0 OPINION Page 4 Wednesday, October 13, 1982 Kidding around with The Michigan Daily the state's crisis By Keith Carrier So The Michigan Daily editorial board fancies itself ready to run state government, eh? Well, then, I must tell you that you've done one hell of a job hiding your alleged creden- tials. You've simultaneously acted as judge and jury in blasting Gov. William Milliken for his handling of the worst fiscal crisis in the history of this state. The editorial entitled "Happy Milliken Week" (Daily, Oct. 5) reads more like a child's tantrum than the opinion of a respected student newspaper.- OKAY EDITORIAL board (and I use that term very loosely), let's have the answers. Put your money where your tantrum is. What would you do if you were in Milliken's shoes? First, understand the facts. You are facing a $600 million dollar deficit at the end of the 1982 fiscal year. Your tax revenues continue to decline as the economy worsens. And you are required by the Michigan constitution to balan- ce the budget by the end of the fiscal year. That's not enough? Well, remember this also: " It's too late in the fiscal year to cut the money from state departments-they've already received and spent most of their yearly appropriations; " You can't cut from welfare and social ser- vices (more than 50 percent of the state's budget)-that would require a change in the law by a totally gutless legislature; " A tax increase is out of the question in an elec- tion year. Who's going to summon the courage to vote such an increase so close to the elec- tions? You and I both know the answer to that question. Well children, go to it. Find your $600 million to balance the budget. Keep in mind that the only places you can "hack" are in that 30 per- cent of the budget which has not already been allocated. Really ladies and gentlemen, do you seriously suggest that you could do a better job than Gov: Milliken? Are you so spoiled by your "give me, give me" mentality that you can't see this state is collapsing around us? YOU GLEEFULLY state: "Milliken's Sep- tember proposal to cut $112 million from ...higher education.., was rejected by the legislature because of its harshness." Now kids, you're just not paying attention. Just what in helll are you giving the legislature credit for? The fact is that the legislature used different words to do exactly what Milliken proposed-$112 million will still be cut from the educational system, and in precisely the same way as Milliken originally ordered it to be cut. The only thing the legislature did was to sugar- coat the bitter pill so that children like your- selves would swallow it without complaining. The legislature says it will take money from the next fiscal year to make up the $112 million which has been cut from fiscal 1983. But even if all goes according to plan, the University still must do without its share of the $112 million un- til the last month of fiscal 1983. At that time the state will "replace" the funds using money the University will need in fiscal 1984. THAT MEANS the University will be out the same amount in fiscal 1984. Note well that the legislature left itself an out. Their plan flies if and only if there is enough money in July 1983 (fiscal 1984) to do it. Milliken simply said, in effect, "Look, let's not make promises we may not be able to keep. If we've got the money next year, we'll restore this money." Milliken's only fault, you see, is that he is far more honest with us than the legislature is. And remember children, honesty is the best policy. NO ONE IStpleased with this situation. Un- fortunately, this kind of thing is inevitable when the national economy is in a recession and the state economy is in a depression. Of course, the Education Week proposed by Milliken-the event that inspired "Happy Milliken Week"-is a symbolic, mostly empty gesture. This in no way, however, justifies a snotty condescending editorial from people who are supposed to know better. Oops! I forgot that you're just children who are used to getting your own way. Some of you probably are still reeling from the effect of having to do your own laundry and make your own dinner. Well, you've got to grow up sometime. Look around you. The state of Michigan is probably months short of economic disaster. The University's problems are far too serious to " S eao> e T + \aN 'P oQ s . . eJ zaa 0 I I - - - have been created either in whole or in part by Gov. Milliken, or any one man. So come on. Show yourselves to possess at least a modicum of understanding of the state's predicament. Try to be a little more sophisticated in your opinions. If you want to step into Gov. Bill's shoes for a while, come up with a decent explanation of what you would do in his situation. Carrier is a senior in business ad- ministration. Edited and managed by students at TheUniversity of Michigan Stewartl_ ( ') Vol. XCIII, No. 30 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 ONFILL Ij. :.. K' . 0 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board The strikes continue T ~E LATEST triumphs of the Polish Poland, and his brand of oppression workers' state were on display seems to have been singularly unsuc- in Gdansk and other Polish cities; cessful. -Poland Js -still in debt to yesterday, and the display was im- Western banks for fantastic sums, pressive: x even the "internment" of much ofthe More than 10,000 brave shipyard Solidarity leadership has not crippled workers-defying tear gas, water can- its organization. non, summary penalties, and even the They are, in a way, an inspiration. threat of being drafted-struck for the They have shown that the spirit of second day at the Lenin shipyards in liberty has survived and flourished Gdansk. among thousands of Poles - in spite of Though they faced stiff penalties for the best efforts of Jaruzelski and his tFeir actions, protesters also marched predecessors. The strikes have ofl the Communist Party headquarters demonstrated the incredible tenacity in Gdansk, and thousands of workers of Polish workers in their drive to stayed away from their jobs in nearby change a bankrupt system and a Gdynia. Late last night, there was even threadbare ideology. Word of a call for a general strike But, more important, the strikes throughout the region. show with increasing clarity that no ':The ostensible purpose of the strikes number of sham votes in the Polish was to demonstrate against the parliament or declarations of national decision of the Polish government last emergency are going to solve Poland's week to ban the Solidarity trade union. deep-seated problems. Eventual But the strikes, of course, are more peace - or "normalization" in than that. Jaruzelski's parlance - will have to It has been 10 months since come through reform and Jaruzelski imposed martial law on liberalization. !' .,' /I / : :- . _ . _._._., _ , . a... M' " f 4; :, .. .. s F t,,,/ al - ~ .- - ~- -~~7~ .. / U a Kt F - i' J .' - - / .,A . - 6 0j 0 "" ", \ 7;k, r A. -'"ell -1 MOVEMENT IN THE HOUSE 'A'6V