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Ninety-six years of editorialfreedom
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Vol. XCVI - No. 124 Copyright 1986, The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Wednesday, April 2, 1986
I
City Council
candidates
discuss roads,
development
By KURT SERBUS
Candidates for the upcoming Ann Arbor City Council
elections debated city development and road repair at
a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at
City Hall last night.
City council elections will take place April 7.
The majority of the five Republican candidates came
out against Proposal B, which would allow the city to
borrow $3 million for major resurfacing and repair of
the city's streets. The money would be paid back
through tax bonds.
MOST OF the Republicans said that road repair fun-
ds should come from the city's general fund.
"Resufacing shouldn't be an added tax for the people
of Ann Arbor," said incumbant James Blow (R-Second
Ward).
Debra Shannon (R-First Ward) agreed. "The reason
(the roads) have been neglected is that they've been a
the bottom of the budget priority list. We've got to re-
prioritize."
David DeVarti (D-Fourth Ward), however, called
the Republicans' optimism about solving the problem
through the city's general fund "hogwash."
"THE REPUBLICANS have proven unable to fund
road repair through the general fund when they've con-
trolled the council in the past," he said.
City development also received much attention from
the candidates. Of particular concern was the Huron
Plaza Conference Center, which the council rejected
last week, mainly because of a lack of parking spaces.
The center would have contained a hotel, retail space,
and a conference center.
Susan Contratto (D-Third Ward) said that she would
have voted against the Huron proposal, although she
favors the general concept of the project.
Incumbent Jeanette Middleton (R-Third Ward) said
she voted for the center as well as an ordinance for un-
derground parking. "I don't think it would detract
from the city," she said, adding that Huron Plaza
would not have created traffic congestion and made
the city less appealing. "I think it would have brought a
diversity of business and proven to be a great asset,"
Middleton said.
See ROAD, Page 5
Ten Pages
MSA demands
that pres-elect
resign post
By WENDY SHARP
Last night the Michigan Student
Assembly passed a resolution deman-
ding that new MSA President Kurt
Muenchow "decline the presidency."
The resolution passed with 14 yes
votes, 11 no votes, and 4 abstentions.
Outgoing MSA President Paul
Josephson said that although the
resolution is not binding, it reflects
the wishes of the current assembly.
"It puts Kurt on notice that MSA felt
the tactics used in the campaign and
actions subsequent to those tactics
deserves a reprimand," Josephson
said.
The resolution reprimands Muen-
chow for allegedly knowing about
posters placed around campus asser-
ting that Muenchow's primary op-
ponents, Students Rights Party can-
didates Jen Faigel and Mark
Weisbrot, are members of a campus
"Marxist group."
It also accused him of "providing
information to the Daily with intent of
harassing individuals because of their
political affiliations."
Faigel has threatened to sue the
assembly and several other organiz-
ations for invasion of privacy in
distributing the social security num-
bers and addresses of student depic-
ted on the posters.
Muenchow would not comment on
the resolution last night and said "the
student body decides who is
president." Last week, he brought in-
to the Daily, a copy of the Marxist
group membership form that was
signed by Faigel, Weisbrot, and
several other assembly members.
In the assembly's closed executive
session last Tuesday, Muenchow
denied that he brought the Marxist
form to the Daily office, according to
See MSA, Page 3
'Hash Bash' draws
3-yr. record crowd
Doily Photo by MATT PETRIE
War games
An atomic "missile" stands over one of its victims on the Diag yesterday, in part of a skit
launching the National Day of Campus Action Against Space Weapons. Fifty-three other
schools participated in the event, which national coordinator Dave West called "the largest
nationwide protest against SDI."
By ROB EARLE
Yesterday was more than just
another day on the Diag.
The largest Hash Bash in three
years drew all types to the center of
campus yesterday, from Reverend
Mike to a full force of campus
radicals. Starting at noon, about 130
people lit up, forming a ragged group
that began at the brass "M," stret-
ched past the anti-apartheid shanty
and then spilled over onto the Diag's
grassy boundaries.
The Hash Bash commemorates the
$5 fine imposed by the city in 1972 for
marijuana possession. Every April
1st since then, students and city
residents have turned out on the Diag
to flout the lenient law. Last year rain
kept the grass groupies away, causing
the poorest turnout in the bash's 14-
year history.
YESTERDAY'S crowd was the
largest since 1982, when 500 people
See 130, Page 5
Automotive leaders discuss Japanese competition
By JOHN DUNNING
A Harvard University business
professor yesterday downplayed what
he called a popular myth that the
American auto industry has caught up
to its Japanese competitors. He urged
domestic automakers to redouble
their efforts to find more innovative
production methods.
Prof. Michael Porter spoke along
with five other industry leaders,
researchers, and analysts at a con-
ference at Rackham Auditorium on
the U.S. and Japanese automotive in-
dustries.
The conference, entitled "The
Japanese Competition: Phase II,"
also covered such issues as produc-
tion management, labor relations,
joint business ventures and apprec-
iation of the Japanese yen.
"U.S. FIRMS are operating better
but are imitating rather than in-
novating," said Porter, who added
that domestic automakers will have to
increase their rate of change and im-
provement in order to compete with
imports.
"We've got to start thinking- about
obtaining a sustainable advantage
over our Japanese competitors," Por-
ter said.
Porter stressed that domestic
manufacturers must move from at-
tracting customers with cost compet-
itiveness to emphasizing variety and
differentation. He said the answer to
most companies' future success will
lie in thier ability to make and sell a
complex car without driving up costs.
Owen Bieber, president of the
United Automobile Workers of
America, addressed the issue of labor
relations in industry.
BIEBER MADE the distinction that
while joint ventures - agreements
between two auto companies to
produce one individual line of cars -
might be goof for an auto companies'
shareholders, they might also take the
"bread and butter" from auto
workers' kitchen tables by depriving
them of technical skills.
"The Japanese companies are not
primarily involved in U.S. manufac-
turing at all," Bieber'said. "Rather,
they are involved in U.S. assembly of
products to be sold here, but the high-
value-added components are still
manufactured in Japan."
In addition to Bieber's speech,
other business officials described how
to manage joint ventures and how to
deal with appreciating yen values.
Vladimir Pucik, assistant professor
of internatonal business here at the
University, said that joint ventures
can be devastating to domestic auto
companies. He said that when major
American companies in joint ventures
trade technology with Asian countries
those nations do not reciprocate by
giving American auto companies a
foothold into the world import
market.
Clayton Yeutter, a U.S. trade
representative reinforced his views
that a productive domestic auto in-
dustry is still possible, though advan-
cement must be through the private
sector instead of increased gover-
nment regulations. "It's a much more
competitive world than it used to be,"
Yeutter said. "The U.S. industry still
has quite a long way to go."
Shapiro talks of presidential life
By MICHAEL LUSTIG
When University President Harold Shapiro was sear-
ching for a teaching job in the early 1960's, he never
aspired to teach economics at the University or to become
its president, he told a group of 80 students at the Markley
residence hall last night.
Shapiro spoke with his wife, Vivian, about their lives at
the University since they came here in 1964.
Shapiro, who holds a degree in economics from Prin-
ceton University, said that he never wanted to come to
teach at the University of Michigan until an interview
with an economics professor, the late Warren Smith.
When Smith told him "all we want is someone with new
ideas," Shapiro changed his mind and accepted a position
as an economics professor. He chose the University over
other schools, he said, because the other schools preferred
main stream thinking to originality.
"I LIKE to take on things with a little risk," Shapiro
said as he chronicled his climb to the University's top ad-
ministrative position. After serving in the economics
department for 13 years, he became vice president of
academic affairs in 1977. Three years later, he rose to the
University's presidency.
TODAY
Offensive ads
SN'T DEMOCRACY great? In a country with
free elections you can turn out at the polls
ito elect a president, pass or reject a ballot
Shapiro said he enjoys his job of University president
because it is "an education every day." When people
request money from his office for research projects, for
example, Shapiro said he goes outside of the University to
find unbiased assessments of a project he knows little
about. Such research enables him to realize the full im-
portance of each project, he said.
Shapiro said the goal of his presidency is to "participate
in making the University better for students 10 years from
now." He said that many ideas he uses to improve the
University originate in the lower levels of the
bureaucracy, such as individual departments or schools.
When fielding questions from the audience after his
speech, Shapiro emphasized that the University seeks a
combination of skilled teachers and good researchers for
its faculty. "The hope is to attract people who can have a
distinguished scholarly career and can bring that vitality
to the classroom," he said.
Shapiro also said that the University will not decide
about divesting its $500,000 from companies that do
business in South Africa until the University settles its suit
involving a state law. The law ordered all public univer-
sities in Michigan to divest their South Africa-related
business interests.
Daily Photo by MATT PETRIE
President Harold Shapiro, center, and his wife, Vivian are greeted by Mary Markley residence hall staff at the
entrance of Markley Hall. Shapiro spoke last night about his life as president of the University.
restaurant logo, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
poster, and an anti-choice billboard. Ballots will be ac-
cepted until April 18 and are available at City Hall, the
University's affirmative action office, and the new
Sexual Assault and Awareness Center. Everyone is
eligible to vote in the election, the results of which will
be announced at the seventh annual Take Back the
teers are asking for contributions to the zoo. Patty
Carvel, San Antonio area manager for Southwestern
Bell, said people usually call a friend they know is
away from his office or desk and leave a message to
call "Mr. Fox" and leave the zoo's phone number.
Carvel said the callers will be asked to seek out the
prankster and ask him to donate a few dollars, too.
INSIDE
PRO-PEACE: Opinion applauds the efforts of
the marchers. See Page 4.
THE PITS: Arts reviews Spielberg's
,
I
new