4 OPINION Page 4 Friday, January 28, 1983 The Michigan Daily Reagan joins real world, drops rhetoric By Helen Thomas WASHINGTON - President Reagan, seeking to-show that he is in touch with suf- ering America, is planning to hit the road more often to sell his new belt-tightening policy. Reagan laid out a program in his State of the Union address that spreads the sacrifice and nakes no big promises of a quick economic recovery. STILL, HIS Republican cohorts were happy to see that he is abandoning some of his anti- government rhetoric and taking a more pragmatic approach to the nation's problems. House GOP leader, Bob Michel, who barely won re-election in a hard-pressed district, ,told reporters after getting a preview of Reagan's programs: "I was impressed by the fact that the president is at least living in the world of reality." In recent weeks, there have been a spate of reports from Reagan insiders who maintained ;that the president was out of touch with the 12 nillion unemployed., R HIS AIDES are now organizing a blitz cam- paign to refurbish his image as a caring, com- passionate president who is in step, and also While insisting he will oppose any effort to scrap the next tax cut, starting July 1, Reagan is calling for a "standby tax" that could go into effect in fiscal 1986 is deficits remain high. THE FINE print on Reagan's budget proposals for the 1984 fiscal year shows that spending on domestic, mostly social rpograms, will go up only 2 percent while defense spen- ding will increase 14 percent. Budget director David Stockman gave the figures reluctantly at a briefing for reporters on Reagan's program. While some praise Reagan's program, there is no question that his refusal to make any real dent in Pentagon spending will be up for close scrutiny on Capitol Hill. Whether there has been a turnaround in the president's philosophy that government is the villain of the people remains to be seen. Democrats stood up and applauded when he said, "We who are in government must take the lead in restoring the economy." "Normally at this point he would not have heard that from the president," said Michel. HE SAID that the time may now have come when Reagan recognizes that the government "must take the lead in restoring the economy." Many of the lawmakers duly noted the change in tune from his inaugural address, that gover- nment is the "problem," not the solution. While last year he" predicted that the natiop would be out of its slump by now, Reagan waS more cautious this time in forecasting an earl turnaround. THE MOST he said was that "America is on the mend," but he made it clear that "we have a long way to go." Sen. Robert Stafford, (R-Vt.), noted that Reagan has stressed his bipartisanship froi the Social Security compromise to foreign relations, and said he was pleased "the president recognizes the pain being felt by millions of Americans. But I'm not sure the medicine he is prescribing will work fast enough." .{ On the other hand, conservative supporters applauded Reagan's call for a spending freeze; tuition tax credits, a simplified tax code, and'a special youth minimum wage. In the coming months, Reagan must prove that he is not only a "great communicator but a super salesman," as one lawmaker put it. 'U sell his program he is going to the grass root for his initial support. Thomas wrote this article, for United Press International. Reagan: Reaching out to the grass roots probably to set the stage for his re-election. T¢ the man, his aides all believe he wants another four-year crack at the presidency. What is clear in the "strong medicine" Reagan has proposed to cure the country's ills is that nothing works unless the Democrats come aboard. But some of the proposals are unpalatable. He has called for a freezing of all benefits in Social Security, entitlement programs, government pensions and retirement funds. Democratic leaders believe that a rollback in the third year 10 percent tax cut also is in order to keep up government revenues. . o Tp Y I Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Wasserman f OUR CO(1UN4TY tNPS "NOU DO t)AO- To Vol. XCIII, No. 97 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 a Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board Same old message THEME of President Reagan's slash. They are commonly blamed for State of the Union address runs the runaway budget deficit that may " America is on the mend." But under- reach $200 billion this year. But the ;heath the crowd-pleasing of Tuesday's real reason programs such as food epeech lay the real message: Feed the stamps are costing more is simply that I ilitary and starve the needy-hardly more jobless people are being forced to the bipartisan elixir needed to heal seek them out because of economic those suffering most from the coun- circumstances beyond their, and try's economic malaise. everyone else's, control. In spite of his conciliatory cloak of The president is not impressed, soft words, the center of president's however. He sees a real need over at proposals is remarkably the same, in- the Pentagon, where the feast that volving more cuts in domestic spen- began when he took office continues ding. Uncharacteristically, Reagan unabated. The president wants to keep did admit that the government must 1984 spending at 1983 levels after in- lead the nation out of the recession. flation, and he asserts this is a fair But the happy words are backed by no solution for everyone. substance, leaving the government lit- What the president does not point out tle with which to lead. is that spending on social programs Although specific proposals have yet will rise less than 3 percent while to be formally announced, the defense spending will soar by about 10 president has targeted the very areas percent under his proposal. In spite of that are supposed to stop 12 million Reagan's assertion that, "cuts"in unemployed and needy from free defense spending will save $55 billion falling with the dismal economy. The over the next five years, the Pentagon president wants to make further cuts has been promised a $41 billion budget in the so-called safety programs : increase in 1984. Social Security benefits, supplemental What the president offers, then, is income for elderly poor, and worst of nothing new, in spite of the toned down all, food stamps. rhetoric. He is a great communicator, The automatic rise in the costs of but his message is stale, containing these programs makes them an easy bountiful dollars for the military and target for a president eager to cut and precious few alms for the poor. IF WE KEEP ON WITH ThE ARMS RACE. AFTER AR WIL E 7HE RJSS IAN EQ0flMY WAILL COLLAPSE" ' L x Lt11 y- r r IU AL. ., W054TE5 IN OR TOWN ,J_ __ _ '-/J ) / \NELL MA'AM, WE ME V~A ROBLEM OF: Too MAUCIN &oVeQ4N IN lNVO L'1MANT Io 4 4 (I '- ~~~ "_ PIZ- I/ - /! ILVT /L o ARE GO VNMAENT O / I/-' c9O yes r MaMA- iE W WEREN'T IWVOLV tD, 'YOU WOULDtN'T KNOW w m MNWw , N I MA 7 4 i . . -- 4 LETTERS TO THE DAILY: SCRAP petition is coun terproductive To the Daily: Students are seeing a lot of petitioning going on around cam- pus. One group, the Student Committee for Reform and Progress (SCRAP), is petitioning so that "special interest groups" -particularly PIRGIM-do not receive what SCRAP believes is unusual treatement from the University for fundraising. Currently PIRGIM has representation on the Student Verification Form, but it is in the midst of petitioning for a new, stronger fundraising system which would also be conducted through the University. Review cripples Nat. Res. To the Daily: I am questioning the University of Michigan administration and its review of the School of Natural Resources. This review has not accurately assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the school, nor has it come up with a more efficient system for running the school. Instead the review has crippled the institution with a 33 percent budget reduction. This reduction, I feel, would only debilitate the school so severely that closure would inevitably follow. The proposed faculty reduction from 34 to 21 members would eliminate all junior faculty members and would force early retirement of tenured faculty assuming the University follows its policy of not removing tenured faculty. Would this lack of fresh mended an increase in the num- ber of students. Presently there is little if any job market for graduates. Therefore I question the committee's knowledge of the natural resource field. The review committee also recomended that the five major programs of study within the school be combined into two distinct divisions despite the School of Natural Resources' nationally acclaimed integrative approach to resource problems. Therefore I question the commit- tee's understanding of the school or the field in general. These are but a few of the problems with the proposals and recomendations presented by the review process. This procedure has only crippled the school and demoralized the students. Students have tried to present their views and alternatives only The contrast in the actions and goals of PIRGIM and SCRAP deserve discussion. My primary concern is the energy SCRAP devotes to its cause. Students are already engaged in an endless, exhausting struggle to gain some power, control, or even significant influence onrthe run- ning of their own university. Why, then, when faced with this discouraging student status, does' one group feel compelled to wage a one-on-one battle with another? The only thing to call it is coun- terproductive. And it seems peculiar that this group has just made its presence known in time to try to counteract the effects of PIRGIM's petitioning. Where have they been hiding until now? It seems that SCRAP's drive is a blatant case of antipathy, and their goal is to sabotage PIRGIM as a group. I am struck by the fact that a group that calls its goals "reform and progress" would want to un- dermine the financial support of the most famous and successful of student social reform and progress groups. Is SCRAP's definition of reform imposing severe economic hardship on an organization that is wholly for the student community? Do the members of SCRAP think progress means the elimination of the potential for PIRGIM to continue working as successfully as it has in the past, and to con- tinue to help students make valuable contributions through their own initiative? If SCRAP does not believe PIRGIM is a viable organization from which' the student com- munity can benefit, then why not simply say so in their petitions instead of attacking PIRGIM's survival line? It was, after all, a similar petition drive that allowed PIRGIM to first fund it- self using Student Verification Forms. Later petitions reaffir- med student support - support which means students wanted the University to provide a funding system. If SCRAP cannot demonstrate a positive, productive, and for- thright purpose to their petitioning, then they should not continue to waste our time. -Maura Johnston January22 -d