The Michigan Daily-Tuesday July 11, 1978-Page 11
ERAklobbyists take message to Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) - Supporters of
the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
met with members of Congress yester-
day to ask for more time to seek
ratification of the embattled amen-
dment.
Mildred Jeffrey, head of the National
Women's Political Caucus, estimated
that up to 5,000 women and men lobbied
Congress during the day for an exten-
sion of the ratification period.
A SMALLER NUMBER of opponents
of the amendment also were visiting
members of Congress. There was no
estimate of their number.
"I don't think any reasonable man
will want to go down in history as the
man who stood between women and the
Constitution," said Allie Hixson of
Greensburg, Ky.
"That's what this is all about," she
said. "We're talking to our
congressman, Romano Mazzoli, who
has said all along he's for the ERA but
is now waffling on an extension of time.
Hut if you're for the ERA, you're for the
extension."
THE PRO-ERA lobbyists were
carrying that message to Congress
following a march and rally Sunday by
thousands of ERA supporters.
MIchael Miller, of an Oklahoma
group called "OK Men for ERA," said
he and his wife were trying to change
the minds of their delegation, most of
whom oppose the ERA.
"We need the extension because in-
transigent legislators in Oklahoma
have stuck their feet in the sand and
said they can hold out until March 22,"
he said as he set out for the Capitol.
"We're trying to say they can't do that.
They will have to fight us every year.
We want to get Oklahoma as one of the
38 ratifying states and with an exten-
sion we can do that."
THE LOBBYISTS focused much of
their effort on the 34 members of the
House Judiciary Committee who are
considering legislation to provide seven
more years for states to act on the
amendment after the initial seven-year
deadline expires March 22, 1979.
Voters tofa
referendut
(Continued from Page 1)
felonies in a 15-year period beforehand.
Bail could also be denied to those
charged with murder, treason, rape,
armed robbery or kidnapping.
A MEASURE TO put the capital
punishment issue on the ballot failed to
collect enough signatures. State Rep.
Kirby Holmes (R-Utica) whd comman-
ded the petition drive, was only able to
gather approximately 230,000names.
A spokesman for the Elections
Division said his office will issue an of-
At present, there aren't enough votes
to get the proposal out of the commit-
tee. Mazzoli, a Kentucky Democrat, is
considered one of the swing votes.
Another swing vote is Rep. Hamilton
Fish, (R-N.Y.), who declined
repeatedly to say how he would vote,
during visits with constituents and ERA
supporters and opponents.
"MY DISTRICT is overwhelmingly
for the ERA but I don't think they know
what they are asking for with the exten-
sion," Fish told one group of 24 ERA
supporters who crowded into his office.
"This is the first time Congress has
ever been asked to do this."
He said he understood that 20 of the 34
committee members would oppose the
extension proposal as it is now written.
Some persons favor reducing the exten-
sion to four years and others want it
made clear that states can use any ex-
tra time to rescind their approval of the
ERA if they wish.
"At least you should help get the
proposal out of committee and then you
could vote against it on the House
floor," said Jane Elven of Putnam
Lake, N.Y. "This is so important a
national issue it shouldn't be blocked in
committee."
FISH SAID, "I want to do the right
thing. I am not going to make a
precedent on this by taking one flimsy
reed and adding another and end up
with a long branch that gives Congress
power it doesn't have ... I don't want
to do something just because it is
politically expedient."
At one meeting Fish held with about
100 ERA supporters, several opponents
of the measure disputed reports that up
to 100,000 persons participated in Sun-
day's march. One opponent argued that
the crowd included "a large proportion
of lesbians," but she was shouted down
by the ERA supporters.
CARTOON COPS
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sketches
made by police artists after talking to
witnesses have helped put hundreds of
criminals behind bars, according to
National Geographic.
It says, "so convincing are some
sketches that the mere sight of them
has helped convict criminals."
Donald Cherry, police artist in the
District of Columbia, says a good wit-
ness for him is not only the person with
a good memory, but the individual with
whom he can establish. easy rapport
during an interview. Says Cherry, "It's
the person open to suggestion, who can
let the mind wander a little, so it can
produce those fleeting memories of
features, expressions, affectations."
Carter proposes agency changes
(Continued from Page 3) ACCORDING to the President's reno- of us go to a meeting and bring back a
paigning for President. Yesterday, he vations, money would go straight to the stack of papers three inches high."
cited the administration as over- individual counties and cities, THE PROPOSED reshuffling will
regulated by the federal government, bypassing state agencies who often also subjugate the role the LEAA now
reliant on excessive paperwork, guilty take their own cut of the grants. plays in the Justice Department,
of insufficient targeting of grants, and "It's a good idea," said Washtenaw placing it under a new umbrella agency
an inefficient fund user. County Sheriff Tom Minick. "It ap- called the Office of Justice Assistance,
pears it will take a big amount of the Research and Statistics (OJARS).
THE PRESIDENT also noted the administrative pains out of receiving Along with the LEAA, OJARS will in-
lack of cooperation between state necessary federal grants." Minick said clude the National Institute of Justice,
governments, which receive the federal Washtenaw County most recently which would handle criminal research
funds, and local governments, to whom received a three-year grant of around and some legal paperwork, and the
the grants are administered. $1.5 million, not including LEAA money Bureau of Justice Statistics, which
LEAA funds can be applied for by any used to construct the new jail. would take over gathering federal
agency or group connected with the He noted, however, that many federal crime statistics, an operation once con-
prevention or study of crime. "It's no5t - funds have recently been cut off to trolled by the FBI.
the police alone," said Ann Arbor Washtenaw County, including crime The President hopes to provide for
Police Chief Walter Krasny. "It's the prevention money and grants used for the increased sum to cities by money
entire criminal justice system - cour- various youth services. saved from the expected cut-back in
ts, the juvenile system, the mental ACCORDING to Krasny, Ann Arbor paperwork, and provisions which would
health department ... any agency who filed for a grant last year but did not re- not allow the funds to be used for salary
meets the criteria can be funded." ceive one. Previously, however, he said raises or police hardware like helicop-
Carter's proposal will greatly change the city had received a grant of over, ters or guns.
the flow of money from the capital to $200,000 "There's just no dollar estimate now,
individual communities, by concen- Another of the proposed LEAA but they have figured there would be
trating more money than before on big renovations involves a promised reduc- enough money saved to pay for the new
city areas with high crime rates, tion in the mountains of paperwork now program," said a Justice Department
without cutting off funds elsewhere. necessary to get an LEAA grant. Ac- official.
cording to one Justice Department of- The HUD proposal, announced later
ficial, a state must each year fill out in the day, would send over $200,000 of
.ce flood reports of about 1000 pages. Carter's LEAA money to renovate a number of
proposal would cut that down to a sim- decaying housing projects and fight
+plified 300-400 page report, necessary crime around them, has been termed
ns in N ov. once every three years. Presently, the "anti-crime" proposal by its
cities and counties have to fill out over backers.
ficial statement within two weeks to 40 reports a year, but the proposed "We'll be setting up mobile
announce which petitions are valid, reshuffling would cut that to less than units ... and having members of the
It is expected, however, that all the ten reports a year. projects do patrol work around the
petitions will be certified. When asked about the paperwork he projects," said one HUD spokesman.
regularly must go through to get gran- Other planned expenses include
ts, Krasny laughed. "We do grosses, burglar alarms, improved lighting, and
bails of paper," he said. "Constantly, 15 better locks.
About 50,000 dams restrain rivers
in the United States, but only 58 per
cent of all sites with hydroelectric
potential in the continental United
'States have been dammed, according
'to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
,.
I
RACKHAM GRADUATE STUDENTS
If you intend to graduate this term with either a master's
degree or an intermediate degree awarded by the Rackham
Graduate School, you must submit a Diploma Application to
the Records Office, Room 1014, Rackham Graduate School no
later than 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 11, 1978 in order to be
placed on the August 1978 degree list. diploma Applications
are available in the Rackham Graduate School, Room 1014,
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