TM
Summer Daily
'Saazsnr lEdiion of
Till MICHIGAN DAiLY
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Thursday, June 7, 1973 News Phone: 764-0552
Gasoline 'shortage'
raises question
A GASOLINE shortage?
A gasoline conspiracy may be more like it. It is being
widely alleged that the major oil companies are plotting
together in a concerted effort to drive low-cost inde-
pendent dealers out of business and to subsequently
pave the way for increased gasoline prices.
Fortunately for drivers everywhere, the U. S. Senate
has seen beyond the hysterical cries of "gas shortage"
and has taken action to prevent the independent sta-
tions from being victimized by the "Big Business" com-
panies.
In a vote of 85-10, the Senate decided Tuesday to
reject President Nixon's voluntary gas allotment plan,
and to require him to come up with a mandatory fuel
distribution policy. Such a plan would insure the con-
tinuance of the independents, as well as the low priced
gasoline they offer, and as such we strongly applaud it.
THE MAJOR gasoline refiners may insist that they are
running out of fuel. vet they have resisted disclosing in-
formation ahout their gas reserves and the number of
their capned wells. And though they assert that over-
seas producers are working at "maximum levels", it is
renorted that countries like Iran and Iraq have com-
plained about cornnanv ondernroduction.
Consumer advonate Ralph Nader, in discussing the
gas "crisis" in the May 12 issue of The New Republic,
asserts that "Tn cutting off or drastically reducing gaso-
line supplies to the indenendent, non-brand gas stations,
the "majors" are moving toward their long desired goal
of driving these stations out of business."
Why would the major companies do this? According
to Nader, "these indenendents have been a major factor
in keening the lid on gasoline prices to motorists. With-
out their price comnetition, the "majors" will be able,
once the loose controls are lifted or raised, to increase
their prices toward that one dollar a gallon figure."
WHAT NADER states is, in all probability, accurate. It
is now up to the government to investigate these
charges, to see if a consiracy does indeed exist. The
government must also find out exactly how severe the
claimed shortages are.
The Nixon Administration, as usual, seems all too
willing to pamoer big business. Besides Nixon's hopes for
voluntary regulation of the gas companies, we've also
heard Treasury Secretary Shultz's suggestion to raise
gasoline taxes in order to discourage people from buy-
ing too much gasoline.
Congress however appears to be more in tune with
our interests. The Senate measure passed Tuesday, be-
sides regulating distribution of fuel, will also provide for
the gathering of more information from the oil com-
panies on their reserves and distribution.
THE PUBLIC must not blindly consent to paying higher
prices or rationing of gasoline without first learning
the true facts about the gasoline crisis.
School board candidates speak
out on the issu
Editor's note: Beginning today, school system before reaching his
The Daily is presenting, in two parts, decision on these important issues.
statements front the candidates in Main son the m otnd t isses
next Monday's School Board eler- Many students have found it dif-
tion. ficult to study and learn under the
present system. We must develon
W endy Barhydt flexible programs which will insure
/ / thatall students have the best edu-
MY DECISION to run for t h e cational experience for them. We
school board is based on two must try to help all students re-
primary objectives: a desire to pro- cognize the valise of the education
vide a safe enriching learning en- which he is being supplied. We
vironment for our children and the should offer educational przgrams
need to begin credibility and com- which will insure that students with
munication between allsegments of widely varying backgrounds and
the community. interests will be able to reach their
Ideally, the sole resnonsibility of maximum potential.
the school board would be to pro- T
vide a quality education for each THE EDUCATIONAL cotteat of
child in the system, but a child the program is the highest priority
who fears for his safety cannot for considerqtion of the school
achieve full academic potential. We board. The budgetary necessities
must see that the current discipline which, make this c o n -
policy is firmly and fairly imple- sideration complex must also be
mented. carefully considered. The y o u n g
students are our hope for the
CONCURRENTLY, the s c h o oI future. I will commit myself to
system must also re-assess i t s this goal if I am elected to the
counseling and rehabilitative staff. school board.
I deolore the release of so many (Dr. Votaw is presently assistant
social workers and diagnosticians dean for curriculum and professor
at a time when they are most crit- on Anatomy in the medical school.
ically needed. He has served the school system
At a time when it appears man- as a member of the Family L i f e
datory that the people of Ann Ar- and Health Education Committee,
bor work together to solve their as chairman of the Election Pro-
problems, we seem to be farthest posals Committee, as a member
apart. In my discussions with par- and president of the Thurston
ents, teachers, and students in the School PTO, as treasurer and pre-
community, I find a serious deter- sident of the Ann Arbor PTO Coun-
ioration in communication with the cil and as a member of the Ad
school board and administration. Hoc Finance Committee to study
As a hoard member, I would make the financial base of the s c h o o I
an honest effort to be available system. Dr. Votaw has three child-
to all facets of our concerned com- ren in the school system.)
muity and to attempt to rebuild
confidence in the school board. Judith Ann Wood
I AM THE mother of two ele-
mentary age daughters; I graduat- T FEEL IT is absolutely essential
ed from the University of Michigan for the entire community -
with a B.S. in Special Education board, administration, profesional
and have tai'ht elementary school and non-professional staff, s t u -
and hospitalized and homebound dents and parents - to begin work-
children. I would very much like ing together towards the common
the opportunity to serve the Ann goals of quality education and
Arbor schools. equality of educational opportunity.
Further we must all strive to
create an atmosphere which en-
Charles Votaw courages the development of ma-
ture and responsible adults. These
AN EDUCATIONAL program in- are the three basic goals of Mich-
volves a student, a teacher, igan Education to which we are all
and a particular time in history. committed. We do not have the
All three of these elements are freedom to choose one of these
tremendously variable. Neither the goals over the other and direct our
teachers, nor the students nor the energies towards achieving t h at
social climate are the same today one goal to the exclusion of the oth-
as it has been in any time past. ers.
The demands on the educational
system are different than they OURS IS a diverse community
have ever been. with many different points of view.
Educational programs must be Each deserves thoughtful consid-
developed which will best prepare eration by the Board of Education
students for the future using the which should make every effort to
best resources available. Setting accommodate them and put them
of priorities for the available re- to constructive use. I feel that a
sources will be a complex and dif- board which is itself more diverse
ficult issue in the coming months would be better able to accomp-
and years. A school board trustee lish this.
must be willing to listen to the en-
tire constituency of the Ann Arbor There has been too much atten-
lion focused on the school board
and the administration and too lit-
tle attention on the teacher and stu-
dent in their unique relationship.
Our primary concern must be with
this relationship because it is here
that our children learn or don't
learn, get turned on to school or
get turned off.
In order to maximize the student-
teacher classroom relations we
need greater emphasis on long
term planning by more flexible al-
ternative learning situations and
more, not less, supportive person-
nel to provide early diagnosis and
treatment of behavioral problems.
BACKGROUND - mother of two
children, 5 and 7 yrs., graduate
of U of M School of Nursing 1961,
presently a part time staff nurse
at Planned Parenthood.
Diana A utn
SCHOOL BOARD elections, as
well as school boards a n d
schools, are political. The political
issues in the campaign are com-
munity control of schools, student
rights, ending sexism, racism, and
tracking, and replacing the unfair
property tax with a steeply grad-
uated income tax to finance
schools.
Each school should be controlled
by a community school board of
students, staff, and parents and
other community members demo-
cratically elected by their peers,
with the power to make all major
decisions concerning their school.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL and hu-
man rights of all students must be
guaranteed. Students should have
control over their own education,
learning what they want to learn
at their own pace. Although peo-
ple's educational rights need to be
protected, compulsory attendance
must be abolished. Keeping peo-
ple in an institution against their
will for no reason except t h e i r
age is involuntary servitude.
Instead of helping to socialize
young women into subservient posi-
tions in society, schools should ac-
tively work to end such discrimina-
tion. Textbooks that are 'sexist to-
ward females and gay people must
be replaced with ones depicting
women in active, varied roles, and
exploring all forms of sexuality in
an open, supportive manner. Class-
es and school-wide sport teams
should not discriminate on the bas-
is of sex.
THE HUMAN Rights Party
supports an immediate end to rac-
ism and tracking in the schools.
Minority communities must have
control over programs dealing with
their histories and culture. The
school for "disruptive youth" that
the Board is planning will be used
as a tool to more rigidly track low-
er-income and non-white students,
and must not be allowed to exist.
Watergate cover-up: The way it
should have been handled
By DICK WEST
tIHERE IS near unanimity among
capital pundits that the White
House could have chosen a better
method of dealing with the Water-
gate crisis.
But very few columnists, com-
mentators and syndicated second-
guessers have addressed themselv-
es to the question of how the
matter could best have been hand-
led.
It remained for a congressman, of
all things, and a Democrat at that,
to come up with the perfect an-
swer. This ideal procedure f or
disposing of the Watergate affair
can be found in a recent news re-
lease by Rep. Thomas M. Rees, (D-
Calif.)
Well, actually Rees wasn't an-
swering that particular question.
But his comment was nonetheless
applicable when he said:
"THE SUBTLEST way for an
idea to die a premature death
is for it to be studied by a pre-
sidential study commission,"
At this very moment, you may
be sure, a half dozen former White
House aides are kicking themselv-
es around the block because they
didn't think of that.
The significance of their over-
sight can be appreciated when we
review what did ensue after that
fateful night last spring when the
Watergate buggers were caught in
the act.
Upon hearing the news, Presi-
dent Nixon's assistants apparently
panicked, lost their heads and an-
nounced that both the FBI and the
White House were investigating the
break-in.
WHAT THEY should have done,
of course, was announce that a pre-
sidential commission would be ap-
pointed to study the incident.
Had that course been followed,
those selfsame aides would still he
on the job and the President woild
have been spared the tribulations,
that have since deluged him.
As Rees pointed out, Washington
"is layered with presidential stud
commissions." It's the traditional
way of defusing explosive issues.
Confronted with a problem he
doesn't know what to do about, a
President vigorously appoints a
commission to'study it. This type
of leadership is known as "dyna-
mic temporization."
The advantage of diverting a
controversy to a commission is
that it gives the iusion that some-
thing is being done while eliminat-
ing the risk of doing the wrong
thing.
Recent commissions on obscenity,
drugs and violence are examples
that spring immediately to mind.
THE WATERGATE case would
have lent itself bealtifully to a
commission stody. And given White
House staffers time to synchronize
their alibis.
Dick West in a writer for
United Press International.