4 OPINION . Page 4 Friday, February 14, 1986 The Michigan Daily 4 1be 31chtigan aill Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Corruption can't harm sport Vol. XCVI, No.96 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board Share the work A recent congressional study shows that of the 11.5 million :workers who lost their jobs because of plant closings between the years 1979 and 1984 only 60 percent got new jobs during that period. Of those who were able to find jobs, 45 percent of them took pay cuts. As low-paying service sector em- ployment continues to replace more highly paid jobs in the in- dustrial sector it is apparent that a restructuring of the work force is needed in order to deal with the problems of displaced and long- term unemployed workers. Although the national unem- ployement rate has decreased fairly steadily for the past three years the benefits of this decrease -were not felt proportionately by the minority communities. Also, of- ficial unemployment statistics do not count "discouraged" workers who have been unemployed for such a long time that they have given up the job search. It is likely that many of the 40 percent of plant shut-down victims who were unable to find work fall into this category. Although retraining programs certainly need to be improved, both in terms of quality and funding, a significant dent in real unem- ployment will only be achieved when more jobs are created. Fred Best, in his book Work Sharing, shows that reduced workweeks, higher overtime premiums, and voluntary time-income tradeoff significantly increase the number of jobs in the economy while im- proving the quality of life for many workers. For example, Best shows that a ten percent cut in the workweek, about 4 hours, would create bet- ween one and two and a half million jobs with job creation increasing proportionally if the workweek is cut to 32 hours. A double time premium on overtime would create about 900,000 jobs by making it economically feasible to hire more workers rather than having the current ones work overtime. Best also recommends paying workers who have their hours reduced a percentage of the unemployed in- surance they would receive if unemployed. A voluntary time-income tradeoff would allow workers to have more paid vacation time if they agree to a proportional per- cent decrease in their hourly wage. This plain would have the advan- tage of both allowing workers who need more money the freedom to work and giving more leisure time to those who desire it. The em- ployment effect of this depends on the willingness of workers to take part. For example, the plan was successful for the Santa Clara, Ca. county government, which avoided laying off workers after a budget cutback when 17 percent of the workers agreed to exchange more vacation time for lower wages. Obviously, a variety of programs and policies are needed to combat unemployment. Work sharing should be a major com- ponent of a long-term strategy to eradicate ,unemployment because it creates new jobs in areas where workers currently work full-time, mainly non-service sector areas. Along with job training and strong affirmative action (in hiring) en- forcement, work sharing can significantly improve the lives of both currently unemployed and employed workers. By Michael J. Dunne One can hardly open the sports page these days without reading editorials about college and pro athletes ruining our favorites games. First, it was skyrocketing salaries that threatened to cripple sports. A short time later, the discovery of the proliferation of drugs among our most revered sports figures only reinforced ideas that sport was soon to be on its knees. Quite recently, a college sexual assault scandal left little room for doubt about the future of sport in our country. Sports fans across the nation are beginning to reread foreboding editorials about the dark future of sport and imagine the miserable possibility of a future without sport. A small minority of thinkers, though, disagree and believe that the essen- ce of sport-an essence immune from tam- pering-has escaped those who cover the "action." Like power, love, or economics, sports is a constant and eternal entity that can neither be destroyed nor created. The inability to distinguish between big business and sport has led popular opinion-which never seems to get a fair shake-to believe that the foolish behavior of an assortment of in- dividuals can have a disastrous effect on Michael J. Dunne will be a regular con- tributor to the Opinion Page. sport. Nations today are willing to destroy each other to show to what length they are willing to go in order to maintain power. Everyone knows, though, that power is an entity that existed in the past, exists now, and will exist in the future. In a word, it is a fleeting and any attempt to capture and maintain power is fool's play. In the same way, it would be a gross underestimation of sport to consider it vulnerable to man's ac- tions. Instead, it would be sensible to separate sport from the corruption that has shaken the foundations of one of the largest and most powerful industries in the U.S. While sport remains untouched by the corruption that pervades college and professional athletic industries, university presidents, television enterprises, stadium owners and mindless fans (like those in- volved in the tragedy in Belgium last year), are much less fortunate. For they are faced with the ugly reality that their livelihood is not sport but parasitism. As everyone knows, parasites eventually exhaust (often unknowingly) the source upon which they depend for their existence or the source manages to rid itself of the pest. The parasites that have depended on the mon- strous athletic industry realize that a similar fate is inevitable and are naturally ready to panic. The actions of school presidents, the media and trickle down beneficiaries of athlete factories are open to criticism but still understandable. Each relies, in some respect, on the financial success of athletic programs to maintain a level of physical comfort and security. The prevalent at- titude among fans, however, is radically more dangerous. Whether it's a student body section at a Midwest college game or a group of factory workers from a suburb of Detroit at the Red Wing's game, the sym- ptoms and its implications are the same. Fans (etymological root: fanatics) rarely turn out to see a game but rather to identify themselves with a particular group of in- dividuals on the playing field and set their mood on the fortunes of "their team." What is most ironic is that the members of "their" team rarely know the fans personally. As a result, fans obtain and build a sense of iden- tity whose foundations are imaginary, at best. Soon, these mindless masses see no limit to the efforts they'll make in order to see "their" team win. "Sports fans" then, becomes an oxymoron. The extremism of fanatics can only hinder the state of mind that makes ap- preciating the unique qualities of sport possible. There is no crisis of sport, only a crisis of conscience. It would be a foolish mistake to contemplate the future of sport. Sport will be. The question is: Can we develop an objective mind to step beyond the reproachable habit of creating images and profits for ourselves through the deeds of others? Batter up!. Chass 7' 11UEA$1 OFANI1FL7 . CHAS Y 2Y ThE SOVIET UNIoNJ: A Y1PVY0R7 ffoRtUMM AND$CIVLLIGT3 ADVOCATES AOUND TMEW*LDNEVS ITEP GREAT COVE ED. wh RE 1'OU PICK 17 1 vmw L DID , JAI (a £9 NSzW 'rHMICNJ4WA1L There he goes again President Reagan's new budget plan would be almost laughable, if its effect upon University students and the nation weren't so drastic. Reagan's past budget proposals have shown his lack of respect for our nation's education, and his 1987 budget is no different. It's almost impossible to know where to begin. Half a million students nationwide would lose Pell grants. Pell grant recipients would lose about $200 per student here at Michigan. And the bad news continues. 2500 University students would be aggected by the proposed cuts in work-study aid, so much for the possibility of pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps. In total, between 200 and 400 University students would lose at least a portion of their aid. The total financial loss would be between $350,000 and $900,000. But the proposed cuts display not only a lack of concern for in- dividual students and their families, but something just as alarming and possibly in the long- un, more significant - an ignorance concerning the skills necessary in today's world to acquire meaningful, satisfaction sign of slowing down. Therefore, what this country needs is educated, technically literate citizens. The government relies on the service and high-tech industries to supply new jobs. While the service industries - most notably the fast- food and security areas - have demonstrated an ability to absorb thousands of new workers in the last ten years, in no way can jobs in this sector be considered either productive or fulfilling. As for the high-tech industry, at least part of its ability to absorb new workers depends upon in- creased student achievement. President Reagan, in charac- teristic fashion, fails to com- prehend the true situation, preferring instead to offer rhetoric about America's revival and the necessity for staving off the Com- munist menace. So the sound out on the streets are of thoughtful, caring citizens muttering, "Here we go again." Concerned members of Congress face a battle against President Reagan's imbecilic and insensitive budget cuts in education. LETTERS: Writer didn 't read PIRGIM petition' To the Daily: I would like to respond to the February 13 letter by Steve Angelotti and Dan Baker and comment on the PIRGIM petition in general. The aforementioned gen- tlemen first addressed the actual format of the PIRGIM petition. Unfortunately, they obviously did so without reading the petition it- self. They have made three fun- damental errors. First, they claim that the funding system that PIRGIM seeks is a " 'negative' donation system." This is false. PIRGIM is petitioning for a refusable or waivable fee. Mr. Angellotti's and Mr. Baker's second erroneous claim follows in the next sentence: ". . . students would be assessed a $2 PIRGIM fee and would have to request a refund." Once again this is false. Students would have the option to refuse the fee before it was ever paid. Furthermore, if a student did not waive the fee at registration, s/he would then be able to obtain a refund if so I quote from the last sentence of the petition which is set off by double-spacing from the previous sentence and highlighted by a hyphen, "The PIRGIM fee should be assessed to each student who then has the option of not paying by refusing or waiving the fee." The petition has no fine print. On the contrary, it quite lucidly and boldly states its purpose. Most unfortunately, these intelligent, albeit misinformed, gentlemen, have not read the very docment which they assail. In the next paragraph, the let- ter comments on the PIRGIM petitioners: ". . . we have noted that the type of funding system is the last thing PIRGIM people want to discuss." This sweeping generalization certainly does not ally to petitioners that I have ob- served. If any petitioner inadequately discusses the mat- ter, I will personally make amends of any regrettable con- sequences. In reference to the displeasure of a petitioner's first approach to a student ("Have you signed the PIRGIM petition sign. If you do have time cap- proximately one minute), then please do read the petition. Despite the fact that you may plan not to sign on advice from a friend or colleague, I ask you to simply read the petition. Make your decision independently. My last comments on the letter in question concern the issue of PIRGIM's financial resources. In this area, I take personal offense. I am perhaps more educated in this area than any other student in the state of Michigan. In the realm of non-student citizen membership, I have served as Assistant Director, field manager, and canvasser of PIRGIM's citizen outreach project. Concerning PIRGIM's financial assets and liabilities, I am also quite well-informed; I presently hold the position of Treasurer on PIRGIM's State Board of Directors. As one who possesses a great deal of knowledge on the subject, I can speak from authority. Mr. Angelotti and Mr. Baker are and student-funded organization.. 'Otherwise, it would not be a PIRG by .definition. Thus, this provides the importance of the petition drive. In conclusion, I trust the fallacious arguments of the February 13 letter have been revealed. For their edification, I ask the letter's authors to read the petition. Regardless of the out- come of their final decision, that decision will come from knowledge and not bias. To the student body, I ask them to also read the petition. If the Univer- sity of Michigan wants a PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) that provides educational research and advocacy activities in such areas as toxic waste cleanup in Michigan and women's safety on campus, then it will be so. In sum, the future of PIRGIM lies in the democratic decision of the students of the University of Michigan. -Andrew J. Swensen ' February 13 AN