100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

January 29, 1978 - Image 1

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1978-01-29

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

INVESTMENT
FORUM
See Editorial Page

.41ticht ttn

i4 ui g

MANNA
High-22
Low-O
See Today for details

Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 99 Ann Arbor, Michigan-Sunday, January 29, 1978 Ten Cents 8 Pages
Housing re erendums perk u election
By RICHARD BERKE
and MITCH CANTOR " certain clauses the tenant signs may be illegal, CBH LEADERS say past experience shows that landlords that opposition will be "as strong as it was against rent con-
therefore unenforceable; won't make their opposition public until they gain more sup- trol."
Get ready, everyone-it's time for landlords and tenants " tenants have rights and obligations which may not be port. Landlords say they are uninformed or confused about Mayor Albert Wheeler also said that CBH may face less of
to square off at the ballot box again. described in their leases; such as the right to withhold rent the ballot proposals. a fight than expected.
In April, 1975, voters defeated a rent-control proposal and live in a dwelling in need of repairs; Spokespersons for several large city realtors declined "Some people from the coalition have indicated they have
soundly, but tenant activists have placed two issues on this " tenants can get detailed information on their legal comment on the referendums, saying they had yet to hear of gotten support from landlords," Wheeler said.
year's ballot which they believe have a better chance of rights and duties by contacting their own lawyer, a free legal them.
passing. aid service, or a Tenants Union lawyer. Gloria Fleming, legislative assistant for the Michigan Though their party has in the past taken a strong pro-
THE COALITION for Better Housing (CBH) sponsored THE SECOND referendum, entitled, "The Fair Rental In- tenant stance, several Democrats are not satisfied with these
the petition drive to allow voters to decide on a tenants' rights formation Act," proposes that the city pay for a tenants' particular referendums. Specifically, they feel, along with
booklet for renters and a proposal to ban unreasonable and rights booklet consisting of three sections: one written by most Republicans, that tenants' rights do not belong in the
unenforceable lease clauses. impartial authors selected by the mayor, one written by pro- c e city charter but should be handled through other channels.
The "Truth in Renting Act," which appears to have more tenant attorneys, and one written by pro-landlord attorneys. JOEL 4 OLDBERG, a Democratic city council candidate
support among local politicians than the booklet proposal, All city landlords would be required to distribute the booklet Landlords Association in Lansing, said she had not read the in the Fifth Ward, says the referendum "states only the ob-
would prohibit landlords from including illegal and unen- to their tenants. proposals and did not know of any opposition to them. vious." And while he feels the idea behind the Fair Rental
foreable clauses in their leases. Also, it would require them The city already has a tenants rights booklet which was IN 1974 AND 1975 local landlords formed "Citizens for Information Act is "admirable," he says there are-better
to give their tenants specific information about their legal revised by City Council in December. Good Housing" and spent over $50,000 in advertising to defeat ways to ensure tenants' rights.
rights. Opposition to the referendums transcends party lines and the rent control proposals. "We ought to try the current city approach before forcing
At the start of each lease term landlords would be is most pronounced in the case of the Fair Rental Infor- Tom Moran of CBH said he believes landlords are, fund- something by charter . .. it is duplicative," he said. "To be
required to give tenants a written notice stating that: mation Act. raising now to counter the referendum, but added he doubts See HOUSING, Page 8

12 million
husbands
battered
by wives
WASHINGTON (AP)-It's not always
the wife who emerges with the bloodied
nose and emotional scars in the arena
of household fights, according to a pair
of researchers who studied domestic
violence.
In fact, the researchers-a man and a
woman-contend that legions of
husbands are battered by their wives
but don't report it to authorities for fear
of humiliation.
WORKING independently, Roger
Langley, co-author of "Wife Beating:
The Silent Crisis," and Dr. Suzanne
Steinmetz of the University of
Delaware, conclude, therefore,
husband-beating possibly is as great a
social problem as wife-beating in
Ainecicea today.
Langley estimates that 12 million
men are physically abused by their
wives at some point during their-
marriage. Approximately 1 million of
them are severely beaten, he says.
And Langley calls- husband-beating
"the most under-reported crime in the
nation today.
"IT IS GENERALLY regarded that
the man is bigger and stronger," he
says. "For that reason, a man who goes
to a police headquarters and has to file
a complaint before a burly police of-
ficer must face a lot of ridicule. Not.
many men have the courage to face the
snickers, innuendos and open sarcasm
inherent in this situation."
In an article coming out next month,
Dr. Steinmetz says her research shows
that seven percent of the country's 47
million wives-about 3.3 million
See 12, Page8

Sadat to visit U.S.
for weekend summit

WASHINGTON (UPI)-Egypt's
President Anwar Sadat and President
Carter will seclude themselves at Camp
David next weekend for a round of
"quiet diplomacy" on Middle East
peace problems, U.S. officials announ-
ced yesterday.
State Department and White House
officials made plain the Saturday-
Sunday meeting is intended to restore
momentum to the disrupted Israeli-
Egyptian peace negotiations.
"WE ARE concerned that this oppor-
tunity for peace not be allowed to slip
away," said White House press
secretary Jody Powell.
"ARRANGEMENTS are now being
made to hold an extensive review on
progress in the negotiations in the Mid-
dle East and how they might proceed."
At the State Department, officials
said President and Mrs. Sadat will
arrive Friday and go immediately to
Camp David with President and Mrs.
Carter for "a relaxed Middle East
strategy session" on Saturday and Sun-
day.
They said Sadat might return to
Washington Monday to consult with
members of Congress, and planning for
his visit was still "open ended."
THE OFFICIALS said they do not
expect the Camp David session to

produce "major developments" and
that will suddenly resolve the
Palestinian and - occupied Sinai
territory disputes between Egypt and
Israel.
But they said Carter needs a detailed
updating of Sadat's views in order to
help restore the peace momentum, and
they predicted two additional topics
would get intensive review:
Possibilities for bringing other
moderate Arab states-principally,

Jordan-into resumed Cairo-Jerusalem
negotiations.
" And Sadat's demand the United
States start providing Egypt all the
weaponry it now gives Israel, including
the latest warplanes.
The officials said Carter would hear
Sadat out sympathetically, but
suggested Congress will not likely per-
mit the sale of sophisticated warplanes
to Egypt.
See CARTER, Page 5

', city attempt
snow recovery

By PAULINE TOOLE
The weather outside was frightful,
the fire was so delightful, and sleighs
were the fastest method of transpor-
tation, but officially, at least, Univer-
sity classes resumed yesterday.
Officially, you understand.
"We were supposed to have classes
but I didn't go because I was afrafd of
getting my car stuck," said Art School
Prof. Mignonette Cheng. "I just thought

everyone would have common sense
and not go."
INVESTIGATION of Angell, Haven
and Mason Hall classrooms revealed,
many cancellation notices with
rescheduled times posted.
While students struggled over the
bounding snow to class, city officials
worked feverishly to keep the roads
clear.
Jeff Johnson, Information Director of
See FEW, Page 2

Going for Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG
Michigan's Paul Heuerman gets the jump on Hoosier Scott Eells during yester-
day's game at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines taught Indiana a 92-73 lesson during
the snow-delayed afternoon contest.

Human rights law aims
to end city discriniination

1 977:1 A study ij
WASHINGTON (AP)-Droughts, floods, ice and fires re-
sulted in 56 presidentially declared disasters and emergen-
cies in 1977, and it's starting off again this year because of
fierce blizzards in the Midwest.
A declaration of disaster has the effect of cutting gover-
nmental red tape and expediting federal financial aid to the
affected areas. Last year the government spent an estimated
$885 million on recovery programs for areas victimized by
natural disasters:
PRESIDENT CARTER already has declared three
emergencies this year. Two were for storm-battered Ohio
and the other was for Indiana, which was also hamstrung by
last week's blizzard. The declarations also covered three
counties in the vicinity of Wynne, Ark., where a tornado
destroyed homes.
Involved in the government's disbursement of disaster
relief besides the White House is 'the Federal Disaster
Assistance Administration and agencies such as the Small
Business Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the U.S. Cor-
ps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration.

n catastrophes'
Last year the White House declared 56 disasters. Drought aid
emergencies in 37 states hit by natural disasters. Drought aid
went to 24 states in various regions of the country. Funds to
help recovery from floods went to 17 states, some of which
were also on the drought aid list.
The largest amount of federal aid for a single incident-
$258 million-went to the Johnstown, Pa., area, where flash
flooding after 19, inches of rain last July resulted in 75 deaths.
It was the third time in 88 years that devastating floods had
hit the area. An estimated 2,300 persons died there in an 1889
flood.
A SUMMARY of 1977 disasters and emergencies prepared
by the disaster assistance administration includes only those
proclaimed by the president. It lists 22 major disasters and 34
emergencies.
Flooding was a factor in 16 of the major disasters. William
Wilcox, head of the disaster assistance agency, said flooding
is the most common cauuse of natural disasters in this coun-
try. The 1977 floods were sometimes accompanied by severe
storms, tornadoes and, in the state 'of Washington, mud-
slides.

By MIKE NORTON
Daily News Analysis
Ann Arbor's going to be a mighty
tough place for businesses who practice
discrimination in housing, employment
and investment if a hardnosed new city
human rights ordinance wins final ap-
proval from City Council
The new ordinance, which would ex-
tend the protection of the law to
pregnant women, families with small
children and recipients of public
assistance, was accepted at first
reading during council's Jan. 9
meeting. If passed, it would be one of
the most comprehensive laws of its kind
in the country.
ANN ARBOR- ALREADY has a
human rights ordinance-a much-
amended patchwork affair dating back
to the Democratic-Human Rights Party
Council of 1970. But city officials have
been complaining for a long time that
the present ordinance is confusing and
unenforceable.
The purpose of the new ordinance is
to cut down on the excessive verbiage of
the present law," said Byron Marshall,
who as special assistant to City Ad-

association, physical limitations, sour-
ce of income, personal associations and
pregnancy;
* define more clearly the number
and kind of discriminatory practices
phohibited by law;
" place added emphasis on specific
penalties for companies and individuals
found guilty of violating the ordinance
(up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail);
" forbid unions to discriminate in ap-
prenticeship and other training
programs; and,
" prohibit any form of retaliation
against individuals who bring com-
plaints to the city under the ordinance.
CERTAIN TYPES of "justified"
discrimination-sororities and frater-
nities for instance-would be exempted
from compliance. But the overall effect
of the new ordinance would be to pack
some muscle into the city's anti-
discrimination efforts.
"I think we're going to come through
with a pretty good ordinance," said
Mayor Albert Wheeler, who has iden-
tified himself very closely with the
proposed law, and has vowed to veto the
ordinance if council passes a diluted

vestigate discrimination and enforce
the 1970 ordinance-was widely
criticized for its ineffectiveness,and
was divested of its department status in
July 1976.
UNDER THE CITY reorganization
plan adopted by Council earlier this
month, the Human Rights Department
has been reestablished under Murray's
direct supervision. Marshall, however,
will be in charge of the department's
day-to-day operations; the new or-
dinance could give it an important role
to play.
But there is still some doubt about the
exact form the law will finally take af-
ter passage through the political
meatgrinder.
At the Jan. 9 council meeting the
original proposal was trimmed con-
siderably back; without much resistan-
ce from Democratic Council members,
their Republican colleagues deleted
sections that would have prohibited
discrimination based on "personal ap-
pearance" and "political af-
filiation"-criteria which, they said,
would be hard to establish and im-
possible to orove in court.

I.....
Iv .wv4*~:8*&.___________________________________________ ~.'N*. ~ . ,..........

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan