Eighty-Five Years of Editorial Freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Friday, April 4, 1975 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 Broughton realist's choice JN THE UPCOMING Third Ward City Council election, none of the three candidates boasts outstand- ing credentials, yet it is overwhelm- ingly important that incumbent Re- publican Robert Henry be defeated. Henry's record on council has been an extremely disappointing one, demonstrating little concern for hu- man services versus other budget priorities, students versus "long- term" residents, and needed innova- tion versus the status quo. Of the two challengers, Michael Broughton, the Democrat, stands the better, albeit slim, chance of unseat- ing Henry on Monday. Primarily for that reason he receives The Daily's endorsement over Human Rights Party member Everett Guy. Reaching such a decision required taking a tough, pragmatic stance be- cause in many respects Guy's expresL sed political positions are much more atuned to ours. However he has absolutely no chance of beating Henry in the conservative Third Ward. BUY CALLS FOR extensive re-or- dering of city hall priorities to benefit those who often have been denied by the current council. But he lacks any experience in the area of government. While never having held elective office, Broughton, as an accountant at U-M Dearborn, should bring a good deal of know-how to council on crucial budget matters. Still, in this race the overriding concern remains the political exter- mination of Henry - one of Mayor James Stephenson's right-hand men and prime supporters of his reaction- ary philosophy. Serving as mayor pro-tempore on council, Henry can be viewed as Stephenson's logical successor for the city's top elective office, but if he is defeated now, that possibility may well never become a reality - much to the relief of local progressive ele- ments. THUS IT IS WITH mixed blessings and a big dose of practicality that The Daily asks voters in the Third Ward to cast their ballots for Broughton. Council Th Carol Ernst: HRP Carol Ernst, 30, has worked as a bus driver and dis- patcher for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority during the past three and one half years. She has been active in AFSCME Local 693 on various committees, as a steward, and is now Chief Steward. Since 1968 she has worked on many Feminist projects and has been active in Ann Arbor's Gay Movement for two years. NOW THAT preferential voting has made vote split- ting a dead issue, the HRP mayoral candidate can campaign as a valid alternative to the outworn pol- itics of a Democrat or Republican. I want people to know I am serious about this campaign and will be trying to break the silence the two other parties main- tain on certain crucial issues. I would also like people to consider what it would mean to have an HRP mayor. Our present system of government, supported by two major parties, has brought us to near economic disast- er. No matter how liberal or conservative a Democrat or Republican is, they remain tied to this system and continue to use archaic system methods. It should be clear by now that this system cannot cure itself. It is dependent on continually expanding markets and making huge profits at the expense of powerless groups. We need different methods, ones based on concepts such as cooperative ownership, community control, worker control, and sensitivity to minority concerns. SOLUTIONS must begin at the local level. For in- stance, the police department must come under com- munity control and their budget, now over one-fourth of the total city budget, has to be cut. Rent control would be a first step in correcting the absurdly expen- sive and continually rising real estate market. The entire labor relations practices of city administration should be changed. Affirmative action in hiring and pro- motions would mean women and minorities in all the places they aren't now, like the administrative staff as well as on construction projects. The city should initiate low and moderate income cooperative housing projects and should encourage minority and coopera- tive businesses. These kinds of changes are not enough by them- selves even though they provide concrete benefits. Only when they are implemented as part of an on-going effort to radically change our economic, political, and cultural systems from profit-orientation to worker, con- sumer, and community orientation will human needs be really met in our society. Especially during economic crises, the interests of workers, minorities, and women historically are swept under the rug. A vote for a radical feminist blue collar unionist for mayor at this time would show that you want those interests to be heard when decisions that affect all of us are made. candidate e mayor's James Stephenson: Republican Republican incumbent James tent attorney, was first elected was elected Mayor in 1975. Stephenson, a local pa- to Council in 1968 and OVER THE past two years we have made the city safer and improved police-citizenship relations. It has been especially gratifying to observe the sharp drop in the rate of violent crimes in the city. The Anti-Rape Advisory Board and the expanded Community-Service Officer Program to handle non- criminal calls have done much to improve police-citizen relations. Morale in the Police Department has also improved measurably over the past two years. Neither of my opponents has demonstrated the skill or ability to lead the Police Department nor to have harmonious relations between the Department and City Hall. One of the worst messes in city government left by the inept Democratic-HRP coalition was public hous- ing. We had to rescue the Public Housing Commissiod) from the brink of bankruptcy. The Commission had failed to collect untold amounts of rent from the ten- ants and had allowed the projects to deteriorate badly. Today the Housing Commission is solvent and is able to provide the tenants with the services they need. WITH RISING unemployment, two digit inflatibn, and a serious energy crisis, the next two years will be very dificult for city government. A large part of our ef- forts over the past two years have been directed toward cleaning the mess in City Hall, eliminating in- efficiency and waste, and insuring the city didn't spend more than its income. We have made excellent pro- gress; however, the dismal general economic situation makes it imperative that these efforts be continued. This is no time to turn city government over to inex- perienced persons. A great deal of effort also has gone into reorganizing City Hall and improving efficiency. Our new city ad- ministrator, Sylvester Murray, has done a splendid job. We have also made great progress In increasing citizen input into major decision processes. The spend- ing of Federal Revenue Sharing funds is an excellent example. During the last days of the Democrati;-HRP coalitions control over the city, they met and divided up the Federal Revenue Sharing funds for political patron- age. You have paid for this waste through poorer City services. IN CONTRAST, our procedures for deciding on how to spend the Revenue Sharing funds have been open and under citizen control with city-wide hearings: Our pro- cedures have been set forth as a model for other cities to follow by the Federal government. We have also passed a broad comprehensive Cam- paign Reform Ordinance to better regulate elections and political fund raising. We were one of the naton's leaders in campaign reform at the local level. osi tions ace Al ~ ... Wheeler: Democrat Al Wheeler came to Ann Arbor thirty-five years ago. He recived his master's and Doctorate degrees in Public Health. He is now an Associate Professor of Microbiology in the Medical School. [N THE YEARS since I arived in Ann Arbor, I have ben deeply involved in working for social jus- tice tin Ann Arbor and Michigan. I served on the city's first Human Relations Commission, chaired the coun- ty's first Citizens' OEO Committee, and chaired the Planning Committee that developed the local Model Cities Program. On the state level, Governors Williams, Romney, and Milliken have appointed me to committees for juvenile delinquency, the aged, financing public schools, and educational reform. For four years, I was president of the NAACP in Michigan. I've seen Ann Arbor change into a fairer, more open-minded town than it used to be when prejudice against blacks, the poor, and students was sometimes blatant. I am proud to have played an active role in bringing about this improved climate - although I acknowledged the mil- lenium hasn't arrived. THE VOTERS will have before them next week charter amendments on rent control and day care. Each of these, in my judgment, represents the wrong way to reach desirable goals. They have been so poor- ly prepared, from a legal viewpoint, that even the drafters disagree from time to time on the, exact meaning or implications of various sections. I will not support incorporating such inadequate stateients in the City Charter. I favor a fair rental practices ordinance that would effectively cover a variety of abuses, including exces- sive rents. As mayor, I promise to introduce such an ordinance. I will use the $400,000 in CDRS monies for day care while planning for another official method for sustain- ed support. We need long-range planning for human srvice needs; therefore, I will support enactment of a long range plan for Human Services similar to the City's long range Capital Improvement Plan. I SUPPORT the voter registration charter amend- ment which would^ encourage and facilitate maximum citizen participation in the electoral process. The mayor of a city should be deeply committed to working toward the realization of the best hopes of the majority of the citizens. Time and again, the majority of Ann Arbor citizens have shown that they want to right things that are wrong and to eliminate unfairness. I would be proud to lead the city in that effort. Bronson in Fourth Ward EMOCRAT BILL BRONSON re- ceives the Daily's support in the Fourth Ward City Council race. Bron- son has steadily exhibited a much- needed exuberance and candor that we find sadly lacking in the present Republican - dominated council. Though some of his views are less than palatable, taken as a whole Bronson's positions far surpass those of his opponents, Republican Ronald Trowbridge and Judy Gibson of the HRP. English Professor Trowbridge's tendency to glaze over issues with intellectual rhetoric belies an under- lying loyalty to the Stephenson re- gime and a lack of progressive vision regarding city affairs. Likewise, Gib- son's noncommital and often unin- formed approach to city politics elim- inates her from serious consideration as a candidate. RONSON'S STRONG SUPPORT of the voter registration proposal is in keeping with our own. His ap- proval of the day care amendment reflects sensitivity to the needs of his constituency, if not a full under- standing of the present proposal's deficiencies. Furthermore, although the Daily's support of the rent control amend- ment clashes with Bronson's stance, he has promised to advocate viable rent control legislation should he land a council seat. The reasoning behind Trow- bridge's opposition to all three char- ter amendment proposals is both faulty and insidious. Speaking to the issue of voter registration, Trow- bridge conjurs up images of 600 HRP members lining up at the city clerk's office to receive all the deputy regis- trar appointments, and then register- ing only HRP supporters. Such bogus musings reflect either an unchecked willingness to exploit unfounded fears for purely political purposes or an unrivaled standard of ignorance, neither of which should be allowed a place on the Council floor. TTRP'S JUDY GIBSON tends to talk around most issues, without ever getting down to specifics. Her preoc- cupation with human suppression of the plant world and feminist social- ism, though certainly not in itself to her discredit, leads us to believe that she wouldi avoid issues immediate to her Fourth Ward constituency. Bronson, while not the ideal can- didate, would be a valuable addition to city government. He proposes ac- ceptable alternatives to misguided CDRS allocations. An advocate of in- novative revenue sources for the city, he is also willing to approach less attractive issues, including the city's dog problem, which his Republican opponent chooses to lightly dismiss. We feel Fourth Ward voters should act in their own and the city's best interests by voting for Bill Bronson April 7. Fifth Ward Gerald Bell: Republican Lauirrie Ross: HRP Douglas white: Democrat Nowhere to turn in Fif tl-i THOUGH THE THREE CANDI- DATES ;for City Council In. the Fifth Ward span the spectrum of political ideologies in the city, we see none of them as combining the com- petence, philosophy, and commitment necessary for an effective council member. The Human Rights Party's Laurrie Ross is concerned about the areas of human and welfare service needs, but she seems to lack the ad- ministrative and leadership qualities required for an effective legislator. She admits she is not running to win in the GOP stronghold Fifth, but to "educate the Fifth Ward about the issues and HRP." Moderate Doug White's frequent shading toward entrenched conser-' vative positions gives the lie to his Democratic colors. White himself has voiced his intention to regularly toe the GOP line on many city issues. IW7HITE HAS REFUSED to endorse a badly needed tightening of community control over the police denartment. He opposes a police re- view board, favoring instead a re- newed effort to monitor police ac- tivities through the city administra- tion. His opnosition to the five dollar mariinmla w btem h soone f "nossible. abuse by early teens" points up a misguided and untenable attitude. The Republican candidate, Ger- ald Bell, is a closed-mind reaction- ary who would prove to be one of the most dangerous additions to the city's ruling body in years. Asked how he would handle the administration of a proposed city income tax, Bell re- sponded: "Why tax the rich more than the poor?" This man is clearly not interested in the plight of the unprivileged segments in this city. Discussing public transportation in the city, Bell reasserted his commit- ment to power politics by flatly op- posing issuance of 'bus passes for minimum income families and those on relief. ,ELL'S CONTEMPTUOUS DISRE- GARD for the economically dis- advantaged and his blatant apoeal to the racial fears of the Fifth Ward electorate have brought the seamier side of politics to the fore in this race. We find his attitudes deplor- able and would view his election as a major setback to progressive inter- ests in Ann Arbor. Gerald H. Bell, 35, is married and hastwo children. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharsn- acy from Wayne State University and now works as a Registered Pharmacist and Medical Sales Representa- tive for Eli Lilly and Company. He served as Repub- lican Sth Ward Chairman for two years and president of the Ann Arbor Jaycees. ANN ARBOR has been "home" to me, my wife Judy, and our two children for the past seven years. We do not want to flee to the "suburbs", as many of our neighbors have. Now, I feel it is my responsibility to step forward and lead the residents of the Fifth Ward in helping our Mayor and City Council govern the city. It is my belief that the citizens of Ann Arbor have selected as their number one priority "fiscal respon- sibility in government". Basically, this means balanc- ing the budget and getting our city out of the red, while providing sound basic city services. Our current administration, under the leadership of Mayor Stephenson and the Republican majority on Council, has shown a great deal of financial respon- sibility. During the past year, through efficienthman- agement at City Hall and major spending cutbacks, over $700,000 was sliced from the $1.2 million general fund deficit. If this trend can be continued, the general fund deficit will be eliminated in 1975. A second major concern of all of us, and, by no means less important, is the quality and quantity of our basic city services: street and road conditions, snow and garbage removal, code enforcement, and fire and police protection. THE PRESENT Republican Administration has taken great strides in improving all the basic city services. The B and E Squad has reduced the number of breaking and enterings 10 per cent in the past year, while the Democrats and HRP have consistently v o t e d against the funding for this squad. Rather than just filling our streets' potholes with cold patch, as has Laurie Ross, 19, attended Pioneer and Community High Schools, graduating from the latter in 1973. She now works at the University Cellar bookstore, has been involved with a local young people's organization called "Youth, Liberation" for the past three years, and is currently active with a feminist theatre company in town. , T PRESENT, city government has accepted little or no responsibility for needed social services. City government is not sensitive to the needs of the people who must rely on these services. It funnels Community Development Revenue Sharing Funds into street repairs instead of human services such as day care and housing. At times like this, low and middle income people are threatened by rising prices, higher taxes, and lay- offs. When these families are forced to cut costs for basic necessities, the city has a t esponsibility to help make ends meet. A good example is day care services, a proposal for which will appear on the April ballot. It would com- mit 1.7 per cent of the city budget to existing non- profit day care facilities. But the significance of this issue is more far reaching than the issue of money. Quality day care facilities offer more than merely a place for young people to go while their parent(s) work. It is a step towards giving young people, as well as their parents, an alternative to the strictly confin- ing nuclear family. THE OTHER important issue on the ballot is rent control. The front group for landlords, Citizens for Good Housing, has tried to distort this issue through the use of huge sums of money in a scare campaign pre- pared by a professional advertising agency. To the homeowners of the Fifth Ward, whom CGH has told will face higher property taxes under rent cnntro1 I can only refer von to the single imnartial re- Douglas J. White is married and has three children. He received an MBA degree from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration. He is Director of Marketing Services for Sycor, Inc., a locally based manufacturer of data communications terminals. tePRIMARY reason that I am running for Council is to help arrest the steady .erosion in the quality of life in Ann Arbor. I feel strongly, as do so many others, that ineach succeeding year Ann Arbor becomes a less desirable place in which to live. I want to bring to the Council table 15 years of diver- sified experince in budgeting, financial analysis, organ- ization planning and manpower development. This type of expertise, tempered by an awareness of the needs and concerns of all of our citizens, will be critical in the next three years in insuring that the $7.3 million of Community Development Revenue Shar- ing funds are delivered with maximum effectiveness, without creating an accompanying City Hall admin- istrative bureaucracy. Jus tas every Ann Arbor household is having to practice sound personal finance during this present highly inflationary period, citizens should expect no less from their City government. It seems preposterous to learn that the City continues to insist on widening State Road at a cost of $1.2 million, when it has been' so obviously incapable this winter of keeping the pot- holes filled in the present street system. We also now have learned of an alarming consequence of our un- restrained growth in the 1960s in the City's intention to build by 1980 a new multi-million dollar City-County Building, even though the present City Hall is only 12 years old. GOOD PROGRESS has been made in eradicating rac- ial discrimination in City government, but as a citizen- ry, we have a long way to go in implementing the provisions of the Equal Rights Amendment. As a Council represntative, I would insist that an aggressive and effective devlopment program be de- signed to place women in administrative positions in City departments. In regard to our blighted downtown area, we must