Gro iq
By STEVE KNOPPER
Did your landlord raise your rent? A
citizens' group formed last spring - Ann
Arbor Citizens for Fair Rents - has of-
fered a solution: rent stabilization.
The group is working to put a new or-
dinance on next April's election ballot and
will try to collect student signatures
tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly Chambers of the Michigan
Union. To put rent stabilization - a rent-
control method in which landlords can in-
crease rent each year based on the inflation
rate - on the ballot, the AACFR will
need 5,000 signatures.
advocates
"Rent stabilization," said A A C FR
member Ken Garber, an Ann Arbor resi-
dent, "is an attempt to balance the right of
the landlord to make profits with the right
of the tenant for affordable housing."
The meeting will include a discussion
of the rent stabilization proposal and why
students are important, and two speakers,
according to AACFR member Anna Rock-
hill, a Rackham graduate student. She said
the group ultimately hopes to get 8,000 to
10,000 signatures of registered Ann Arbor
voters, including up to 5,000 students.
Rent increases have gone up anywhere
from 10 to 20 percent in recent years,
sometimes more than five times the current
inflation rate, according to Garber. "Many
people are'being forced to move elsewhere,
or make sacrifices in order to live in Ann
Arbor," Garber said. "You cannot have a
stable life, because you don't know when
you will have to pack up and move."
According to Jen Faigel, coordinator of
the Ann Arbor Tenant's Union, rent in-
creases have been 19 percent higher on
campus than off. "Students can't afford to
live here anymore," she said. "They're
moving farther off campus."
But Severin Borenstein, assistant pro-
fessor of economics and public policy, dis-
rent c
agreed that rent control will improve the
current housing situation.
"Rent control should be aimed at poor
people; here, it's aimed at students.
"Basically, I think it (rent control in
general) is a loser," Borenstein said. In
Berkeley, where rent control has been in
effect for 10 years, "it led to a great decline
in the quality of apartments; since they
can't raise the rents, landlords respond by
refusing to keep up care," he said.
Boston, Washington, D.C., New York
City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and
Jersey City have also adopted rent control
plans.
ontrol
City Councilmember Dave De Varti (D-
Fourth Ward), said he supported the
AACFR's proposal. "I think it's reason-
able," De Varti said, adding that when he
spoke to apartment owners during his
campaign two years ago, "I told them it
was their responsibility to create a situa-
tion that won't promote rent control."
If the AACFR's ordinance gets on the
ballot, De Varti added, it will be a "popular
movement" instigated by the actions of
"some unscrupulous landlords."
See TENANTS, Page 3
ItdI at
Ninety-eight years of editorial freedom
Volume XCVII - No. 6 Ann Arbor, Michigan -Thursday, September 17, 1987 Copyright 1987, The Michigan Daily
Emergency
phones
deemed a
success
By STEVE BLONDER
After one year of operation, offi-
cials say the University's emergency
phone system has been successful in
combatting crime; however, the
phones are not used enough.
The number of calls received on
the phones has increased since their
inception and Department of Public
Safety records show that 128 legiti-
mate -calls were received between
January and September of this year.
"(The system) has helped give the
perception of safety on campus be-
cause people see the phones and
know that help is just a phone call
away," Director of Public Safety Leo
Heatley.
"The phones can be used for any-
one requesting assistance from the
Department of Public Safety," said .
In addition to legitimate calls,
more than 330 false calls were re-
ceived over the same period.
Heatley hopes that the number of
false calls will decrease. "It takes the
time of the public safety officer to
respond to an emergency situation."
In the next few months the Uni-
versity will install four new campus
phones to make the total number of
phones 65.
The University's
Telecommunication budget will
cover the installation cost of the four
new phones, which is approximately
$3,600. The Department of Public
Safety will pay the $31.50 monthly
cost.
"It's not any unsafer walking
across the Diag than any other cam-
pus. Our campus is as safe as any.
But the potential for a problem is
always there," Heatley said.
The phones are "well-peppered"
* around the campus, according to
Steve Mayo, the University's
administrative manager of telecom-
munications. "You can pretty much
leave one and see the next one."
One major advantage of the phone
system is that the public safety de-
partment knows where a caller is and
the response time by a security offi-
cer has improved.
Although the phones were
initially installed in an effort to pre-
vent sexual assault, Heatley says
this is not their only purpose.
The phones should be used to re-
port any crime or suspicious situa-
tion, as well as ask a question about
a building. "These are general pur-
See OFFICIALS, Page 2
Nominee Bork
parries attacks
from Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) -
Supreme Court nominee Robert
Bork, parrying attacks on his
integrity by Democratic senators,
said yesterday he acted honorably and
legally in 1973 when he fired special
Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox.
In a dramatic retelling of what
Bork called "an enormous govern-
mental crisis," he said that as soon
as Cox was dismissed, "I did
promptly act to safeguard the special
prosecution. I understood from the
beginning my moral and profession-
al lives were on the line if some-
thing happened to the special prose-
cution force."
The gripping sparring match be-
tween Bork and Democrats on the
Senate Judiciary Committee occurred
in the same marble-columned room
that was the site 14 years ago of
hearings that helped lead to President
Nixon's political demise. This week
the room is the setting for Bork's
nationally televised confirmation
hearings.
The question on what has become
known as the Saturday Night Mas-
sacre marked an interruption in at-
tacks - soon to resume - on
Bork's political and judicial ideology
as opponents sought additional
grounds to defeat his confirmation.
Liberal opponents of Bork, a 60-
year-old federal appeals court judge,
say if he is confirmed to succeed the
recently retired Justice Lewis Powell
he could push the closely divided
court to the right for years, perhaps
decades, to come. Supporters say he
is clearly qualified to join the nine-
member court.
Bork spent much of Wednesday
responding to questions about his
views on such subjects as civil
rights, abortion, and privacy.
The proceedings generated few
sparks as Bork spelled out in calm,
measured tones his conservative le-
gal approach that has evolved in a
25-year career as lawyer, Ivy League
scholar, and judge.
He acknowledged that some of his
views "have evolved and changed,"
and he sought support for that by
quoting Benjamin Franklin as say-
ing, "Having lived long I have
experienced many instances of being
obliged by better information or
fuller consideration to change opin-
ions even on important subjects."
But Bork said he has never
changed an opinion in order to win
confirmation to a judgeship or for
any other reward.
In one example of a changed
opinion, Bork said in 1971 that free
speech protections apply only to
political speech but has since said
that approach was too narrow.
Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Mayor Dick Crawford of Tulsa, Oklahoma and two members of the Southeast Tulsa Jaycees present a 96
foot get-well card to Cecilia Cichan, the only survivor of the Detroit Metro crash last month.
Tulsa mayor presents card to
sole survivor of Metro air crash
Constitution reaches
200th birthday today
By LISA POLLAK
It was no sight for cynics.
The eighth floor of C.S. Mott
Children's Hospital - which tem-
porarily houses Northwest Flight
255 survivor Cecilia Cichan, her
1,877 gifts, 185,000 letters, and
$130,000 in donations - yesterday
made room for one more get-well
card full of blessings and love.
Of course, 96 feet of good-tidings
are a lot of blessings and love. But
not too much for Cichan, insisted
Tulsa, Oklahoma Mayor Dick
Crawford, who brought the giant
card 893 miles from home, "just be-
cause everyone there loves and prays
for Cecilia."
Neither skeptical reporters nor the
rain which forced the ceremony in-
doors could dampen the enthusiasm
of Crawford and two Southeast Tulsa
Jaycees who joined him in present-
ing the card to Ann Arbor Mayor
Gerald Jernigan.
"This is a dream come true," said
Tulio Remington, the Jaycee presi-
dent who originally proposed the
card. Touched by the "miracle" of
four-year-old Cichan's survival, he
organized the distribution of 24 four-
by-four posters to stores and busi-
nesses around Tulsa. The posters,
signed by 8,000 Tulsans, were later
connected with ribbon to create a
winding, colorful display of sympa-
thetic messages.
"Of course, she probably can't
read yet," Remington admitted. "But
someday she's going to grow up,
look at those little signatures and
cute drawings, and see that a lot of
people really care about her." He
added that the Southeast Tulsa
Jaycees may win a "Guinness" award
for the world's largest get-well card.
Remington and Crawford's
speeches echoed the terms now syn-
onymous with the lone crash sur-
vivor: "inspirational," "stoic," and
"miracle child." Jaycee volunteer
Patti Helm eagerly pointed out the
celebrity signatures of Tammy
Wynette, Merle Haggard, and Air
Supply that appeared with their
promotional pictures on the card.
"Air Supply was my favorite,"
Helm said, "we got to see their show
free and everything."
It was no sight for cynics. But if
those doubting the sincere generosity
of the human spirit were present.
See BURN, Page 21
By STEVE SKLAMBERG
Although to many University
students today is just another Thurs-
day, millions of Americans are cele-
brating the United States Constitu-
tion's 200 year anniversary today..
The majority of students polled
did not know that the Constitution
was ratified on Sept. 17, 1787. Of
the students who did know when the
anniversary was, many were thankful
to the document for providing basic
individual rights.
Rocque Lipford, a first-year LSA
student said many Americans are
lackadaisical in their attitudes toward
the Constitution.
"I think that most people don't
even give the Constitution a
thought. Sometimes, when I'm do-
ing something fun, I think to myself
how the people in the Soviet Union
must feel without the freedom to do
what they want. This usually makes
me happy to have mine."
Dave Pack, LSA sophomore, also
feels thankful to the first Congres-
sional Assembly for writing the
Constitution.
"The Constitution means every-
thing to me. It is the (law) of the
land, and it lets me practice whatever
religion I want, eat whatever I want,
and do what I want to do in life."
Mike Goodwin, LSA sophomore,
said, "(The Constitution) affects ev-
erything you do. I can't think of a
thing that it doesn't affect."
See CONSTITUTION'S, Page 3
INSIDE
Reagan undermines peace effort in
Central America.
OPINION, Page 4i
Bob Kalmbach's intriguing
photography is honored at the
alumni center.
APTC aa7
Regents expected to approve presidential criteria
By MARTHA SEVETSON
The University's Board of Regents is expected
to approve a list of criteria for the next Universi-
ty president at their meeting today. Only regents
have been allowed to see drafts of the proposed
criteria circulated among them, but many have
yet to read the final proposal.
"I'm sure that most of what is in the drafts
x.,1 hnv Pthe nnv-.nQ , znnnertino it hnt the
nancial stringency without sacrificing the quality
of excellence."
According to Regent Thomas Roach (D-
Saline), Shapiro has fulfilled all of the qualities
in his eight years as president. In particular,
University officials have praised Shapiro's re-
vival of the economic status of the University
despite cutbacks in state funding. Shapiro will
nvmmii the nreeipcr o nf Prinetnn I Tniveritu
"Obviously there were some things in them
that could not be included," Brown said. "But I
think they are very related."
According to Brown, needs cited by the stu-
dents such as "balancing the power structure of
the University" and "No Code" did not translate
into criteria for the search.
The students' statement - a summary of stu-
rdent rnnenc nvar the nnct frn, viar.e _ ,inc I.