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The move to impeach: A priorities crisis
By DAVID SANDWEISS
THE QUESTION facing us is no
Slonger whether the President
should be impeached. The relevant
issues have been subject to in-
tense debate throughout the fac-
tories, bars, campuses and Con-
gress of America.
This campus has demonstrated,
albeit reservedly, its support for
the impeachment movement. It is
impeachment as a movemnent, how-
ever, that confronts us with addi-
tional questions which, when pon-
dered carefully, would heap each
of us to determine exa tly what it
is that we're aiminig for as well as
the means most effective for the
attainment of that aim.
The National Campaign to Im-
peach the President sponsored a
convention in Chicago for all iocal
impeachment campaigns. While
there was much discussJo'i concern-
ing tactics and strategy, ideol-
ogy behind impeachment was ar-
gued most strongly. The national
impeachment slogan of "Impeach
Nixon" was ultimately agreed upon
(a profound achievement) over oth-
ers due to its greater appeal to the
general populace of America. The
second highest vote-ge'ter was "Im-
peach Nixon - New and Free Elec-
tions" which would have repre-
3ented an immeaseli significant
deviation from the former. As a
six word summadon of the entire
impeachment ideology, it w o u l d
have served the purpise not only
>f expressing that Ford in fact
does not have a better idea, but
also of negating th2 1972 Presiden-
:ial election - a testimonial to
:he world that Ni ion is an Amer-
ican mistake. The propostion of
iew elections is highly attractive,
5ut it may, in nl practicality, be
asking too much rti the non-ex-
:re'mist masses of the nation to
Support it. Being a n t i -Constitu-
jonal, to merely consider the no-
tion of new elections before No-
vember of 1976 would propagate
another proverbial Constitutional
Crisis.
BEWARE OF THE Constitutional
Crisis! When faced with indict-
ment for numerous corruptive acti-
vities, 'our eloquent 'and articulte
preacher of law and order, Spiro
r. Agnew, immediately declared a
Constitutional crisis whereupon his
resignation and plea of "nolo con-
tendre" became recognized as acts
f nobility and generosity. When
White House tapes and documents
were subpoenaed, Nixon, realizing
:hat he had a public opinion hot
potato on his hands, didn't hesitate
.o proclaim that a Constitutional
-risis had arisen prior to "surrend-
ering" one incoherent and one non-
-xistent tape. That this miracle-
working defense mechanism is
available to President and Vice-
Presidents is apalling. If naught
-Ise, we must recognize that the
'onstitution is inadequate in deal-
ng with governmental miscnief.
Nixon makes repeated assertions
:hat he win't resign. Suppose the
secret sealed evidence procured
)y the Watergate grand jury impli-
,ates Nixon in crimes he has ail
along denied? Suppose a key wit-
iess, granted immunity by the
special prosecutor, testifies that
Nixon has known all about every-
thing right from the start? Faced
with certain impeachment and like-
ly conviction, could he not then re-
ict accordingly by declaring a
Constitutional crisis, working out
a deal with the Justice Depart-
mnent, and then resigning for the
sake of the nation? Considering
that the Agnew case, one of mo-
mentous -symbolism, has receded
into oblivion, Nixon's resignation
would be disastrous. He must not
be allowe to escape so easily. The
Constitutional crisis as an emer-
gency exit for guilty government
officials must be sealed closed.
WHAT, THEN, TO DO? To urge
and pray for Nixon's resignation is
not the answer. Allowing the de-
cadence and treachery of the Nix-
on administration to be forgotten
would be tragic. To urge Vice-Pre-
sident Ford to invoke the "Mutiny
Clause" of the 25th amendment
would be to urge a fantasy. The
only means available for dealing
with the prevailing degenerate
character of our government short
of full scale, mass revolution, is
impeachment. Impeachment in this
case would not be limited to put-
ting the President on trial It is
not merely a sign of the tines, or
some other facile assessment that
people make to justify it,. It is not
simply a judicial exercise - the
impeachment of Richard Nixon is
an entire political movement. It
is as yet an unwritten chapter in
the Greening of America, a neces.
sary element of the subdued, non-
violent transformation in wh;ch we
are all partaking: In showing our
support for impeachment, we can
make it an immensely powerful
tool not only for correcting govern-
mental evil but also for shaping our
future into something mote suit-
able to all of us.
David Sandweiss is ,a member of
the Ann Arbor Committee to Im-
peach Nixon.
THE MILWAUKEE joURN4AL
i'ublisht,8HRO S yndicate, 19741
Don't expect any miracles.'
~4eSfr$+n Dit
Eighty-Four Years of Editorial Freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
News Phone: 764-0552
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1974
Embargo lifted, but...
MONDAY'S LIFTING of the Arab oil
embargo has precipitated the rise of
many economic indicators within the
United States this week.
Gulf Oil Co. announced reduction in
the prices of heating and residual fuels
oils, kerosene and jet fuel; Richard Ger-
stenberg, chairman of General Motors
said the lifting influenced the cancella-
tion of the scheduled layoffs of 27,000
workers; and New Jersey Governor Byrne
said he is considering lifting the odd-
even gas distribution arrangement in his
state for a test period in the month of
April.
Now is the time for the U. S., by far
the biggest user of petroleum products,
to weigh the necessity of continuing the
business as usual consumption level
reached before the beginning of the
shortage.
It is as crucial now as during the
height of the embargo to cut back our
use of non-essential fossil fuels. We have
seen how political, and thus non-predict-
able, actions unrelated to the actual pro-
cessing of petroleum can result in widely
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Dan Biddle, Wendy Chapin. Mike
Duweck, Mary Long, Timothy Schick,
Sue Stephenson, Becky Warner
Editorial Page: Brian Colgan, Paul Has-
kins, Marnie Heyn
Arth Page: Ken Fink, Sara Rimer, Doug
Zernow
Photo Technician: Ken Fink
varying price fluctuations and limitations
on supply.
AT THE UNIVERSITY, the Energy Con-
servation Task Force has been work-
ing since September to cut back the un-
necessary use of steam and electricity.
They have been effective thus far, as
can be seen in the Plant Department's
announcement of projected savings of
five percent of the electricity and ten
per cent of the steam over that used last
year.
The dorms have tallied a savings of a
a hundred thousand kilowatt hours,
or roughly $17,000, according to Claude
Orr, Assistant Director of Housing. But
he was quick to add that one of the most
fertile areas for energy savings is the in-
dividual student rooms.
Orr's comment points up the neces-
sary focus of future energy savings ef-
forts at the University and elsewhere.
The institutions of the University and
all other organizations can form com-
mittees and conduct studies to locate and
eliminate energy-wasting practices. But
until individuals are willing to examine
their lifestyles and consume less non-
essential energy, we will continue down
the road toward self-cannibalization.
THE DAILY ENCOURAGES the ECTF to
continue its efforts and calls on all
students and members of the community
to examine the environmental implica-
tions of their personal lifestyles.
--MARNIE HEYN
The Worst House
of the Week.Award
This is the third winner in the "Worst House of the Week"
contest. The final, grand prize winner will be announced next
Friday. Anyone wishing to make nominations for this contest should
call the Daily (764-0552) or submit their entry to Michigan Daily,
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor.
By MARTY WEGBRIET
THIS WEEK'S WORST house of the week involves a combina-
tion of forces acting in restraint of good housing at rents
people can afford to pay. The actors are many; their motives
simple. Only rent control can alter thi story, which, as you
shall soon see, could happen to just anyone.
"A", whose identity must be protected for fear of retaliation,
rented an apartment from a landlord prominently associated with
Profiteers for Bad Housing (a/ka Citizens for Good Housing).
You will recall that this group claims that rent control would
drain their profits. Given the very meagre levels of maintenance
they presently put into apartments, they may very well be right.
The only way they could make money would be to perform main-
tenance to get their allowed 50 per cent return. ($1 worth of main-
tenance equals 50 cents worth of profit.) Examine, if you will, this
week's case.
"A's" PROBLEMS began when the landlord refused to return
a $100 security deposit. He alleged that "A" had failed to sweep
the back stairs once a week as required (a lease condition vaguely
reminiscent of Army boot camp), and that the operation of "A's"
water-pik had blown the entire wiring in the house, necessitating
costly electrical repairs (for which "A" was billed despite the
impossibility of the water-pik being at fault). Under rent control,
of course, the landlord would have an incentive (greed) to hire
someone to sweep the stairs and to keep the electrical wiring in
good condition. Presently, he has every incentive (profit) to
skimp on repairs.
"A's" PROBLEMS continued in the attempt to get the secur-
ity deposit back. After contacting the tenants union and calling
the landlord half a dozen times asking for the $100 and getting a
lawyer to write the landlord asking for either another estimate of
the security deposit deduction or a discussion with the Univer-
sity mediation service, "A" still had no satisfaction. "A" then
went to small claims court and a trial date was set for March.
But the landlord refused to accept a court summons sent through
registered mail, postponing the trial. (What would happen if a
tenant refused a summons for an eviction proceeding?) Another
trial date has been set for May. So far, "A" has spent $30 in
trying to recover $100. With luck, "A" may break even.
Under rent control, this nonsense would not occur. Currently,
landlords have every incentive to rip-off tenants by unjustly re-
taining their security deposits for repairs that are either unneces-
sary or never performed. Given the transiency of the rental popu-
lation, they generally get away with it. Rent control stops this
abuse by disallowing unreasonable retentions of security deposits
in the calculation of next year's rent. In other words, if the land-
lord kept any portion of your security deposit, he would have to
justifv that if he wanted a rent increase the next year, and that
in itself would make him think twice.
Oh yes, we almost forgot the conclusion. Proving once again
that Ann Arbor's rental housing presently only runs from bad
to worse, "A's" current apartment not only haspaint chips flak-
ing off of the dining room ceiling and a hole in the kitchen ceiling
loosely "patched" with plywood, but also a hole in the bathroom
wall. Let's hope that "A's" landlord does not retain the security
deposit for flushing the toilet too often thus shaking off more
pieces of plaster and expanding the hole.
Do you really believe that landlords can not do more mainte-
nance and make money under rent control? Vote yes, April 1st.
Marty Wegbriet is a member of the HRP Housing Committee
and a drafter of the Rent Control Ordinance.
Brighter days in Britain
By CLIFFORD BROWN
THE STATE of affairs has great-
ly improved in the United
Kingdom even if not in America.
While Nixon is still in office here,
an election has ousted the United
Kingdom's chief executive and the
country seems all the better for
it.
The United Kingdom of G r e a t
Britain and Northern Ireland (in-
formally called Great Britain) is
in a state of restlessness. The elec-
tion that was held two we ks ago
put the Labor party back in power
in the person of now Prime Min-
ister Harold Wilson. Wilson formed
a minority government wit'x-ut the
aid of a clear majority in the
House of Commons. Immediately
after the election former Prime
minister Heath refused to resign
claiming that since neith 3r party
had a clear majority in the Com-
mons he and his Conservave par-
ty had not been defeated in the
election. When his attempt to forin
a Conservative andLiterl roai
tion failed he wais forced to resign.
Somewhat embarrassed that he had
lost the election that the had so
confidently called hoping to get
more support for his pFcies )n a
number of major issues, one of
them being the coal miner's strike.
The new Prime Minister immed-
iately resolved the coal miner's
strike with a single stroke. A new
$230 million contract was ratified
by the coal miners, and a large
majority of them were back at
work in no time.
IN THE SHORT span of two
weeks since the election, P r m e
minister Wilson has solved one of
the country's major problems. Wil-
son, in settling the strike, gave the
coal miners all that they had ask-
ed for from former Prime Min-
ister Edward Heath, w o haughtily
refused the miner's requejt. It can
possibly be said that Heath's fail-
ure to give the co.l miner's their
due resulted in his deteat dt the
hands of the Labor parr,-%
Even though the new p r i m e
minister has solved one of the
major problems he fac d there are
still others to come. Wilson still
has to cope with all types of infla-
tion. Part of the setti.:ment with
the coal miners was that the gov-
ernment would subsidize b a s i c
foods and freeze rents. Wilson alsc
faces the question of wha, to do
about freezing prices. Even if forc-
ed to do so by the risi ig tide of
inflation, it is unlike'y that this
move would meet much opposition
in the House of Common,;. Taxes
may have to be raised but Wil-
son said that he would first raise
which led to distrust by many of
his former supporters, but ne man,
aged to stay in office until 1970
when the Conservatives of Edward
Heath defeated him. As leader of
the opposition, Wilson was very
critical of Heath and hii Conserva-
tives and finally he was able to
force a general election which has
now put him,ih thq position he is
now in, Prime Minister.
AS FRESH BLOOD tikes office
in the United Kingdom, there are
Harold Wilson
Edward Heath
taxes for those big businessmen
who have cashed in on the energy
crisis and other sectors of the
economy where prices have far
outstripped wages.
WILSON, WHO was born in 1916,
first became head of the Labor
party in 1963. But his real career
began when he graduated from
Oxford in 1936 with honors. After
graduating he went on to teach
economics at his school until World
War II. In 1945, Wilson was elected
for his first time to the House of
Commons, after gprving as presi-
dent of the board of trade, a post
he held until 1951. Af'er being
elected to Parliament as the head
of the Labor party in 1964, and
again in 1966, Wilson was forced
to devalue the pound, a move
things that we Americans must
consider. If we now had the elec-
tion system where a vota of no con-
fidence could force an election for
president, maybe now the economy
would not be in such a state of
sad affairs. Perhaps Nixon would
be gone and there would be no
energy crisis. A system where a
government can be brought down
if the people have no confidence in
it must come to this country. Now
we have only to hope that Con-
gress does not pull it's usual act
of copping out. Let's hope that in
the future there will be no situa-
tion where a president who has
rocked the faith of the American
people and who has made a mock-
ery of the word justic, can stay,
in office because there is no ef-
fective means for removing him.
i
Letters- to The Daily
Ellsberg on the State of the
Realm
By BRIAN COLGAN
DANIEL ELLSBERG returned to his
native Detroit Wednesday and
launched an attack on the increasing
power of the Presidency and President
Nixon's abuse of that power.
Ellsberg expressed hope that the im-
peachment process will move forward.
Though afflicted with laryngitis Ellsberg
spoke, quite authoritatively on the sub-
ject, his knowledge comparable with
that of Senator George McGovern's.
"There is no question of a lack of evi-
dence," Ellsberg asserted, "We've had
a series of statements by the President
himself which constitutes more than
enough evidence on which to present
charges to the Senate . . . I wouldn't
want to see the process of investigation,
of revelation, ended with a resignation.
The President has admitted .(acts which
amount to) criminal obstruction of jus-
tice." >
In reference to the indictments return-
ed against many former Nixon associates
he noted that "indictment is not only not
proof of guilt, it is not evidence of guilt.
Obviously these people deserve a fair
trial . . . In fact the grand jury seems
to believe they deserve several fair
trials."
ELLSBERG AGREES with Senator
greatest concern, he stated that "We're'
paying a price for all this drift towards
executive usurpation", brought about at
least in part by "unquestioning, con-
scienceless obedience to Presidential or-
ders."
"The system of separate, co-equal
branches of government was designed to
protect a people from executive tyran-
ny," he said, going on to define the
present executive branch as an "elected
monarchy."
Ellsberg claimed Nixon's wish to keep
many documents and other materials
privileged, i.e. secret, even if not to
"save his own hide" is meant to pre-
serve the present executive monarchy.
A MAJOR FACTOR in the evolution of
the elected monarchy as Ellsberg sees
it is the control of information: execu-
tive secrecy. He says the executive
branch must be weakened of its ability
to control information esp. through the
use of classifications such as "top sec-
ret."
Ellsbergs believes this trend towards
repression of information has increased
dramatically since World War If when it
was necessary to preserve the confi-
dentiality of many military secrets. He
cited findings from committee hearings
in congress last year that put the num-
mine himself how much information the
public, the , Congress, the courts shall
have, is to place him beyond the reach
of legal accountability, above the law".
Ellsberg repeatedly called for more
accountability on the part of public of-
ficials, saying, "When we have the likes
of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Nixon in
the same room with a nuclear button I
believe we need much more account-
ability . . ."
Ellsberg sees a definite correlation
between the U. S. policy in Vietnam and
the Watergate affair.
"It really was inevitable that sooner
or later our methods of colonial ad-
ministration and colonial warfare would
be brought home."
Maintaining that he would rather go
to jail than again work at the Defense
Department, Ellsberg said he acted as
he did in releasing the Pentagon Papers
out of the belief that the "truth can set
us free."
Ellsberg recaps his position with a rhe-
torical question: "Jefferson and Wash-
ington came to feel that monarchy was
not best for this country 200 years ago.
What would they say today?"
McGee
To The Daily:
ON MARCH 20 The Daily print-
ed on its editorial page a political
attack against Colleen McGee,
Democratic council can Jidate from
the First Ward. The main conten-
tion of this attack was that Col-
leen was attempting to avoid tak-
ing clear positions of the issues,
particularly on rent control, city
planning and public safety. This
charge is totally unfounded and un-
true.
The only support for The Daily's
thesis that Colleentis trying to hide
her position on the rent cantrol
amendmentnis one article printed
on March 18 in the Ann Arbor
News. This is a weak reed for The
Daily the rest its argunent upon.
Mention should have been made
that nowhere in the article is a
direct quote given from Colleen
declaring that she would vote
against the amendment. The fact
is such a quote does not exist.
Colleen McGee has been publicly
consistent on the issue as rent con-
trol. Not only has she clearly stat-
ed her position at Northside School
and to the Ann Arbor News, s h e
has also stated it in le ilets which
have been distributed door-to-door.
She has stated it in discussions
with individual voters and on Cable
TV during the debates sponsored
by the League of Women Voters.
THIS IS certainly not the course
of action that would be taken by
someone who was attempting to
cover up her position on the r e n t
control amendment. To the con-
which Mr. Krost has doae on Col-
leen's campaign. I hbase taken
steps to have delivered to Mr.
Krost a copy of every leaflet Col-
leen has distributed to the voters
of the First Ward. If he sits down
to read these with an impartial
eye, I am sure he will agree with
me that Colleen, alone among the
three candidates in the First Ward,
has stated clearly nd pre ;ely the
priorities she will set for this city
nd the methods she will support to
attain them.
COLLEEN McGee is not confus-
ed as to what her stands on the is-
sues really are. Neither are the
voters of the First Ward confus-
ed. I hope this letter will dispel
the confusion which se-ms to pre-
vail in The Daily building. If Mr.
Krost or any other member of
The Daily staff remains confused
as to Colleen's position, I invite
them to contact Colleen personal-
ly. They may askhher anyques-
tion they wish. She will answer
them - directly and clearly. That's
her way.
-Lee C. Fawcett
Campaign Co-ordinator
Colleen McGee Council
Campaign
March 20
Editor's note: The following is Mr.
Krost's reply.
The best defense is an offense,
goes an old political adage, and this
is apparently the tactic adopted by
Mr. Fawcett, the campaign co-or-
dinatofo' r TDemoicratic First WardJ
charges that the editorial was po-
litically motivated - he labels the
editorial a "political attack" by
The Daily on McGee's campaign.
In fact, the editorial dealt not
with politics but with the non-
partisan issue of proper campaign
tactics. I, and I'm sure all my jour-
nalistic colleagues at The Daily,
are prepared to take any politician
from any political party to task,
who does not make his or her po-
sition on campaign issues clear.
And on the disputed specific
uweek reeds" in my editorial cited
by Fawcett:
The fact is that the Ann Arbor
News sticks to its interpretation
of what transpired at the inter-
tiew held there March 12. 1 con-
tacted the News for a second time
yesterday and city government re-
ported Glen Harris repeated his po-
sition that McGee "came out
against this particular HRP propo-
sition (rent control).."
Regardless of how many times
f roan now on McGee blitzes the
cam bus with pamphlets purport-
ing that shie is a friend of rent con-
trol, I still feel it was improper to
say one position in one context and
another at a later time.
-JACK KROST
Letters to The Doily should
it"