Page 4-Saturday, October 25, 1980-The Michigan Daily

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OPINION

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Saturday, October 25, 1980

fhe Miehiaan Dailv

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Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
Vol. XCI, No. 455
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
M Go Blue! Beat Tisch!

Weasel by Robert Lence
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T HE STREETS have been more
crowded. Parking spaces have
been at an especially high premium.
Restaurant lines are longer.
It's Homecoming Weekend.
What better time than this-when
thousands of alumni return to the
campus-to urge once again a "No"
vote on ballot Proposal D-the Tisch
plan.
To those already knowledgeable
about the devastation Proposal D will
wreak upon the University, our
frequent attacks upon it must sound.
rather repetitive.
Yet there are still significant num-
bers of students, faculty members, and
alumni so disillusioned with the
presidential election that they plan to
stay away from the polls on November
They do not realize that .non-votes
do nothing in the fight against Tisch:
To be defeated, the proposal must
receive more "No" than "Yes" votes.
The Tisch plan-among the most ill-

conceived, ill-timed ballot proposals
ever initiated--would roll back proper-
ty tax rates to 1978 levels, slash them in
half, and require the state to make up
the lost revenue to local governments.
That reimbursement would amount
to about $2 billion-$2 billion that
would have to come from only $3.6
billion now allotted for state services.
Cutback predictions abound, but can be
immediately understood when one
considers that tuition rates here would
have to double or triple to even begin to
maintain the University's quality.
Anyone who understands the Tisch
threat is terribly, nervous right now.
Fluctuating polls indicate the plan has
a fair chance of passing.
We can only ask our fellow students
who do not plan to vote: Are you ready
to destroy your dreams of a quality
education at The University of
Michigan?
And of the alumni, we ask: Will you
deprive your children of that same
quality education that you enjoyed?
M Go Blue! Beat Tisch!


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LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Honors program article inaccurate

-4

To the Daily:
It was surprising to see an
article in your newspaper con-
cerning the Honors Program
(Daily, October 22). Indeed, the
program rarely makes the news.
Nevertheless, the praise the
Daily deserves for drawing atten-
tion to the existence of the Honors
Program is vastly outweighed
by the lack of attention to quality
in the article.
Essentially, we feel the article
was factually incorrect and
misrepresented the intentions of
the Honors Program and Honors
Student Council. Of primary im-

portance is the confusion you
created over the proposed raising
of the minimum required Honors
GPA. Contrary to what the ar-
ticle suggested, this is not an ad-
missions requirement (ad-
missions requirements are on the
order 3.8 for incoming freshper-
sons); it is a criterion for
probative action. Individual con-
sideration is given to students
who fail to maintain a certain
grade point average in the under-
class Honors Program.
We also note that the distin-
ction between the underclass and
upperclass Honors Programs

Tisch supporters naive

was woefully neglected in your
article, causing further con-
fusion.
Secondly, the rationale for
raising the minimum GPA
from its current level is actually
quite reasonable. There are prac-
tical reasons for doing so. If there
is grade inflation (which infor-
mation provided by the dean
suggests), then it would follow
that administrative matters con-
ditional on GPA should be refor-
mulated to reflect this inflation.
Of course, if this is a temporary
phenomenon, no action should be
taken. Yet the figures suggest the
upward trend is continuing, and
so we feel action is necessary.
Moreover, we believe there is
an intuitive reason for the in-
crease. With the Honors
requirement equivalent to the
mean LSA grade point (tell your
writers mean and median are not
the same), there exists no sub-
stantive grade difference in
members of the Honors
Program. If the performance
criteria for the Honors Program
is in fact an average performan-
ce, then we contend that the
Honors Program loses vital
credibility.
The only remaining {question
concerns what the numerical
value of the GPA increase should
be. The Honors Student Council

has supported, and the Honor.
Council will be asked to approve,
a minimum GPA level of 3.25, Ja
change of 8.3 percent.
At present, the Honors
Program is computerizing its
records. This should providg
statistics on how different in-
creases in the required GPA
would affect the number of
students in the program. The at-
trition due to a 3.25 minimum
GPA is expected to be small.
However,,the fact remains that
those students with grade point
averages lower than 3.25 will en-
counter extreme difficulty in
successfully applying for an
Honors concentration.
This alone does not condemn
the student. One can apply for an
Honors concentration without
having participated in the under-
class Honors Program. Since the
minimum GPA only applies to
underclass Honors students, and
individual departments deter-
mine the upperclass requiremen-
ts, we do not anticipate that the
increased GPA will have any ef-
fect on the number of thesis
writers.
-Dave Bizer
David Handelsman
Dan Kuo
Stephane Massey
Steven Rowe
Honors Student Council Cabinetk
October 22

I

iFormula for a baby boom

FOR NEARLY a month, the bishops
of the Catholic Church have been
meeting in Rome to discuss various
issues, with the focus on Church
teachings on family matters. A few
weeks ago, a representative of the
American delegation to the synod rose
to beg leniency for Catholics who
violate the Church ban on birth control.
In as politic a manner as possible,
the American bishop raised the point
that those who used artificial devices
were not necessarily faithless sinners.
He said they ought to be tolerated,
even if unable to meet the Church's
demands on certain issues.
The American's comments were
greeted coolly by non-American
bishops, to say the least. Though he
had already made clear that he was
not suggesting the Church teaching on
birth control was wrong, he was
Oressured into reaffirming his basic
support for the ban.
The criticism the American came
inder ought to have served as a war-
ning of the sinister news to follow:
Thursday, the synod announced its
plans to issue an even stronger
statement of support for the Church's

positions on abortion and artificial bir-
h control..
Now, some apologists for the Church
might complain that a secular
publication-such as the Daily-has no
right to comment on the internal af-
fairs of the Church. But certainly, even
if the anti-birth control doctrines must
persevere, they would be toned down a
little for the sake of humanity.
Domestically, the Church's attitudes
are not that significant anyway. Some
pollsters have estimated that some 80
percent of American Catholic women
use birth control, papal disapproval
notwithstanding.
But in Latin America, where the
Church has far more of an influence on
people's lives, the Church's continuing
hard line on the birth control issue
breeds nothing but human suffering.
Unwanted babies there are a way of
life, and many observers think that a
solution to the birth rate problem
might spell an eventual end to many
other problems of poverty on the South
American continent.
Again, it seems the heavenly
kingdom will come first for the
Catholic leadership, while the earthly
one waits-and rots.

To the Daily:
The Libertarian Party's view of
the Tisch proposal is naive and not
carefully thought out. Michigan is
significantly different from Califor-
nia in that budget surpluses and a
growing economy permitted
Proposition 13 to work in California.
Michigan has a tight budget-cut-
ting $2 billion out of that budget
(which the Tisch plan would
require) wouldcripple the state.
There is no logical reason why
any rational person, especially a
member of this or any other univer-
sity community, should favor Tisch.
Consider some of the damaging
results of Tisch:
1) The University of Michigan
would lose one half of its state funds,
forcing a probable doubling or
tripling of tuition rates;
2) State of Michigan financial aid
programs would be cut back;
3) Fraternities and sororities
would be hurt (not a reason to vote
for Tisch) by losing their tax-
exempt status. Other groups that
would be hurt include the Boy
Scouts-who would have to pay
taxes on their tents-and the YWCA

and the YMCA-which would have
to pay taxes on their facilities and
furnishings;
4) The State of Michigan would
lose $700 million in federal matching
funds;
5) Twelve of the 15 state colleges
and universities would lose all their
state money, and some would
inevitably be forced to shut down;
6) Welfare programs throughout
the state would have to be cut back
due to lack of funds.
Recent polls indicate that the
Tisch plan-ballot Proposal D-has
a chance of passing. Thus, it is im-
perative that every person who
cares about the future of the State of
Michigan, about the future of higher
education in general, and especially
about the future of The University of
Michigan, should vote against
Tisch on November 4.
Vote "No" on Proposal D.
-Jonathan Feiger
Legislative Relations
Coordinator
Michigan Student
Assembly
October 20

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Moonie should reveal self

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Ballot box has power


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To the Daily:
Sue Wagner's letter (Daily, Oc-
tober 23) describing the
treacherous manner in which
certain political factions are at-
tempting to undo all the social
legislation of the 1960s and 1970s
underscores the importance of
political involvement by citizens
of this country. I am referring
specifically to the fact that on
September 24, the Michigan,
Senate passed an anti-abortion
bill into law in the guise of a home
heating assistance bill for the
poor.
Millions of people of voting age
may stay at home this November
4 out of apathy, indifference, or
disillusionment with the slate of
candidates, or with the political
process generally. Many of these
individuals feel that voting will
not really make much of a dif-
ference. Were there no
significant issues of common
concern to be decided at the polls,
or if all persons felt the same way
on all important issues, then
perhaps it really would not mat-
ter. However, the former is
seldom the case, and the latter
never is.
The fact we all must realize is
that Americans' views on impor-
tant issues have always differed
widely. During the '60s and early
'70s advocates of minority and
women's rights were active in
passing substantial bodies of
legislation. Their opponents (no
small number of people) were

minority, anti-woman bill
capitalizing on the perceived
plight of the middle classes.
The lesson to be learned is sim-
ple: The rights to equality of op-
portunity which we all enjoy, and
which were passed into law (if
not always implemented justly
and effectively), cannot be taken
for granted. There are those in
the U.S. Congress who intend to
enact legislation that would
prevent government from taking
action against discrimination,
Should they succeed, the Univer-
sity schools of law, medicine, and
business administration will have
significantly fewer minority
people and women enrolled in the
future.
One need not be radical to have
a meaningful impact on society.
In 1980, conservatives have taken
political action within the system
to bring about change. Voting for
the candidates who support your
views-the simplest form of
political involvement-is one of
the best ways of ensuring that the
laws governing your life will in-
deed be laws that you can live
with. The average citizen can in-
fluence social policy best at the
ballot box, for it is there that he
or she has most control over
those who will "represent" him
or her.
The elections of 1980 and 1982
will largely determine the shape
of coming legislation on a wide
range of matters, including

To the Daily:'
Art Humbert's recent letter in
the Daily (October 22) was cute.
But while we chuckle at what is
either naivete or purposeful
misrepresentation, he does make
a couple of good points in spice of
himself. He quotes Engles, for
example, "force, however, plays
also another role in history ... In
the words of Marx, it is the mid-
wife of every old society which is
pregnant with a new one." And
what better illustration of
Engles' point than the
photograph of a scab-driven
truck rolling over a striking
worker on the, opposite page of.
the same issue of the Daily!
Right, Art, the violence of cor-
porate interests against workers
trying to control their own lives is
immense.
I also agree with Humbert's
assertion, "It's incredible how
largely ignorant Americans are
about the teachings of Marx"

T'1 1

Bicyclists take risks

But, by the same token,
shouldn't he perhaps reveal his
own affiliations? After all, it isn't
generally known that the so-
called Collegiate Association for
the Research of Principles
(CARP) is actually a front group
for the Moonies. Whatsamatter,
Art, afraid the commies will i-
terfere with Rev. Moon's affluent
lifestyle, or curtail your fun-
draising efforts? As one of Rev.
Moon's treasurers, the specter of
a commie conspiracy must really
frighten you, as well as anyone
else interested in furthering the
vast financial empire of the
,Unification "Church."
--Katherine Yih
October 22

(including himself). Perhaps
communists should identiry
themselves, as he advocates, so
they can tell people what com-
munism really stands for instead
of letting the likes of Humbert
muddy the waters.

W,

To the Daily:
One of the pleasures of living in
Ann Arbor is the wealth of bicyclists
we have, which has a real impact on
air pollution, noise, and traffic
congestion levels. At the same time
I admire the large number of
bicyclists, I'm very concerned
about their safety and astounded
that I don't see more accidents.
In a discussion with a few other
bicycle commuters the other day, I
found my observations mirrored in
their comments. Ann Arbor
cyclists, and university students in
particular, ride with an air of in-
vulnerability. Nowhere is this at-
titude more apparent than at inter-
sections with stop signs. In two
months time I've seen almost every
moving violation imabinahle Not

the intersection, they calmly wat-
ched.
Unfortunately, this classic case is
neither a tall anecdote nor an
example of something one oc-
casionally sees. I see bicyclists take:
unnecessary risks all day, every.
day. For Ann Arbor, the behavior of ;
the three motorists is typical-the
cars usually do watch out for,
bicyclists ignoring traffic laws. But
what happens when a motorist
assumes a bicyclist will act like a
responsible person, or when the
driver of a car fails to see the con-
fident, law-breaking cyclist? The
results can be disastrous. If a
bicyclist is struck by a car, a serious
injury may result, even if the car is
moving at relatively slow speeds.
We owe it to ourselves to follow all
traffic laws. Treat yourself like a

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