Page 2 The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 31, 1986
Drive seeks
By AMY D. GOLDSTEIN * Provide for
A Brighton-based group pushing for to meet in emerj
the establishment of a part-time state " Provide for
legislature will be collecting policy between
signatures in the Fishbowl today. employer;
University adminstrators say they * Decrease sa
are opposed to the idea, and local " Eliminate 1
politicians say they don't expect the legislators not c
group led bybusinessman Dick SUPPORTE
Chrysler to gather much support lgSlUPPRER
here legislature say.
CAMPUS representative for the 'allow the Spe
Michigan Part-Time Legislature the Majority L
Petition Drive, LSA freshman Debbie concurrently ca
Buchholtz, said 44 other states curren- special session,
tly have a part-time legislature. nor."
Buchholtz said she hopes to collect Tom Green, t
at least 1,000 signatures, but she does said the propos
expect to encounter difficulties. "The state's Consti
problem here is that people are Michigan taxpa
unregistered or from out of state," st year and $3 t
she said. Signatories need to be secutive year.
registered Michigan voters. Green admitt
The group's proposal would: an uphill battlei
" Limit sessions from mid-January the proposal froi
to mid-May; "There are a k
part
15 special session days
gencies, if they arise;
a leave of absence
a legislator and an
laries and expenses;
benefit packages for
urrently eligible.
RS of the part time
they are proposing to
aker of the House and.
eader of the Senate to
all the legislature into
as well as the gover-
he drive's spokesman,
ed amendment of the
itution would save
yers $7 million the fir-
o $4 million each con-
ed that the group faces
in seeking approval of
m legislators.
lot of people who don't.
-time
legislature
like it," he said. At least 33 percent of
th legislators despise it, 33 percent
like it, and 33 percent are am-
bivalent."
University Vice President for State
Relations Richard Kennedy, however,
said he fears a part-time legislature
would mean a decline in the quality of
legislators elected to office.
"I don't think we'd get a person who
would spend as much time under-
standning higher education," Ken-
nedy said. "I'm not sure we'd get the
caliber of legislator we've got now."
STATE Sen. Lana Pollack (D-Ann
Arbor) said she doesn't expect the
proposal to do well in this area
because, "Most people in Ann Arbor
understand the complexities of
government. They understand that
you can't have easy solutions to com-
plex problems."
Pollack and numerous other state
legislators say they oppose the
proposal because, among many
things, it forces legislators to rely
heavily on lobbyists for their income.
This would breed corruption, they
say.
"It (the part-time legislature)
makes legislators dependent on
anotheresourceoftincome that deter-
mines their votes," said Pollack.
"There are tremendous problems
with conflict of interest in the part-
time legislature."
HOWEVER, Chrysler, Chairman of
the Part-Time Legislature Petition
Drive, said the Michigan legislature is
no stranger to corruption in voting.
"Right now, legislators are put into
office by special groups like the
I
I\oI
I when you're eating a
t ;Or 11.
I V
cookie with hot chocolate.1
I COOKIE & HOT CHOCOLATE 99*
I WITH THIS COUPON I
1 O P EN D A ILY V ' O FFER EX PIR ES T L 1 : 0 P A C ,1 8
I I
------- --- -- ---- - - - ----- - -..-
United Auto Workers and the AFL-
CIO, and they vote for those unions,"
Chrysler said.
The controversy over the proposal
also centers on a legislator's role. The
proposal states that "The
legislature's most important task is to
review and vote on the state budget
each year."
LEGISLATORS say their key
responsibility is to serve their con-
stituents.
Gov. James Blanchard, according
to Deputy Press Secretary Tom Scott,
"Thinks that legislators who are ser-
ving their constituents full-time are
better for the state."
Said Pollack: "A lot of people here
work 60 to 70 hours a week. The con-
stituents expect and demand it. Most
of the work, of course, does not get
done on the floor. That's like saying
you can go to college and only take
exams."
SOME opponents of the proposal
say their main objection to it is that it
disrupts the state Constitutional
system of checks and balances.
"If you only have a legislature for
four months a year, then you leave
everything to the bureaucracy to run
the state, rather than the people they
elect," said Rep. John Pridnia (R-
Harrisville).
"We are larger in size, more in-
dustrial, and our size and complexity
means that we need a full-time
legislature," he added.
REP. TOM Hickner (D-Bay City)
agreed with Pridnia. A part-time
legislature,he said, "would increase
the power of the governor and
executive branch inordinately. The
legislature serves as a check against
bureaucracy. That responsibility is a
full-time, year-round job."
"cIt gives the execxutive almost
complete power," said Rep. Maxine
Berman (D-Southfield). "Those
(executive) departments can do an
awful lot of things in and of them-
selves."
Pridnia noted that the state had a
part-time legislature until 1969, but
switched to the full-time system as the
state's population grew along with the
complexity of issues.
"The recession period of the mid-
1960s led to an eventual move to full-
time legislatures in the late 1960s," he
explained. "At that period, the size,
complexity, and magnitude of the
problems caused them to sit down on
a full-time basis.'
RENT A
REFRIGERATOR
Phone: 1-815-895-2443
or 1-800-255-2255
ext. 7368 free phone call
FREE DELIVERY
T-SHIRT
PRINTING
TEAM AND ORGANIZATION SIRTS
RUSH JOBS WELCOME
MULTI-COLOR OUR SPECIALTY
SURPLUS AND "OOPS" SHIRTS 3/$5.50
SUPERIOR QUALITY SINCE 1973
206 S. FIRST
994-1367
PASSA
IT
AROUNDI
IN BRIEF
COMPILED FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS AND
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
One in three U.S. children
received government aid
WASHINGTON - About one American child in three lives in a
household receiving some form of government assistance, ranging from
food stamps to Medicaid, the Census Bureau reports.
Overall, about 19.5 million children, or about 1 in 3, were members of a
household that received benefits based on family income, during the four-
th quarter of 1984," the bureau said.
There were 60.9 million children under age 18 at the time of the study,
published as part of the bureau's quarterly Survey of Income and
Program Participation. This means those taking part in government
programs constituted about 38 percent of the total.
Free and reduced-price school lunches were by far the most common
type of means-tested benefit received, with 13.8 million children, or 23
percent of all American youngsters, participating.
Means-tested benefits are those distributed based on the income of the
household getting the money.
Reagan seeks to aid Angola
WASHINGTON - President Reagan assured guerrilla chieftan Jonas
Savimbi yesterday he wants to be "very helpful" to his campaign to oust
the Cuban-backed government in Angola, and the administration
suggested it wants to give aid secretly rather than openly.
Savimbi, leaving the White House, pronounced himself satisfied.
"He wants to be very helpful to what Dr. Savimbi and his people are
trying to do, and what we're trying to arrive at is the best way to do that,
Reagan said.
The administration reportedly is seeking up to $15 million in aid for
Savimbi, who was trained as a guerrilla fighter by Mao Tse-tung and
other leaders of the Chinese revolution before forming the National Union
for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).
Savimbi's forces control one-third of Angola's territory and exercise
political influence over about 60 percent of the country's 7 million people.
On the other side is a Marxist government backed by 35,000 Cuban
troops and Soviet aid totaling more than $2 billion in recent years, accor-
ding to administration estimates.
Until congressional repeal of the so-called Clark Amendment last year,
the United States had been banned from providing aid in Angola.
Sailor may face death penalty
NEWPORT, R.I.-- A military jury yesterday began deliberating the
fate of a black sailor the Navy says carefully plotted the death at sea of a
white lieutenant in a case that could result in the Navy's first use of the
death sentence in 136 years.
In closing arguments, Navy prosecutor Lt. Daniel O'Toole said eviden-
ce "shrieks out" that Petty Officer Mitchell Garraway planned the stab-
bing death and then tried to hide his plans.
But the civilian defense lawyer, Trevor Brooks, said the murder was
committed in a spontaneous fit of rage directed more toward authority
figures than the specific victim.
Garraway, 21, pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder in the June 16,
1985 slaying of Lt. James Sterner aboard the USS Miller while cruising off
the Bermuda coast.
Garraway's attack on Sterner, Brooks said, resulted from the blocked
promotion, tension build up from not having shore leave in more than a
year, and by his belief there were mounting racial problems aboard ship.
Trade deficit at all-time high
WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit, spurred by a $5.5 billion trade
imbalance with Japan, reached a record $17.4 billion for December and
set an all-time high of $148.5 billion for 1985, the Commerce Department
said yesterday.
The Commerce Department also announced that the index of leading
economic indicators, a forecaster of economic change, increased 0.9 per-
cent in December, matching the August increase and the best showing
since last January's 1.3 percent increase. The indicators rose 5.8 percent
for all 1985, compared with a 0.4 percent increase in 1984.
The index increased 0.2 percent in November and 0.6 percent in Oc-
tober. December's composite index was 173.6 compared with the base of
100 set in 1967.
The department said last year's $148.5 billion trade deficit was $25.2
billion more than the $123.3 billion deficit in 1984.
Marcos to act civil in defeat
MANILA, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos yesterday
pledged a "peaceful and successful transition" of power to Corazon
Aquino if she defeats him in the Feb. 7 special presidential election.
Asked during an open forum at a Rotar Club luncheon if he would
hand over power to Aquino if she wins the election, Marcos said the idea
of losing "has never entered my mind."
He then added, "i assure you that whatever happens, I will perform my
duty as president of the Republic of the Philippines, which includes a
peaceful and successful transition."
Marcos also announced the appointment of two little-known lawyers,
including one who is an assistant solicitor-general in the Marcos ad-
ministration, as new members of the Commission on Elections.
The commission has been widely accused of being subservant to Mar-
cos.
U.S. Ambassador Stephen Bosworth had said filling the two vacant
seats on the nine-member commission with qualified individuals would
significantly build Filipino and foreign Confidence in the fairness of the
electoral process.
01 he Michigan B aitg
Vol XCVI - No. 86
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967 X) is published Monday through
Friday during the Fall and Winter terms. Subscription rates: September
through April - $18.00 in Ann Arbor; $35.00 outside the city. One term -
$10.00 in town; $20.00 out of town.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and Sub-
scribes to United Press International, Pacific News Service, Los.Angeles
Times Syndicate, and College Press Service.
i«
14
0
S
Editor in Chief.................NEIL CHASE
Opinion Page Editors...........JODY BECKER
JOSEPH KRAUS
Managing Editors ....... GEORGEA KOVANIS
JACKIE YOUNG
News Editor.............THOMAS MILLER
Features Editor............LAURIE DELATER
City Editor ..............ANDREW ERIKSEN
Personnel Editor........... TRACEY MILLER
NEWS STAFF: Eve Becker, Melissa Birks, Laura
Bischoff, Rebecca Blumenstein, Joanne Cannella,
Philip Chidel, Dov Cohen, Kysa Connett, Tim
Daly, Nancy Driscoll, Rob Earle, Rachel Gottlieb,
Stephen Gregory, Linda Holler, Mary Chris
Jakelevic, Vibeke Laroi, Michael Lustig, Jerry.
Markon, Eric Mattson, Amy Mindell, Kery Mura-
kami, Jill Oserowsky, Joe Pigott, Christy Riedel,
Michael Sherman, Jennifer Smith, Jeff Widman.
Cherylt Wistrom.
Associate Opinion Page Editor .. KAREN KLEIN
OPINION PAGE STAFF: Gayle Kirshenbaum,
David Lewis, Henry Park, Peter Mooney, Susanne
Skubik
Chief Photographer..............DAN HABIB
PHOTO STAFF: Jae Kim, Scott Lituchy, John
Munson, Matt Petrie, Dean Randazzo, Andi
Schreiber, Darrian Smith.
Sports Editor ................. TOM KEANEY
Associate Sports Editors..........JOE EWING
BARB McQUADE, ADAM MARTIN,
PHIL NUSSEL, STEVE WISE
SPORTS STAFF: Dave Aretha, Mark Borowsky,
Debbie deFrances, Liam Flaherty, Steve Green-
baum, Rachel Goldman, Jon Hartmann, Darren
Jasey, Phil Johnson, Rick Kaplan, Christian Mar-
tin, Scott Miller, Greg Molzon, Brad Morgan,
Jerry Muth, Adam Ochlis, Chris Parker, Mike
Redstone, DuaneuRoose, Jeff Rush, Scott Shaffer,.
Pete Steinert, Douglas Volan.
Business Manager.........DAWN WILLACKER
Display Sales Manger .......CYNTHIA NIXON
Assistant Sales Manager ..KATHLEENOBRIEN
Classified Manager. , ..GAYLA BROCKMAN
Finance Manager.......... MIKE BAUGHMAN
Marketing Manager ........... JAKE GAGNON
DISPLAY SALES: Lori, Baron, Eda Banjakul,
1A