The Rice Thresher

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November 2, 2007 > Opinion > Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

By The Rice Thresher Editorial Staff | Thresher Editorial Staff

RUPD thefts promote student awareness

To the editor:

Last week the Thresher presented two pieces that drew attention to the recent upswing in personal property thefts that our campus has been experiencing (“RUPD: Stop stealing,” Oct. 26; “RUPD launches controversial anti-theft policy,” Oct. 26). Both Dale Swartz’s piece and the editorial piece certainly highlight the need for us all to be more aware and participate in our efforts to reduce crime on campus. Rather than become a partner in that effort, the Thresher seems to have misunderstood the intention of the University Police Department, terming our efforts to curtail theft as “some sort of practical joke” or accusing the officers of theft. I firmly believe this is a misunderstanding and want to bring some clarity to the situation.

First, I would like to commend the Fondren Library staff for being a front-runner in efforts to reduce crime in their building and on campus. They have had an active Crime Watch Program for several years. Members of the “Watch” were concerned for the students when they noticed a rise in the number of thefts occurring in their building. They approached the University Police Department and asked to work with us as a team to minimize this problem. With that cooperation, we began to identify personal property left unsecured and unattended. Rather than just put a note or card on the property to “flag” it to potential thieves, the property was taken to the Circulation Desk to be secured and later claimed by its owner. Working with the Fondren Library staff, we were able to accomplish several things that are more than educational — they are practical. Most importantly, the property is returned to its owner rather than ending up in the hands of a thief or some pawn shop. Secondly, we reduce the potential for theft by taking opportunity out of the equation.

Finally, it is not part of the University Police Department’s mission nor is it our intention to “play mommy” to anyone. Our hopes and efforts are invested in protecting the campus from crime. By utilizing an active theft reduction program in the library, we have planted a seed that hopefully will continue to grow across the rest of the campus, making a safer environment for all.

William F. Taylor

Rice University Chief of Police

Police Department

Write-in elimination

done for convienence#

To the editor:

After hearing comments around campus regarding the lack of a write-in option for the Homecoming Election, I would like to explain the background behind our elections process (“Homecoming oligarchy,” Oct. 26).

The Homecoming Election is not in the Student Association Constitution, so we have to play it by ear somewhat. Last year, we used paper ballots in college commons. Previous online elections had very low turnout so we continued with paper in an attempt to increase turnout. In retrospect, we see that this process excludes off-campus students and needs to be improved.

The nominees were selected from ideas that New Students Representatives gathered from students at their respective colleges. This process was more universal than in recent years, when executives and senators alone brainstormed nominees. We chose not to have a write-in option because paper ballots get higher voter turnout, but it is difficult to count write-ins efficiently during manual tabulation. I apologize if this decision disappointed students and ask for your feedback regarding future Homecoming Elections.

If you have comments or think the Homecoming Election should be put into legislation to achieve continuity and/or fairness, please come to the SA meeting on Nov. 5 at 10 p.m. in Farnsworth to voice your opinion.

I also want to emphasize that the General Election in the Spring will be held online using preferential voting with a write-in option, like usual. I look forward to your comments at our next meeting.

Laura Kelley

Brown senior

Student Association President

Healthcare column lacks facts, has bias#

To the editor:

This is in response to the opinion column about coffee on campus which also mentions that “universal health care is the death knell of individual privacy”(“Competitive healthcare necessary for quality,” Oct. 26).

Before disagreeing, let’s introduce a whole new dimension to the argument — facts!

The few things that were mentioned about the health care system thus become quickly challenged. Let’s put the high-minded European countries in the wild context of facts. If the author’s claims are correct, then why would the World Health Organization rank those countries’ systems higher than the 37th-ranked U.S. health care system? A quick glance at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Health Statistics 2007 provides the facts-based answer: Our system is inefficient, inequitable and lacking incentives to improve health outcomes. In terms of cost, the United States is a clear outlier, with health spending per capita double the OECD median.

As for technology, the United States adopts new medical technology before other nations do because we do not conduct a cost-benefit analysis for innovations. As a matter of fact, many nations employ more technology in their systems than we do, once their cost-benefit analysis proves positive. Also, according to factual evidence, Americans wait longer for general practitioners than the citizens of other OECD nations, although we do have shorter lines to see specialists and receive elective surgeries.

The most important fact is that cost, quality and access are three major interdependent factors in health care systems. For instance, costly systems, such as ours, limit both access to and quality of care. This occurs in many aspects: Care becomes unaffordable, appropriate care is at odds with costs and private hospitals’ revenues, etc. Similarly, if access is expanded, costs become easier to control as treatments such as tobacco cessation and preventive clinical services are provided widely. Quality also increases, as feasibility of virtually coordinated care (read: electronic records) becomes higher. An illustration of this interdependence is the American Cancer Society’s recent campaign for universal health care.

History shows that all developed nations started off with a predominantly private health care system such as ours and moved on to comprehensive systems, which allow improvement of quality, access and cost. Today, the United States compares unfavorably with most European nations in life expectancy, infant mortality, chronic disease management and medical error rates.

Framing the health care crisis as an issue of a political ideology and individual rights is an easy and costly mistake to make when discussing policy. The United States has much to learn from other nations’ experience with health care systems. Once we isolate the issue of health care reform from fervent political claptrap and focus on the performance of the system instead, we can bring about real change.

Igor Gorlach

Wiess senior

Leebron office hours ideal for discussion

To the editor:

I can think of many good reasons to participate in one or more of President Leebron’s open office hour sessions for students. The sessions are good opportunities to get to know someone of whom you may have only heard stories. They are also good for gaining clarity about university decisions you may not fully understand or perhaps with which you do not initially agree.

If you are passionate about something on campus, whether it’s diversity, environmental affairs or Rice’s impact on the surrounding community, these sessions are ideal occasions to learn of President Leebron’s beliefs on and ideas about the same topic.

The next office hour is this Tuesday from 3-4 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Allen Center in the president’s office, and more will follow next semester. I plan to be there, and I hope to see many more of you join me.

Alicia Burns-Wright

Jones senior

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