Summer Daily
Suimiter Ediionof
111 tICHIGAN DAlIY
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Saturday, June 9, 1973 News Phone: 764-0552
Sc h ol Board
endorsements
NEXT MONDAY, the Ann Arbor school board election
will be held. The Daily feels that Diana Autin is the
best qualified person for the position of School Board
Trustee.
Autin has been vigorously pushing those issues which
we find the most vital.
For instance, she believes that there must be com-
munity control of schools. As trustee, she will work for
a community school board of students, staff, parents,
and other residents, possessing the power to make all
major decisions concerning their school.
Autin also aims to secure the constitutional and
human rights of all students. She believes that students
must be able to choose their own curriculum, and to
learn at their own pace. And while she recognizes the
fact that people's educational rights need to be pro-
tected, she doesn't feel that compulsory attendance of
schools is necessary to such protection, and would thus
work to abolish the compulsory rule.
Her plans also include working for the end of sex-
ism, racism, and tracking in our public schools.
ALTHOUGH 18, Autin does not lack in the experience
necessary to become a trustee. Her youth is actually
an asset, as she can truly be said to represent that group
with which the schools must work: the young.
As a student at Pioneer Hih School from 1969-1971,
Autin actively worked for student rights (involving the
Student Bill of Rights ) She was the first chairperson of
the HRP's public schools committee, and continues to
work for them, establihins lines of communication with
students and other groups in the Ann Arbor community.
VOTERS WILL be able to vote for a total of three per-
sons for the Schonl Board. We find Henry Alting
and Patricia Pooley competent for the remaining two
positions.
Henry Altin: is a narent alarmed by the alienation
of parents and teachers from the school board. He be-
lieves that the school administration has develoned into
too complex a bureaucracy to be useful to anyone other
than themselves.
Alting would work to open up the school board
meetings to the general nublic. He also wishes to see the
board nursue more modernistic goals for the school sys-
tem. Alting is a proressive nerson who sees the need for
new programs to replace those old ones which have
failed
Patricia Poolev. also a parent, realistically sees the
need for a liberalized education system which recognizes
the differences in the educational needs and desires of
individual students.
Pooley is also opposed to the punitive measures be-
ing used in our schools which only cover up the symp-
toms of violence which the current school system helps
to create.
A STRONG showing at Monday's polls, with votes cast
for Diana Autin, as well as for Henry Alting and Pa-
tricia Poolev, could help bring the Ann Arbor School
Board back into touch with reality.
Miapes: Vote yes
THE DAILY supports both the school millage .renewal
proposition and the library millage proposition.
The school millage of 11 66 is not an increase over
the past millage, but merely a renewal. It is vital that the
school system receive local financial suaport through
millage. Without it, schools will see a 33 per cent fund-
ing cutback. The cuts will basically be in the social serv-
ice departments - psychiatrists, counselors, etc-and
in extra-curricular activities.
THE LIBRARY millage must pass if the Ann Arbor Pub-
lic Library is to continue oneratine without drastic
cutbacks in service. The pronosal will authorize the
School Board to levv up to one mill per year for the
Library. Cost to the taxpayer would be one dollar (one
mill) per $1,000 of assessed property valuation.
WE ADVOCATE the passage of these millages with
qualifications. In the future, income for the school
and library must come from a graduated income tax,
and not from millages and property taxes, which are
regressive and unequitable. However, for the continued
full-time operation of both the school system and the
Library now, a "yes" vote is urgent.
Local conservatives can't accept
Ann Arbor as it really is
MANY PBSERVEIRS have been
fooing the recent actions of
local goveramieat units with on
increasing sense of incredulity.
libera ismn verstis cansers-atisot
no anger seems to be the ismie. A
mitch more fundamental problem
has developed in the seeming in-
ability of Republican policy-mak-
ers to come to grips with Ann Ar-
bor as it is in 1973.
Local conservatives appear to
be operating under the delusion
that Ann Arbor is still a small,
sleepy village, more or less isolat-
ed from the "evils" of modern ur-
ban society
chrois 1)rks
FORTUNATELY or unfortunate-
ly, however, Ann Arbor is coming
more and more to resemble i t s
larger neighbors. Among the symp-
toms are:
-Serious inner city decay and
resulting crime (often heroin re-
lated.) Despite its small size and
high average income this city is
developing a ghetto,
-Tension (often race related) in
the schools,
-Housing problems. Rents (es-
pecially in student neighborhoods)
are incredibly high, and housing is
often shoddy and substandard, and
-A diverse and culturally avante-
guard populace. (Wide-spread use
of soft-drugs) homosexuality, co-
habitation etc. are realities.
THE REIGNING conservatives,
however, unable or unwilling to
deal with real problems - are in-
stead contenttwithcosmetic ac-
lions aiimed at maintaining t h e
pretense of small town innocence
and imposing parochial morality on
a community where it is absurdly
out of place.
The conservative answer to strife
in the schools? Isolate "trouble-
makers" and tuck them away in an
"alternative school".
A simple solution. We will have
"their school" for the bad apples,
and "our school" - a neat, quiet
facility for a neat quiet commun-
ity.
THE BEHAVIOR of the city ad-
ministration has taken on a sim-
Doils Photo by KEN FINK
AND HOW ABOUT the city's cultural diversity? The Republicans
profess not to see it, claiming it's all a creation of their liberal
predecessors - something which can be eliminated or at the very
least driven underground by the new Republican morality.
ilar aura of unreality with the
ascension of the GOP.
The city's most pressing issue?
Garbage collection, says Mayor
James Stephenson. Have to keep
the town tidy, you know.
What about central city decay?
The downtown needs expensive
"specialty shops" for wealthy com-
muters from outlying subdivisions.
And the rent situation? R e n t
control is a radical measure rele-
vant only in big cities. Landlords
aren't "slum lords" here - they're
friendly neighborhood businessmen,
ust trying to make a few dollars
on the side.
council chambers) and no lenient
marijuana law (pot is social poison
-every small town hick knows
that).
So, in line with the rest of the
nation, its back to the 50's with the
GOP. Back to white buck shoes,
Pat Boone, and the country club.
Back to the days when business
was boosted not regulated. Back
to the days when dope and sex
were something you didn't even
talk about in a city council cham-
ber. Back to the All-American City.
And God help the 53 per cent
if us who don't see things that
way.
And how about the city's cultural
diversity? The Republicans pro- letters to The Daily should
fess not to see it, claiming its all be mailed to the Editorial Di-
a creation of their liberal prede- rectoror delivered to Mary
0 ceatttoRafferty in' the Student Pub-
cessors - something which can be lications business office .in the
eliminated or at the very least driv- Michigan Daily building. Letters
en underground by the new Repub- should be typed, double-spaced
lican morality. and normally should not exceed
250 words. The Editorial Direc-
HENCE, NO Gay Pride Week tors reserve the right to edit
(gays belong in closets, not city Alletters submitted.
I understand he was quite influential before
he fell into bad company!',