e Mitriigan Batty Eighty-Five Years of Editorial Freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Thursday, March 27, 1975 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 arkley: Twdry politicos LIKE AN IMPROBABLE comedy, the bizarre saga of the Markely Council officers who voted themselves a salary continues. Central Student Judiciary (CSJ) added the newest chapter to the joke Tuesday night by ruling the monies the dorm execu- tives awarded themselves invalid and must be returned. The whole affair started last month when the Council allocated $475 to its officers at a meeting without a quor- um. The money was subsequently dis- bursed immediately. Claiming, as CSJ affirmed, that the procedure violated procedure, a Markley resident brought suit with CSJ seeking a reversal of the allocation. At first Markley officers denied anything was amiss with the arrange- ment, but just to be on the safe side, they again voted one week later to re- confirm the action. But the clowns bungled it again. Again lacking a quorum, they voted 25-4 in favor of theallocation, sixteen of the votes cast were proxies. IS WOULD HAVE satisfied pro- cedure, except that even the proxies were botched. The challenged proxies, CSJ ruled, lacked the neces- sary two signatures to make them valid. Subsequently CSJ ruled that if the salaries are properly ratified by April 5 they will be legal. If Council fails to do so by that date, the money will have to be returned, officers will be fined$50, and the Council itself will be levied $250. It could be argued, as we do, that this action represents personal en- richment on the part of the Markley officers at the hands of the residents. In the past Markley has always been able to find leaders for its Council without paying for them. The money we feel, could be better spent on resi- dents or activities than officers. $475 buys a lot of beer, if nothing else. But the rights to sovereignty must be respected. If Markley dwellers be- lieve this is just, it is their money. But we wonder from the 29 votes cast, how hard they tried to drum up in- terest in the issue, and how hard they worked at encouraging attendance at a teeting where they voted salaries. All in all, the appearances are sleazy: exemplary of all the reasons people distrust public officialsbig or small. TPHE CLAIM THAT the money was just a token consideration is be- lied by the comments Council vice- president Bill Schurgin made after the CSJ decision: "There are things we had planned to do for the students before the end of the year and right now I'm so disgusted that they won't have my help doing it." The sour- grapes come through clearly. It looks like it's not the principle of the thing to Bill Schurgin, but the money. DAY CARE Editor's Note: The Editorial Page ori- ginally planned to run side-by-side, pro- con statements on the day ' charter amendment proposal which will appear on the ballot in April. On the recommendation of the Repub- lican Party Headquarters, we attempted to contact two well-known Republicans for an anti-day care statement. One re- fused to write a short essay stating the case against the day care proposal; the other was unavailable. A further call to party headquarters was also unsuccess- ful. By CAROL ERNST and DAVID GOODMAN AS THE ECONOMIC crisis worsens, the situation looks bleaker for day care centers and the people who rely on their services. In Ann Arbor the 1000 day care spaces available cannot meet the needs of the 3400 young people under six whose mothers work outside the home. Other women who would like to work can't because they cannot get day care. These facts indicate that there simply aren't enough day care spaces. Many existing centers just barely sur- vive by the sacrifices of lowering staff salaries and raising tuition beyond the means of low income people. Far from guaranteeing quality, low-cost day care price for frc the budget. By -passing the city charter amend- ment on day care funding, the people of Ann Arbor can change the city budget priorities. The amendment requires that 1.7 per cent of city revenues be spent on day services. HRP originally estimat- ed this would be $314,000; the figure has been revised to $564,000. The amendment allows the voters to guarantee a min- imum level of day care funding with- out additional taxes, and without cutting other departmental budgets or causing layoffs of city workers. The original $314,000 becomes available since next year the city will spend that much less on debt reduction. The additional $251,- 000 can be provided from Community Development Revenue Sharing monies. SOME POLITICIANS have protested that the amendment would make the budget inflexible. HRP believes the peo- ple of Ann Arbor have the right to de- termine the priorities of our city budget, and the responsibility to insist that our government respond to vital hunan needs. To insure against abuse and misdirec- tion, the amendment contains three broad directives' about the use of the funding. It states that (1) funding must go for direct provision of day care _,oedom services, not to administrative bureau- cracy; (2) groups who receive money for day care services must be non- profitmaking; (3) the money shall be used to insure that the needs of low- income people are met. Within these directives, the city may set guidelines, such as funding only quality, licensed centers, and may determine who gets how much money to provide what ser- vices. The amendment is not a total pro- gram which will solve all Ann Arbor's day care problems. Day care problems can not be eliminated within a society which does not regard women and young people as important and equal members of society, and which treats all people only as factors of production to be ex- ploited. The charter amendment does not. even represent everything the, city could do right now about day care; it was never intended to. But it does guarantee that the city provide a min- imum amount of funding for day care services each year. It represents an op- portunity .for the voters to change the priorities of the city to provide for this vital human need. Carol Ernst is the HRP mayoral candidate; David Goodman is run- ning in the First Ward. for all young people, our community doesn't even provide adequate services to those who need them most. City funding for day care has always been inadequate - some years it's been more inadequate than others. From an all-time high of $200,000 (enough, for about 100 spaces) this year funds were cut to almost nothing. Day care funding clearly has not been a priority of the politicians and administrators who write Observations from a besieged capital Raw Carrots fails the test IT IS WITH a touch of nostalgia and quite a bit of relief that we see the 'raw carrots' (OAIS) test will no longer be foisted on the University's incoming innocents. For over twelve years the exam, a haphazard smorg- asbord of inane and largely insulting questions administered during fresh- man orientation, has served as one of the primary predictors of student mo- tivation, personality, career aptitude, and chance of success. More often than not, the test was buried in the middle of a harried or- ientation schedule. Little did its un- assuming and often hungover victims realize that within two days, their en- tire lives would be laid out before their counselors in OAIS percentiles. THE OAIS BATTERY prided itself in leaving no stone unturned, no latent proclivity unexposed, no clos- eted skeleton unprobed, from creativ- ity potential right down to masculine orientation. Certain aspects of the carrots' de- sign were functionally valid without being morally bankrupt. But taken as TODAY'S STAFF: News: Barb Cornell, Lois Josimovich, Cathy Reutter, Sara Rimer, J e f f Ristine, Jeff Sorensen, Jim Tobin Editorial Page: Paul Haskins, Debra Hurwitz, Mara Letica, Greg Rest, Stephen Selbst Arts Page: David Weinberg Photo Technician: Karen Kasmauski a whole, the OAIS life slots spoke of a supreme arrogance on the part of its creator, Benno Fricke, and the University counselling establishment that so religiously took stock in its predictions at the total expense of its students. To make matters worse, many of the most controversial of the raw carrots categories could be used by academic counselors to pershape opinions of their student charges while the students charges thehselves were left totally in the dark. Fricke himself defended limited ac- cess to OAIS results, claiming, "Most of the test can be used to help the University make better decisions about the students, rather than the student making specific decisions about himself." -HE RAW CARROTS test has, for the past twelve years, symbolized all that is impersonal, arbitrary, and alienating about the University's re- lationship with its students. We, are pleased to see its belated departure from atop the long list of unpleasantries that students are sub- jected to during their enrollment here. An end to OAIS may not repre- sent the disassembly of the automat- ed university, but we welcome it any way, if only because it might delay for a moment the onset of computer shock which awaits each future stu- dent. By WILLIAM GOODFELLOW EXCEPT FOR THE rockets falling upon the downtown section of the city, one could be in Phnom Penh and not even know a war was going on. The war is not far awiv. To the north, west and south, the rebel forces - fighting under the banner of the provisional government-in-exile (GRUNK) - are les than six miles away; to the easttacross the Mekong, they are only three miles away, and their 107 mm rockets have a range of over five miles. Most military experts here are amazed at the restraint shown in the rocket attacks. T h e GRUNK could, presumably, launch hundreds of rockets each "On the city's busy sidewalks, young school children see vio- let-colored m il it a r y fuel in quart wine bot- tles for fifty cents, as if it were lemonade." night, instead they usually fa e fewer than ten. Clearly they are not trying to destroy the city or decimate the population - 140 people have been killed byrockets so far this year -- but rather to in- tensify the war-weariness of the two million people crowded around Phnom Penh. GRUNK HAS even distributed leaflets warning of imminent rocket attacks, telling residents to flee the city and join t h e GRUNK. The rockets are certainly ef- fective, spreading terror even among veteran wartcorrespond- ents. One journalist remarked to me, "I feel a hell-of-a-lot safer out on the front. At least there you know where the fire is com- ing from, while here in town you never know where or when one of those rockets is going to come crashing in." Recently more of the rockets have been coming at nignt, which decreases the likelilood of heavy casualties, but probab- ly increases the psychol>gical impact. After the 9 p.m. curfew the city is extremely quiet, so that the whistle and crash of en incoming rocket can be heard for miles around. In a sense, the U.S. military aid program in Cambodia is quite evenhanded. As the Sen- ate Foreign Relations Commit- tee reported last year, "T> a significant degree, the United States is supplying both sides of the Cambodian conflict." THE OTHER DAY, a U.S. Military Attache remarsed how "there have been enough M-16 automatic rifles issued by the U.S. in Cambodia to outfit every one of Lon Nol's troops plus every soldier fighting on t h e other side." And yet troops are always complaining about a shortage of weapons. A trip to Phnom Penh's Cen- tral Market, and private con- versations with soldiers, quick- ly explains this - the ioldiers, and their officers, are selling their equipment to get money enough to eat. A front-line sold- ier's salary is only seven do- lars a month, even aerge.-nt makes only 12 dollars a month. The Central Market is Phnom Penh's answer to our Navy Sur- plus stores - except the items are not surplus, but f:esh goods from the U.S. Military Ass st- ance Program. Last week, I visited the mar- ket to get outfitted for a trip to the front. The stalls selling military supplies are rec:gaiz- able because they have no goods on display, just a young woman sitting on an upturned box. THROUGH AN interpreter, re- quests were made for a com- plete field outfit. The Chinese woman running the stall dis- patched a number of young children in all directions. With- in minutes, they reappeared with the requested goods, at bargain-basement prices. A pair of U.S..issue jungle boots for $6, a green army shirt and matching pants for $1.50, four pairs of army socks for $2, and, most useful of all, a flack jacket for $10. Other goodies included a com- pass ,for $2 and a canteen for 75c, all U.S.-issue. And for big spenders, a M-16 automatic rifle can be p u r- chased for about $50 and .45 caliber pistol for $90. The U.S. Military Assistance Program provides all the pe- troleum products used in Cani- bodia. Each day, C-130 c a r g o planes, "borrowed" from the U.S. Air Force, fly roughly 300 tons of fuel into Phnom Pe:7h from Thailand. Most of this fuel is designated for military use. CIVILIAN FUEL is rationed - only about half a gallon per vehicle each week. But long term residents have not nniced any decrease in motor traffic on Phnom Penh's streets. Violet dye is added to the military fuel so authorities can easily spot illegal sales. This gesture turns out to be quite futile. On the city's busy side- walks, youngrschoolchildren sell violet-colored military fuel in quart wine bottles for fifty cents, as if it were lemonade Evidently some of the fuel never gets the four miles from the airport to downtown Phnom Penh. There are reports of en- tire tank trucks disappearing on the airport road. "I'm sorry, but you cannot have an interview with Marshal Lon Nol," said the man from the government broadasting company. "You see, he is very sad these days and is seeir g no one." FOR THE FIRST time in this five year old war, senior U.S. diplomats in Phnom Penh a r e talking about a "conditional sur- render." A favorite term is "Laos-type solution," referring to the so-far successful co iii- tion government in Laos. There are a number of rea- sons why a "Laos-type solution'" will not work in Cambodia, but the most important is that the "other side," the GRUNK, ab- solutely refuses to negotiate. And quite understandably. Lon Non, Marshal Lon Nol's younger brother told me, "Why should the other side negotiate row, when they think they are win- ning on the battle field?" Prince Norodom Sihanouk, formrer Cambodian Head of State and, now head of GRUNK, recently wrote President Ford: "We are not struggling to gain ministe.- ial positions in Phnom Penn, or for the interests of any Com- munist power ... we will never accept to negotiate with the Phnom Penh traitors." WITH THE Meking River, Phnom Penh's last surface sup- ply route, closed to all shippng, the city is now fully dependent on a huge airlift fir rice, fuel and ammunition. Phnom Penh's airport is nbout four miles west of the city. Each day, it is hit with at least 50 rounds of Chinese-made 107 mm rockets and captured U.S. 105 mm artillary. Passengers arriving on the increii ly rare commercial flights, after making a nose dive into the air- port, are rushed into a huge fortified bunker, where t h e formalities of immigration are carried out. The airport term- inal is completed deserttd, and flight crews are outfitted wit' flack jackets and helmets. Still, the airport is open, with ,a plane landing or taking off :in average of once every eigI~t minutes during the day. To close the airport, GRUNK would ha.e to move a few mites closer. If the airport does clc e, the end can only be a month cr two away, at most. It would be quite impossible to supply a city the size of Phnom Penh by air- drop without a full commi-ment by the U.S. Air Force. The vast- ly superior fire power of Lon Nol's forces and the top orwcr- ity given the airpxAt's defensa, make it unlikely that the air- port could be comple-ely closed. ONE PLACE to take the pulse of Phnom Penh is beside t h e pool at the gracious old Hotel le !Phnom, gathe:'n; place of the city's foreign press corps. Three weeks ago the most po- pular topic of conversation was whether or not he U.S. Con- gress was going to vote the S222 million in supplemental military air for Cambodia. Now all that doesn't seem to matter. This week, over i'zed tea and vodka-tonick(still made wish im- ported Russian codka). m o s t conversation concerns evacua- tion plans. Third country n a - tionals are wondering whether the U.S. Embassy will leave them behind, and th-- New York Times' newcore ;pondent is concerned that he will have to leaverhis seven suitcases be- hind. Another sure sign tnat the end is near is that Phnom Penh's prostitutes are no longer thik- ing of Americans as just good customers. Rathe- they a r e pleading with anyone holding an American passport to marry them so they can be evacuated from the city. William Goodfellow is di- rector of research at the Indochina Resource Center in Washington, D.C. Copy- right Pacific News Service, 1975. "If the airport does close, the end can only be a month or two away, at most. It would be quite possible to supply a city the size of Phnom Penh by airdrop without a full commitment by the U.S. Air Force." ;}.u ae :...:: ... .:...:v-""".:;-r "rv.,::.,...., ..... :. .. .: 4:rr: a ..... na. .. Letters to The response To The Daily: DOUG KIM presented to my office the petition and letter concerning the Housing lottery which appeared in the Micni an Daily, on March 19, 1975. I met with Mr. Kim on March 17 and responded to the three questions raised by Mr. Kim as follows: 1. The decision to utilize a lot- tery was not made until the end of February. A lottery was not considered until it became apparent that in many of our halls the reapplication prncess would need to terminate at the first step when students reapply for their own rooms. Ra'her than have the chaos which would result when eligibihwv for residence halls would be based on whether or not students wish- ed to return their own room a clear consensus developed that a lottery of all residents w h o wished to reapply was the pre- ferred approach. The Michigan Daily coverage of the dihcns- sions that led to this consensus ment declines in upper level and graduate programs may also occur. As explaine I in Housing literature most of the students on the Ann Arbor Cam- pus are housed in private facili- ties. Only Freshpersons are guaranteed space in University owned and operated housing. 3. Many of the factors which appear to cause the increased demand for residence halls are new and could not be predicted earlier with any certaintv. The construction of additional stu- dent housing has been detered for several reasons. Stabl. en- rollment, accelerated construc- tion costs, unavailability Gf low interest loans, and residence halls rates which no longer yied monies for additional ,tudent housing are the reasons why additional student housing has not been built. Whether changes in several or all of these deter- ants to additional student hous- ing will occur is still uncertain. Mr. Kim met with the Regents on March 20, 1975. This letter will hopefully respnid to his concerns. If this letter o, other ment of the University of Mich- igan. The attitude of that de- partment is no longer just an- noying, but has become infur- iating. In the latest incident, I find it completely unaccept- able that the University of Mich- igan Lacrosse Club, of wnich I am a member, has had to change their regular se ison schedule (for which printed schedules had already been made) because the football team needed, for spring practice, the field on which we were to play. I am aware of the arguments put forth in support of the em- phasis on football. If you want a winner, everybody must be willing to make sacrifices. And of course, if a lacrosse game could draw 100,00 people, we'd get priority too. But what is being missed here is the real reason for collegiate athletics. It doesn't exist for the fans to watch, nor does it exist to pro- vide athletes for the pros, nor does it exist to make money; it doesn't even exist to win. Athletics exist for the athletes; for the individual benefhts to Daily majority of Athletic Department attention despite the fact tnat many more people ace engaged in other intercollegiate acid in- tramural sports. In REALITY, I don't begrudge football its importance, except where it restricts the opportun- ity of others to engage in the college athletic program. Un- fortunately, at the University of Michigan, every other :ports program suffers due to the em- phasis on football. The Ath- letic Department likes to brag about the great Universy of Michigan athletic tradidion. In actuality, this tradition is steep- ed in just a few sports. YOU MIGHT say that Cornell doesn't have excellence in sports, however; that :t doesn't win national chamionahips. This would be inaccurate. In the last eight years, Cornell teams have won 4 natianal championships (2 in hockey, 1 each in lacrosse and crew), which, I believe, is 4 more than the University of Micigan. There is another serious prob- athletic experience that way. From watching a football game at Cornell one gets a feeling of closeness to the team -- a feeling that this is a team of your peers. At Michigan this is lacking; I feel as if I am watching the pros plat. You might say that this is good since the pros play better football, but even this argument is fal- lacious. The "pro" game at Michigan lacks two main ad- vantages or real pro football. The first is that Michigan is an inferior pro team. Since the pro teams are made un of only the "best of the best" college players, the pro game is that much better. Secondly, w i " h the pros there is a certain per- manence. You can watch and identify with a player or play- ers of a certain team for years. At Michigan, no aanmer does a player become re:zgiab'e as a separate entitly before he graduates. THE PROBLEMS I have in- dicated are not ri re of the University of Michigan alone; they are problems basic to col- I I I ~ ~ ~