The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Thursday, June 17, 1976
News Phone: 764-0552
The Carter coalescence
THE DEMOCRATS APPEAR to have learned their les-
son; the disastrous conventions of 1968 and 1972 have
pushed the party to achieve unity this year at all costs,
and the platform committee this week scurried to fortify
the colossus, Jimmy Carter, who has taken the slipshod
party by storm.
Carter's people in the committee flexed their new-
found muscles every step of the way, and the result was
a platform which will probably satisfy if not please most
of the important segments of the party. Almost as im-
portant, the platform may be attractive to liberal Re-
publicans as well.
Platform committees and their laborious proceedings
have traditionally been taken as less than vital, and in-
deed, an aide of nominee-apparent Carter said last week
that if the committee's position did not suit the Geor-
gian's fancy, he would simply ignore it.
While that is discouraging in view of Carter's claim to
populist support, which we assume would extend to his
own party, it is a hard political fact. Even though the
platform will almost certainly satisfy Carter, given the
efforts of his own staff and most of the rest of the party
to unite Democrats in his name, a Carter administration
is almost certain to reflect the man, not the party be-
hind him.
Thus the official position is indicative more of tone
than substance, more of attitude than policy-making.
This year's Democratic leaders are shrewd, and shrewd-
ness in single-minded pursuit of a goal, combined with
an impressive lead in the national polls, seems certain
to land them the presidency. Both right and left have
given up some pet projects, such as the anti-abortion
cause and blanket amnesty, in their drive for the prize.
Through it all, Carter looks good. The winner, the uni-
fier, the President, he will be billed.
The tone, then, is of unity, of reconstruction. This is
admirable, but the drive to win should not obscure
the importance of caring for the aching needs of the
nation. The platform's commitment to such national is-
sues as national health insurance and draft resisters is
less than fiery. If the Democrats are to unite to win the
prize, let the prize be used to carry out the best and most
progressive plans of the party.
Banning non-returnables
T HE MICHIGAN UNITED Conservation Clubs (MUCC)
have just concluded a successful state-wide petition
which has placed a proposal on the November ballot seek-
ing to ban the use of throw-away beverage containers
in Michigan.
We hope the voters realize the importance behind the
implementation of such a ban when they vote in the fall.
Although the proposal has the support of the more
than 400,000 citizens who signed the petition, the MUCC
faces an obstacle before the measure is brought before
the measure is brought before the voters.
Business interests in the past ten years have blocked
passage of similar laws, never allowing such a measure
to leave committee.
This year, container manufacturers, beverage-mak-
ers, and bottling firms are opposing MUCC's efforts, con-
tending that a throw-away ban would leave industry
workers jobless.
But the bill would not go into effect until Novem-
ber, 1978, allowing for a two-year period that would per-
mit companies to prepare for the change.
The experience of ecology - minded Oregon, where
voters passed a similar proposal four years ago, has
shown an increase of jobs in the beverage industry be-
cause of openings created in the washing and shipping of
bottles. And, more important still, the state saw a no-
ticeable decline in litter.
One need only motor along Michigan's rubbish-
strewn highways to realize the need for such a ban in
this state. Support the throw-away ban.
Letters: On GEO, sparkle on
the Diag and clerical reaction
To The Daily:
The University's response to the
discrimination proposals is disappoint
tarbing. The offer of a "broad all-er
phrase in place of the specifics the G
may look superficially like a tidy a
But, whether or not the negotiatir
aware of it, people who belong to
are discriminated against know that
protection lies in specific and water
documents, not in broad phraseology
of loopholes.
To such people the University's
look like a maneuver, and one wh
insulting and threatening in its ha
the University proposes to appoint
of its own actions, while definingi
thetically as the "employing departm
concerned. These provisions obviousl
door wide open to inconsistency an
and give anyone who feels discrimin,
no way of appeal.
It is ironic, in this context, that
sity has made no response to GE
for a commission to examine the st
and lesbian graduate student assistan
ArborsNews reports chief negotiator
syth as saying "we dont perceive
such a commission. The fact that no
are forthcoming is not in itself cau
placency: in a discriminatory envir
victims do not necessarily see an a
complaining.
And discrimination can be a ver
fair, not always immediately visib
not always intended by) those who p
Thus, the negotiating team, presum
in perfectly good faith, has brought
proposal for contract wording whic
be regarded as an encouragement to
tion; and in refusing to countenance
sion on the grounds of insufficient ne
its blindness to the realities of di
which its own action illustrates.
Ross Chambers
Professor of Fren
June 9
To The Daily:
The newly planted begonias bloo
GEOC
GEO's non-
ing and dis-
ncompassing
E. wanted"
rrangement.
Diag are lovely. It's a pleasure to know that
someone in the University is adding such sparkle
to our campus.
Sally Lindsey
June 8
clericals
ng team is To The Daily:
groups that As a charter member of UAW Local 2041
t their only and an independent clerical I respond to the
r-tight legal June 9 editorial page and the Daily's endorse-
that is full ment'°of CDU.
It's unfortunate that the Daily would fash-
offer must ion its editorial page in such a manner as to
ich is both eliminate the opposition viewpoint.
tancy, since What disturbs me are supportive statements
itself judge not based on factual information. On June 10
itself paren- the Daily did admit that, "We may have erred
ent or unit" in ... suggesting that a majority of clericals
y leave the support the Clericals for a Democratic Union..."
d injustice, If this is an apology, it is indeed a weak one
ated against as the Daily doesn't state it in fact did err
nor satisfactorily explain how and why.
The Daily erred in stating on June 9,"... one
the Univer- fact stands clear: University clericals do not
Ii's demand trust Unity Caucus.. ." because no scientific
a. The eA sampling of the clerical population was under-
John For- taken to determine if this was true. Rather than
Jnd"for one clear fact the paper presents one clouded
gsfrean-s The most shocking statement of all in the
onment, the June 9th endorsement is the Daily's position,
dvantein "Either CDU retains control of the union or
dvantage i there should be no union at all."
To all clericals, including members from
Ssubtle at- CDU, Unity and independents who fought so
erpetrate it. hard to form this union and are currently fight-
erpetrati. ing for its very existence, that statement is
acting heartbreaking.
forward a rI would like the Daily and those in suport
h can only of this position to imagine themselves as one
discrimina- of the several clericals unjustly fired by the
ea dis- university. Try to feel what it's like to know
red, displays you will not have money for food, rent and
doctor bills and that finding another job will
be difficult because of an unfavorable recom-
mendation. The best hope you would have in
this situation is a union and for those among
you who cry decertify, how are you going to
answer the unfortunate clericals why?
spa rkl1e ' Shirley Silverman
Psychology Dept.
ning on the June 15
SAY, CHIEF! ABOUT THAT MILLION- HARRY REASONER'S
DOLLAR-A-YEAR CONTRACT FOR NOT TOO
BARBARA WALTERS TO CO-ANCHOR OUR HAPPY ABOUT IT.
EVENING NEWS.
AND OTHER NEWS ANNOUNCERS THAT'S SHOW BIZ.
MAY DEMAND TO RENEGOTIATE
THEIR CONTRACTS! WHAT DO
WE TELL 'EM?
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