Mayor
By KEITH B. RICHBURG
For the most part, the issues were
mundane-city finances, growth and
development, and, as -always, potholes.
The city's student population stayed
home from the polls en masse. And as a
result, Ann Arbor last April returned
Republican Mayor Louis Belcher and
his GOP council to city hall for at least
another two years.
Belcher won his first full two-year
term with a little more than 49 per cent
of the vote after campaigning on his
record for his first year in office. He
told voters that he fixed the potholes,
had worked to lock the city's borders by
securing boundary agreements with the
townships, and had established an
economic development corporation to
a biannual toss-up
restore fiscal stability and long-range
planning to the city.
MEANWHILE, BELCHER'S, Demo-
cratic opponent, Jamie Kenworthy,
crisscrossed the city on foot, telling
voters that under the Republicans, the
city had run into a budget deficit and
that decisions were being made
haphazardly at city hall.
But with the lack of any real student
issue, like the rent control and the
decriminalized pot referendums of a
decade ago, Kenworthy was unable to
generate as much interest in his cam-
paign as would a Pat Boone concert on
campus.
In fact, Kenworthy saw the only issue
that even remotely interested student
voters-the housing issue-preempted
from him by the entrance into the race
of an "uncandidate," the ficticious
Louise J. Fairperson. The Fairperson
candidacy was advanced by the Ann
Arbor Coalition for Better Housing to
focus attention on the city's housing
problem, and accused both candidates
of ignoring student housing concerns.
BUT EVEN WITH the presence of a
ficticious candidate in the April
mayor's race, in the three ring circus of
Ann Arbor politics, the 1979 elections
can be called nothing short of dull-at
least when compared to previous
mayoral bouts.
Ann Arbor's colorful political history{
dates back to the 1960s and reflects the
ideological schism here between
the conservative, middle-class Ann Ar-
bor residents on the one hand, and the
liberal, transient University population
on the other.
Through most of the last decade, city
council was split evenly between the
liberals-elected from the student-
heavy wards of the city-and the
Republicans. Council meetings were
nothing short of open warfare between
the two factions, and policy from city
hall often flip-flopped 180 degrees with
every election.
For example, the liberal majority
council of 1971 passed the nation's first
$5 fine for marijuana possession. One
year later, with the Republicans in con-
trol, the $5 pot law was repealed. And
one yearlater, thefine-dwas rein-
stituted, this time by referendum.
But the chain of events that thrust
See TOPSY-TURVY, Page 5
Doily Photc
MAYOR LOUIS BELCHER (right) and his 1979 Democratic rival, Jamie Ken-
worthy, debate in the Daily offices prior to last year's election. The final returns
showed Belcher with a rather large margin of victory-slightly more than a
percentage point-considering the city's record of topsy-turvy elections.
0
to
I Litc4gau fla
Section E
Thursday, September 6, 1979
'U
-city relations extensive but subtle
Plans often affect both sectors
By JUDY RAKOWSKY i
Every month eight people gather around a large table in
the Administration Building to determine University,
policy. Not so many blocks away, eleven legislators meet
weekly in City Hall to determine local policy. And rarely
the twain ever meet.
Indeed, it's ironic that the leaders of the University and
the city meet formally only once a year, for the guidelines
these two bodies establish usually affect both of the sectors.'
The city and University are partners in many ventures,
including housing, services, and town-wide events such as
the summer art fairs.
AN EVEN CLOSER bond is reflected in the dual roles of
many in the community who serve both the University and
the city in official capacities. This situation has historically
been noticeable among city politicians. At present, for in-
stance, five of the representatives on Council have at some
time attended the University.
And even though Mayor Louis Belcher graduated from
Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, he said he is
"probably closer to U-M than most grads," as evidenced by
a prominent picture of a wolverine on his office wall.
The city-University ties result largely from the economic
impact of such a large institution. Each of the more. than
35,000 students on campus spends on average an estimated
$30,000 annually on everything from beer to bed linens.
THE UNIVERSITY ALSO has a huge support staff in-
cluding faculty, administrators, and a multitude of other
employees. Most of the $280 million annual University
payroll spread among almost 25,000 employees finds its
way into the area economy.
But the hordes of people attracted to the University all
need a place to live. Living quarters close to campus are
especially important for students, since most are limited in
their transportation arrangements.
So a combination of factors has produced a housing crun-
ch - especially in the campus area. Along with abnormally
low vacancy rates, city tenants in many parts of the city
must face relatively high rents for often substandard quar-
ters. The University has declined to build any 'significant
student housing in more than a decade, and the city has a
limited team of code enforcement inspectors.
'SUCH ISSUES are among the many discussed by city and
University leaders when they meet for their once-a-year
formal conference at the University's majestic Inglis
House.
Although the University draws to the city many con-
sumers who patronize local merchants, there are disadvan-
tages to the location of such a large public institution in the
city. Extensive University land holdings are not subject to
local taxation, so the city must rely on a smaller 'property
. tax base than would be normally expected for a town the
size of Ann Arbor.
University land is also not subject to city zoning restric-
tions, but city and University planners meet about twice a
month to discuss their plans for land use and the possible ef-
fects of any proposed development.
STREETS, TRAFFIC, AND parking are other joint in-
terests and areas of cooperation. The University pays half
the paving costs of city streets which run directly through
central campus. Such streets include South University
Avenue and State and Maynard Streets in sections which
are surrounded by University buildings. The University
also pays for paving all North Campus streets as well as
those skirting University Hospital. But the effect of the
University traffic-wise reaches beyond the bounds of the
campuses. On football Saturdays, traffic signals are
specially coordinated throughout the city.
Such heavy traffic poses not only road problems but park-
ing problems as well. University parking areas generate
See MUTUAL, Page 2
Daily Photo
ONE EXAMPLE of University-city interaction each year is the April Hash Bash on the Diag. Although the participants,
many of whom are from out of town, bring business to the city's merchants, they often trash the campus area and form an
unintentional Diag blockade. The revelers celebrate the anniversay of the enactment of the city's relatively lenient mari-
juana laws.
Got a car? Forget
it-walking's easier
PRICES VAR Y GREA TL YFROM STORE TO STORE:
Students hit hard by food costs
By ANN PARRENT
If it seems that some Ann Arborites
are almost welcoming the fuel crisis,
it's probably because having a car in
Ann Arbor is such a trying experience.
The campus area appears designed to
thwart the driver at every turn. Anyone
who has tried to navigate the
multitudes of one-way streets, four-way
stops, and the myriad of pedestrians
wandering into oncoming traffic will
understand the appeal of being forced
to abandon cars as a form of transpor-
tation.
Not only is it almost impossible to get
around the campus area by car, but
finding a parking space may take
longer than it would have to walk the
tickets. A common joke around town
claims that a siren blaring through the
streets doesn't imply that there is an
emergency in town. Rather, the depar-
tment probably just received a tip that
a meter ran out, and they want to have
someone on the spot before another
quarter is put in.
A BICYCLE WILL get you anywhere
in town and it avoids the hassles of a
car. The city sidewalks are wide, many
curbs have ramps, and the bicycle has
almost as much mobility as the
pedestrian in squeezing through tight
spots. Also, a bike is relatively safe left
on campus if it is securely locked.
Winter and inclement weather pose a
problem, since bikes are not allowed in
By PATRICIA HAGEN
Campus
Corners
Anyone who has tried to navigate the multitude of
one-way streets, four-way stops, and the myriad of
pedestrians wandering into oncoming traffic will,
understand the appeal of being forced to abandon
the car as a form of transportation.
Dannon Yogurt.........
8 oz.
Orange Juice ..........
1/2 gal. (cheapest)
Bread 1 lb. 4 oz........
loaf (cheapest)'
Kellogg's Pop..........
Tarts
Jiff Peanut ...............
Butter 18 oz.
Campbell's ...............
Tomato Soup
Sugar 5 lbs................
(cheapest)
Eggs dozenp............
large (cheapest)
M ilk 1/2 gal ...............
(cheapest)
Eckrich Bologna ..........
(12 oz.)
Flour 5 lbs...........
(cheapest)
Taster's Choice.........
Coffee 4 oz.
Saltine Crackers.......
7 oz. (cheapest)
.1 -_ _.. . - -.
$ .50
1.19
.79
.90
1.60
.30
1.60*
.99
.99
1.69
1.00**
3.25
.55
Ralph's
Market
$ .52
1.25
Food Mart
S. Univ.
$ .47
1.39
Village
Corners
$ .47
1.29
White
Market
Kracrnr
$ .49
1.59
i
.79
.95
1.65
.35
1.79
1.19
1.09
1.69
1.19
3.59
.75
.79
.79
1.35
.26
1.39
.95
1.07
1.69
.97
2.75
.59
.76
.84
1.45
.27
1.37
.99
1.05
1.69
.95
2.70
.59
.79
.89
1.49-
.31
1.49
1.15
1.15
1.69
1.29
3.39
.63
Aru
Food is necessary for survival,
but the bpsiness- of staying alive
$ .49 can become very expensive,
especially when the groceries are
purchased near campus.
1.29 Even dormitory dwellers can
stomach only so much of the
gastronomic delights produced in
.50 University cafeterias. It's
necessary to have some real food,
or at least a junk food fix, tucted
.66 away for those times when the
munchies attack. And breakfast
people, the ones who get up more
1.21 than ten minutes before class, of-
ten demand coffee or juice to get
started.
.20 Apartment residents are on
their own when it comes to
cooking. Some like to cook
1.03 nutricioussmeals buttmost
1.03 students survive on whatever is
cheapest and quickest.
68 WHEN APARTMENT and
.68 house people do decide to cook,
they must have certain basic
.95 foodstuffs on hand-bologna,
bread, and beer, at least. Accor-
ding to one estimate, women
1.69 typically spend about $50 per
month for food while men spend
an average of $70 when living in
.69 an off-campus apartment.
Food, as expensive as it is,
must be purchased, but just
2.77 picking up a few things at the
store on the way back to the dorm
or apartment can reduce limited
.37 student dollars to petty change.
The shrewd student has several
options-starve, mooch off frien-
__ tic nr nn n+nn nrr nn hr
original distance. And if finding a space
isn't hard enough, the chances are that
the few vacancies are reserved for
University vehicles. Parking tickets
mount up quickly for drivers who
illegally park in such spots.
AND STATISTICS prove that Ann
Arbor police aren't stingy when it
comes to doling out tickets. City recor-
ds show that the police issue 27,000
parking tickets each month. Most such
citations cost $3 per violation if paid
within a week.
dorm rooms, but often the enforce-
ment of this rule is lax. An alter-
native is to bring the family clunker
bike, which can be left outside without
fear of damage from the weather.
And then there's always foot power.
Walking is the easiest way to get
around-the campus is compact and
can be crossed in less than 15 minutes.
Cars yield to pedestrians out of habit,
since most students don't bother to look
before they step into the street. All your
necessities, from food to books to enter-
I