.... (Te Altodltgan mIll Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 T.A.s:s Too valuable to Friday, October 8, 1976 News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan D O c era Iea hstoe THAILAND HAS JUST gone down the same primrose path as India. Sangad Chalawyu, the defense minis- ter of the country, has Just taken over in a lightening coup, supported by a group of democracy-loving peo- ple calling themselves the Adminis- tration Reform Committee (ARC). Martial law has been invoked, all political meetings have been banned and a curfew imposed from mid- night to 5 a.m. But the gracious Chalawyu stressed that "the ARC consensus of the Daily staff. irZ4an Batil Photography Staff Pauline Lubens ............. Chief Photographer Brad Benjamin ............ Staff Photographer Alan Bilinsky"............... Staff Photographer Scott Eccker ................. Staff Photographer Andy Freeberg .............. Staff Photographer Christina Schneider ......... Staff Photographer Editorial Staff Rob Meachum ...................Bill Turque Co-Editors-in-Chief Jeff Ristine..................,Managing Editor Tim Schick.................Executive Editor Stephen Hersh...............Magazine Editor Rob Meachun ................ Editorial Director Lois Josimovch...... ..EdArts Editor STAFF WRITERS: Susan Ades, Susan Barry, Dana Baumann, Michael Beckman, Philip Bo. kovoy,'Jodi Dimick, Chris Dyhdale, Elaine Fletcher, Larry Friske, Debra Gale, Tom Go- dell, Eric Gressman, Kurt Harju, Char Heeg, James Hynes, Michael Jones, Lani Jordan, Lois Josimovic, Joanne Kaufman, David Keeps, Steve Kursman, Jay Levin, Ann Marie Lipinski, George Lobsenz, Pauline Lubens, Stu CcConnell, Jennifer Miller, Michael Nnrtnn, Jon Pansius, Ken Parsigan, Karen Paul, Stephen Pickover, Christopher Potter, ion Rose, Lucy Saunders, Annemarie Schivi. Kar- en Schulkins, Jeffrey Selbst, Jim Shahin, Rick Soble, Tom Stevens, Jim Stimson, David Strauss, Mike Taylor, Jim Tobin, Loran Walker, Laurie Young, Barbara Zahs. Sports Staff Bill Stieg............Sports Editor Rich Lerner .... Executive Sports Editor Andy Glazer............ Managing Sports Editor Rick Bonino......Associate Sports Editor NIGHT EDITOR: Tom Cameron, Enid Goldman Kathy Henneghan, Scott Lewis, Rick Maddock, Bob Miller, John Niemeyer, Mark Whitney. STAFF WRITERS: Leslie Brown, Paul Campbell, Marybeth Dillon, Ernie Dunbar, Henry Engel- hardt, Jeff Frank, Cindy Gatziolis, Don Mac- Lachlan, Rich Ovshinsky, Jim Powers, Pat Rode, John Schwartz. Business Staff Beth Friedman........Business Manager Deborah Dreyfus..........Operations Manager Kathleen Mulhern ... Assistant Adv. Coordinator Don Simpson ... ......Display Manager David Harlan . Finance Manager Dan Blugerman . Sales Manager Pete Peterson .. Advertising Coordinator Cassle St. Clair ...... Circulation Manager Beth Stratford. . Circulation Director TODAY'S STAFF: News: Sue Ades, Eileen Daley, Bill Turque, Jeff Ristine, Karen Schul- kins, Ron Rosenbaum, Pauline Toole Editorial Page: Michael Beckman, Rob Meachum, Tom Stevens, Davey Broder Arts Page: Lois Josimovich Photo Technician: Alan Bilinsky By RICHARD FEDDER On Tuesday, Sept. 28, GEO unveiled some substantially new and more reasonable bar- gaining positions. The admin- istration's response last Thurs- day merely reiterated their same old terms. Consequently, the mediator, a representative of the state government who was trying to help the parties reach a settlement, decided that it was fruitless for him to con- tinue his work here, and media- tion was broken off. Successful labor - management negotiations depend upon the spirit of com- promise. The heavy handed manner in which the University refuses to acknowledge GEO's initiatives amounts to an ulti- matum: either union members must capitulate and accept the University's proposal as is, or they must strike to achieve any benefits. With negotiations at such an impasse, it behooves all Univer- sity students to understand the underlying issue. It is not wheth- er GEO receives a 6.2 per cent cost of living increase, nor whether the University has a right to discriminate in hiring and to drag its feet on affirma- tive action. The real question is a symbolic one which subsumes all of these. Are teaching assist- ants to be considered as gradu- ate students receiving economic aid in order to be self-support- ing as they pursue their de- grees? Or, are they to be con- sidered as employees of the uni- versity who are simultaneously studying for their degrees? Un- fortunately, both sides have Ralph's Universe demonstrated a cynical willing- ness to use which ever perspec- tive appears to provide them with an advantage on a particu- lar issue. AT MOST institutions of high- er education, the former atti- tude prevails. Teaching assist- .. . *.v.*.. *:.... .......... ....:.:. ..... . .:< : : : :=. . T It e heavy - handed manner in which the University refuses to acknowledge G E 0's initiatives amounts to an ultimatum: either union members must capitulate and accept ... or they must strike to achieve any benefits. ants are precisely what the name implies-assistants. They lead small discussion groups and problem sessions. As they become more experienced, some are incorporated into the sys- tem as teachers, but then they only teach one class with less than thirty students. Such work is not overwhelming. They can find time to serve their students responsibly and still pursue their doctoral degrees at essen- tially a full-time rate. In re- turn, they receive a minimal stipend, enough to survive (Pro- vided that they do not have any dependents.) For the same minimal stipend (about $3,200 per year, taxable) a teaching assistant at the Uni- versity is required to teach two classes per term with as many as 80 students. The average such T.A. must spend six hours per week teaching in the class- room with some being required to teach up to enght hours per week. Combine this with pre- paring lectures, providing of- fice hours and help sessions, designing tests, and grading pa- pers; it is estimated that the average T.A. spends around 20- 25 hours per week on the job. Conscientious teachers, who, for example, want to grade home- work thoroughly, spend even more time. For a TA to per- form as a full time student has become a virtual impossibility. The process of earning a de- gree has been thereby prolong- ed by as much as two years. It is clear that the adminis- tration views its T.A.'s more as employees than as students. If so, they are the most under- paid educational asset of the University community. T. A. 's enable the U. to claim that it has personalized classes instead of huge factory-like lectures. Hiring professors for the same tasks would cost at least four times as much money. Yet, when it comes to belt-tighten- ing, graduate students pay the price. Their positions are the most vulnerable. STUDENTS COMPLAIN that increased pay for GEO will just mean another rise in tuition. But, why should T.A.'s be the martyrs? Chief University bar- gainer John Forsyth did, in fact, plead poverty during the media- tion sessions. This would be considered a valid argument. Except, when called upon to prove it by opening the books, he refused. No wonder. Last The University must realize that no one can win if there is a strike. Why. not make a more significant response to CEO's most recent proposals before it is too late? See if we can't resolve this mess. year, for the first time, more than 50% of the U's funds went into the non-academic budget. There is plenty of fat for bureaucratic "management" po- sitions, but not enough for teach- ers. If the trend continues, the entire university community will suffer. Too many graduate students are bitter about the way they have been treated here. Ultimately, the entire graduate program will cease to be competitive. Without good graduate students, many facul- ty members may become dis- enchanted and move elsewhere. And, classes now taught by TA's will become unwieldy lectures. lose Top students will cease to con- sider U. of M. as a viable al- ternative. Although neither disputing par- ty has approached the problem this way, I recommend that we put our graduate students back in the business of being full- time students rather than teach- ers. Class size should be strict- ly limited. One teacher should only teach one class per term. Then, the stipend could remain about the same as it is now (in real dollars). UNFORTUNATELY, my solu- tion is too idealistic. I doubt that the university can be dis- suaded from its penchant for cheap labor. In lieu of that, let us at least get down to serious negotiations and avert a crisis. There has been a rumbling in GEO that the rea- son for the administration's in- tractability is that they wish to provoke a strike in order to break the union. GEO has only been with us two years, and the administration is still not hap- py about accepting its existence. But, it is clear that the union is too valuable to its members to merely dissolve. The Univer- sity must realize that no one can win if there is a strike. Why not make a more significant re- sponse to GEO's most recent proposals before it is too late? See if we can't resolve this mess. By Tom Stevens Sangad Chalawyu will strictly uphold the principles of Democracy." That's just what Indira Ghandi said; but the first thing both of these dictators did upon seizing the power was to close down or heav- ily censor the free press. That's not the worst of it though. As with most coups, there's lots of shooting and killing. Plus, a lot of people get doused with gasoline and set afire. But Chalawyu didn't do all that. He only did a little, and he has promised to give power back to the people as soon as they're ready for it. The coup was puri.'ortedly anti- communist. If it was, at least the press wouldn't have been controlled. Chalawyu seems to be no more than a backwater power-pimp with a taste for some high living. Great. He prob- ably wanted to do his thing before he gets too old for fun. He is 60 years old. Before the coup he served as defense minister for the civilian gov- ernment only one day. Leading up to the coup, leftist stu- dents protested the return of former dictator Thanom Kittikachorn. When things started getting hot and heavy, students' protests turning into street violence; Chalawyu then step- ped in and made like Big Daddy. He wanted to prevent the country from slipping into the hands of the com- munists. Chalawyu took advantage of tu- mult rocking the already unstable country and now It looks like the Thai people are going to be protected for quite some time if history proves correct about such matters. It is up to the people of the world,$ all of them, who believe in certain unalienable individual rights, to scorn Chalawyu via public forum if he doesn't give power back to the people. We shouldn't stick our al- ready dirty fingers into Thailand, but all responsible world leaders are obligated to speak out against Chala- wyu. He must be pressured into re- storing freedom. Llt(e IT? HAT IS ['S 5AN ~AOM fOR EMPHASIS! 'I C a ,...:....:....... :..::.. . . ... . .: . . .. . . .. . . . .... . ~ "^#..^^ - v 0a 'U --4. I I I I f ) [ i 1 '---- ii LI Letters to The Daily kiss pix To The Daily: YOUR LARGE, front-page picture of the kissing contest was a pleasure to look at. What a great way to brighten a dreary morning! Please don't wait for another contest: let's have more good pictures! .. .. Joseph Denny October 5 arbitration To The Daily: T H E UNIVERSITY AD- MINISTRATION has asked fac- ulty and departments to prepare contingency plans to minimize the disruptive effects of a GEO strike. In so doing they assume that a strike is inevitable, and they have dropped all efforts to compromise. A far more effective way of avoiding disruption is for the University to accept GEO's proposal for binding arbitra- tion. All unresolved contract is- sues would be submitted to an impartial outside arbiter for de- ision. This offer is GEO's good faith attempt to avert a long and destructive strike. Faculty and students who want classes and research to continue unin- terrupted should urge the ad- ministration to agree. Beth Shinn G.S.R.A. October 6 TM To The Daily: IT HAS NEVER been accept- ed that newspapers should take over the functions of the crimi- nal courts and the juries who decide on the facts of a case. Yourhnews heading: "Arb killer hunted outside of state" (Page 1, Oct. 5) is an out- rageous pre-judgment of a sus- pect. Unfortunately the dam- age that results from this kind of newspaper irresponsibility toward all citizens - both the innocent and the guilty - can- not be properly undone. The only solution is to warn against future news headings of the same kind. Hugh Selby October 5 Butz To The Daily: I HAVE TO comment on The Michigan Daily's obviously shallow integrity and common policy of jumping on theDemo- cratic Party's Bandwagon as exemplified in Tuesday's editor- ial regarding the resignation of Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz. The Daily calls Mr. Butz "an ugly racist." You also state "the slur was so vulgar and full of hate that it could not be repeated in broadcasts or quot- ed in most newspapers." But you saw fit to print this quote in its exact language not once, but three days in a row. Are you using the shelter of news reporting to slur the black peo- ple? Are you not "an ugly ra- cist" yourself? If not, you must enjoy some immature pleasure in printing vulgar language in a newspaper. This is definite- ly not the mature journalism one expects from a major uni- versity newspaper. Your editorial also looks like a copy of the speeches given over the last few days by Dem- ocratic candidate Jimmy Car- ter. Why don't you get off the Democratic Bandwagon and write your own opinion as de- monstrated by your reporting of Mr. Butz's offensive remark? I do not condone his statement and I feel you cannot condemn it. We have enough two-faced people in the news today and we do riding not need our newspapers along with them. Mark J. Romzick October 5 judgement Perspective by W. L. SCHELLER HOW MUCH SHOULD a government spend on social pro- grams for the people? How high should taxes be, es- pecially for the rich? How much is too much? These are questions facing not only Americans this election year, but people all over the world, especially those countries where Social Democratic Parties have been dominant. In Sweden, famous for it's "democratic" cradle to grave socialism, the people went to the polls and cried, "enough" by voting out the ruling Social Democrats for the first time in 44 years. Swedish taxation had finally reached the point where many professionals (i.e. doctors and law- yers) had to pay 101 per cent of their incomes in taxes. The welfare state had actually reached the point where the Communists, part of the Socialist coalition, were pres- suring greater ideological emphasis on new programs. This scared conservative, though progressive Swedes. SWEDEN IS NOT the only nation where voices are being raised about government overinvolvement and spend- ing. Last week the wolf was knocking on the door of 10 Downing St. as the British Pound Sterling hit an all time low of $1.63. The British economy is sinking under a 13.8% inflation rate, though down from the 23 per cent rate last year, and a doubled unemployment rate from a year ago. Britain in now procuring a $3.9 billion loan, their borrow- ing limit, from the International Monetary Fund. This will help keep the government solvent, at least for a while. This final loan brings strings with it though.l Britain must agree to heavy public spending cuts and stringent wage controls. For a long time now Britain has had "tax exiles" and taxes on some investments reaching 98 per cent. It is not only in Europe that social welfare policies and excessive taxes have brought down governments or led them into deep trouble. The near default of New York was a direct result of excessive public spending. IN NOVEMBER WE FACE an election where these topics are or should be of great concern. Mr. Carter has proposed systems of public jobs and increased taxes on upper income families and corporations. He mentioned a potentially disasterous proposal during the first debates, that of ending the Domestic International Sales Corpora- tion benefits, which encourage exports. These programs which would place heavy responsibilities on the govern- ment and decrease the amount of investment capital avail- able to companies, not to mention hurting our balance of payments by making exports less profitable, are precisely the formula to drive us to ruin, just as is happening in Britain today. President Ford on the other hand has proposed some positive action toward improving the position of our na- tion. President Ford wants to concentrate jobs and economic growth in the private sector, where it should be. He has proposed giving tax cuts up to 28 billion dollars, three-quar- ters to private tax payers and one-quarter to corporations. This means that the private taxpayer would already be carrying a smaller part of the burden. Ford would also create tax incentives for companies to locate in large metro- politan areas, where the highest unemployment occurs. AMERICA MUST NOW PLAN AHEAD for it's economic future. We have the choice of expanding the private sec- tor of our economy where production and demand will create new jobs which will sustain themsk .ves or we can let our government get more deeply involved by providing public jobs, which must be funded from tax revenues, that will require continuous funding if they are to remain in ~VrV'L IT MY 'i sIo~.s ARE A SU U-MROOrP~I1N t ASR- C d' NC t-V%CATS 1 w,- .VAu. As I used to say in my intro- ductory government classes at the University of Michigan in the mid-fifties: "if we do not do what has to be done, this will be done by others quite differently." Victor Zitta (Ph.D., Dr. Habil.) 4230 Fessenden Avenue Washington, D.C. 20016 Letters should be typed and limited to 400 words. The Daily reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. K '7 Contact your reps Sen. Phillip Hart (Dem.), 253 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep.), 353 Russell Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep.), 2353 Rayburn Bldg., Capitol Hill, I