Page Two

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Thursday, December 11, 1975

Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thu rsclay, December 11, 1975


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Kozachenko ready to quit City Council

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(Continued from Page 1)
it's not where my guts are, and
it's not where my heart is."
Kozachenko has become in-
creasingly ambivalent toward
her duties as an officeholder
and even members of her own
party admit that she has not
been nearly as effective as she
could have been.
DAVID GOODMAN, w h o
worked closely with Kozachenko
during her first year on council,
feels SHRP has become bogged
down in ideological rhetoric. Al-
though he does not specifically
blame Kozachenko, he says,
"the direction of the party
seems to be one of increasing
isolation from the community in
general.
"There's too much concentra-
tion on ideology and not enough
on getting things done on City
Council. There's also an unwill-
ingness to compromise to serve
the needs of the citizens," he as-
serted.
A former member of SHRP
was even more specific in her
criticisms of Kozachenko's per-
formance on council. "We tried
to help her and encourage her,
but it didn't seem to do any
good. I'm the first to admit she
has been a disappointment."
SINCE April 1975, Kozachenko
has possessed the swing vote on
council-potentially a very pow-
erful position. The five Demo-

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crats and five Republicans fre-
quently go to great lengths to
court her decisive vote.
Her unique position on a fac-
tionalized council, however, has
produced a de-vitalized council-
woman whose personal story
parallels the tale of SHRP in
Ann Arbor. Her waning interest
in city politics is indicative of
the party's dying involvement
in the electoral system.
While some contend Kozachen-
ko has largely ignored her du-
ties as a councilwoman, she
feels the criticisms are unjusti-
fied and says people have dis-
torted her position.
Although City Council is "not
the place I want to be," Koza-
chenko feels that SHRP "has
done a lot of good work talking
about issues which generally
are not talked about in the
mass media.
"It isn't likely that anyone
else would talk about CDRS
(Community Development Rev-
enue Sharing) monies in terms
of them being a virtual band-
aid," she pointed out. "And I
think we've done some useful
things in raising people's con-
sciousness and also in making
the Democratic party answer to
even minimal reforms."
KOzachenko is fairly optimis-
tic about the future of SHRP
and believes there will be a re-
surgence of support for radical
parties someday.
"IT'S ONLY when people feel
a need for banding together to
get some action from the gov-
ernment by a petition drive or
by electing someone that's not'
tied to some other organization
like the Democratic or Republi-
can party, that there's any pow-
er, or any real impact," she
said. "And that's why I think'
that SHRP will be around so'
that when people perceive a
need for it, they'll use it.
Despite Kozachenko's opti-j
mism, it is quite apparent that
the short-lived Golden Age of
the radical party is over. From
1972 to 1974, Nancy Wheeler and
Jerry DeGrieck possessed a de-
cisive two-vote voice on council.
They rode into office on an un-
expected wave of support and
during their years in office, the
party was a viable force on
council.
The presence of Kozachenko
as the only SHRP member on
council, however, has sliced the
voting power of the party in
half and her decision to with-
draw from. electoral politics at
the end of this term may re-
move her party's vote from city
hall indefinitely.
Kozachenko's problems, in
part, began last April when the
vote returns were counted, veri-
fying Democratic candidate Al-

bert Wheeler's possession of the n't vote with us,'
mayor's throne. To Wheeler and woman Elizabeth
his four Democratic council First Ward). "Buti
members, the creation of a De- er things where
mocratic-SHRP coalition seem- clear, and I som
ed probable. with her that we
far enough on sor
BUT KOZACHENKO was ada- she'll vote no.
mant from the start that she "I think that a lot
had no intention of coalescing my side of the a
with the council Democrats and that most of the i
from her standpoint they have up would be the
wrongly made the assumption ould b t
that she would vote consistently andso havhe by tb
with hem.and s she has to
with hem.anyhow, and they
"A number of people in the with'her." contin'i
community were very suppor- think that's wro
tive of Al Wheeler when he was there are enough
running for office and got some- a theme . . . tha
what offended when right at the verv legitimately
outset I said, 'Look, this is no no becavse a certa
coalition'," said Kozachanko. been ignored."
"We are one group of people,
we are a separate party and JONES said that
let's not get over-excited. Our that on certain
point in making that initial rhenk's political s
statement was kind of to clarify sum able: "I thini
that in fact we do represent dif- feelina that on the
ferent interests and have pushed like CRS or gene
for different things in the past get nriorities, or p
and that our vote shouldn't be ization that nat
assumed." . was much more c
She cited the city budget and with us than the
the rent control as two areas were, so if neople
where she feels her efforts have for what they bel
been slighted and her vote as- would more likely
sumed by the Democrats. But on our side."
the real powder-keg has been Jones believes,l
the issue of the $2.4 million in Kozachenko's moti
CDRS funds. with the Republica
accused the De- an expression of
KOZACHENKO acsdheD-beliefs than a sii
mocrats of ignoring her position assert herself pm
on the allocation of those fundsa
at several points during the "The SHRP's n
lengthy C D R S proceedings. ment is closer to t
This, claimed Kozachenko, is than anyone else, b
what ultimately forced her into scared that their
coalescing with the GOP. and the Democra
"We dealt with the Republi- sume that that wa
cans as a reaction to the fact vote was going toI
that the Democrats would not "And I think that
deal with us,' Kozachenko re- somehow to make
counted. "They (the Democrats) definite statement
said, 'We're spending $2.4 mil- very clear that, "
lion now and thats it. You take Democrats' friend,
our little plan or you leave it'." can count on us
Kozachenko left it, and her al- .. . because come
liance with the Republicans neopel are going
startled council Democrats for why elect an SHRP
they perhaps realized for the you're not going to
first time that she was serious better than you're
about her independent position. when you vote f
crat'?"
SINCE Kozachenko's surpris-
ing allegiance with the GOP on KOZACHENKO'S
the issue of CDRS-an allegi- leaving the electo
ance which produced a resolu- two-fold. Beyond
tion that was passed by council disgust-with the pe
and later vetoed by Wheeler - cesses running c
some council Democrats have comcilwoman also
acknowledged that their party could be of great
did, in fact, blindly assume Ko- the present time-
zachenko's vote back in April side of the politic
and counted on her approval of community and s
their proposals to give them re- groups to achieve
lative majority power. party's basic goal
"There are some issues that And although Ko
we bring up that her ass is go- n't make her deci
ing to be in. a sling if she does- council to make th

I

450 South Main
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

Elec.pewriter
T nerstalsl
A.university cellar


said council- "FROM A partisan viewpoint,
Keogh (D- it's great-it's less hassle," said
there are oth- Jones. "If the Democrats take it
it isn't that 'ipon themselves to continue to
etimes agree be responsive to those issues
aren't going that the SHRP has generally
me things, so been stressing (the absence of
the SHRP won't be a loss)."
of people on From the City Administrator's
isle assumed standpoint, however, the return
ssues broight to a two-party system would
kind where have a deleterious effect on the
he short hairs city.
vote with us, "I think it's bad," said Syl-
rdon't bother vester Murray. "Frankly, I
ed Kenah. "I wouldn't want a majority of
ng, because SHRP members on council, but
variations on that minority voice is and has
at Kathy can been an important one. It had
sit and vote an effect on, me being here, and
ain aspect has .it's plaved a role in city opera-
tions. We needed that just to get
the other extreme-without it a

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11

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she also felt
issues Koza-
tance was as-
k it was our
major issues,
eral fund bud-
olice reorgan-
rirally Kathy
losely aligned
Repnblicans
were fighting
lieved- in, we
y have Kathy
however, that
ves for siding
ans were less
her political
nnle desire to
itically.
natural align-
he Democrats
but SHRP was
constituency
ts might as-
s where their
go," she said.
they wanted
some kind of
to make it
We're not the
s and no one
for anything
election time
to say 'Well,
Pperson when
o get anything
going to get
for a Demo-
S reasons for
ral arena are
her general
eople and pro-
ity hall, the
believes she
er service-at
-working out-
cal system in
social service
some of her
s.
ozachenko did-
ision 'to leave
ings more dif-,

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lot of imagination will be lost."

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ficult for the Democrats, she be-
lieves that once the liberal com-
munity has placed the spotlight
exclusively on the Democrats,
their reputation will begin to
tarnish.
"If we (the SHRP) no longer
have a seat on council, people
will not be able to use me as a
scapegoat anymore for the cha-
os at city hall, or the lack of
progress because they couldn't
get my vote," she claimed. "I
think people will re-learn some
things that they knew before
about the Democratic party.
REACTION to the prospect of
Kozachenko hanging up her po-
litical hat is varied. Some coun-
cil members applaud Kozachen-
ko's decision not to run again,
perceiving, the opportunity for
their own party to land an addi-
tional council seat.
Others, however, view Koza-
chenko's departure as the death
of the only minority voice on
council.
"From a political standopint,
it is a loss," said Robert Henry
(R-Third Ward), "because if
there is no SHRP, we (the GOP)
are looking at a perpetually
rough situation in the fourth
ward. If we lose in the fourth
ward all the time, we'll be in
the minority.
"I don't agree with much of
what Kathy says," Henry add-
ed, "but the presence of the
SHRP has had a net positive ef-
fect. But that type of radical
thinking could be represented in
the Democratic party, although
not by any of the people on
council right now."
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I ZOLTON Ferency, an active
member of the state-level SHRP
and a former gubernatorial can-
didate, termed Kozachenko's
departure a "real loss" to both
the Ann Arbor and the state
party.
"It's always better to be able
to run someone as an incumbent
than a complete stranger," he
pointed out. "It's a serious loss
to us-I regret it.'
Ferency acknowledged that
the loss of representation in Ann
Arbor paints gloomy strokes in
the state party picture, since
the only other state representa-
tion is in Ypsilanti.
"It's an unhappy situation.
It's helnil for us to be able to
noint to one place were we have
people-where we can show peo-
ole it is possible to elect a third
party candidate."
"YOU HAVE to remember,
though." added Ferency, "that
the SHRP emerged out of a
number of movements - the
peace movement, the women's
movement, tie ecology move-
ment. We later decided to add
the electoral element. For us
that's the frosting on the cake
-something else you do. We
never set store by the electoral
system.'
As an SHRP member on lo-
cal level, however, Goodman be-
lieves Kozachenko's withdrawal
from ele'ctoral politics will un-
doubtedly not a kink into the
party's operation.
"I don't agree with the con-
tention that radicals shouldn't
be involved in electoral oli-
tics," said Goodman, an SHRP
concil candidate last spring.
"There's all these, what I call,
radical onrists-thev feel theyll
, get their hands dirty by getting
linvolved in politics. They feel
it's demeaning. I don't share
that view.
I DONT think SHRP will
!lt anybndy to City Concil
nex "as'pring' continued Good-
m'an. "bit I'm convinced that
there's a gnod chance for an SH-
RP revivcl if neople learu les-
sons in the fntre from SrIRP's
rurrent failre."
According to Goodman, who re-
mains a member of the Ann Ar-
hnr chanter of SHRP. while re-
frainig from active involve-
ment "because of significant
disagreements with the general
trend of things in this chater."
SRP's active membershin in
the city has dwindled consider-
ably.
O"lv 25 neonle attended the
nrtv's last mass meeting-near
lv sf oercent less than the count
"aken last year at this time,
he said.
"EF' VRADY understands
that ST-RP's snnort has signi-
i'antlv dim inished, bnt the dif-
fere're in oninion is in what
nonle think shold be done
!houut it.' said Goodman. "A
lot of neonle think it was good
the way we waterud down or
onlt;-s before, and just worked
outside the svstem on issues. I
don't agree with that."
Nevertheless, K7achenko is
 leaving City Council, purported-
lv to join the working class.
"Were not interested in building
the SHRP her se. If we were,
it's clear that I should run
again." she sas. "What we're
interested in doing, and what
o'r goals are, are to work with
neonle to fight for both long and
shortterm change in society.
And when vou look at whoever
could nossibly produce that
enormous amount of change, the
only neople in the end that are
,oing to have that power, are
doing to be working people.
peonle by whose labor you know
the society kees on running.'

In his first starting game in
the National Football League,
230-nond running back Don
Thardernan of the Houston Oilers
resnonded with 107 yards on 27
carries against San Diego.
TIfi MI 'ICIG DAVl Y
Volume LXXXVI, No. 81
Thursday, December 11, 1975
is edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan. News

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