0 OPINION Page 4 Tuesday, October 30, 1984 The Michigan Daily Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan An appeal for student leaders Vol. XCV, No. 47 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board County Prosecutor ACCORDING TO George Sallade, 21 years is a long enough term for a county prosecutor. We agree. Sallade, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Washtenaw County Prosecutor William Delhey, says Delhey has failed to change his office and initiate new programs over the last two decades. He calls for in- creased use of psychologists, social workers, and female interviewers in dealing with sexual assault victims and family problems. He points to the fact that there are no blacks on Delhey's 19-person staff. And he says there is a need for increased services to help victims of domestic violence and to keep victims from being treated like criminals during investigations. These ideas deserve to be pushed for- ward. Delhey seems to agree that programs are needed in these areas, and he points to his success at begin- ning and maintaining efforts to settle family disputes, successfully prosecuting repeat criminal offender- s, and dealing firmly but fairly with first-time drunk drivers. Delhey has, indeed, created suc- cessful programs, but Sallade is correct when he says there is a long way to go. Sallade seems to have the ability to make that progress. He exhibits the energy and enthusiasm needed to spark an office like the prosecutor's into high gear. As chairman of the Michigan cam- paign for Gary Hart, Sallade gave his office to the student campaigners and led a campaign that brought Hart from underdog to strong second-place finisher in Michigan. He served in the state legislature, and has run for several other offices - both as a Democrat and a Republican. Sallade works closely with students and says as prosecutor he would work to ensure students the right to protest peacefully and make their voice heard. He opposes the proposed code of non- academic - conduct and calls it un- necessary. He sounds genuinely con- cerned with the problems students face. Delhey says students are rarely in- volved with the prosecutor's office, and when they are it is usually as a vic- tim. He opposes the proposed code because it does not clearly state which type of cases would be tried by the University and which by the county, but does not oppose the idea of a code. It's time for a change in the prosecutor's office, and George Sallade promises the strong cross- examination needed to bring about that change. It's definitely worth a try. Drain Commissioner By Scott Page The student government of the School of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA-SG) will soon begin its annual fall election. This year's contest might be devoid of the hand shaking, leafleting, and postering contests that an- nually pervade Angell, Mason, and Haven Halls. Why? Because only one party is run- ning. Most people readily blame the all too often publicized problem of student apathy on the upcoming uncontested election. I would like to ask that someone among the multitudes of LSA students squelch this criticism of the study body and organize an alternative party in the spirit of competition and democracy. THE REASON for becoming a member of LSA-SG could conceivably be any of a number of things. I would like to propose a somewhat idealistic motivation. The University benefits from and needs more direct student involvement in the decision making process, and LSA-SG represents a vehicle for enhancing student in- teraction with administrators. Students, more than any other constituency in the University community, possess an under- standing of the quality of instruction at the University. Responsible and intelligent student input into University committees promotes greater emphasis on the student and less emphasis on simplicity. Effective leadership in LSA-SG will im- prove the school's academic programs for all LSA students. I am not suggesting that by LETTERS TO THE DAILY Profit ince To the Daily: vice. Th The response given by Richard "private Simonetta of the AATA in his let- for exa ter "Night Ride not created for carefully Women" (Daily, October 25) is to make what one would expect out of threat to an organization that has no incen- taxicab tive to provide good service: the rides ar incentive of profit. While it is true sidized. A that nowhere in the AATA subsidies literature or in its ads does it so-called state that Night Ride is for prise" w women, the whole idea behind it of eithe was that many women, par- freemar ticularly those working at shook the University Hospitals without ac- Those cess to cars, would want to make AATA or use of the service, given that the Ann Arbor Police might be too busy writing parking tickets, hassling "street people", or busting someone for smoking a joint to adequately patrol the To the Da streets agaist the more violent I wish members of the community. possible A business that is seeking "Apathy profit, and in fact is relying on it Day," (D on a long term basis, is going to a handfu provide the very best service it reporter can to obtain that goal. In other was inter words, better service, more interesto profit. Public bus companies, viewees) however, like everything else run on perh by government, do not havenany aspect of incentive and do not rely upon the or not fa customer to call theshots, classes. profitwise. Very little comes The lal out of the fare box; most centralp operating cost -forget profit- is from tax-funded subsidies. Whether you ride AATAeor not, whether you are dragged off a street corner and sexually assaulted because the Night Ride To the D was 20-30 minutes late is of no The ed real concern. To be fair, there informat has been a vast improvement in criticize AATA from five or six years ago, vocation but if you don't like the service, after his walk. Or get a car. Just do not at- 1960 lette tempt to start an alternative bus editors company. It's a crime to compete discussio with government. however, As to the cab companies, this paign tr sounds like a sweetheart deal, one Mon Perhaps business is rather slack, "John F.- or perhaps the contract beats Answer hustling for customers, par- Ronald ticularly if the customers are fresh out of a night at the bars. Again, don't try to start your own cab service if you are unhappy BLO with what's available. Licensing, like subsidies, keeps out com- petition.C What is the best solution? A totally free market in transpor- tation. Those that provide the best service at the least expensive price will stay in'business. Those who don't, won't. Any business that gets complacent and slacks off will soon find competition climbing on its back. Of course, a free-market transportation system need not seek profit. Any groupthat wantsto provide tran- sport should be free to do so, 4A . running for LSA-SG someone could drastically change the direction of the school. I am merely saying that any effort directed towar- ds improving the University community is ex- tremely important. LSA-SG offers a unique opportunity to address real problems from an idealistic perspective while still attaining substantive results. 'I am not suggesting that by running for LSA-SG someone could drastically change the direction of the school. I am merely saying that any effort directed towards improving the University com- munity is extremely important.' THIS YEAR Eric Berman, the LSA-SG president, and the LSA-SG representatives have succeeded in increasing awareness about the importance of LSA. Among other things, they sponsored one essay contest and are currently organizing a second they held a symposium on liberal arts last spring, they invited and arranged for a visit by Dr. I- -I_ ntive is the only incentive here are a few such services, van-pools, ,mple, but these are watched and regulated sure that they pose no transit authorities or the monopoly. Many of those e also government-sub- A free market needs no or licensing, and those " friends of free enter- ,o accept the legitimacy r would not know the ket if it came up and eir hand. who are hoping that r any other government- run entity will provide Service -with-a-capital-S, convenience and/or safety, are living in a dream world. Until such time as a free market can be established in this country, such unfortunate occurences will keep occurring. Everyone should make their own arrangements. With government, it is not going to get any better. The poor, the women out alone on dark, empty streets late at night are just pawns for further boon- doggles, further subsidies. It is the free market, through that much-maligned profit motive, that really cares. Perhaps the care is only the result of a desire for profit, but the important things is that desire does result in care, and the ones who profit from care are the customers. T bad there's a law that preven,. such a system from existing in our society. Perhaps there should be a closer scrutiny of those sup- porters of that law. -Jim Greenshields October 27 Greenshields is chair of th Hudler for Congress Commit tee. 'factor Ernest Boyer, a nationally recognized figure in the area of liberal arts institutions, scheduled for tonight, and they admirably performed the difficult and time consuming tasks of appointing student to various LSA committees and appropriating money to worthwhile student projects. Although much of their work escapes cam- pus publications such as the Daily and the University Record, their accomplishments should not be diminished. While the questions they have asked and the issuesthey have raised have not been the most salient on cam- pus, they certainly have been among the more important. The quality and direction of the University's largest school deserves con- siderable attention. LSA-SG has devote4 time and energy to that cause. Like all student governments, LSA-SG is not without its problems. Not all LSA-SG representatives prioritize the needs of their constituents (the twenty thousand plus LSA students) before their own homework, thus creating an inconsistency of work effort among the members. Earlier this term in an attempt to increase morale, mandatory office hours became voluntary because so many representatives were missing them. Overall, though, the LSA-SG represen- tatives have served their school well. To paraphrase the inscription on the MSA front door, "they have helped make the University of Michigan a better place to live." So should you. Page is president of the Michigan Student Assembly. THE MAJOR issue in the race for Washtenaw County Drain Com- missioner is the water quality of the Huron River, Geddes Pond, and Ford rake. The Republican candidate Daniel Bicknell points to reports showing the city as a source of bacterial pollution putting sewage runoff into those bodies of water. He accuses the Democrat in- cumbent James Murray of negligence concerning this problem and a lack of concern for water quality. There is some question as to how much action Murray has taken concerning this pollution, but even if he has done as much as he contends, he does not possess the commitment to environ- mental safeguards that Bickell does. For this reason, Daniel Bicknell is the best choice for Washtenaw County Drain Commissioner. Bicknell places great emphasis on adherence to the 1956 Drain Code which states that, "the drain com- missioner is to make investigations for the purpose to end pollution of county waters, in the protection of public health and the promotion of the general habitat." The University's School of Public Health recently con- ducted a study that shows that Huron River waters and Ann Arbor's major storm drain are contaminated with human waste. The problem is that sanitary pipe lines are illegally hooked into storm drains which carry runoff into the Huron River. Murray says that he is conducting a pollution abatement program for that system, but Bickell contends, and we believe, that more can be done. Bicknell is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University in biology and chemistry and is currently a graduate student in the University's school of Public Health. He has conducted his own pollution studies and takes the results of other studies very seriously. No task of the drain commissioner can be more important than the safeguar- ding of clean rivers and lakes. Bicknell has demonstrated his commitment to cleaning up Washtenaw County's waters and he deserves support. Story magnifies apathy aily: to register my strongest objections to your article Hits Central America aily, October 20). Based on il of interviews your concluded that nobody ested (despite the stated of several of the inter- , and she chose to focus aps the most trivial the program: whether culty will dismiss their tter has never been the premise of the event. Your prognostication of apathy is unfair to the broad spectrum of organizations that have endorsed and worked hard for Central America Day: student groups like MSA, LASC, and PSN; faculty groups like FACHRES- CA; University offices like Religion and Ethics; church groups like Lord of Light Lutheran, New Jewish Agenda, and the Interfaith Council; and the City, Council of Ann Arbor which unanimously declared Oc- tober 24th to be Central America Day. But most of all your article is an insult to the concern and com- passion of the students at this University - particularly during an electoral campaign and following a foreign policy debate focussing precisely on Central America. Please give students aj this University a chanceti educate themselves without predjudicing them against the events before-hand with cynical pronouncements of "apathy." -Peter Rosset October 21 Mondale needs historv lesson lww I ww IV In., ff w %01 1&0, a w WA.0 w %1#, 9 a/ aily: litorial "No trivial bit of ion" (Daily, October 25) d President Reagan's in- of John Kennedy's name slandering of JFK in a er to Richard Nixon. The neglected, in their on of Mondale's speech, , one question of cam- ivia: how many times in dale rally can the name Kennedy" be invoked. r: 7. d Reagan can't top that. OM COUNTY Does Walter Mondale have more right to invoke JFK's name than Ronald Reagan,as the Daily implies? Hardly. Mondale says he will bring back the type of leadership this country had under the Kennedy administration, on the one hand; on the other, he rips Reagan for CIA training of revolutionists in Central America. Mondale should study up or some of his American history-starting with the Bay of Pigs. Next, he should think back to the Cuban missile crisis when he and other Democrats criticized Reagan's stand on the cruise missiles in Western Europe. Walter Mondale and his sup- porters criticize the president's "ignorance of the facts." Well, Mondale, American history is something a candidate for th nation's highest office shou know. -Robert Andalman October 26 by Berke Breathed County Sheriff T HE RACE for Sheriff of Washtenaw County offers no clear-cut choice. Both the incumbent Republican candidate Ronald Schebil and his Democratic challenger James Douglas would undoubtedly provide the county with responsible ad- ministration of the enforcement and prison systems. One-third of the coun- ty's budget is allocated to the Sheriff's department. The 11 million sum goes toward county law enforcement, the training of police officers, public stituting the 911 emergency telephone system in Saline and is disturbed that the system is not in effect throughout the county. Such a system for the coun- ty would be desirable. In addition , Douglas emphasizes the need for in- teraction between the sheriff's office and the community. Schebil took over the office in April after the resignation of Thomas Minick. He would undoubtedly con- tinue to carry out his responsibilities effectively. UIP CAWtY OR 50MC C~bq MA'INO, 6EN? HA! 60&BACK TO BEP! (ii, li UI TAP0 o... GI5T-M 0MG )WK %r1MR IV577I m5. wi eNOT air 'mm~ D/CE PRE?/GfI5177M1MK!/ )'V(4C6 A bW1.'KNOW YtX',R U1/NIMPON5/ TAKE AN H0Or ~ cooK Ar YWR~eaFl II « lF l - IL ' a 77rr3 R/6H1. 4OtYK tO AM qP oee... WHAT PO 2YOUI66E62 1 566 700ATRR~HT. MY1M TTH 108&P. WCIH A(IqR"./ r/ r~v rxur/ A 5 AT 5MAN...' i I wKV AN4vw,7, Ij