Page 4
OPINION
Tuesday, October 19, 1982
Wasserman
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Vol. XCIII, No. 36
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, Ml 48109
IS KILLI1N&
I!\i HU SIGTND Cy
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
10 0,j lz
The war goes on
SURPRISE, surprise! The Salvadoran chance t
insurgents are at it again, raiding Ameri
villages, ambushing soldiers, during t
assassinating government officials. El Salva
The guerrillas last week launched der the
what appears to be their biggest sistent
assault in almost two years. regime
The rebels attacked in small units in reform,,
at least half of 1 Salvador's 14 provin- have led
ces, following a well-organized, three- political
pronged assault plan. Their surprise But e
offensive adhered to proper guerrilla Reagan
tactics: Take out the roads and bridges disastro
first, then ambush troops and villages, skillful
then hide-and throw in a few isolated was rep]
terrorist attacks in the capital for good and, na
measure. Deane H
The government, of course, struck up hope
back with all the U.S.-provided force it stead co
could muster. Waves of U.S.-built jets military
and helicopter gunships took to the air dollars i
to support at least 5,000 U.S.-trained helicopt
ground troops against the rebels. The f
Casualties were reportedly heavy. El when Sa
Salvador, after months of sporadic of quest
fighting, is again locked in bloody con- fice a
flict. presiden
All the while the Reagan ad- ment ofj
ministration stands by baffled at the spring, a
persistent insurgents.' After all, the vanisne
rebels have conceded on a number of In feig
occasions that they can never hope to latest c
defeat the government militarily. So ministra
why do they keep trying, Washington impulse
officials wonder. consider
They keep trying because they, Only the
unlike administration officials, realize tion of it
that as long as Washington aligns itself Salvado
with a corrupt regime, they have a bloodsh
- and on
o win over popular support.
ca's policy in Latin America
he past two years has doomed
ador to a violent deadlock. Un-
Carter administration's per-
pressure, the Salvadoran
made steady gains toward
a drift which eventually could
to a peaceful resolution of the
conflict.
vents in El Salvador since
's inauguration have been
us. One of America's most
ambassadors, Robert White,
laced by one of its least skillful
aturally, most conservative,
[inton. The U.S. virtually gave
for a peaceful solution, and in-
ncentrated all of its efforts on
victory. It poured millions of
nto troops, jets, gunboats, and
ers.
inal blow came last March
lvador's elections, which were
ionable validity, swept into of-
former rightist terrorist as
t. With the de facto abandon-
political and land reform since
ny hope for a peaceful solution
d1.
;ning surprise at the guerrillas'
offensive, the Reagan ad-
ation should curb its immediate
to send more helicopters and
the real roots of the conflict.
en, with a substantial redirec-
ts policy, will the people of El
r have hope for an end to the
ed.
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The elections are here,
but how many will v ote?
*,"
Civic disaster
FOR THOSE IN city social services,
the worst fears have been con-
firmed.
Last week, the U.S. Conference of
Mayors released a report indicating
that President Reagan's so-called
"New Federalism" plan has really
been more like the old "Screw the
Poor" routine for many cities. The
study found that the much-touted con-
solidation of federal aid into block
grants had actually vastly decreased
the funds available for human ser-
vices.
In the 55 cities surveyed, cuts of up to
56 percent were reported in em-
ployment programs, and cuts up to 42
percent were made in health services.
All the cuts came just as the need for
such services expanded dramatically.
In fact, despite the massive infusion of
municipal funds into city human ser-
vices, the report said "in not one of the
human service areas examined was
even 50 percent of the eligible
population being served."
When the administration announced
its New Federalism plan and started
making changes in allocations to
cities, it argued that the new
arrangement would give localities
more control over federal money.
Localities, the administration argued,
would be able to use the funds much
more efficiently and would therefore
need less.
The argument was foolish back then,
and the mayor's report has confirmed
its failure. The reallocation of funds
has not served to make social service
programs run more efficiently - if
that was ever the real goal. It has
merely hacked cash from the most
essential areas of public welfare spen-
ding, leaving cities scrambling to
make the best use of the little money
they have left.
Further, the strain New Federalism
has placed on cities may do permanent
damage. The cuts in federal programs
have already forced cities to make
precipitous increases in tax rates -
increases which only exacerbates the
erosion of their tax bases. Unless New
Federalism is soon reversed - and aid
to the cities restored - the damage
wrought by the president may become
permanent.
By Mary Leary
As the November election approaches, the
question uppermost in the minds of many
political analysts is not who will win the elec-
tion, but rather, "Can an election still win
voters?"
The trend toward greater electoral apathy
over the past 20 years, reaching a low of 38
percent of potential voter turnout, could be
accelerated in this off-year election, many
observers fear. Various 'studies have con-
cluded that the unemployed tend not to vote,
and unemployment is now at a post-
Depression high.
FOR THESE reasons, many analysts
believe the November election will signify
much more than approval or disapproval of
Reaganomics; a record non-voter turnout
could signal massive disapproval of gover-
nment itself.
However, as grim as the prospects may be,,
some forecasts now are suggesting that
voters will defy expectations and reverse the
tide of political withdrawal by sending a loud
and clear message about the direction of
government.
Major opinion samplers identify three blocs
of voters who could have a heavy impact on
the overall turnout:
" Black voters, who tend to be hostile to the
administration, are expected to cast decisive
votes in congressional races in many states.
" The elderly, who also are antagonistic to
the administration, and anxious over Social
Security cuts, likely will vote in large num-
bers. The Republican National Committee
anticipates 85 percent of eligible senior
citizens will go to the polls.
" Women voters, who are reacting to the
defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment and
the administration's emphasis on the military
and nuclear weapons, are expected to send a
forceful negative signal to the White House
via the congressional races.
Indeed, Democratic pollster Pat Caddell
predicts that for the first time in decades a
midterm election may turn into a referendum
on the policies of the president. Republicans
disagree, arguing that local issues and local
personalities will be pivotal.
Despite the loss of minority favor and the
weakening of confidence among the elderly
and women, Republican support still is
vigorous in conservative circles and with up-
per- and middle-income families. Those
moderately well off or very well off worry
about economic slowdown but retain faith in
the Republican approach to fiscal problems.
MANY FEEL they have benefited by it.
Even among Democrats, pollsters find a con-
tinuing vein of confidence that Republicans
can work their way out of the recession. But
political viewpoints are beginning to polarize
between the haves and have-nots, the well-to-
do and the poor.
Republicans also have an election-day asset
in a vigorous and systematized approach
toward getting their own party members out
to vote. For instance, Republicans in Califor-
nia plan to make telephone calls election day
to at least 90 percent of all registered
Republicans. More than 2.5 million California'
Republicans already have received forms
facilitating absentee voting along with a let-
ter from President Reagan. Democrats have
not been as successful in voter registration
drives, and they lack money and technology
to match Republicans in rallying turnout.
Republicans have outspent Democrats
nationally by about seven to one.
THE BLUE-collar worker, who gave
Reagan marked support two years ago, is an
unknown factor in the election. Unem-
ployment has further ruptured already weak
links between union leadership and rank-and-
file workers. Sour though the working man- is
on Reaganomics, most labor leaders hesitate
to predict his vote.
Not all pollsters agree with predictions of
high voter turnout. California's major
pollster, Mervin Field, says public inertia
continues to be a dominant-and puzzling-
factor.
"We don't yet see outrage and a propensity
to express that outrage at the ballot box,"
said Field. "Maybe it will develop. But there
is a perception that no one knows what to do to
better. The economy and the voters as a result
don't know how to move. It's like a massive
logjam."
DR. EVERETT Ladd, political scientist
and polling analyst at University of Connec-
ticut, predicts "a return to normal," which he
interprets as a fading out of the deep cynicism
that hit voters After Watergate and Vietnam.
"They are gradually returning to some con-
fidence in the system," he said.
Blacks were the first to signal outrage to-
pollsters, and a determination to express it
politically. Peter Hart, principal pollster for,
the Democratic Party, identified black anger,,
at the administration-he termed it "hate-,
with a vengeance"-and predicted it will'
boost the election turnout above the 1978 total,
to make this election a political turning point..
The black voice, pivotal in electing Jimmy
Carter, again may set the nation's course.
The single most compelling factor in voter"
reaction is pinpointed by several pollsters at"
the question of "fairness." Caddell called it
critical. Louis Harris thinks this is what will
bring voters out. Criticism of Reaganomics is
not overwhelming, but when Harris asked if
voters should tell Republicans it is not fair to,
give breaks to the rich and make life tougher
for the poor, 74 percent agreed.
"THIS IS the crux of the election," said a
Harris spokesman. "The people perceive,.w
inequities. That is what triggers their reacf
tion."
"It's a polarized viewpoint," said Peter,,..
Hart. "The upper-income are very satisfied;,
the lower very unsatisfied; the middle not:
moved to change things."
Even before the unemployment leve .
pushed to two digits, pollsters sensed that this
election might mark a tidal turn. The current
issue of the journal Public Opinion includes
interviews with GOP pollster Richard Wir-
thlin, Hart, and Ladd. They agreed that voter;
turnout in November will be larger than
usual: "A rough consensus, a feeling you pica.
up from working on polls," said Ladd.
Leary wrote this article for
News Service.
Pacific
4--.
--4-4
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
For a 'living wage,'
a fair contract
- \~~~
,.~
To the Daily:
Your article on the opposition
within the Graduate Employees
Organization to the proposed con-
tract currently being sent out for
ratification/rejection (Daily,
Oct. 7) was substantially better
than most of your articles on
GEO. However, a few items need
to be clarified.
First, GEO does not represent
only teaching assistants, as your
article imnlied. We represent
that the contract gives us vir-
tually nothing; about all you can
say for it is that it does eventually
expire. Among other specific ib-
jections that have been
raised-and which I raised to
your reporter-are the 3-year
duration (perhaps the proposed
contract's most controversial
feature), and the fact that, under
the proposed terms, graduate
employees working in the library
system might not even receive
inadequate to support one person.
let alone the families some mem-
bers are trying to raise.
Teaching assistants (and staff
assistants) at the University of
Michigan are among the worst
paid in the country. TAs are bet-
ter paid at six of the other nine
Big Ten universities. At other
unionized universities, such as
the University of Oregon, TAs
make about twice as much per
vear as do our members.
against the proposed contract;
overwhelmingly repudiating it at
the last membership meeting. As
a leaflet recently distributed by
Membership for a Fair Contract
noted, we do a major portion of
the labor that makes this Univer-
sity function. (In fact, we carry.
about 40 percent of the instruc-
tional load.)
If we stick together, the
University will have to come
through and meet our demands.