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.