le £ftdxi n aitly Eighty-Five Years of Editorial Freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan CONTINUED Council candidatepositions Thursday, April 3, 1975 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 One choice: Al Wheeler Th ird Ward "HE DAILY CHOOSES to strongly endorse Democrat Albert Wheeler as the first and only, choice in next Monday's city-wide election. We believe that Wheeler can and will move the city forward more ef- ficiently and effectively than either of his two opponents:t Human Rights Party (HRP) candidate Carol Ernst and Republican James Stephenson. Wheeler promises to be the mayor of all the people-unlike his Republi- can opponent who treats with blatant contempt anyone who is different from himself. As one person recently commented, and we would certainly tend to agree, "If I go into Wheeler's office I will see students, gays, low- income people and businesspersons alike on his appointments schedule." He is open and honest-if he doesn't agree with something you have to say, he'll tell you so to your face. He, in our opinion, exhibits the necessary forcefulness and leadership to cap- ably handle the job of mayor. IN HIS 35 YEARS as an Ann Arbor resident, Wheeler has held key leadership roles in enacting a fair- housing law (the first in Michigan), developing a human relations com- mission, developing and chairing Ann Arbor's Model Cities program and be- coming involved in the Office of Eco- nomic Opportunity. He has repeatedly come to the aid of students of every description as evident in the 1970 Black Action Movement (BAM) strike. We cannot support Carol Ernst for mayor. The abilities that she might have for moving this city ahead, un- fortunately get bogged down in rhe- toric and utopian concepts that bear little relevance to the cold facts of city government. An even worse alternative would be two more years of Jim Stephenson- the bulk of the city electorate never wanted him, and we have no more use for him now than we did two years ago. ' ) BE SURE, he initiated a cam- paign reform ordinance which he himself violated by not reporting his finances on time. He, along with his Republican cohorts on City Coun- cil, removed all but one voter regis- tration site on campus in a blatant political move to thwart potential stu- dent voters. In the summer of 1973, Stephenson, again in collusion with his dubious cohorts, repealed the $5 marijuana city ordinance only to have the city's voters slap his hand one year later by enacting a $5 marijuana charter amendment. He has made in- numerable undesirable appointments to so-called "citizens' committees"; the Community Development Revenue Sharing (CDRS) Citizens' Committee being a case in point. The chairman of that committee just happens to be a former Republican councilman and just happens to be Stephenson's present campaign manager. And the list goes on and on and on. STEPHENSON, the uncooperative, arrogant, political operator that he is,. does not command our respect, let alone an endorsement to become Ann Arbor's next mayor. Wheeler, while not being the "stick- to-your-guns" liberal that we had' first hoped, is nevertheless a step in the right direction. We, again, urge a strong vote for him on Monday. Michael Broughton: Democrat Everret Guy: HRP Robert Henry: Republican i i I An Ann Arbor resident since 1964, Mike Broughton graduated from the University of Michigan with a de- gree in Business Administration in 1968. He has worked in the Accounting Department of the University of Michigan since July of that year. He is presently super- visor of Accounting at the Dearborn campus. AM RUNNING for City Council because I feel our traditional belief that City Council should be a for- um for the conflicting interests and desires of our diverse citizenry is at stake. A council member should not be a self-righteous moralist who thinks he or she has all the answers. A council member should not feel he or she has a special privilege to compromise the interests of his or her constituents to the poor plan- ning of developers. The poorly planned and unwanted development is not inevitable, and it's time the Third Ward has a council member who will fight on council for your interests. We need to keep open space in Ann Arbor to recover and protect the charm of our city. We need to repair and repave old roads, not build new ones. We need to provide basic services for existing neighborhoods before we compound our problems by, servicing new developments. For too long, the same small group has run things in our town and made decisions (that affect us all) by themselves for you. This has resulted in unwanted commercial development and a street system which is falling apart. I AM PRIMARILY interested in city planning and development, city services, budgeting, and citizen-par- ticipation in local government. I want you to present your ideas to me and to the various appointed citizen's committees. These citizens' committees are vital to the city. They must be heard and their views should not be ignored. I stand ready to accept input from each resident of the 3rd Ward on how to make Ann Arbor a better place in which to live. My aim is to represent the Ward as a whole - not a mere segment of the Ward - to the best o4 my ability. My ability includes a strong background is budgeting. I have been business coordinator for several hundred federal, state, and private grants and contracts. I feel this experience will help me to communicate with you on the complexities of the city budget and help me to keep it balanced. Everett Guy, 27, in addition to his work in HRP, he hasvbeen active in day care work and ecological con- cerns. j AM the co-coordinator of Corntree Cooperative Day Care Center. Working with young people is every- one's responsibility, not just the parents. I feel that when day care centers can stop worrying about survival and deal with quality care, the needs of the community will be more satisfactorially met. There has been talk that the $560,000 figure (for the day care proposal) was too much money. But this is a minimal amount. A surplus, if there would ever be one, could go for better paid existing staff, more staff, very necessary hot lunches, and more equipment and materials. In the past, the City Council has used its resources on behalf of a few monied interests at the expense of the community. Then we lose. We lose to Briarwood, to the Packard-Platt Shopping Center, and to MacDonald's. City Council should reflect the ideas and feelings ofthe public, but at this time it does not even listen to the voice of the people. I, feel and HRP feels that the economic and political structures should be rearranged so that all citizens have an equal role in decision making and share equal- ly in the rewards of society. THEN WE COME to the most unequal issue in this' election, rent control. Rents in Ann Arbor are the second highest in the nation, and have been rising in the center city at a rate three times faster than the national average. Couple that with the fact that 90 per cent of the new construction is too expensive for two-thirds of the po- pulation, and we find many people discriminated against. The only way to stop the rising spiral of rent costs is rent control. Private enterprise by its very nature cannot correct these conditions. In summation, I would like to encourage people to start taking responsibility, even if its just going to the polls and marking your ballot. If you feel we need changes, get out there and vote. Incumbent Republican Robert Henry is a partner in the law firm of Conlin, O'lagan, Henry, Hurbis & Graf. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Houston and his law degree, cum laude, from Wayne State University. He is a member of the Wash- tenaw County Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. I LOOK forward to the next two years in Ann Arbor with a great sense of optimism. Mayor Stephenson, together with myself and the Republican majority on Council have a solid record of accomplishment of which I am very proud. With the federal government's new Community Development Revenue Sharing program now a reality, I believe that we can begin to make significant progress toward solving the perennial prob- lems which continue to plague us as a city. The key to progress in the coming years is financial responsibility. When I took office in 1973 it was hard for me to understand some of the things that had gone on and the financial mess that the City was in. The Democrat/HRP group had ignored the warning of the City's auditors and had placed us in a position where our credit and our bonding authority were in jeopardy. IN TWO SHORT years we have dramatically revers- ed those problems. We have repaid more than half of our general fund deficit, which means that we have put money back into our bond funds where it belongs. We have put an end to the practice of "borrowing" from these funds to finance genral operations. In other areas of the City's operations we have made great progress. We have taken positive steps to improve our relationships with our surrounding townships. We have reached some agreements with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority which I feel will improve the service which is offered to the public. In the area of basic services we have taken action to improve our sewage treatment plant and to upgrade our police department and the results are beginning to show in lower crime statistics. THERE ARE MANY, many other areas where we have made progress, such as in safety sidewalks, traf- fic control and the upgrading of road construction stan- dards. However, the keys to continued progress are experienced leadership and financial stability. If we don't have these, then much of what has been ac- complished will be lost. Liz Taylor in First Ward DEMOCRAT LIZ TAYLOR is the Daily's choice in the First Ward City Council election. Taylor's ex- perience, aggressiveness, and' inde- pendence will make her a valuable contribution to city government if elected. The decision to endorse Taylor was not an easy one. Her Human Rights Party (HRP) opponent, Da- vid Goodman, is also qualified and capable. Goodman's experience in city affairs over the last several years, which has included spearhead- ing the drive to keep ERIM out of the city and working for more fed- eral revenue sharing funds, gives him a good background for serving the public. On the balance, however, we be- lieve Taylor will serve the constitu- ency more effectively. Repeatedly Taylor has demonstrated her inde- pendence and her immunity to in- timidation, no matter how unpopular her stand may be. Rent control is a case in point. We disagree with Taylor's position on this Issue, as does Goodman. And Goodman has lashed out at Taylor with increasing fury on this matter. Yet Taylor has held firm. Such firm- ness will be equally valuable in bat- tling the Republicans when the time comes. JERS IS A RECORD of integrity and consistency, and we take her at her word that, although she op- poses the charter atnendments, she will, if elected, work aggressively ti relieve the unfair economic burden, now facing city renters and working parents of young children. Another point in Taylor's favor i her expertise in budgetary matters. Her experience with fiscal affair, on the county level will aid her witl the pressing financial problems which plague the city. Certainly she alone won't be able to rectify the myriad of city woes by herself, but she does have an edge in economics over Goodman. This is not to demean Goodman. It's just that he doesn't have quite the legacy of ability we find so attractive in Liz Taylor. Again and Again the Democrat has shown her ability to get things done. As for Republican Karen Graf, there is no reason to view her more seriously than she views her com- mitment to and concern for first ward voters. The wife of GOP council member Bob Henry's law partner and a leading admirer of Jim Steph, enson, Graf has kept her campaign- ing to, and her Victorian policy stances reflect a level of enlightment generally considered dated since the turn of the century. THE COMPOSITE PORTRAIT of ability, independence, and know- ledge makes her an extremely attrac- tive candidate. Her face, while not new in county affairs, will bring fresh insight to a beleaguered City Council. S 9 5 a s i I Fourth Ward Bill Bronson: Democrat Judy Gibson: HRP Ron Tro wbridge: Republican Edge to Jones in Second IN HER PAST TWO years on City Council, Carol Jones (D-Second Ward) has demonstrated a dedication to the job, a keen understanding of the issues and most importantly has voted in a manner consistent with the wishes of her liberal constituency. For these reasons, the Daily staff has decided to support Jones in her bid for re-election. As in the case of the First Ward, it was a difficult de- cision. The Human Rights Party (HRP) candidate Frank Shoichet would also be a hardworking, able councilperson. However, Shoichet's record was seriously besmirched when he. nrovided thp imnativ hpind -s- ly with the city's other two parties. ALSO ON THE BALLOT next Mon- day is Republican Robert Mc- Donough. While this candidate es- pouses some surprisingly liberal posi- tions for a member of the GOP, he fully backs Mayor James Stephenson in his re-election bid. That is an untenable stance and reason enough to discount McDonough. Although Shoichet's political back- ground is quite solid and he has demonstrated an ability to push for needed reforms, at least one of his major efforts has gone awry. He was the mrinnon aihr tnn,,, r- a ~ i i Bill Bronson is 48 years old and has lived in Ann Arbor since 1946. An Activities Therapist in the Neuro- psychiatric Institute at the University Hospital, he has been active in local youth programs, the University Choral Union, and the local Democratic Party. WHO IS BEING helped and who is being hurt by the actions of the present Council majority? I have often asked myself this question during the campaign. My conclusion has been that most people have been hurt. At a time when one worker in eight (12.5 per cent) in Washtenaw Court is unemployed there is an increas- ed need for community services - health clinics, child care centers, recreation programs, and public trans- portation. Since the last city election, the Republican majority has laid off many badly needed city work- ers, cut vital city services and, following the recom- mendations of the Colburn Committee, has literally rob- bed low and middle income taxpayers of their fair share of Community Revenue Sharing (CDRS) funds. I strongly believe that money should be controlled by the people being served by these programs. The Stephenson administration has discouraged broad- ly based citizen participation in Ann Arbor's govern- ment. Appointments to boards, commissions and ad- visory groups are now being made on a narrow, parti- san basis. The Republican majority on Council has used every legal method possible to disfranchise eligible cit- izens (mostly students) from registering to vote. I SUPPORT the proposed Charter Amendment on Day Care. I believe that it is important that day care facil- ities be established on a permanent basis. I also support the proposed Charter Amendment on Door-to-Door Voter Registration. We should encourage and help all citizens to register to vote. T - ..- E...,. '. .- - --_ -- . - Judy Gibson, 24, of 1018 Church Street, is the Human Rights candidate for City Council in the Fourth Ward. She has been an anti-war activist, a Drug Help volun- teer for the past two years, and the co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Party City Committee. She is pre- sently helping to organize a Women's Community Cen- ter and a new Women's Bookstore, and is active in Lesbian's Opening. She is also an astrologer. WHAT STRENGTHENED my interest and dedication to HRP is the state of city government. When I found out there was an HRP City Committee that worked with Councilperson Kozachenke, I joined that group in September. I gladly accepted the responsibil- ity of attending each Council meeting, researching agenda items, responding to community desires by helping to draft ordinances and resolutions. Through that process, I have come to learn more about every facet of Ann Arbor: government, trade unions, 'day care centers, housing conditions, and much more. Through rent control, the 55 per cent of Ann Ar- bor's population who are tenants can challenge the abusive practices of big landlords and management companies. According to the U.S. Census of 1970, the Ann Arbor metropolitan area has the second highest rents in the nation, and recently revealed figures in- dicate that the city of Ann Arbor has even higher rents. Through passage of the day-care proposal, lower-in- come women will have an improved chance at ob- taining jobs. Republican Ron Trowbridge holds a Ph.D. in English from the University. He is currently an Associate Pro- fessor of English at Eastern Michigan and belongs to a number of academic organizations. HAVE walked personally to 4,500 Fourth Ward homes in the past 50 days - if not a world's record, then awfully near it. I have done so to introduce myself, to give myphone number to all and urge them to call me anytime if I am elected and to learn of prob- lems immediate to the citizens that I might as council- man try to solve. I write now to underscore what I have learned firsthand to be the issues of this city. To ask me whether I favor natural areas over de- veloped ones is like asking Audobon if he likes birds or Jacques Cousteau, whales. While I would prefer that areas now natural remain forever so, growth is some- times necessary, in which case it must be stringently controlled. Ithave of course consistently opposed the ex- pansion of the airport; and consistent with my con- cerns for natural beauty, I approve of the recent allo- cation of CDRS funds for aesthetic historic preserva- tion, which the Dems, acting like Babbitts, do not. Their opposition to an upkeep of historic beauty is a matter of record. THE REPUBLICAN COUNCIL, to widespread citizen satisfaction, recently alloted $1,250,000 toward road repair. On the other hand, the Dems on three separate occasions this past year, rejected proposals to repair roads. I personally consider tax assessment as the most widepread issue disturbing the people of Ann Arbor. The one thing above all else I mean to work for one Council is living within our means, balancing the bud- get - and therefore not demanding more of your money, over which, with respect to property tax as- sessments, you have no control. Generosity is a virtue, but not necessarily so when it's with other people's money - yours. As Republicans can never repeat too often, the current Republican Council has reduced by THE TWO PROPOSALS - are rather tools that willingness of the people fight for their rights. - rent control and day care are only as strong as the to organize around and to By allowing a concentration of power to vest in a few, the job does not get done. Our pollution prob- a 1 ,f --