The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 4, 1979-Page 3 Stiffer penalties ahead for young drinkers By AMY DIAMOND Ann Arbor's lenient $5 drinking fine may be replaced by stiffer penalties as a result of a series of recommendations proposed by a 19-member work study panel investigating the 21-year old drinking law. The panel was appointed by Gov. William Milliken in an effort to crack- down on the new law and ensure that it is carried out effectively and efficien- tly. ACCORDING TO Rev. Allen Rice II, executive director of the Michigan Council on Alcohol Problems (MICAP) and a member of the panel, "The 21- year old drinking law is difficult to in- terpret, so we want to give a more uniform way to handle infractions because there isn't enough backbone to the law. Our recommendations would give it more solidity." Among the panel's recommendations are: * Increasing fines from $25 for the first offense and $50 for the second, up to $100 for any offense, at the discretion of the judge; " Establishing a common statewide standard for penalties, thus abolishing the authority of local governments to enact ordinances establishing lower or higher penalties; " Changing the offense from a civil penalty to a hybrid misdemeanor which carries no jail penalties or permanent criminal record; " Stepping up enforcement on the use of fake ID. Fines for making, selling, or using a false ID would be $500 and six months in jail; * A diligent effort by bar owners and retailers to determine if a person is of age or they will be subject to a $500 fine and a six month jail term; " Increasing enforcement of the drinking law for 18, 19, and 20-year olds. ALTHOUGH THESE recommen- Possible new cabinet department splits existing groups in education community By ADRIENNE LYONS and VICKI HENDERSON With WireServiceReports The Carter administration has almost won its battle to create a Depar- tment of Education separate from the now-existing Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). A similar bill was passed in the Senate Monday by a 72-21 margin. The House Government Operations Com- mittee approved the plan by one vote Wednesday after intense lobbying from the administration and lobby groups for and against the new department. PRESIDENT CARTER strongly supports the legislation, having promised during his 1976 presidential campaign to push for a separate education department. The legislation has split the education community. The National Education Association (NEA), a major teachers union, supports the plan, but its rival, the American Federation of Teachers, strongly opposes it. Wilbur McKeachie, a University psychology professor and president of the American Association of Higher Education, said the major question being faced now is: "Will the Depar- tment of Education give education more status and funds? My hope is that it will give education solider funding," he said. "Education has taken second place to health and welfare, and education funding has been unstable." INTERIM UNIVERSITY President Allan Smith said, "I didn't think the case for a separate department had been made in terms of funding. It's not a simple problem. It raises questions with the problem of the National Research Institute, etc." Opponents claim creation of a separate education department would lead to federal interference in a traditionally state and local function. They also warn that such a narrowly- oriented department would become the creature of one set of interest groups. "In my opinion, we are enacting another monster in the federal gover- nment," said Rep. L. H. Fountain (D- N.C.). "It's going to grow and grow and grow. This is going to become a special interest agency." HAROLD SHAPIRO, University Vice-President for Academic Affairs, said he does not favor the bill. He said he has not seen a copy of the final draft, but stated that he did not feel it was ad- See CONTROVERSY, Page 14 3"lch>r .I'm pretty pleased' dations have not been finalized, Rice said they are the"basic tenor of the position towards which the group is moving. He speculated that a final report would be finished by middle May or sooner. Rice, who was one of the principle movers in getting the 21-year old drinking law on the November ballot, explained, "The civil infraction is too difficult to enforce and it's presenting See ENFORCEMENT, Page 9 Food prices down, gas and heating oil up WASHINGTON (AP) - Wholesale cent boost in prices at the wholesale At the White House, press secretary ths and 1.2 per cent in January. food prices declined in April for the first level. Jody Powell found "welcome news" in time in eight months, but not enough to MEANWHILE, an increase in overall food prices figures but forecast "OVERALL THE pace of inflation is offset hefty prices increases in other exports more than offset an eight per "several months of bad news" on prices still too high," said Lyle Gramley, a products such as gasoline and home cent rise in oil imports and helped lower generally. member of the president's Council of heating oil, the government said the nation's trade deficit to $6.2 billion "THERE IS reason to believe that the Economic Advisers. yesterday. in the first three months of the year, the worst of the bad news on food, at least, "It should moderate as the economy As a result, wholesale prices in April Commerce Department said. It was the is behind us," Powell said. slows down later this year. At the same rose 0.9 per cent, the Labor Department lowest quarterly deficit in more than AFL-CIO President George Meany time, we know we are dealing with a reported. two years. said the figures "are only an indication long-term problem and it will take us a It was the smallest rise so far this The first quarter deficit compared of the gloomy inflation picture for the long time to get it in hand." year, but still far in excess of the rate with a deficit of $6.4 billion in the final months ahead if the administration is Whilesale food prices, which have needed to pull inflation below 10 per three months of 1978, and was only- successful in its efforts to decontrol been rising since September, fell 0.3 per cent. The April increase, if continued slightly more than half of the $11.9 gasoline and crude oil prices." cent in April. for a year, would produce an 11.5 per billion deficit in the first quarter of last The April rise followed increases of THE DROP likely will be seen in year. one per cent in the two preceding mon- See FOOD, Page 9 -to a MSU's cement dill Happenings . . . astromoner for the University's Exhibit Museum It's kosher, it'sbright green, and it's cement. It's .. begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Chrysler Center on Jim Loudon, entitled, "December's Venus In- the "KosherDill,"' a 17-foot 27-pound canoe built by North Campus, where the College of Engineering vasion: First Report" in Aud. 3, MLB. .. the Michigan StateUniversity(MSU) engineering and the Industrial Development Division of the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor's recycling station sicigntratrae niestyeek T e hinertg University Institute of Science and Technology will hours have been changed. The station will be open students for a race next week in Toledo, Ohio. Marty peeta"auatrn eerhAtvte Phillips, president of the MSU chapter of the pesna "Manufacturing Resahe 0aActivities on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 American Society of Civil Engineers, said construc- lso a ene e p.m. only... DRUG-HELP, Inc., is interviewing tion of the canoe gives students a chance to apply tension Service will sponsor a conference called volunteers during the next three weeks. Call 994- the skills which they have learned in the classroom. "curren Isuesrin Voctional-Technia HELP to arrange for an appointment. The tudntsstared.wor on he essl lat fll, Education," at the Briarwood Hilton . .. at 3 p.m., The students started work on the vessel last fall, noted Ann Arbor historian Wystan Stevens will con- and just last week they broke the mold, painted the duct an architectural tour of the city. Meet at the In- On the outside boat and padded its inside. "We had a riot building ternational Center in Room 18, if you've already this canoe," said Jan Cote, an MSU honor student signed up for transportation ... The University Old Sol will make an appearance today, warming from Bloomfield Hills. "We'll have a great time at Astronomical Film Festival kicks off its tenth year the temperatures to the mid-50s. It'll be a little win- the races." UPI reports the students said they plan of free programs at 7:30 p.m. with a film on Venus dier than yesterday, though, and the low will dip to to get "pickled" after the race. and a lecture by festival director and staff the mid-30s.