Poge Ten
THE MICNiIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, July 16, 974
PaeTnTEMCIA ALVTedy uy1,17
Final State Legislature sessior
(Continued fi am Page 4r
amendment - the committees
just couldn't get out the perti-
nent literature," he complained.
"EVEN WORSE," he contin-
ued, "if something gets added
to a piece of legislation at the
last minute, your constituency
never finds out."
State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-
Ann Arbor) merely shrugged his
shoulders over the drawn - out
session.
"It's almost inevitable in hu-
man group behavior this will
occur - people always put off
decisions until faced with dead-
lines."
However, he added cynically,
"if we had adjourned midnight
Saturday and started again lat-
er that day we would have seen
the same results."
Bullard was mildly annoved
with delays in campaign reform
bill action: "Such confusion!
On one hand there was public
pressure to pass the bill, and
on the other the fact that the
bill was discussed in between
budget debates."
"It's like finishing an all-
nighter without feeling the sat-
isfaction of being able to see
the paper you've completed," he
explained.
Bullard and Bursley agreed
that the education bill was
rammed through "That left me
good 'n mad," exclaimed Burs-
ley. The Appropriations Com-
mittee slipped the parochial aid
provision in at the last minute.
This was a policy decision, not
a financial one, which is their
function."
THE BILL provides $700 mil-
lion to the state's public and
private schools, grades K - 12.
The controversial amendment
includes a provision to supply
books and other resources to
private and public schools, be-
ginning next year.
Both legislators agreed that
the House and Senate Appropri-
ation Committees have the most
to gain when the pressure
mounts. "We can only afford to
'take it' with no time to 'leave
it' when it comes down to the
last minutes. According to Burs-
ley, the Committee has a more
elaborate staff and the advan-
tage of long-tem preparation on
the budgetary issues, compared
to the average senator. Compos-
ed of 17 senior representatives
and 10 senators respectively,
the House and Senate Appropri-
ation Committees can exercise
veto power over any legislation
which increases state spending.
Nevertheless, Bullard ad-
mitted "some satisfaction with
the session's results: "We work-
ed hard, and tapped much in-
terest", he said.
While Bullard waited out the
entire 22 hour session in the
House chambers, pausing only
to read Lorenz' Nine Deadly
Sins of Civilization, Bursley
found temporary solace in his
office where loudspeakers al-
lowed him to hear the proceed-
ings. Other senators, they said,.
dozed in the chambers or laid
on backroom couches.
"THE LEADERSHIP W A S
more tired than the younger
Reps, said Bullard. "We were
able to carry on hard-hitting
debate as a result."
After proofreading tbe passed
bills until noon Saturday, Burs-
ley relaxed by swimming a
quarter mile at the nearby YM-
CA, and later returned to Ann
Arbor to read his backlog of
mail and doze in the sun.
Meanwhile Bullard left Lan-
sing soon after the session's
conclusion, sleeping seven hours
and subsequently hit "some
good local parties" Saturday
night.
The two men can afford little
respite, 'for their constituents
will soon monopolize most of
their energy to be expended in
their reelection bids.
Bursley, still smarting from
the marathon, promises to "ser-
iously study" alternatives to
last-minute legislative madness.
He proposes constitutional
amendments which provide that
odd - numbered years be de-
voted to a two year budget pro-
jection. He contends that the
amendment would more evenly
distribute legislative work load
by allowing state legislators to
act without election pressures
characterized by odd years.
tiring
That session, he said, would end
in June.
During odd - numbered yeas,
he stated, the legislature'a
business could be completed by
April: "The number of bills
coming out of committee has
not been enough to justify the
time expended," he charged.
"Instead, we could accomplish
in one month what took three
months to complete."
In addition, he suggested
stronger adherence to a calen-
dar, a practice not followed
this year because of "p-arty dy-
namics". With a Republican
governor and a largely - demo-
cratic, legislature, he said, the
only motivating factor this past
session was the end of the fis-
cal year, June 30."
The State Legislature will re-
sume session September 17
where several unfinished bills-
including the campaign finance
bill - will be determined. How-
ever, Bursley warns of a pos-
sible Detroit teacher's strike
reminiscent of last fall's . . .
So much for legislative dynam-
ics this fiscal year.
GW6I sewe~5.a.pan5. 5.assnog5ne.
C aeo
Probably not. All things considered you do
what you do pretty doggone well. After all, no one
has taken your job. And you're eating regularly.
But...
But have you ever considered what doing your
job just a little better might mean?
Money. Cold hard coin of the realm.
If each of us cared just a smidge more about
what we do for a living, we could actually turn that
inflationary spiral around. Better products, better
service and better management would mean savings
for all of us. Savings of much of the cash and frayed
nerves 's costing us now for repairs and inefficiency.
Point two. By taking more pride in our work
we'll more than likely see America regaining its
strength in the competitive world trade arena. When
the balanceof payments swings our way again we'll
all be better off economically.
So you see-theonly person who can realy
dowhatyoudoany betterisyou.
aiwel u*w .
The California Division of
Mines and Geology estinates
that earthquake damage will
reach $21 billion in California
between 1970 and 2000.
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