The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, August 8, 1978--Page 3
Council
approves
preliminary
CDBG cuts
By JUDY RAKOWSKY
City Council last night gave
preliminary approval to substantial
cuts in next year's Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Public Service Contracts, including
trimming subsidies to legal services,
child care, and the model cities health
clinic.
The budget reductions were recom-
mended by the Community Develop-
ment staff following its evaluations of
individual public service programs.
CDBG IS A federally-funded program
targeted at upgrading community ser-
vices at a local level.
The current budget expires August
31.
The CDIG staff investigated areas
including costs per client for each
program, who the programs were ser-
ving, and the quality of that service.
Also taken into consideration was
whether each program receives fun-
ding from-outside sources.
IN RECENT years, the local commu-
nity Development staff has faced
federal fund cutbacks amounting to
nearly $1 million from the $2.5 million
received four years ago, according to
Rick Goff, CDBG public services
Evaluation Specialist.
City Administrator Sylvester Murray
was quick to point out that figures the
Community Development staff is
recommending for each program are
allocations they expect to be approved
later by Council. He said exact figures
can be negotiated, but only for amounts
less than those proposed.
However, a special reserve fund may
be tapped if Council wishes to increase
the recommendations, he added.
BUT THE proposed amounts do not
pertain to the still disputed third year
amendments which reallocate $290,000
to street resurfacing. That is because
these amounts involve Department of
Housing and Urban Development
changes exceeding 10 per cent of the
budget in some categories.
The major cuts are proposed in these
See COUNCIL, Page 13
Off we go...
THE NAVY'S Blue Angels created a scenic background Sunday in Mt. Ranier and Seattle's Lake Washington as they gave a
demonstration in flying precision between hydroplane races.
GEO head testifies for GSAs
By MITCH CANTOR
Graduate Employees Organization
(GEO) President Mike Clark testified
for four hours before Administrative
Law Judge Shlomo Sperka as hearings
determining the status of graduate
student assistants (GSAs) resumed
yesterday in the Michigan Union.
GEO contends GSAs are employees,
whereas the University claims they are
students receiving their assistantships
as a form of financial aid. The former
classification would entitle GEO to
collective bargaining rights with the
University.
CLARK TOOK the stand at ten in the
morning to begin the week-long
procedure. He was questioned by GEO
counsel Mark Cousens in an attempt
r-- todal
to show that GSAs perform nearly iden-
tical services as professors, such as
grading and outlining syllabi.
Clark insisted that he sees his
assistantship as a job, saying he does it
"for the money."
The Michigan Employment Relations
Commission, which was first presented
with the problem in 1976, ordered the
Sperka hearing to make the distinction
of whether GSAs are employees or
students.
"ALL I WAS doing was providing a
background of what GSAs do. That's
the essence of my testimony," Clark
said.
Cousens also tried to prove that the
University considers GSAs as faculty
members. One item he used as eviden-
ce was a list Clark was given this year
of teachers in the Speech Department,
including teaching assistants (TAs).
When asked to identify the list, Clark
said he was told by department mem-
bers that all the names were of Speech
faculty.
Cousens also maintained that TAs get
many of the same privileges as
professors, including University-paid
Blue Cross/Blue Shield, offices, access
to University equipment, free
stationery, access to the staff lounge,
and several other materials "when you
need them."
FOLLOWING A one-hour recess,
Robert Veracruysee, representing the
University, cross-examined Clark for
See GEO, Page 13
Happenings ...
... are more for music lovers today. The 27th
Lancer Drum and Bugle Corps from Revere, Mass.
will present lectures and demonstrations at the
School of Music and the surrounding grounds on
North Campus from 9-6. From 6-8, the champion-
ship corps and its staff will presenta full-time mar-
ching show in Michigan Stadium. Enter through the
tunnel ... when that's over, go back to North Cam-
pus to the School of Music Recital Hall for "A
Recital of Music by Black Composers" at 8.
Non-cents -
Prince William County, Va., officials are out to
get every last cent owed to them, even if it costs
them 15 more to collect. Gerald Lichty received a
notice of overdue personal property taxes on August
3. The county advised Lichty to "pay promptly,
legal action to begin August 14." The amount of
money in question was just one cent. It cost the
county 15 cents in postage to mail the notice. Lowell
Sneathern, director of assessments for the county
said the notice was a mistake. "I would not send out
I
a bill for one cent," he insisted. Sneathern added
that Lichty needn't worry about being taken to
court. That just wouldn't make cents.
been in then.
Neither a borrower ...
If the government wnts to crack down on
....... .. ..L.. 4...n -ft~l#MA nn th it e~ld n
Caught red-tongued graduates who have uefaulteo
loans, it needs look no further than its own
Jacqueline Datcher went back to court yesterday backyard. It seems 6,600 persons on Uncle Sam's
and realized the fruits of her labor-er, the labor of payroll have been found to be in default on their
her fruits. Well, actually, the fruit wasn't exactly loans. What's worse, according to HEW Secretary
hers. And that's what brought her to court. A jury Joseph Califana, is that most of these people have
last June said she gobbled two strawberries at a not yet agreed to pay up. Califano recently respon-
suburban supermarket, and that wrongful digestion ded to letters asking for repayment or had simply
constitutes wrongful possession. So Prince George's refused to pay. Califano said in the future all
County Judge Howard Chasanow sentenced the 33- colleges taking part in student aid programs must
year-old Washington woman to a half-day's labor, to have an independent audit of the programs every
be served in the Maryland park system. Then, two years. He said the Office of Education had step-
provided she keeps her nose-and her taste ped up on on-site reviews at colleges with above-
buds-clean over the next six months, Chasanow average default rates.
will strike the criminal record. Datcher's attorney,
Samual Ochipinti, said his once-angry, disbelieving
client was now just grateful she didn't have to go t o On the outside ..
jail. The sentence could have ranged to 18 months in It will be mostly sunny and warmer today with a
prison and a $500 fine. What a jam she would have - high around 85.
now