Friday, July Z, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Baker finishes bike
ride for Sena te bid
By JIM TrOBIN
Regent lDeane Baker (R-Ann
Arbor), w id elIy regarded in
party circles as a right-winger
in his bid for the U.S. Senate,
last weekend finished np a cam-
paign tour tinged with more
populism than Harry Truman's
whistle-stops of the Nineteen-
Forties. He did it on a bicycle.
Calling himself "the only non-
politician in the race," Baker,
53, rode his slick, ten-speed
Schwinn Paramount ("I wanted
to ride an American product")
from Saul) St. Marie to Detroit
to Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor
in a series of jaunts which he
began in May.
BAKER dreamed up the two-
wheeled gimmnick as part of his
effort to get ac-ros.- to Michigan
voters a msessage of fiscal re-
straint, free enterprise, and
support for ''the las--abiding cit-
zen-all in a way that would
emphasize his non-Washington,
'independent" status.
"'re nev-er held national po-
litiral office," Baker s a y s
'Same people call that a wek
niess. I call it a strength."
Ridinsg with Baker on the
forty-mile stretch from Jackson
to Ann Arbor, one is imnpressedl
with his stamina. The long
miles throughout the state have
gotten him into good shape, and
he is able to carry on an easy
conversation oo his background
and thte issues while maintain-
ing a steady 13-15 mile per hour
clip.
HE WORE khaki pants antd a
light bltue sport shirt, hardly
standard attire for a U.S. Sen-
ate candidate. Hut people lie
pattses to talk to at a McI~on-
ald's are only taken aback ftor
a moment when he says, "My
name's Baker, rtmning for Phil
Hart's Senate seat" Then they
smile and say hello, glance at
his bike in amusement.
While Baker claims he talked
to many people along his aetnal
rote, the benefits of the jour-
ney were evidently reaped more
fronm the media coverage it gen-
erated than from acttual voter
ctntact. Along the road to Ann
Arbor, B-ker passed only at
.youlsgstcr selling strawllberrIiest
at ca rtxmd-ide stand and a stray
farmer or two plowving the
fields. But upon entering Ann
Arbor, he stopped ait the Ann
Arbor News- for pictures and
questins front reporters andi
was able tom report that he had
rolled in from ,Jackson in uttder
four hours. That sort of non-po-
litical feat gained Baker allen-
tion at TV stations and news-
papers throughout the slate.
A definite underdog in the
Atugust 3 primary rare, Baker
has had tto battle thse better
ttame-recognition of Ihis three
Republican opponents - U.S.
Reipresentative Marvin Etch of
Ann Arbor, formter stale Sn-
prense (Court Justice Tlhomas
Brennan, and TIroyindustrialist
Rort Huber, a fortue U.S.
congressman. A recent D~etroit
News poll showved Baker tIra it-
tng his clssely-butsclted oppo-i
nents by about ten percentagte
pointts,.bhtl zppro ximately lhalf
of tte votters said they were un-
decided. It is 111pon this block
that Baker places his hopes.
See BIAKER, Page 10
Protesting Detroit police may be fired
D)ETRIT1 (UPI) - Police Chief Phillip Tan-
nian, his department already crippled by sweep-
ing layoffs, yesterday threatened to fire hun-
dreds of officers involved in a "blue flu" protest
of the staff reductions.
Tannian, who termed the absences "juvenile,"
told a new.- conference he considered the work
slowdon an tunlawful strike.
MOST OFFICERS in the nation's fifthm largest
city apparently heeded Tannian's Itreat of dis-
missal. Absenteeism for the 4 p.m. shift drop-
ped to an averaage 2 per cent, compared to 60
prcent in tome precincts earlier in fhe day.
.Hundreds of officers started catting in sick
IaaIn Wednesday before almost 1,000 police em-
ployes, many of them low-neniority patrol offic-
Dtattl-'hotoLev0 STEVE KAGAN
LIKE MOST 'POLITICAL candidates, University Regent and
U, S, Senate hopeful Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) is busy
campaigning throughout the slate for next mouth's primary.
But while his opponents are driving sod jelling around the
state, Baker takes his cause to the voters via his leo-speed
bicycle,.lie is shoswn here returning to Ann Arhor alter a 40-
mile trip to Jacksn.
ers, 'ae
Hoytr
police
problem
$30 mi'
$100 to
ABSI
precist
ministt
forms
Lions.
Thec
of prol+
strikes,
down.
Tans:
Fighting the hand
that bleeds you
A two-page letter from a group claim-
ing responsibility for mailing 18 letter
bombs during June was sent to a tele-
vision station and a newspaper in Shreve-
port, La. Wednesday. "We are sure the
letter bombs served notice that we have
no objection to blowing off a few :cor-
porate hands - the ones they steal with,
preferably," the letter said. The letter,
signed "B. A. Fox and Associates," was
mailed from Las Vegas Monday and was
believed to be authentic, according to an
FBI spokesman in New Orleans.
Happenings...
.today is a good day for catching up
on your reading, or taking a lang walk,
or just sitting around and wasting time
because nothing, absolutely, positively
nothing is happening.
Weather or not
The cold and rainy weather will leave
use, as skies will be sunny today with
highs in the upper 70's. The evening will
be warm- and pleasant with, lows in the
low 60's. And best of all, NO RAtN!
CA USE OF CRASH UNKNOWN:
Balloonist found alive
after crash *in Atlanti1c
NEW YORE fUPI)- - Sola balloonist know "hte was fine and in good spirits"
Earl. Thomas was "fine and in, good a spokesman, Walter Clayton, said. The
spinits" yesterday aboard a Soviet mer- Ir.ansmission ended before they could
chant ship, his dream of being the first ask Thomas what went wrong.
man to cross the Atlantic dashed when
his craft was forced into the water. WORD OF the rescue was radioed by
the Russian ship at 10:47 a.m. yester-
Thomas' red, white and blue "Spirit of day to the Canadian Rescue Coordinat-
'76" balloon splashed into the Atlantic ing Center at Halifax, N. S., and was
about 55 miles southeast of New York relayed to the Coa.stGuard in New
Sunday, but the Coast Guard was not York.
notified until yesterday of his plight or
The Coast Guard said 'Thomas' medi-
his rescue. cal condition wa- reported satisfactory.
THE 27-YEAR-OLD German-born dare-_ "Details of his balloon failure are not
devi frm TnyMich, w puted known at the present time," a Coast
aboard the steamer Dekabrist at shot) Gurd spokesman said.
11 p.m. ROY Wednesday night five days
after he look off from Lakehurst, N. J. IN MOSCOW, the Tass news agency
tHe was reported in goo condition, said Thomas was in a life raft when spot-
ted by the 423-foot ship and the crew
ft was the 13th attempt to crass the rendered him the necessary aid."
Atlantic by balloon. All have ended in
failre.Sixhavedie inthe ttept. The Taos report said, "He feels well,"
failre.Sixhavedie inthe ttept. but did not elaborate.
Thomas spoke by radio-telephone Thomas' balloon was equipped with a
hookups yesterday to bin flight head- floatable, 14 by 71/ foot gondola. It was
quarters, located in a midtown apart- unclear if the Tass report :referred to
men) building, to let his wife and friends the gondola or a separate life raft.
erc laid sff aI t idtmighlt.
or Coleman Young ordered am fifths of the
staff lopped off to ease the city's financial
no. 'The decision was expected ts save
ilion in the budget projected to have a
illion deficit this fiscal year.
ENTEEISM averaged SS per cent in the 13
cts throulgh thse day shift yesterday. Ad-
rators anti detectives wrere handed uni-
and manned patrol cars at precinct sta-
dlepartment allowed the "blue fint," a form
test to circumvent laws prohibiting police
-to continume 24 houirs before cracking
15ian acused Detroit Police tOfficers. As-
sociation fDPOA) leaders, his most vo-
cat and biting critics, of authorizing the
w4}rk stoppage.
"NUMEROUS witnesses tare ,advised
thsat youir onion stewards have orches-
trated this work stoppage amrong the
rank and file," Tannian sanid in a letter
to Dl tA President Ronm Sexton.
"Accordingly, we are compelled to
proceed in a mtanner the couirts have
attthorized in su~ch emergencies."
The chrief said any officer callintg in
sick would be replaced by one who was
laid off.
TANNIAN also said Ite officers ap-
ptarently- were protesting not otnly the
layoffs, hot also recent :suspension of
officers not living in the city and a fed-
eral coumrt order banning the layoff of
women officers.
The chief repeated earlier statements
that despite the manpower shortages,
the city was adeqtmately protected.
Sexton was unavailable for comment.
But union officials denied organizing the
protest and said they would fight any
new dismissals in cotu't. They even de-
nied the existence of the protest.
"THIERE IS no blume flu," a D)POA
sptnkesman said, "It violates the con-
tract. Officers are entitled to be sick,
aren't they? "
In Lansing, Guy. William Milliken
said he was watching the situation in
the state's largest city but he did not
plan to order state police troopers or
National Guard troops into the city for
additional protection .