Michigan Daily Edited and managed by Students at the University of Michigan -~-- ------- -- -- - Friday, August 23, 1974 News Phone: 764-0552 Presidential tarnish WEDNESDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT that Gerald Ford in- tends to run for the presidency in 1976 has put the first smudge of possible tarnish on his hitherto sterling presidential image. No president since George Washington has been as removed from the Presidential election process as Gerald Ford; he did not campaign for, nor was he elected to the Office he now holds. He has not had to sell himself in speeches or stick his name on the bumpers of Repub- lican Pintos or exchange promises for election day votes. He is an appointed President, a successor to an abdicated office. An entry into the political ring makes the actions of Gerald Ford subject to closer scrutiny than before. There is always basis for the distrustful eyeing of office-holders aspiring to a second or succeeding term. Are their ac- tions the result of deliberation on the long-term effect on the nation or on their personal popular standing? Clean as the proverbial hound's tooth in his embryonic career as President, Ford may continue his careful de- tachment from the shadier side of the American politi- cal gameboard. He did not join in the long-time candi- date tradition of waiting until the last second before modestly announcing to the breath-holding public that well, yes, come to think of it, they rather would like to be the President. (Balloons, pre-tickered tape, bumper stickers and high-velocity promises follow). IT IS HOPED that Ford will not lose his strong balance of confidence and humility and will take good coun- sel, lest he follow in the naith of others who fell victim to the carnivorous ego-fed traps of the Presidential cam- paign trail. --Beth Nissen NEW BADGES, SAME BREEZE The games pols play By BILL HEENAN 'f1lE CITY is playing games, Someone flips the egg-tim- er, giving City Hall "staffer" James Stephenson, "City Ad- minstrator Kathy Kozachen- ko, and other officials playing 'unfamiliar roles three minutes to decide Ann Arbor's fate. The name of the game is "Policy Negotiations." To "im- prove communications", six Council members, various de- partment heads, and local Chamber of Commerce and Real Estate Board leaders played each other's roles in the :uiet seclusion of Inglis House last June. "City officials play real-life games all the time - and are very sophisticated at it," re- marked Barbara Steinwachs, head of the University Exten- sion Gaming Service which ob- served the proceedings. "But here we gave them the opportunity to meet, listen, and really communicate with e a c h other without constituency pres- sures," she explained. Divided into 'citizens' a n d 'policy-maker' groups, the par- ticipants determined Ann Ar- bor's future budgetary priori- ties with "prestige chips" which they massed behind particular issues the teams wished to raise or vote upon. A proposal could pass when supported by twice the chips as dedicated to its downfall. "THE GAME was designed," said Dr. Alan Feldt, a Gaming Service consultant; "to create an 'imnasse' situation: partici- nants would have to argue, lob- by, compromise, and use any means at their disposal to pass something." However, he warned that though the game contained ele- ments of realism," it cannot even begin to predict the direc- tion in which this city is go- ing." The simulation was highlights by players actually totally out of character: real-life radicals shrugged t h e i r budgetary shoulders, while hard-core con- servatives embraced normally unthinkable causes. "Mayor Stephenson said I was a lousy Republican," com- nlained Jamie Kenworthy, a Democratic Fourth Ward coun- cilman, playing a GOP regular. "All I said was that I would not repair the roads," he ex- plained. Commenting on Mayor Step- henson's performance as a wssld-be administrative staffer, Kenworthy remarked: ' ' T h e mayor, who is usually critical of many things, really enjoyed his part." KATHY KOZACHENKO, a Human Rights Party (HRP) Councilwoman from the Second Ward admitted difficulty in ad- justing to her new City Admin- istrator role. Yet real-life City Planner Bill Duddleson recalled that she played her role quite well: "She told the city labor un- ions that she absolutely could not give them a seven per cent raise - and she sounded quite persuasive." But while backs were turned, Duddleson (An HRP regular in the game) stole everyone's chips, charged Kozachenko. "Businessman" Walter Kraz- ny - actually the city potice chief-commented: "With these new roles, the Democrats, who usually favor social programs, were dead-set against them." "I wonder whether a person really meant what he was say- ing instead of being motivated by politics of the game?" said Krazny. After some initial confusion with the rules, the gamers to- cused on a city income tax, one of 26 prospective issues pro- vided by the planning commit- tee. "THE CITY was in financial chaos," contended Kozachenko. "Everyone lost their voting power, except HRP and the la- bor unions." Nevertheless, most partici- pants were pleased with the re- sults: "The game achieved its pur- pose," stated City Administra- tor Sylvester Murray whose planning committee sponsored the simulation. "People really opened up and talked to people "The simulation was highlighted by play- ers acting totally out of character: real- life radicals shrug- ging their budgetary shoulders while hard- core conservatives embraced normally unthinkable causes." they wouldn't normally talk to." It was like a small begin- ning," said Carol Jones (D-Se- cond Ward) a committee mem- ber and participant. "People let their hair down this time." Mayor Stephenson was not so enthusiastic: "It's an intang- ible thing - not exactly a waste of time, but not the greatest thing either. Feldt cautioned: "Gaming per se can be gimmicky." He re- commended that a more regu- lar use of gaming could facil- itate, but not replace good com- munication. THE SIMULATION, an "Ann Arborized" version of "Policy Negotiations" was designed by School of Education Prof. Fred- erick Goodman; and for $75 you can order it by mail. In addi- tion, elements of Ed school Prof. Layman Allen's "Policy- plan" and Western Behavioral Science Institute's "Sitte." To date, the city has no fur- ther game plans. a I Summer S/aff JUDY RUSKIN Editore MARNIE HEYN Editorial Director KEN FINK Arts Editor GORI5ON ATCHESON CHIERYL PILATE . JEFF SORENSEN BARBARA CORNELL DELLA DIPIETRO INLE LIEENAN ANDREA LILLY ... .Night Editor Night Editor - Night Editor . Asst. Night Editor Ast. Night Editor Asst Night Editor Ass't. Night Editor -- st4'7iff F liti1,4 i 50 'Ah!Fresh Meat!' Letters to Dodge forum To The Daily: RECENT YEARS have w i t- nessed the resurgence of the workers' movement in t h i s country, and various anti-imper- ialist and communist organiza- tions have endeavored to give this movement a revolutionary content. If we take the time to investigate the history of work- ing people (as in Labor's Un- told Story), we find out that workers do indeed have a glor- ious history of struggle. The heightened resistence among working people today is in direct response to the at- tacks against them by the rul- ing class - similar attacks are being perpetrated against s t u- dents. Taking advantage of the "passivity" of students, admin- istrators are attempting to wrest away the hard-won gains of the sixties. Here at Michigan, this takes the form of tuition hikes, reduc- tions in student funding, the bad faith of the administration regarding the BAM demands, their messing around with the advocates program, and their attempts to seize control of stu- dents' organizational funds. IT IS not enough to merely fight for the establishment of certain rights - we've got to fight to keep them. Similarly, the Daily we have to continue the fight for the right to an education which is far from fully realized for people in this country. When we witness apathy on the part of students today, we must understand student apa- thy today is qualitatively differ- ent from the apathy of a de- cade ago. Back then, people didn't really have a fundament- al understanding of the system. Nowadays, they do have that understanding - they can see it, but they don't know how to change it. It can be chang- ed, and if we're really serious about it, then we can l e a r n some really important lessons from the workers at D o d g e Truck. What they learned was that the only people that they could depend on to consistently repre- sent their interests were them- selves TRANSPOSED to this campus, it means that we have to rely on the united action to students to get things done. In addition, we should see the importance of supporting oth- ers in their struggles (as with the Argus workers), and of soli- citing their support for ours. We feel that it is only by linking up with other forces, that we will be able to achieve lasting victories. -Revolutionary Student Brigade Contact your reps- Sen. Phillip Hart (Dem), Rm 253, Old Senate Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep), Rm 353, Old Senate Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep), Rm. 412, Cannon Bldg., Capitol Bill, Washington, D.C. 20515. Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep), Senate, State Capitol Bldg., Lansing, Mi. 48933. Rep. Perry Bullard (Dem), House of Representatives, State Capitol Bldg., Lansing, ML. 48933.