left open the possibility he could serve if the Senate did not meet until January. Rep. Ashe's mother was chosen to replace him on the ballot. Martha Ashe's platform consisted of the promise she would resign after two months in office, provided her son was appointed to the seat. Martha Ashe received 55 per cent of the vote. She had 18,908 votes, Ms. Cathey got 12,850, and Mr. Comer re- ceived 2,343 votes.

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Inflation becomes one of nation's top economic problems Spiraling inflation was one of the nation's chief economic problems during the school year At the beginning of his term in office, President Fordipromised to hold down federal spending and called double-digit inflation Public Enemy Number One . After the consumer price index rose by 13h: in August alone la compound annual rate of 168M, govern- ment officials felt that immediate action was necessary. President Ford held a series of meet- ings with various economic and business leaders which ended with a two-day National Conference on Inflation. Knox- ville's Mayor Kyle Testerman attended the conference, and he presented the President with a survey in which Knox- ville area citizens blamed the government and union wage increases for the infla- tion problem. The citizens surveyed felt that decreased government spending in such areas as foreign aid would be the best solution. Several inflation-fighting alternatives were discussed by economic experts at the conference, but no agree- ment was reached as to the best solu- tion. In October, President Ford presented his own inflation-fighting measures. In a speech to Congress. Ford said that inflation could destroy the country as surely as any wartime enemy . His plan for stopping inflation was centered around a 506 surcharge or additional income tax which would be imposed on middle and high income taxpayers and corporations. Wearing a red and white WIN lWhip Inflation Nowl button, Ford stated that his plans would meaningfully reduce inflation by early 1975. Reaction to Ford's proposals, especially to the 570 surcharge. was not enthusiastic: both Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders criticized the surcharge as being too hard on middle income taxpayers. After the November elections which gave the Democratic party a large major- ity in both houses of Congress, Ford's inflation-.fighting measures met with even more opposition. Against his advice Congress passed a veteran's aid bill which would give veterans a 2370 increase in benefits: Ford vetoed the bill and stated that the nation would have to reduce federal spending if weare to reduce the inflation spiral . By January, however. inflation ap- peared to be slowing down on its own: 28 A Issues and Events the rise in the consumer price inde for December was only Th3, an annual rate of 90A: as compared to a 12.270 rate for 1974 as a whole. Price increases became less frequent, largely because of overstocked inventories and a decrease in consumer spending. Most government officials began to regard recession land not inflationl as the chief economic problem. The decreased emphasis on inflation was evident in President Ford's State of the Union address to Congress in January. He appeared to be willing to risk further inflation in trying to overcome the problem of recession. Ford's new eco- nomic proposals included a tax rebate. an energy tax. and a permanent tax cut. The most controversial of his suggestions was the energy tax: by proposing large in- creases in the price of oil, Ford was risking further inflation because the prices of goods transported by oil or using oil in production would also rise. Many critics of Ford's plan felt that any tax rebates would be wiped out by the huge in- creases in prices resulting from the energytax. Because of the Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, it appeared likely that most of Ford's proposals would eventually be modified. Democratic leaders seemed to favor increased deficits in the federal budget and tax rebates over any inflationary increases in fuel prices. While the President and Congress attempted to work out a compromise, it appeared that inflation was becoming less of a threat to the economy than recession. University of Tennessee students were affected by inflation both on and off campus. University Residence Halls raised fees by 6Tb and blamed 3 20h: rise in coal costs as the chief cause for the in- crease. University Food Services, which are seIf-supporting, were faced with large price increases in food, paper products, and utility costs. Charges to students for the meal plan were up 8W0, but this rate was set some eight months before the school year started and before the in- flation rate peaked. The University book store reported that its costs were up 50A: on supplies and 7th; on textbooks, but they held down prices anyway. It was expected that prices would eventually go up in future quarters. RIGHT: President Ford wears his WlN button. BELOW: Students experience inflation buying books for the year.