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Page 2 -The Michigan Daily-Friday, April 1, 1988
Tenants rally for rent control IN BRIEF
By PETER MOONEY
Chanting "Fair rents! Fair prof-
its!" about 30 tenant activists
yesterday protested a local realty
company accused of evicting tenants
in retaliation for taking the company
to court last year.
The protesters also supported the
rent control proposal on Monday's
city election ballot in front of
McKinley Properties' office on
North Main Street.
THE RENT control ordinance,
which will appear on the ballot as
Proposal C, restricts city rent in-
creases to 75 percent of the inflation
rate and costs associated with utili-
ties, property taxes and capital im-
provements.
The protesters accused McKinley
Properties of refusing to renew the
leases of two tenants, Leslie Riester
and Martha Perkins. The two, who
also organized the Pittsfield Village
Tenants Union at the McKinley-
owned Village Townhouses apart-
ment complex, said the company
did not repair a hole in the exterior
of their unit and refused to pay rent
until repairs were completed.
THE TENANTS say they were
awarded four months free rent by a
district court judge last fall.
Steve Falcone, property manager
for McKinley Properties, refused to
comment on why the leases were not
renewed.
Ann Arbor activists, clergy, and
politicians gave speeches at the
rally.
Cathy Cohen, a University
graduate student and member of the
United Coalition Against Racism,
said high rents in Ann Arbor dimin-
ish the University's diversity. "There
are students of color who cannot af-
ford to live here," Cohen said.
HIGH RENTS contribute to
homelessness, said Rev. Joe Sum-
mers of the Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation. "Pittsfield's (the apart-
ment complex) actions are part of
the process that results in people
living in the street," Summers said.
To protect tenants who challenge
their landlords, City Councilmember
Jeff Epton (D-3rd Ward) promised to
propose a "Just Cause Eviction" Or-
dinance. The ordinance would pro-
hibit landlords from discriminating
against tenants who protest inade-
quate maintenance.
GEO
Continue4.from Page 1
GEO leaders presented him a list of
proposals that have been imple-
mented at other universities. These
included, either giving out-of-state
graduate students in-state status,
changing the tuition waivers to fel-
lowships or scholarships, or
increasing the assistants' salaries.
Duderstadt said the University is
trying to fight the problem by lob-
bying Congress to protect the tu-
ition waivers, as well as considering
internal measures.
He also said the University can-
not take the same steps as many
other schools because few others
have collective bargaining contracts
with teaching assistants. Robert
Holbrook, associate vice president
for academic affairs, explained that if
the University changes tuition
waivers to scholarships or fellow-
ships they may be interpreted as
employee benefits by the I.R.S. But,
he added in an interview, this may be
remedied by basing the scholarships
on merit.
He added that the administration
would consider all solutions in try-
ing to reach a solution before
Congress reviews the tax bill this
summer.
Housing
Continued from Page 1
race. iler resume includes serving on
the Planning and Historic Landmarks
commissions, as well as a 1974 run
for City Council.
Potts said her concern for the
community, which she demonstrates
through involvement in a variety of
commissions, will make her an ef-
fective councilperson. Potts is a self-
employed potter.
RICHARDSON'S political
background includes leading a drive
to defeat-a proposed single-room-oc-
cupancy (SRO) housing facility on
Liberty Street for low-income Ann
Arbor citizens.
Richardson, who attended Harvard
College and the University's law
school before becoming an attorney,
said he isn't against low-income
housing, but called the Liberty
We've
Got You Covered
721 S. Forest
1700 Geddes Flexible Terms
520 Packard
543 Church * On Central
813 E. Kingsley Campus
Street Project impractical. Richard-
son said the new project would be no
different from the Downtown Club
- a building in which, until four
years ago, low-income people in
Ann Arbor lived. Richardson called
it a "rat-infested flophouse."
Potts, a leading a supporter of the
Liberty Street project, said she
would seek to increase the amount of
affordable housing in the city.
Responding to Richardson's
criticism of the project, Potts said
she "thinks there has been all kinds
of strange things said and misinfor-
mation passed around." She added
that the project would be run by the
Salvation Army and the people liv-
ing in the project would have jobs.
RENT CONTROL also di-
vides the candidates.
Potts supports rent control,
which appears on the April 4 ballot
as Proposal C. "I regret that we have
to have rent control," Potts said.
But, she said, the lack rental housing
has raised rents beyond the ability of
many to pay.
Richardson counters that rent
control will make the situation
worse by encouraging conversions of
rental housing to single family
homes or condominiums. Current
tenants won't vacate their rent con-
trolled apartments, Richardson said.
"Having a well below market rate
apartment will make it much easier
to stay around," he added.
Richardson also criticizes the
planning commission, of which
Potts was a member, for making it
difficult for a developer lacking con-
nections or insider status to make
headway with the city bureaucracy.
"Potts lists as her greatest ac-
complishment helping to concoct
this lengthy planning process,"
Richardson said.
But Potts says the current process
is essential to maintain quality con-
struction. "We worked for years to
get quality construction standards. I
don't think we've been too tough,"
Potts added.
AND DESPITE any difficul-
ties developers face getting projects
approved by city council, the down-
town has seen an explosion of con-
struction in the '80s.
Budnick said the building stan-
dards in Ann Arbor raise the cost of
homes and rents.
Council-police relations again di-
vide the candidates.
Richardson wants to focus efforts
on fighting drugs by creating special
patrols to assault drug hotspots.
But Potts said the council must
work with the police department to
address concerns about police rela-
tions with the community and their
effectiveness in fighting crime.
BUDNICK suggests reducing.
enforcement of "victimless crimes,"
such drug possession and prostitu-
tion. He says he would refocus ef-
forts on violent offenses.
One of the few issues that unite
Potts and Richardson is the roads
millage, proposal D. Both support
the referendum, agreeing thatAnn
Arbor's roads are in dire need of
resurfacing.
Taxes are a bete noire to city
Libertarians, however. Budnick
adamantly opposes the roads mil-
lage, saying that budget cuts in un-
necessary items would leave enough
money left over to fund road repair.
Compiled from Associated Press reports
Senator meets with Meese
WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) met
yesterday with Attorney General Edwin Meese and expressed "deep
concern" on behalf of Congress about problems at the Justice Department
in the wake of resignations of two of Meese's top aides.
Meese's meeting with Thurmond, the ranking Republican on the
Senate Judiciary Committee, was the strongest signal to date of growing
bipartisan concern in Congress over whether the attorney general, the
focus of an 11-month criminal investigation, can continue to run the
Justice Department.
"A number of people on Capitol Hill have expressed deep concern
about the problems at the Justice Department," Thurmond said in a
statement after the meeting. "I went today to talk to the attorney general
to express these concerns to him."
Strike quiets Panama City
PANAMA CITY, Panama - The government shut its doors yesterday
for the long Easter weekend and left thousands of public employees
without paychecks for the second time in a month, facing a bleak holiday.
The streets of Panama City, filled with anti-government demonstrators
in recent days, were eerily quiet, virtually abandoned by pedestrians and
vehicles by midafternoon.
With government offices and ministries closed and most businesses
and industries shuttered by an 11-day-old general strike, the largest
congregations of people were found in welfare agency food lines.
Major supermarkets and drug stores and a few small shops were open
in the capital, but most merchants observed the anti-Noriega strike. The
groceries and pharmacies reopened Wednesday, reportedly under heavy
government pressure.
Palestinians call for riots to
mark Shultz' visit to Israel
HERODION, Occupied West Bank - Leaders of the Palestinian
rebellion called yesterday for riots during the vist of Secretary of State
George Shultz next week, and Israel's prime minister vowed to crush the
uprising.
Soldiers shot one Palestinian dead, bringing the Arab death toll to at
least 124 since violence began Dec. 8 in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza Strip, where 1.5 Palestinians live. An Israeli soldier has also been
killed.
Israeli officials said they would lift a three-day closure of the occupied
territories at 3 a.m. today as scheduled.
Treasurer refutes report on
cost of guaranteed tuition
LANSING - It will likely cost between $5,000 and $7,000 for
parents to sign up their newborn child in Michigan's guaranteed tuition
program, state Treasurer Robert Bowman said yesterday.
Bowman refuted a report by a Senate Republican researcher who
questioned the program's financial soundness and claimed parents would
have to pay $7,000 - $10,000 to guarantee four years of college tuition
in the year 2006.
"It seems alittle too high to me," Bowman said at a news conference
called to discuss the mixed blessings of a written Internal Revenue
Service ruling on the program.
Bowman admitted the IRS requirement that the Michigan Education
Trust fund pay federal taxes on its earnings will increase the program's
cost roughly 20 percent over initial estimates.
EXTRAS
It's that time of year again.
Turn this paper over. Now!
As you scan this, if people facing you are tilting their heads to one
side and laughing hysterically, don't panic.
You see, today is April Fools Day, which means that, aside from the
strange odor hanging about the Diag, it's time for our annual attempt at
wit, humor, and all-around joviality. In short, it's time for our April
Fools Back Page Fun-o-Rama.
As soon as you finish this, run - don't walk, don't pass "Go," and
don't even read Bloom County - run to the back page. But be
forewarned: it's upside down.
To conclude, allow us to quote Dead Kennedy's lead singer Jello
Biafra'
This "is a work of art... that some people may find shocking,
repulsive, or offensive. Life can sometimes be that way."
So go laugh your nose off.
I
I
"Maximum Spac
*Immediate for minimum pr
Occupancy * WP Pay rk ent
WPa Heg
Call For More Information
(313) 761-1523
543 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
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Tokers
Continued from Page 1
the view of a particular organization.
But the granting of a permit should
no way be considered as an endorse-
ment of this group's aims," said In-
terim University President Robben
Fleming in a written statement.
Mark Amicone, an LSA sopho-
more and NORML member, said the
group is not sponsoring the bash.
"Smoking is still illegal, so we
don't advocate smoking," he said.
"We just want the laws to be
changed so that people can make
their own decision."
After a few speakers speak on the
legalization of marijuana, "people
will just hang out and whatever,"
Amicone said.
After a few years of well-attended
Hash Bashes, the number of people
taking part in the fest began to
dwindle. In 1983, the "bowl was
beat," hitting an all time low of 25
smokers.
FREE PLAY
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LaGROC
Continued from Page 1
should wear what they would nor-
mally wear.
Denim was chosen as the means
for students to express their views
on gay rights because "it's some-
thing everybody has," LaForest said.
Therefore, he said, it forces stu-
dents to think about their stances
because anything they wear today
could be interpreted as a statement.
"If (students) are really upset
about this issue, then (Blue Jeans
Day) is doing what it's supposed to
do, which is raise awareness,"
LaForest said.
An informal LaGROC poll con-
ducted after last year's Blue Jeans
Day showed that 40 percent of stu-
dents who were aware of the day
purposely avoided wearing denim.
Students, asked yesterday how
they would observe Blue Jeans Day,
gave mixed reactions, many saying
they wouldn't alter their dress pat-
terns one way or another. But some
students said they felt offended by
LaGROC's request.
"It's not a matter of whether I
See LaGROC, Page 3
UAC / VIEWPOINT LECTURES PRESENTS
A Jewish survivor of the -
infamous Auschwitz
externmination camp
and a former Nazi Youth
leader join together
to discuss the horrors
of Hitler's Germany.
In one of the most unique and controversial presentations in the
history of the lecture circuit, Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck
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Vol. XCVIII -No. 123
I;
- - _ ,
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday
through Friday during the fall and winter terms by studer.s it the
University of Michigan. Subscription rates: January through April
- $15 in Ann Arbor, $22 outside the city. 1988 spring, summer,
and fall term rates not yet available.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the
National Student News Service.
Editor in Chief...................REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN Collins, Michael Fischer, Robert Flaggert, Andrea Gacki,
Managing Editor........................MARTHA SEVETSON Timothy Huet, Juliet James, BrianJarvinen, Avra
News Editor.......................................EVE BECKER Kauffman, Preeti Malani, David Peltz, Mike Rubin, Mark
City Editor.....................................MELISSA BIRKS Shaiman,
Features Editor..........................ELIZABETH ATKINS Todd Shanker, Lauren Shapiro, Chuck Skarsaune, Mark
University Editor..........................KERY MURAKAMI Swartz, Marc S. Taras, Marie Wesaw.
NEWS STAFF: Vicki Bauer, Anna Borgman, Dov Cohen, Photo Editors..........................KAREN HANDELMAN
Ken Dintzer, Sheala Durant, Steve Knopper, Theresa Lai, JOHN MUNSON
Kristine LaLonde, Eric Lemont, Michael LustiS, Alyssa PHOTO STAFF: Alexandra Brez, Jessica Greene, Ellen
Lustigman, Dayna Lynn, Andrew Mills, Peter an i'ney, Levy, Robin Loznak, David Lubliner, Danny Stiebel, Lisa
Lisa Pollak, Jim Poniewozik, Aaron Robinson, iza Sard, Wax.
Micah Schmit, Elizabeth Stuppler, Marina Swain, Melissa Weekend Editors.......................STEPHEN GREGORY
Ramudell,Lawrence Rosenberg, David Schwartz, Ryan ALAN PAUL
Tutak, Lisa Winer. WEEKEND STAFF: Fred Zino.
Opinion Page Editors.............JEFFREY RUTHERFORD Display Sales Manager..........................ANNE
CALE SOUTHWORTH KUBEK
OPINION STAFF: Con Accibal, Muzammil Ahmed, Sarah Assistant Display Sales Manager......KAREN BROWN
Babb, Rosemary Chinnock, Brian Debrox, Betsy Esch, DISPLAY SALES STAFF: David Bauman, Gail Belenson,
Noah Finkel, Eric L. Holt, Joshua Ray Levin, Roderick Lauren Berman, Sherri Blansky, Pam Bullock, Jeff Chen,
MacNeal, Jr., I. Matthew Miller, Michael Schechter, Steve Tammy Christie, Milton Feld, Lisa George, Michelle Gill,
Semenuk, Sandra Steingraber, Mark Williams. Matt Lane, Heather MacLachlan, Jodi Manchik, Eddy Meng,
Sports Editor.........................................JEFF Jackie Miller, Shelly Pleva, Debbie Retzky, Jim Ryan, Laura
RUSH Schlanger, Michelle Slavik, Mary Snyder, Marie Soma,
Associate Sports Editors...................JULIE HOLLMAN Cassie Vogel, Bruce Weiss.
AnDAM C ri-l ER NATIONATS: Valerie R yer
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