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Eighty-Four Years of Editorial Freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
_
POLITICS OF LSA
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420 Moynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
News Phone: 764-0552
TUESDAY, APRIL 16,1974
Supreme Court ducks issue
WELL, FOLKS, the Supreme Court did
it again.
Yesterday's "routine" order from the
tribunal, denying certiorari to a lawsuit
by U. S. Representative Elizabeth Holtz-
man and three Air Force officers chal-
lenging the constitutionality of President
Nixon's bombing of Cambodia without a
declaration of war by Congress, is prob-
ably the fatal blow to all those who wish-
ed to have the U. S. war effort declared
illegal, as well as immoral, imperalist,
barbarian, and -so on.
But even more outrageous than the
Court's failure to face up to its constitu-
tional responsibility as a check on the ar-
rogance of the executive branch, was the
argument advanced by Nixon's lawyers
in their brief requesting the Supreme
Court to drop the matter.
In brief, the Nixonmen argued that
there was no need for a Supreme Court
decision because American combat ac-
tivity in Cambodia allegedly ended last
August 14, mooting the issue.
THAT CLAIM IS A LIE. Just last month,
10,000 American "advisors" (where
have we heard that one before) were
shipped over to "help" the Phnom Penh
government in its continuing counterin-
surgency efforts against the Khmer
Rouge. United States money continues to
bankroll an overwhelming percentage of
the Cambodian war effort. Secretary of
State Kissinger has even claimed that,
with respect to Southeast Asia, the Unit-
ed States has a "moral responsibility" to
intervene because previous Administra-
tions had the poor judgement to toss 50,-
000 American lives, and more than 20
times that amount of Vietnamese, down
the drain.
Despite all the administration rhetoric,
and despite the fact that Ohio farm
boys are no longer returning home in
pine boxes, the Indochinese war contin-
ues, and so does United States interven-
tion. Presidential flunkies may cry
"peace, peace," but there is no peace. At
home, similar lies were unmasked, and
produced Watergate. Both the Supreme,
Court's decision, and the continuing
American role in Indochina, are similar-
ly intolerable.
-MARNIE HEYN
By KIRK E. WILCOX
THE UNIVERSITY is a living, breathing
organism. Every four months it inhales
and exhales 42,000 students. The basic build-
ing block is a work force of 14,346 em-
ployees (according to the Affirmative Ac-
tion Programs 1973-74 projections). T h e
enormity and anonymity of the University's
employment pool makes it difficult to
realize that Ann Arbor's industry of educa-
tion is based upon individuals.
The following are interviews with individ-
uals, a drop in the bucket of the Univer-
sity's employment pool.
Jennifer Friesen is a twenty-three y e a r
old clerical worker at the registration and
advance classification office. Her general
function is to assist in the paper-consuming
processing of thousands of students' forms.
"Being part of a bureaucratic system,
which seems inefficient and wasteful, does
not contribute to a worker's self-esteem.
I will grant (most) office jobs here will
be boring. But, there's little the university
can do about that. And, the benefits are
excellent."
CITING THE wastefulness and ineffic-
iency of the university, Ms. Friesen points
out the paper shortage (yes, there is a pap-
er shortage besides toilet paper) and the
university's lack of conservation.
"We don't like to waste paper in a paner
shortage, but the system seems to encour-
age it."
Through the efforts of the CCFA (Con-
cerned Clericals for Action), the univer-
sity's three thousand clerks and secretaries
will soon be able to vote on whether to have
such unions as UAW, Teamsters, and
AFSCME represent them.
When asked if she would be in favor of
a clerical union, Ms. Friesen replied, 'Em-
phatically. We don't feel that we're getting
enough (money). We are so easily replace-
able."
A vast part of the inefficienucy at the
registration office is the high turnover
rate. In these days of money-grubbing in-
flation, unionized job positions could se-
cure that important cost of living differen-
tial.
PROCESSING forms, typing, and other
related duties at the university are ne-
cessary functions yet often frustrating.
"It's really hard to take pride in your
clerical or secretarial work because you
never see the result of your work - only
mistakes. No matter how good. a job you
do, it seems somebody farther down the
line can negate it," Ms. Friesen says.
To be a part of a system as large as
the Unixersity leaves one with a sense of
ing
departmentalized insignificance. As Ms.
Friesen puts it, "I feel I represent the U
like a gas station attendant represents
Standard Oil."
THE UNIVERSITY employs 2,727 work-
ers who feed the system's various wants
and needs. One such worker is Margaret
Muller, 59, who for four years has prepared
meals as a Cook Ii at Markley Hall.
Ms. Muller is no new-comer to the culin-
ary arts. For thre genrations, her family
has opated a restaurant. After 78 yars
of being "in the business," Mr. Muller de-
cided to seek employment with the univer-
sity.
"There are far less headaches here at
the university, and I know what I'm go-
ing to take home each night," says Ms.
Muller.
0the s5
job. That in itself is an accomplishmentl
in this day and age. She does not feel1
she is an insignificant part of a system +
that is too big. If she really has an axe
to grind, it concerns the parking problem.
"The parking for kitchen people is ter-
rible. Last fall, we walked off the job
an hour to protest. For punishment, we
were docked an hour's pay, and the park-
ing problem still's not resolved."
THE UNIVERSITY'S lower level instruc-
tional staff, 2,200 teaching fellows accord-
ing to GEO-OTF figures, comprises approx-
imately 14 per cent of the university's em-
ployment pool.
Jean Ferguson is a 23 year old English
teaching fellow. In a department w^th rver
100 teaching fellows, Ms. Ferguson's first
year of teaching has proven to be an edu-
cational experience.
"It's really hard to take pride in your work because you never
see the result of your work-only mistakes. No matter how
good a job you do, it seems somebody farther down the line
can negate it. I feel I represent the 'U' like a gas station
represents Standard Oil."
xi5:.": -0re }' :::.;n i-"::"-:} :"4?ii }}:{ 'i""{: g.: } . : i: i"Am fir' .:Myir
stern
lower level instructional staff has been
traditionally apathetic to political issues,
GEO-OTF's attempts to unionize are strik-
ing a responsive vein.
"English teaching fellows actually in-
struct three hours per week. We also have
regular counseling hours when we meet
with individual students. Contact w i t h
students, preparation for class, and three
hours teaching gives us our twenty hours
for which we are paid."
"MOST PEOPLE in English put in more
time than that. I do. Twenty hours is sup-
posed to be half-time employment, but in
English, it's counted as, one-third time,"
says Ms. Ferguson.
GEO-OTF is trying to bring about a
more objective way of establishing stand-
ardized contact and preparation hours than
the nebulous "good faith" principle cur-
rently in effect.
Commenting on the problems related to
the size of the university, Ms. Ferguson
says, "The size of the university is really
frustrating. Trying to solve some prob-
lem or bring about change becomes an
incredible chain of events - they can
always send you to another office."
As far as her job goes, Ms. Ferguson
relates a familiar theme, "I like the actual
teaching. It's just too bad you have to
beat somebody else out for that position."
THROUGHOUT THE University there are
similar stories about the needs and wants
of the people who do much of the day to
day work that makes this institution run.
The University is in the middle of several
groups that it has abused, neglected, and
alienated for years. Health care workers,
secretarial and clerical workers, and grad-
uate teaching fellows are all organizing to
get a fairer deal out of the University at
the same time that state and federal
funds for education are evaporating.
In the past, students and workers have
collaborated to attain some measure of
justice from the administration, notably
during the BAM strike and the AFSCME
strike in 1970. This sort- of partnership
should continue: if we expect to be treat-
ed fairly, we as students should support
University worker/union activities when
they raise legitimate demands.
In a time of budget crunches, students
should also learn that we have some
measure of protection from ghastly tuition
and dorm rate hikes if - and only if -
we stand together as unions do.
Faculty dodges requirements
Cooking meals for 1,185 Markley students
is no job for a galloping gourmet. How-
ever, Ms. Muller lets it be known that,
"I won't put out anything that I won't
eat myself."
Ms. Muller enjoys working for the uni-
versity. Ms. Muller takes advantage of all
the benefits such as health and life in-
surance and a retirement plan. Beginning
in August, Ms. Muller will receive a cost
of living wage increase as a result of the
recent AFSCME strike and negotiations.
THE GENERAL working conditions in
the kitchens are quite satisfactory according
to Ms. Muller. Duncan Hines would be
pleased with the cleanliness of the prem-
ises. Twice per year, Environmental Health
and SL fety officials inspect University kit-
chens to enforce state health regulations.
"Most supervisors are fair. They respect
your opinions," says Ms. Muller. "They are
lenient on recipes. If we (workers) suggest
something new, they'll try it."
The flexible relationship between kitchen
workers and supervisors is in part attri-'
butable to a sufficient number of super-
visors. With four supervisors advising twen-
ty employees, a one to five ratio promotes
good communication.
Ms. Muller is generally satisfied with her
"There seems to be very little organiza-
tion in the English department. For exam-
ple, there's no real traiinng, you just kind
of do the best that you can. There's little
help along the way unless you seek it out,"
Ms. Ferguson relates. I
The flexibility in selecting books suitable
for teaching English is a positive factor in
Ms. Ferguson's opinion. However, the dis-
cussion sections are too large for the type
of courses being taught.
Student enrollment in English courses has
been steadily declining over the past few
years. America's cultural and educational
emphasis upon science and technology has
lost the perspective and direction the arts
and humanities provide.
CONSEQUENTLY, the University's purse-
strings are drawing tighter around the Eng-
lish department.
"It seems that without those N a t i o n al
Science Foundation awards, money doesn't
come in too quickly. Of course, with English
and the humanities, progress is harder to
measure than the sciences. The English
department lost federal and Ford Founda-
tion grants, and once again we're faced
with more people (TF's) and less money,"
explains Ms. Ferguson.
Though the English department's 1 a r g e
THE DECISION BY the faculty of the
College of the Literature, Science
and the Arts to put off discussion of
graduation requirements comes as a dis-
appointment to those of us who would
like to have requirements relevant to
today's society and students. The Com-
mission, which was started in 1972, is still
having its report studied by the Govern-
ing Faculty. The report was submitted to
the faculty of LSA on March 1, 1974.
Since LSA has put off the discussion it
may mean that it will be a full year be-
Editorial Staff
DANIEL BIDDLE
Editor is Chief
JUDY RUSKIN and REBECCA WARNER
Managing Editors
TONY SCHWARTZ .................. Sunday Editor
MARTIN PORTER .................... Sunday Editor
SUE STEPHENSON .................... Feature Editor
MARNIE HEYN .................... Editorial Director
CINDY HILL .....................:Executive Editor
KENNETH FINK ......... .....Arts Editor
STAFF WRITERS: Prakash Aswani. Gordon Atcheson,
Laura Berman, Dan Blugerman, Howard Brick,
Bonnie Carnes. Charles Coleman, Barb Cornell.
Jeff Day, Della DiPietro, Mike Duweck, Ted Evan-
off, Matt Gerson, William Heenan, Steve Hersch,
.ack Krost, Andrea Lilly, Mary Long, Jean Love,
Jeff Luxenberg, Josephine Marcotty, Beth Nissen.,
Cheryl Pilate, Ann Rauma, Sara Rimer, Jim
Schuster, Bob Seidenstein, Stephen Selbst, Chip
Sinclair, Jeff Sorensen, David Stoll, Paul Ter-
williger.
DAILY WEATHER BUREAU: William Marino and Den-
nis Dismachek (forecasters)
Sports Staff
MARC FELDMAN
Sports Editor
GEORGE HASTINGS
Executive Sports Editor
Managing Sports Editor ..........ROGER ROSSITER
Associate Sports Editor..............JOHN KAHLER
Co2nri1iting Sports Editor . CLARKE CO DILL
Contributing Sports Editor.......THERESA SWEDO
fore
The
one.
the plans are adopted and initialed.
commissions report was a promising
It includes such proposals as
* Restrictions on drop-add be re-
moved.
* An overhaul of the admissions pro-
cess including the university making an
attempt to recruit older people out of
the traditional 18-22 age bracket.
* Dropping the SAT, grade-point re-
quirements and high school standing as
specific criteria for admission (going on
the individual instead of their scores and
numbers)
ThESE ARE CONCRETE proposals that
would help to change the face of
American education, as one of my pro-
fessors put it. But when the LSA facul-
ty finally decides to do something about
the Commissions report, it will be too
late. Let's hope that in the fall when
LSA faculty convenes to discuss the pro-
posals it won't stall until the next year.
Why is it that people are creatures of
habit instead of being creatures of rea-
son? Why is it that people wait and wait
with the simplistic attitude that since it
has always been done this way, there is
no harm in doing it this way now. That
philosophy does not work anymore. Now
is the time to challenge our traditional
institutions, structures and roles. The
sooner we all see that and work together
for the collective good, the sooner this
rotten society will change for the better.
-CLIFFORD BROWN
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Gordon Atcheson, Dan Biddle, Bill
Heenan, Cindy Hill, Judy Ruskin
Editorial Page: Marnie Heyn
Arts Page: Ken Fink
Photo Technician: David Margolick
RN1
New name,
By CLIFFORD ALTFELD
IISTA, the federal anti-poverty
volunteer program, is being
forced by the Nixon administration
to act like an agency of the Unit-
ed States government. "Grass
roots" community organizing has
been all but eliminated as VISTA
volunteers are increasingly assign-
ed to federal agencies.
The program's "anti-poverty"
emphasis has taken a back seat to
"volunteerism" as VISTAS are as-
signed to recreation projects in
upper class communities such as
Georgetown, D.C. In the name of
"scarce skill" recruitment t h e
agency has begun a program of
discrimination against social ac-
tivists.
VISTA, started by Johnson under
OEO, was designed to be the do-
mestic Peace Corps. The program
was designed to "tap" the ideal-
ism and energies of the youth of
the sixties. Thus, at a very low
cost of thousands of alienated
young people could be brought in-
to the government and set to work
trying to involve alienated "low
income" people in the processes
which affect their lives.
WHEN THE NIXON administra-
tion moved in, VISTA, Peace
Corps, and an entire alphabet soup
of retired persons volunteer pro-
grams,ACE, SCORE, RSVP, and
others, were merged into one large
ACTION Agency. The Nixon ad-
ministration then proceeded to al-
locate $0.00 for VISTA in 1970.
VISTA volunteers, however, man-
aged to gain congressional sup-
port for the program and it was
funded in full.
Nixon then appointed Michael
Balzanno to head the ACTION
Agency. Balzanno had no exper-
ience in government or in organ-
izing but he had done a Ph.D.
thesis on how to deradicalize VIS-
TA. This was done during a long
recovery period following an ac-
cident sustained while working as
a sanitation engineer.
Nixon and Balzanno decided to
keep the VISTA program in name
but change the content. The six
weeks of training in community
organizing, patterned after the
style of Saul Alinsky, were drop-
ped in favor of three days of
A.B.C., the Action Basic Curri-
culum. Scarce skill recruitment
was introduced although few of
the skils, such as urban planning,
are ever put to use. Home town
ACTION, seemingly, is not content
to let its action speak louder than
words.
Latest in Balzanno's directives
is a move to "cost effictive" style
of administration. Translated this
means that VISTA sponsors such
as welfare rights groups or ten-
ants councils are asked to par for
volunteer's transportation and su-
pervision expenses. If the organiza-
tion is unable or unwilling to pay
for social change then it looses ils
volunteers.
State ACTION director Lindsy
Scott reassured volunteers that the
move wasn't politically motivated.
"Our prime concern is financial.
We're looking for agenices who can
foot the bill!" Vistas feel that the
charge of $10,000 for a project
supervisor and $180.00 per year
per VISTA volunteer for tvansp.r-
tation will make the projects too
expensive for those organisations in
the low income community which
are actually run by low income
people. Many VISTA volunteers
have urged their projects to re-
ject ACTION demands.
IN CHARLESTON, V. Va., one
Vista project talked their commun-
ity Action Program into refusing
to pay the additional funds to AC-
TION. ACTION closed the project
and gavetherVISTA thirty days
to transfer or terminate.
If the ACTION squeeze plai is
successful, the money is diverted
from the low income community
to the VISTA program.
Often the organization is unable
to come up with the funds. In Nor-
folk, Va., a welfare rights project
was given to a Family Service-
Travelers Aid Agency because the
welfare group tried but failed to
raise the transportation costs.
When VISTAS are move] to lar-
ger agencies they are asked to an-
swer phones for legal services,
process housing complaints, etc., in
exchange for funds supplied by the
agency. The volunteers are in-
creasingly being used as ill-paid
outreach workers for social serv-
ice agencies.
NIXON'S ATTACKS at VISTA
have not been limited to the in-
dividual projects. The Domestic
Volunteer Advisory Council w a s
designed to provide expertise and
direction for the VISTA projects.
Congressional intent was that low
income people should have input
into the programs by which they
n... nffmrtPA
VISTA
ime old
selves as the National Vista Al-
liance. The union serves to press
for resolution of volunteers griev-
ences.
AMONG THE grievances are:
1) Failure of ACTION to reim-
burse volunteers for purchased
project vehicles.
2) Failure of ACTION to provide
required support services such as
transportation, supervision, or tech-
nical assistance.
3) Gross misplacement of vol-
unteers' skills. Since placement
isn't revealed until half way
through training, volunteers us-
ually go along with VISTA place-
ment. As one ACTION official
stated, "If we told these college
kids they were going to be work-
ing with the police in offender
programs they'd never come."
4) Lack of a cost of living raise.
Volunteers receive about $180.00
pe month, a figure based on a
1968 poverty level.
5) Project termination, firing of
supervisory personnel, and other
actions taken for political reasons.
In Cumberland, Va., a supervisor
was "demoted" to volunteer status
power
following his efforts in the union.
6) Imbalance in funds appropria-
tion. Regional directors receive
about $30,000, state directors re-
ceive about $20,000, project super-
visors receive about $10,000, and
Vistas get about $2,000.
SINCE "VOLUNTEERE" are not
federal "employees" the National
Labor Relations Board has denied
collective bargaining rights to the
union. The NVA is run on dona-
tions from volnnteers and is in
constant financial trouble. Ielp
from AFSME was recently with-
drawn and hopes of affiliation with
the Communications Workers of the
Allied Chemical and Atomic Work-
ers have failed to materialize.
The NVA relies on lobbying for
its strength. After a congressional
letter writing campaign, followed
by a NVA court action, ACTION
granted a grievance procedure for
VISTAs. ACTION personnel are the
grievence hearing officers and AC-
TION defines which matters are
grievable. Late checks and lack of
monthly report forms are griev-
able matters. Inadequate super-
visory personnel, project termnna-
game
tion, and ACTION-sponsor contracts
are not. .
The NVA has lobbied ;ust to
keep the word "anti-poverty" in
the 1973 Domestic Volunteer Serv-
ices Act. Although receiving much
help from Congresswomen Chis-
olm and Mink, the union is cur-
rently being bogged down hi a
court suit with ACTION over the
transportation funds moritorium
and dismissal of supervisory per-
sonnel. Although the 1973 DVSA
states that ACTION is responsible
for support services, it is not. ex-
pected that the courts will h o I d
the executive branch to follow-
ing an act of congress.
A RECENT poll showed t h a t
over sixty percent of the people
in this country favor a year or two
of mandatory service for y o u n g
adults in either the armed forces,
or Peace Corps or VISTA.
Clifford Alt field was a VISTA
worker in Norfolk, Virginia, in-
vestigating lead paint poisoning.
He is a senior in History of Ideas
in the Residential College.
Letters to The Daily
-.
OO-
" a .
- "
Indochina
To The Daily:
IN 1973 60,000 people were killed
in the first year of peace in South
Vietnam. The Saigon gvernment
with U.S. assistance imprisons be-
tween 100,000 and 200,00:1 political
prisoners violating the Paris Peace
Agreement and preventing Viet-
namese Peace thru political strug-
gle. In this context, the Student
Government Council, by a small
majority, blocked passage of the
1974 Indochina Peace Resolution
which calls for the U.S Congress
to pass legislation to compel the
Executive branch to implement the
Paris Peace Agreement.
The original resolution, submit-
ted by the local Indochina Peace
Campaign to SGC would prohibit
non-humanitarian aid to 'either
party in South Vietnam which does
not comply with the Agreement
which provides for a cease-fir- and
for the restoration of the basic
freedoms of press, spec h, meet-
ing, political belief and movement
For the neonle of nSoth Vietnam '
above mentioned provisions and in
addition any violation of the free-
dom of property.
BY EXTENDING the coverage of
the provisions to all of Indochina,
the amended resolution is supposed-
ly free from political bias. B u t
this ignores the realiv, for :he
reality is that it is one party, the
Saigon government, whien prevents
implementation of the Paris Peace
Agreement and one superpower,
the United States, who permits
this. The amendment is i. addition
a gratuitous swipe by Matt Hoff-
man at North Vietnam. W ar it
does is to demand that Congress.
not give missiles and tanks to
North Vietnam as long as it re-
stricts private property. It makes
a mockery of a very serious, well-
constructed proposal to deal wi h
the facts of continued U S involve-
ment in Indochina.
The 1974 Indochina 1-eace Re-
solution represents the view of
the United Campaign, 3 group of
national organizations including the
Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
paign people urged Marsha Fisch-
man to withdraw the proposal
when its intent was vihated and
the political reality ofF peace in
Indochina ignored. The hi-tory of
U.M students within the antiwar
struggle is a progressive. one. This
is only a tpmrporary sehback. The
Indochina Pe wce Campaig i w 11
continue to present the resolution
for passage as is with tro amend
ments until SGC passes It.
--The Indochina Peace Campsgn
clericals
To The Daily:
CONCERNING your reporting on
the efforts of University clericals
to unionize -- there are a couple
of points that you do not seem es-
pecially clear on. First, not all
clericals are secretaries. M a n y
are classified as library assistants,
clerks, etc. Second, not all cle'i-
cals are women. There are some
men, albeit few, in clerizal posi-
tions.
""