-j 4 OPINION Page 4 Wednesday, January 30, 1985 The Michigan Daily e AbIcigan aii a1 Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan An 'intelligent' revolution Vol. XCV, No.99 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board First aid UNDER THE teeter-totter logic of working out a budget, when one thing goes up, another must come down. So far, the Reagan administration has refused to give up its request for a six percent increase in its defense spending and instead is proposing to curtail the number of new research gr- ants given out by the National Institute of Health. NIH is a major source of funds for medical research across the country, and supports 65 percent of the research at the University medical, dental, and nursing schools. Under the Reagan proposal, no current grants will be cut, but many grants that were anticipated will not materialize. Under federal law, Reagan does not have the authority to cut NIH funding, but he can limit the number of new grants, thus spending fewer gover- nment dollars. Although the ad- ministration claims that private agen- cies such as The American Cancer Philanti T HE REAGAN administration is making it more and more difficult for charities to exist. After proposing cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts with the claim that private cor- porations and individuals would make up the loss in their contributions, the administration is attacking charities from another angle. Now, if a proposal by the treasury department is passed, philanthropists may have less incen- tive to take on that financial burden. The Treasury Department's recommendations, which it says are the result of taxpayers taking an ex- cess of withholding, would limit in- come tax deductions for charity. Philanthropists would not be allowed to deduct gifts of amounts less than two percent of their adjusted gross income. Independent Sector, a coalition representing 595 national non-profit associations, has estimated that the organizations would lose more than 5 billion in private dollars if the proposal were adopted. Although it is estimated that private money only accounts for 20 to 25 per- cent of most charities resources, philanthropy is an important means of 1 Society or the Kidney Foundation will be able to make up for some of the missing grants, local researchers denied the possibility. In spite of the importance the Reagan administration places on the defense budget, medical research is certainly a more effective use of federal funding than is arms research. Whereas the ultimate objective in weapons research is to develop newer and more effective ways of killing people, the goal of medical research is just the opposite: saving lives. The products of military research increase tensions around the world, while the products ot medical research can be used to alleviate suffering world-wide. In calling for cuts in NIH funding over reductions in his defense budget, Reagan demonstrates a concerning short-sightedness. Faced with a clear choice between research that aids humanity and research which threatens it, the president chose the latter. ropy falls funding for these organizations. By ac- cepting support from private sources, non-profit organizations can better keep in touch with the community they serve. A benevolent organization fun- ded entirely by the government need only respond to government demands, whereas a similar charity receiving contributions from a host of private corporations and individuals must be responsive to the specific needs of that community. Although federal support is essential to the survival of many charitable organizations, sup- port from local corporations and in- dividuals gives charities the indepen- dence which separates them from federally-controlled programs. With the administration's recent at- tempts to cut endowments to benevolent organizations in an effort to trim the deficit, private funding will likely play a greater role in keeping non-profits afloat. This was President Ronald Reagan's rationale behind proposing cuts to the National En- dowment for the Arts this month. To turn around and restrict this form of funding would leave many charitable organizations without sufficient money from any source. By Naomi Saferstein On most days I relish the idea of opening my eyes to the sound of my Panasonic am/fm digital clock radio with automatic wake to music and snooze control. Few things are nicer than getting up to the mellifluous sounds on a sonata or a symphony. But then few things are worse than the mornings when I wake to the drone of some monotonous man saying".... and now, the news." The other day was one of those mornings. One of those mornings when a beep or a buzz or a wa-waa wa-waa siren would have been better than someone reading idiot cards that said in Houston they now have what is called an "intelligent building." Now the thought of an "intelligent building" is a scary idea in and of itself, but at 7:00 in the morning it verges on horrific, horrific- plus when they quote the construct as saying "Ninth floor, watch you step." This idea, the idea of a building with brains, is supposed to be to business what the microwave was to the kitchen, yet another modern convenience. The only problem that has been stated thus far is that rent in this "intellegent building" tends to be higher than that of it's conven- tional peers. But it seems as though small conveniences, such as a voice descending from the heavens saying, "Haven't you forgotten something?" when someone leaves the room and the lights are still on, is well worth the price. And as I lay there with my eyes closed and the covers over my head I thought that this was yet another monumental step in the age of technology, another precursor of the things to come-intelligent building today, in- telligent home appliances tomorrow. Just imagine opening the refrigerator and hearing, "Can't you smell? There's tomatoes rotting in the back corner," or "Remember, you're getting low on apples." Why it'd be the dieter's dream. . . "Hey, tub-o-lard, you really want that? Bertha, I wouldn't if I were you, once on the lips forever on the hips. Will it really taste that good?" Suddenly Dexatrim will become obsolete. Or how about the intelligent garbage disposal... "Bones go in the garbage bag".. . "Hey stupid, there's a spoon down here." And its partner, the intelligent sink, will pot an end to dirty dishes because every timfe they start piling up this Piglet-like voice will go... "Oooo, wash me, wash meee. Yuck; mold, mildew, crustacia is forming." And this will be just the beginning, befor4 you know it we'll be able to get "intelligeuit home appliances with the voice of our favorite stars. The Mae West oven... "Heya, big boy; can't ya' see I'm boiling over Ever here? The Woody Allen toilet... You know, I feel very uncomfortable talking about this but it really upsets me that every time I go to the bathroom I see your little tampon watching me while I, you know, do my business." The Arnold Horshack doorbell. .. "Oooo, Ooo0*, Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter." And of course the Joan Rivers answering machine... "Listen; I'm out on a hot date with Edgar right now--I know, can you believe it? - but all I want to say is listen can we talk? Really, as soon as I get back. Beep." And this is only the beginning,*. Saferstein is a junior in the Residential College. Wasserman l4 X'M, SoA22Y Wi ETo F1eCLoe Oc YOUR A'AM, BUT A 2CULTWJE IS BUTv 9oCtE1\h DOSS OWEYOU P.t PL &AS2E OF YOU - V AC17IN\OF CUAN&tt & V CONQI\C 9 A iTIES JS7LIV-E \tM W STE 4Fc S 4 N ( 1 1_ ,) I LETTERS TO THE DAILY Campus CIA protests were legitimate 4 ' +BEZ/J I vant. Isla de Guana a o i F O i j. k iso a je t pi tHONDURAS lbd~a ~O~1U~" j~ac { L ,,.' bodeTres P,ntas Punta sit"r atlrts~ 1o -ao arta Cyo~jns Ca o /t ote '9 4rrn Patuca Ca of Vivarillo ld e a eib B ni o a fa te f e{.A ',, d i / aQu nit C ayo C ocoro cum a .e ,:: oras S, n Pedro Sula r' " " op" = ssiw. .-t+j . 'rogreso - -r'9ancio ? s s/iy te- a r. 22 e{ l . Nor"It C< , I a~a ° nRafael d Ma j,aguio Z~a <'. y deIt+'s ng OLCAN A AY .'MP";,(Great Corn (slant Masachap ee ': Y ;""t ,:VVrd caa n ,1 o t a ~ o n ( M o n k e y P o i n t ) ® w: vas I t , taGorda C A R "7 Ju l'deSu' tr l ii ' orte Cbo Snta E en av 5 tm,{s anJuan del Norte Gtrode / tl' /,'Colorado To the Daily: When we put the CIA on trial last November and ran them off campus, many students, in- cluding the Daily Editorial Board, applauded us and recognized the necessity of our- action. I was pleased to see so much debate over the issue in the week that followed. It seems as though some people were really thinking about what it means to allow a group which spreads murder, torture, and repression the world over to recruit at the University. This time, I am concerned that perhaps the necessity of our protest was gotten muddled by the focus on our "disruptive" tac- tics. First of all, I want to say that it was not pleasant, nor our inten- tion, to have to disrupt the inter- views of students who wanted to speak to other companies both at Career Planning and at the Jobs Fair in the League. However, it is much worse to think that my tax dollars go to support CIA crimes abroad, for example that CIA- trained contras rape, murder, and brutally torture health-care workers, teachers, mothers, children, and old people in Nicaragua. By allowing the CIA to recruit here, we are accom- plices to these heinous crimes. Morally, I cannot accept the fact that my tuition money is used in part to sponsor this agency on campus and that is why I will continue to protest their presen- ce. greater wrong and was the first step in what became a much larger movement. When con- sidering the CIA recruitment on campus, don't just look at one person's interview (even if it's your own), but look at the record of the organization. The CIA's bloody overthrow of the democratically elected gover- nment of Salvador Allende in Chile, for example, is well- documented in Senate Subcom- mittee Reports of 1974. The CIA, by their own admission, directed the illegal mining of Nicaragua's harbors. If the above-mentioned crimes are not enough to convince you that the CIA is not'a legitimate organization, what would? The overthrow of the elected gover- nments of Iran and Guatemala in 1954? The prevention of elections in Vietnam in 1956? A forum on the CIA is being planned for early March, so that the whole academic community can join together and discuss the problems inherent in allowing the CIA to recruit on campus. I hope many people who disagree with us or do not understand our tac- tics will come. -Lisa Vihos January 23 Daily should not 'go with the flow' To the Daily: I was distressed to read in the Ann Arbor News that the Michigan Daily's circulation, ad- vertising, and income are on the decline, but have no quick-fix suggestions to remedy the problem. One solution, however, that should not be tried is that implied in the idea of "adapting to the market." This sounds like advice that the Daily begin to pander to the shallow interests and dubious morality of the "new conser- vative" mood on the American college campus. Leaving aside whether this emphasis on social selfishness, simple-minded nationalism, and avoidance of disciplined and creative educational experience can BLOOM COUNTY properly be called conservatism, there are two additional con- siderations. One is that we still have an im- pressive minority of students, faculty, and administrators who have not yet acquiesced in these deplorable tendencies; they represent both an important con- stituency and a possible source of ; support. Perhaps more impor- tant is the need to provide a coun- ter-vailing voice when the nation is in a state of temporary decline, ethically and intellectually, as we undoubtedly are. When many or most of the trends are running against the best and most cherished American principles, we cannot afford to capitulate, but to resist through responsible criticism, vigorous analysis, and careful attention to the evidence. The Daily is a University and national resource, and it would be a shame to see it deteriorate and "Go with the flow." -J. David Singer January 22 The Michigan Daily encourages input from our readers. Letters should be typed, triple- spaced, and sent to the Daily Opinion Page, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. by Berke Breathed 4711C OW P3 Afl.A41 iD Mh~ ~A~r y/ - VMVIAAlM F !? = . urfF!= 1 r t t " r/ i 1 ' _..-_^ rn fa