The Michigan Daily Editedtand managed by Students of the University of Michigan Wednesday, June 8, 1977 News Phone: 764-0552 'OK spec. ed. mila ge and help some children AFTER EIGHT YEARS without an increase, despite In- flation and declining state aids, the Washtenaw In- termediate School District Is asking the taxpayers for help. The District is asking for a one-half mill increase' In the Special Education Millage to be voted on June 13th. The millage increase, If passed, is expected to raise $1,009,335 for special education programs in Washtenaw County Schools. Because education in Michigan is funded through property taxes, areas such as Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo and East Lansing have long suffered through inadequate fund- ing. Because public universities in these areas take acres of land from the tax rolls, primary and secondary edu- cation falls prey to higher education. It's an unfair situation in which shoolchildren and taxpayers lose. But until the state gets around to revising its sys- tem of funding public education, such things at milages exist. The proposed hike in the Special Education Millage needs to be passed - for the sake of everyone involved. The last hike was eight years ago. Since then, utili- ty rates, supplies and transportation costs have all risen more than 100 per cent. SINCE THEN, the state mandated programs included in special education budgets have increased from 195 programs in 1969 to 305 programs now. More mandatory programs are expected in the near future. The special education programs are for children with emotional problems, learning disabilities, physi- cal handicaps, mental retardation. These children deserve an equal education. Their needs cannot and should not be ignored. The children need your vote. ERA could squeak by with a little persistence FRUSTRATION IS WATCHING back room politics de- stroy good pieces of legislation. Frustration is to watch public interest focus on such legislation, to see a swelling quorum, only to have any hopes of victory dashed with the final vote. Frustration is watching ratification elude the Equal Rights Amendment for the umpteenth time too many this year. This time, that frustration was perpetrated by the Illinois State House of Representatives. Already defeat- ed once this year in that state, the ERA was re-intro- duced, subject to a surprisingly swift votes, and dropped by five voices. Just five votes. It was that close. Those five votes would have put the ERA on the floor of that state's Senate, where who-knows-what could have happened. But that would have been at least an- other half-step to ratification. HAD THE ERA PASSED by whatever slim margin in the state which force-fed us Phyllis Schafly, it would have been a major moral victory. It could have been the spark to light the fires for a string of ratifications, and put the ERA over the top, and on the Constitution where it belongs. Thirty-five of the. 38 states needed for national ratifi- cation have approved the ERA - but three of those states (Idaho, Nebraska and Tennessee) are presently involved in court battles to rescind their approvals. And then there's the case of Illinois, which has defeated the ERA twice, and whose legislators say they will re-introduce it a third time, and as many times as necessary. Their fable carries the moral of persistence - a moral which more legislators should absorb and utilize.. Only by working for our ideals can those dreams be- come realities. Letters to The Daily I computers To The Daily: Would you sell computers to Hitler? Can we make IBM, Bur- roughs, Honeywell, etc., account- able to hilman rights? Or would you agree with Neil Jackson, di- "ector of communications for Burroughs: "Burroughs official policy is ... never comment on the political affairs of the 120 countries with which we do busi- ness, including our own.' This means people are reduced to economic consequences. If you believe human rights has nothing to do with computers, read on. IBM sells computers to South American dictators. IBM knows much of their hardware is be- ing used as an intelligence net- work to keep track of opponents and dissidents. IBM knows com- puters can be turned into op- pressive police state weapons. Are they innocent because busi- ness has no human values? Computer companies know there is a link between the sale of computers and increased tor- ture, oppression and disappear- ances of political enemies. IBM has beets "renting its ma- chines and scientists to ... South Africa to keep close track by its computers ... of protesting and trouble-making blacks," says Tom Mechling of Wash- ington Watch. Maybe it's time we let them know we know and we don't like it. Business doesn't have to be value free. Even Ed Kennedy asks "how can we justify selling computers for the purpose of tracking down opponents of the regime' in Chile?" Bart Plantenga Hill chided To The Daily: To Gregory S Hill on Gay Catholics-"Me thinks she doth protest too much!" Rose Fleming transit To The Daily: The President's Energy Con- servation Plans present us all with a major challenge. Each of us will be taking a hard look at how we travel, how we keep warm and how we use energy in general. There is a step we can all take immediately to help - we can start using the public transit system for MORE of our every- day, routine trips. Many of you use the bus now but use it in- frequently. Some of you have never tried Ann Arbor Transpor- tation Authority services. We have capacity on our ex- isting Dial-A-Ride and line bus runs to get you where you want to go. It may take a little long- er than your car, it may not be as convenient - but it's low in cost ($25 cents in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, 54 cents between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti), and it SAVES ENERGY. If you com- mute five miles per day round trip, using the bus can save you a tankful of gas or more per month going to and from work. Call us at 973-0300 to find out how to make the trip you are interested in. See you on the bus! Karl W. Guenther Executive Director P.S. Employers - Find out about the Ann' Arbor Transpor- tation Authority's Bus Pool for your staff. We can save you money AND ease your parking problems. .A 1t4 E LATEST Atw Yousa Q Rot#Ko. Health Service Handbook By SYLVIA HACKER and NANCY PALCHIK QUESTION: What's the best thing to do about blisters on your feet? Some people say to pop them, and some say don't touch them. Is there any way to prevent them? ANSWER: "Sometimes athletes" often develop blisters at pressure points in the first few weeks of activity. If the pressure continues, the skin thickens and a callus is formed. Usually, blisters would, not form there again if usage continues, but with a sudden great increase in the activity which brought on the blister, the callus may break down and a fresh blister form on top of it. Many activities which involve both friction and pressure to the feet cause blisters. Efforts should be directed at helping the foot move smoothly and easily in the shoe. Sonme people approach the problem by spraying the feet with an adherent such as tincture of benzoin, then powdering them. Another method is to coat the sole of the foot with a thin layer of mineral oil. Others like to wear snug-fitting light socks under their heavy athletic socks. But if either pair should wrinkle, it could cause friction and blistering. Shoes should fit comfortably but not loosely. If a blister is small and remains intact, it is best to leave it alone, and just cover it with a bandaid. The fluid should be re-absorbed, and the top layer of skin should peel off. If a large blister remains unruptured, it may become painful. Come into the emergency clinic and ask a nurse to remove the fluid. She would then trim the "roof" to prevent infection. When reddening, swelling, pain or hardness in blisters develop, have a doctor look at it. QUESTION: I thought I had found the per- feet method of dieting. I eat overvthing I like, but then make myself vomit after eating. I've done this for about a year, but lately I get weak and dizzy for about half an hour afterwards. I don't want to stop this because it would mean having to cut down drastically on eating, and I'm not psychologically able to do this. I'm afraid I'm harming my body. How can I stop the ill effects? ANSWER: Dr. Arnold Werner of Michigan State has, in the past, addressed himself to this question as follows: Vomiting as a means of controlling one's caloric intake is quite dangerous. The gastro- intestinal system is primarily designed to move food along in a head to tail direction. An un- reasonable strain is put on the stomach and its connection to the esophagus and some surround- ing attachments by repeated induced vomiting: Even after spontaneous vomiting, one can note flecks of blood in the regurgitated material. The violent retching is an accurate reflection of what is going on physiologically. If you are unable to control both your food intake and your vomiting, it might be advisable to seek some professional help. Why not con- tact the counseling services in the third floor of the Union? - One suggested means of gradually departing from your modus 'operandi would be to eat is private, chew the food, and spit it out before swallowing. But to insure proper nutrition, get some cons' seling, and come to the Health Service for help in designing the proper diet. Send all health related questions to: Health Educators U-M Health Service 207 Fletcher Ann Arbor, MI 48109