... '9, - s . *. t. t,.-g. Q ~ r." The BigApple: Rotten to the poor By MICHAEL BECKMAN f (H1, HOW THE MIGHTY have fallen! The once proul city of f New York, largest city in America, symbol of United States d power and the American dream, the city paved with gold, has f officially admitted that it can't handle its own financial affairs, tr and has turned over the keys to its rapidly emptying vault to d the State of New York. For the city it represents a last ditch chance to stay afloat, for the state it represents a gamble that if lost, will place it in an even deeper pool of quicksand than l its new foster child. T To most people from outside the Metropolitan area, it seems T incomprehensible that an entire city, any city, let alone New e York could become broke. But to native New Yorkers like f myself, who have been able to watch the entire tragedy unfold m day by day, the downfall was expected. How did the once aptly o named Big Apple fall prey to the worm that is rapidly eating t away at its insides? f II THE CITY'S DOWNFALL can be traced to three major p factors that have occurred over the past three years. The first t and most obvious being the total degeneration of the American u economy. While the entire nation has been greatly affected, the be New York area has been by far the hardest hit. The area was in a recession long before the term became denied by the Presi- dent. When the Federal Government finally acceded to the fact to that America was indeed in a recession New York was offi- i cially in a depression, the only part of the country to be so t classified. When the unemployment rate in the country was j reaching seven and eight per cent, the rate in Newark, New 0 Jersey was soaring to well over 10 per cent, and New York had ej nearly as high a rate. Why New York was hit harder than the rest of the nation can be attributed to the other two factors. L se THE FIRST OF THESE factors involves the taking over by G the new Democratic regime in N.Y.C., after the election of de 1972. And the second has to do with the incredible series of t? blunders, both politically and economically that were made by these men. In 1972, Abraham Beame became mayor of the city, so replacing John Lindsay. What Beame inherited was something w akin to what Herbert Hoover received when he became Presi- o dent in 1928. An outward look of prosperity and well-being, with st ~1~ 3f 4gian yD Eighty-Five Years of Editorial Frees Edited and managed by students at the University of ew indications of the cracks in the financial dam. oundation that supported N.Y.C. was beginning to crui er the weight of years of mismanagement. Abe B ormer comptroller of the city and a noted accountant rusted with plugging the leak. But the dam has colla er his administration. THERE ARE NUMEROUS causes for the collapse, east of which is the poor choice of subordinates by th he best, or worst example of this involves the case of rack Betting Corporation (OTB). OTB was created xpress purpose of bringing in revenue for the city. I ounder, Howard Samuels, it did exactly that. This nostly to hard and honest work by Samuels and his ha rganization. What was amazing about the organizal hat throughout the ranks, there was nary a political hE ound in a key position, which is contrary to New York n 1973, Samuels left OTB to run for governor, and laced by his top assistant, Paul Screvane. Immediate ering out of the ranks began. Screvane began replaci el's top quality men with his friends and political ha egan eating up money for their personal comforts. THE NEXT BLUNDER was made by Beame, who o implement a five per cent surcharge on all OTB pays ntent was to raise even more money for the city, as appease the critics of legalized betting parlors. The ef ust the opposite. The surcharge drove a large prop( TB patrons back to their bookies or the race track; arnings dropped drastically. And to make matters even worse, Screvane, like uther King, was a man with a vision. Only his vision u elfish. Specifically, he wanted OTB to buy Madison arden. His justification for this transaction was that en's present owner, Gulf Western Corporation, was in rouble. What he didn't say was that to them, financial trot omething like canceling their quarterly divident. So h as to spend money meant for the people of New Yorl it a bunch of millionaires. Well, the whole thing caus ink, and for awhile at least, Screvane backed down. n !FBI By DOC KRALIK domn WASHINGTON - The Fed ation of Bungling Imbeci (FBI) today found Presid fMichigan Gerald Ford. Agents captui 'hone: 764-0552 Ford quietly in a large w- house on Pennsylvania Aven not far from their own he quarters. Earlier in the day the I captured Ford's cohorts Hei and Nancy Kissinger while tl were jogging on a streetcor not far from the house. Unli fan ly as it may seem, they w out jogging. Thus the FBI ended its sea zler is why the gen- for Ford which began more tI to worry. After all, a year ago when a number ton threyte aus, large trucks with "Mayflow on the tube, hus- written on their sides remo, to spend the day Ford and all his belongings fr nd children or per- his West Virginia town hoc. od book or a Sun- "That 'Mayflower' bit re, threw us off," said FBI dix tor Clarence Jelley. "We kr E prospects seems from the beginning that it i illing - except to some kind of code, but e who needs a fix. couldn't tell just what it me, Now we know that he was m sturbing about the ing to this white house in ntion it drew over tourist district." nportant events as F B I special-agent-in-cha ary aid to Israel, Charles Late, who has been whole episode did much to portray the credibility and the in- tent of members of the Beame administration towards the people. ANOTHER PRIME EXAMPLE of the city government's warped values is the case of mass transit. As of this September 1st, mass transit rates were raised for the third time in the past ten years. A ride on the subway now costs 50 cents a shot, where it used to be 35 cents. Along with this increase, rates on the Penn Central and Long Island railroads also in- creased. Tolls on all of the bridges and tunnels were raisesd from one dollar to $1.50. While all of this has been happening, more mass transit and rairoad workers have been laid off, there are now less trains running, and the Port Authority, which used to be a model of efficiency, is a shambles. But the most incredible aspect of this saga deals with the proposed construction of a new West Side highway. At a time when New York is on a time schedule to meet Federal Clean Air Act standards, they are trying to upgrade roads for the gas burning polluting elements that it has to get rid of. PUTTING IT IN dollars and cents, the new highway will cost the city at least 110 million dolars and the Federa Gov- ernment 1 billion dollars. This is interesting because the Feds seem willing to finance a highway, but they won't allocate any funds to save the city from default. Anyway, instead of all this the city could apply for and receive 50 million from the Fed- eral government for mass transit. And city officials wonder why they are the subject of merciless ridicule. Only a few of New York's myriad of problems have been pointed out. To discuss all of them would require a column the length of a doctoral thesis. Among the other things that have effectively crippled the city over the past couple of months have been a sanitation strike, threats to follow suit by the police and firemen, and at present a teacher's strike. THESE ACTIONS ARE MOSTLY over New York's policy of laying off municipal workers. The city is digging itself into a deeper and deeper grave. It is bankrupt, and only through loans has it been able to survive. The rulers have finally ad- mitted that they can't handle the city's financial affairs, and as "WhatBeame inher- ited was something akin to what Herbert Hoover received when he became President in 1929. An outlook of prosperity and well- being, with few indica- tions of the cracks in the financial dam." ..................s;....,..:.t .s~. . . . . ..t.i " 5s** of this past Monday, control of the city's economic affairs has been turned over to the seven member Emergency Financial Control Board controlled by Hugh Carey, the governor of New York. The state has also put up 2.3 billion dollars to keep the city afloat until December. It is only the latest in a series of humiliations to be bestowed upon this once proud metropolis. SO WHAT LIES in store for the city? Now the question also involves the whole state because if the city defaults, the state will go down with it. The next three months could very well be the most crucial in the city and the entire country's his- tory. New York's plight is more than just a local problem. Its fate belies the fate of the whole country. New York sets the tone for the entire country and if it falls, all else will follow. America needs a strong New York, and right now New York needs a strong America to help it through this dark period. New York has admitted it can't cope with its probems. It is drowning and begging for help, but so far none has been forth- coming. It is now America's choice, do we throw New York a life preserver and help pull it ashore, or let it fall prey to the loan sharks. Michael Beckman is a freshperson enrolled in LSA. Washington finds Ford in ing to find Ford from the be- ginning said, "This effectively puts an end to everyone we know who was in the GOP. There may be other members Saturday, September 20, 1975 News P 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 Football pact calms the case except to say, "It in- volved interviews with a lot of people, a lot of investigative techniques. We had picked up rumors of the Kissingers' buy- ing salami in a nearby party store." Those rumors led Late and his crew to stake out the white house for 22 hours previous. to the arrest. Ford now faces numerous fed- eral and state charges includ- ing skiing too much, smiling in- appropriately, blowing his lines and smoking a pipe. Federal prosecutors are trying to as- semble enough evidence to con- vict Ford of drinking beer in public in addition to these charges. Thus the saga of the reaction- ary GOP has come to an end. The GOP, which was to have been a vanguard for inaction on important legislation, chose as its symbol the now familiar flatulent and drooping elephant. Mrs. Betty Ford, when in- formed that her husband had been found in the family room, took the news almost casually. "Oh," she said, "I thought he was out in the pool swimming his laps and pushing in his sec- retaries." Mrs. Ford has been writing a book about her life with Gerry, but the publication of the book book tells how often she slept their daughter's affair with Ste- phen Weird, and the real rea- with Gerry, the inside story on son that Ford doesn't wear double-breasted suits anymore. A WCTU spokesperson said, "Suppose your daughter went out with a creep with a mus- tache like that? I don't even see how they frenched." FBI director Clarence Jelley wanted to assure the American citizens that what happened to Gerald Ford could never happen to them. "The problem with Ford," Jelley told newsmen, "was that he was so well known. The average American citizen is different. On your average citi- zen we have a complete file." Doc Kralik is currently un- der investigation by the FBI as a Stephen Weed look-alike. He claims to have ex-fiancees at large in all major American ciies. AMERICA AVERTED what may have been a major crisis with the an- nouncement that the National Foot- ball League settled a player's strike just three days before the regular season was scheduled to begin. The prospect that five . teams would not take the field tomorrow un- nerved the NFL executives, the pres- idents of the major television net- works, and millions of beer-guzzling armchair quarterbacks. Somehow a Sunday afternoon with- out a gladiatorial confrontation be- tween two groups of adult males play- ing a kid's game for incredibly high salaries just plain frightened people. And the story became front page news across the country. It's fairly easy to understand why the football management and the television honchos were alarmed - the cancellation of the games meant bucks out of their pockets. But the real puzz eral public begant without the games bands would have with their wives an haps reading a go day newspaper. NONE OF THOS ' particularly ch: the football junkie What is most di strike is the atte such genuinely im the possible milit the revelation tha tained an arsenal pons, and, locally precarious fiscal si Still, it's vitallyi strike was settled- probably would ha panic, as peoplea turned on their te expecting to see F of the organization but we haven't heard of them." Late declined to give the de- tails on how he finally broke has been delayed by the Wo- men's Christian Temperance Union because of alleged scan- dalous details. Supposedly the at the CIA main- of biological wea- y, the University's ituation. important that the - otherwise, there ve been a national across the country elevisions tomorrow FOOTBALL. _. 1 Doobies rise for rocking * ON i occasioR n EU concet 11 BNTMARK NORTH P A separative peace RECENT DEVELOPMENTS in the Middle East - preliminary steps toward the signing of a three-year pact between Israel and Egypt and U.S. diplomatic talk of new arms deals with Israel and Jordan - point sadly at what has become an ongoing series of contradictions in our policy there. About the pact, at least two obser- vations should be made: One, the stationing of American "technicians" as part of an early warning system in the Sinai Desert represents a momentous change in Mideast diplomacy. Not since the British Mandate period has any ma- jor outside power played so formal a role in monitoring the goings-on of the area. Once again, we're committed - and to whom, one might ask, are we really committed? - to maintaining order in an area of the world tvwo oceans away. Whatever the pretenses, the purpose of direct intervention can only be, simply, to increase diplomat- ic influence there. Another of the pact's obvious defi- ciencies is its miserable failure to even consider what most people agree is the real source and key to the Middle East problem - that of the Palestinians. T TNTIL THOSE two-and-a-half mil- lion people are either assimilated completely into countries around the TODAY'S STAFF region or given some state of their own, any other separate peace in the Middle East is superficial. And the real contradictions arise when this pact, which still, by the way, must be approved by Congress, is juxtaposed with the recent talk of giving Israel Pershing missiles, and selling anti-aircraft Hawks to Jordan. The transfer of arms to a variety of countries in the Middle East is not in and of itself without precedent. But there are points at which that kind of weaponry supply stretches be- yond realistic limits. Israel is already armed, through American loans and gifts to fight three weeks of war un- assisted. THE SALE OF THE Hawks, onel might argue, would go to Jordan1 and not Egypt. But arms in the Middle East have a habit of turning up in the most unlikely of places, as the 1973 appearance in Egypt of Lib- yan jets purchased from France, would indicate. Worse than the obvious conflict of interests, worse even than the obvious inability of the United States to play an impartial role in the Middle East, is the notion of countries armed to the teeth, combined with an early warning system that cleverly informs us of the outbreak of war. It has all the makings of a battle theatre, and there are many who would raise the curtain. Three conflicting interests seem to emerge: the economic interest of By CHRIS KOCHMANSKI The Doobie Brothers have al- ways seemed somewhat of a "sleeper" band and their nearly sold-out concert at Eastern Michigan's Bowen Field House Wednesday night confirmed that impression. The concert proceeded much like the Doobies' career. It started slowly, sparked some falsehope for hand-clapping jams, quited down, and then in a wink of the eye erupted into a first-rate show. All concerneddwere provided with a healthy dose of distrac- tion. Open act The Outlaws served no greater purpose than to get everyone seated, the be- tween-bands break lasted un- Unlike the Beach Boys, how- ever, they carry their instru- mentals to a sound level many decibels higher. The Doobie Brothers have not heretofore established superstar status nor a rabid cult following like other more publicized rock bands. Therefore, their music, especially in the concert's early stages, elicited a surprisingly cool response. Yet when they brought five members of their tour com- panions The Memphis Horns on stage, they immediately broke out into their patented brand of slick, heavy-beat rock. At times the horns infringed on the guitar work, but general- ly supplied smoothness and sev- a recent development has added a second lead guitarist to the entourage. All talent was in evidence at show's end as the Doobies mov- ed in rapid succession from "Sweet Maxine" to "Long Train Runnin' " and finally to "China Grove," all three of them su- perb, all-out rockers. For an encore, they jammed long and heavily and closed with their theme song of sorts "Lis- ten to the Music." All things considered, the con- cert was less than memorable and accurately pinpointed only one side of the Doobies music, their chart-busting but less com- plex "party" music. And yet, the concert's final 30 minutes made the price of admission worthwhile. One pa- tron, "Doctor" David Greer of Ann Arbor, was moved to com- ment: "I like the Doobie Brothers even if they are a girls' band." "The concert. . started slowly, sparked hope for hand-clap- ping jams . . then in a wink of the eye .4. A 4 WEST I K 10 9 ryKQJ103 f 94 .4. J 86 EAST Q 7 5 + J 10 6 2 i. 10 9 7 3 r A J 6 3 9 7 4 K Q 8 5 SOUTH 4X842 r A 6 5 + A 7 3 . K Q 5 2 WEST (Paris) A K 10 9 V 3 f 94 J 8 6 EAST (Hector) A Q * J 10 6 . 10 97 South 1 4 1 NT West Iv Pass North 1 4 3 NT East Pass All pass 2 3 Milchigan Daily rts Declarer's optimism leads to contract but not to a win FRIEDLANDER tinuation. Instantly he returned a third round of hearts. Paris jumped on the trick and pulled the fateful horse into the city by cashing the remainder of the suit, leaving this situation just prior to the fifth trick: NORTH (Achilles) AJ 6 f K Q 8 5 .4.A4 Opening lead: King of hearts. The plains of Ilium were hot and dusty, and Odysseus' pa- tience was exhausted. The siege was not going well for either side. The Greeks were anxious to return home, and the face that had launched a thousand ships ten years earlier was be- ginning to show its age. Under cover of a white flag, Odysseus sought out Paris of Troy. Once together, they agreed immediately that further blood- shed was senseless, and that the only civilized way to settle their conflict was over the bridge table. "But what shall we do for partners?" queried Paris. At that moment Hector ran into sight by the wall with Achilles in close pursuit. They stopped in front of their com- patriots, and, sensing the fu- tility of continuing to run around the walls of Troy, agreed to play. SOUTH (Odysseus) 4 8 4 *A73 4.KQ52 On the lead of the last heart, North and South could each shed a spade, but East was stuck. If he discarded from either minor suit, he would set up either declarer's or dummy's fourth card in the suit. There- fore, Hector threw his queen of spades. Paris returned a diamond won by Odysseus in the closed hand. Odysseus led a spade and when Paris played low, he finessed the jack, taking the rest of the tricks. "You must beware of Greeks bearing gifts," Odysseus cau- tioned Paris as he scored up .ame, rubber, match and war. "At trick four you should have led a spade to establish your fifth trick and to break up the timing of the squeeze. comfortably long, and seeming swarms of mosquitoes pestered band and audience alike. It's a credit to the Doobies, then, that their set eventually brought the entire crowd into a eral jazzy interludes. Their very presence nonetheless suggested that the Doobies are first and foremost a studio band. Fortunately, the Doobies did