Ninety-four Years
Of
Editorial Freedom
.:1'1
SirF
itIaiQ
Balmy
Breezy, partly sunny in the after-
noon, with a high of 35 degrees.
IVol. XCIV-No. 95 Copyright 1984, The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Mihigan - Wednesday, January 25, 1984 Fifteen Cents Eight Pages
Inflation
rate hits
Slowest
mark in
11years
From AP and UPI
WASHINGTON - Consumer prices
rose 0.3 percent in December and just
3.8 percent in all of 1983, the lowest in-
flation rate since Nixon administration
price controls more than a decade ago,
the government said yesterday.
Only used cars and tobacco showed
annual inflation of 10 percent or more
last year, a sharp contrast from 1979
when the rate for everything soared to
13.3 percent.
ENERGY prices dropped 0.5 percent
last year, the biggest decline in that
area in 20 years and the most
significant break for consumers.
"Today's news is very heartening,
especially, for those on fixed incomes,"
a White House spokesman said. "We're
on the way to sustained growth with low
inflation and that's good news for
everybody."
Natural gas prices were up only 5.2
percent for the year, not even close to
1982's 25.4 percent increase. Gasoline
1> prices~ dropped 1.6 percent during 1983,
climbing just 0.1 percent in December.
MEDICAL costs, soaring at a double-
digit pace in the four previous years,
rose 6.4 percent, the smallest advance
in a decade, according to the Labor
Department's report on the Consumer
Price Index.
, Martin Feldstein, chairman of the
president's Council of Economic Ad-
visers, sa.id that by all the key
measures of inflation "1983 was an out-
standing year." Earlier this month, the
1 government reported producer prices
rose just 0.6 percent last year for the
best showing in two decades.
Analysts attributed the good price
news largely to the abundant crops
through most of the year and the excess
supply of petroleum, which drove down
prices for home heating oil and
gasoline.
THEY ALSO noted the cost of labor
rose only slightly, easing pressure on
businesses to pass along higher prices
to consumers. And the value of the
dollar remained strong, which made
foreign goods less costly compared to
U.S. products.
Other reasons for the good inflation
performance are intense competition
with foreign imports for American
spending money and a shortage of cash
among those still unemployed or in in-
dustries unable to join in the recovery.
Even industries without import com-
petition are wary about raising prices,
afraid they will invite competitors able
to offer bargains because their parts
and labor are cheap compared to that
purchased with the strong dollar.
'U' to sell
computers
to
students,
By THOMAS MILLER puter sy
University students and staff will organizer
soon be able to purchase microcom- pricelistin
puters directly from the University at yesterday
discounts of up to 50 percent. nounce the
Under a deal with Apple Computers He als
Inc., the sales of four types of Apple systems c
computers, including the Macintosh "We jus
model unveiled in New York yesterday, going. tos
may begin by early next week. . don't ha
THE DEAL is part of a growing demostra
relationship between the company and, THE U
the University. Just prior to this term, ferent co
the College of Engineering agreed to Lisa, the.
purchase 800 computers from the com- The Ma
pany for substantially reduced prices. price of$
University officials are hoping close percent d
ties with the company will make it which re
easier for students and professors to $5,500, de
purchase and use computers, while Ap- discounte
ple is using the deals to. tap a large The Ap
student market. close to th
Although the University is hoping to "THEl
begin taking orders for the computers Macintosh
by next week, officials are unsure of ple is notz
how much the computers will cost and the HIe to
how long the company will take to high scho
deliver. Marks
GREG MARKS, a University com-S
staff
ystems manager and chief
of the program, said the
rg for the computers arrived
y and the University will an-
he prices next week.
o said that delivery of the
could take some time.
st don't know how fast Apple is
ship," Marks said. "We still
ave any models to even
te with."
NIVERSITY will sell four dif-
mputers: the Macintosh, the
Apple Ile, and the Apple III.
acintosh, which has a retail
$2,495, will sell at about a 50
iscount, Marks said. The Lisa,
tails for between $3,500 and
pending on the model, will be
d about 40 percent.
ple Ile and III will be sold for
heir retail value, Marks said.
RATIONALE is to help the
h and the Lisa, "he said. "Ap
nearly as interested izselling
ocolleges. They consider it a
ol machine."
said that students and staff
See APPLE, Page 2
AP Photo
Shampoo
Joseph Valez smacks his friend Sandy Turner with a slushball in Noank, Conn. yesterday.
AISA rates its progress
behind closed doors
By MARCY FLEISHER
Fifteen members of the Michigan
Student Assembly (MSA) met behind
closed doors last night to discuss the
results of-a self-evaluation of the group
taken two weeks ago by represen-
tatives.
Although MSA Vice President Jono
Soglin said the written survey results
revealed "nothing we didn't want
anyone to know about;" the members at
last night's meeting voted unanimously
to exclude a Daily reporter from the
their discussion.
"PEOPLE MIGHT have been
inhibited to speak by the presence of a
Daily reporter," said Soglin. "This was
an internal meeting. All organizations
meet on their own."
The three-page survey, written by
MSA President Mary Rowland and
Judy Lodish, director of Student
Organizations, Activities, and
Programs, asked members to rate MSA
on a seven-point scale.
Members were questioned on
whether they had enough participation
in decision-making and how effective
the group is.
ALTHOUGH THE representatives
gave overall high scores of 2.8 for the
level of effort made by the assembly,
the group received only a 3.4 score for
productivity and an even lower mark of
4.9 for the parity group members have
in sharing responsibility. (One was the
highest mark on the scale.)
Another section of the evaluation
asked members to describe their per-
sonal experiences in MSA, why they
ran, and what they believe MSA is and
should be.
"Students should be better prepared
for what they're getting into before
running," said Lodish, in her recom-
mendation to the group.
MSA SHOULD try to bring itself
"closer to the students and the Univer-
sity comm'unity," the recommendation
said. r
After last night's meeting, Soglin said
the group would eventually like to poll
the entire student body's opinion of
what issues MSA should address.
Soglin also said a transition commit-
tee would be set up to help familiarize
new members with how MSA works.
"We wasted time at the beginning of
the year because people weren't orien-
ted enough," Soglin said.
Members also suggested holding in-
formational meetings before MSA elec-
tions so "those running for MSA will
know more about what it means, to be a
representative," said MSA member
Paula Bass.
"The group also discussed the
possibility of members doing social
things together. . . in order to become
friends as well," Bass added.
In other survey results, the average
response for questions on "responsible
participation" was 3.6 and 3.7 on
decision-making participation.
"I'm glad we had a meeting to
discuss the results," said Soglin. "We
got some pretty concrete (results),"
he said.
... nv ....... .... ..r ..t .... .r.. ....v. v.. ..... v r .... .. ... ........ .. ..v.... ..... v. ... 1 ..... . n ... ... ...+..?"...........v. v...........................................................................................v..n ,...................................r........................................................................
.......................................":.. .. ...... v..v ...v ........ v..... ...... r.... ..:......v..v .............ru..r.....................u ........................ ................:..:: --:::...........,...""y;::::.t^::::::::;:::::::::: ::"::::::. ::. :::: :w:: v:. :::v :"v:. _::.................................................................. :v: :": ":::. ::. ::::::.w:":::::":}:: :i}:"}::"i:":::"i::}}:.::"i:::
-...} . .. ...... .v ?v ..................... ................................... n ...............
....... v..... r....'},.v...v,..t .............?}.................... ..... m:. :......... u:". :.":::::::: v::::::: ". ::. ::. ::::"::::::::" .... :::i4ii:v}:"}
:V.uv.: }::.:vv}::.v :".tw:r: rr?4;{,}}" ".v v v:.vv: v:. n".t-.:v::: ,". .. .. ..
" , .... y:.v:.?": : ::::: ;. _::::.}:: :. ............. v:}:^::.} ::::. _.}: ii:: :ii: :::i:?-}ii. v:"}ii}}ii}::{J}iii>i:{:v:i:<JY.4}:"}}S: ii":}:i: iY"}}i:4S,.>X -:::: ::::? ?}:"? }:":}}::i:{}},;:-:?:??+::Ci :C}::C:t}: }:"i:-i:4:iL}"i.
."r. i::"}i.:..... nv ::::}}hv vr: --" .. .... ................. :...: .... .......: "::.::. ::::.::::. : ": :" ....:..:: n"::. -....... ...... -.....:::::. : : - v:::::::: :.::::::::: -:...... .. ... .. .. ...... ... ... .. ..... ...........................................)i{;:>.:i::"ii i: i{:i:_ Yi i'w:3:L ":i: l}:
'Beleher's
holdings
ruled OK
By ERIC MATTSON
Ann Arbor's city attorney yesterday ruled that
Mayor Louis Belcher's part-ownership of the Down-
town Club does not create a conflict of interest with
his vote to develop the property as office space.
Two city councilmen, Larry Hunter (D-1st ward)
and Lowell Peterson (D-1st ward), have accused
Belcher of a conflict of interest because he purchased
the building 18 months after the city council voted to
develop it into office space. The property is located at
110 N. Fourth Ave.
BELCHER, HOWEVER, says there is no conflict
because he approved the development plans before
he had any interest in the building. He said that the
councilmen's charges were too strict because many
City Council actions may later affect individual
councilmembers.
Hunter and Peterson say they want to see the
building developed into low income housing for city
residents. They were hoping charges of conflict of-in-
terest would trip up Belcher's plans to convert the
club into office space.
If the city attorney had ruled in their favor, the
development plans for the site may have had to go
before City Council again.
CITY ATTORNEY R. Bruce Laidlaw, however
sided with Belcher.
"To a certain extent, almost every important ac-
tion taken by the City Council will impact some coun-
cil members differently than it does others, and to
that extent there is a 'conflict'," Laidlaw said in a,
report issued yesterday.
"I can find no law that would, restrict a council
member from participating in the development of a
parcel of land which was previously the subject of
council action," the report said.
Hunter and Peterson say that the Downtown Club
can be turned into low-cost housing for around
$200,000. Belcher and his partners, however, say the
conversion would cost even more than it would to turn
it into office space, which they estimated to be about
$2 million.
Laidlaw also cleared Belcher of conflict charges
stemming from his purchase of another building at
310 S. Fifth Ave.
Daily Photo by BRIAN MASCK
Winter wonderland
Children pose for pictures on the edge of frozen lake Michigan near the south
pier breakwater outside of Grand Haven.
Judge cuts Liuzzos'
bill for court costs
By GEORGEA KOVANIS
The family of slain civil rights worker
Viola Liuzzo will not have to pay an
$80,000 bill for the government's court
costs that they expected to when they
lost their court battle last May.
After reconsidering his earlier order,
U.S. District Court Judge Charles
Joiner this week sharply cut the Liuz-
zo's tab for government court costs by
more than $76,000 to $3,645.30.
IN HIS EIGHT page opinion released
this week, Joiner said the initial bill
was excessive and would discourage
people from filing suits against the
government.
The children of Viola Liuzzo brought
a $2 million lawsuit to court last March
charging that the government was
responsible for'the 1965 death of their
mother.
In May, Joiner ruled against the
family and ordered them to pay the
government court costs which included
witness expenses, video-taped
despositions, and court reporter costs.
Shortly after that decision, the Liuz-
zo's filed a motion asking the judge to
reconsider the order.
See JUDGE. Page 3
..... .,,"v.,v:: ".vv :t::^ w . :r:: ):::: :,;:v:{":}iv ::}{:....::{.;.{ "::t{:v:n Yi?} .... ........................ .v . .:,.....;...... ....
f
TODAY
CRISP quickly
HIS IS THE DAY of decision for anyone still
carrying around unwanted -classes on their
schedule. After today, dropping a class will cost
pear at Campus Meet the Press today at 4 p.m. The session,
held in the Michigan Union's Kuenzel Room, is sponsored
by The Michigan Daily and Canterbury Loft.
More pre-graduation'notes
GIVEN THAT commencement will be moved outside to
Michigan.Stadium this April 28 (provided the ground
motion. (If Coach Bo Schembechler has any graduates in
the class this year, those students could be exempted from
the wave, since such conduct likely would upset him.) By
the way, kick-off for commencement activities is 1 p.m.,
moved back from the scheduled started time of 10 a.m. No
word yet on television coverage or Goodyear blimps. Q
The Daily almanac
would bear arms against another country.
* 1921-Prof. Raph Aigler, chairman of the Board in Con-
trol of Athletics said, "Any statement that the (board) has
definitely decided to build a bowl of 100,000 seating capacity
at some future time is incorrect."
* 1912-100 forestry students planned to leave the Univer-
sity for Cornell, to follow departing forestry Prof. Filibert
Roth.
i
I I
i
i