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Ninety-nine years of editorial freedom
Vol. C, No. 69 Ann Arbor, Michigan -Thursday, January 11, 1990 TheMgano
Ann Arborites to vote on proposal that would hike pot fines
by Josh Mitnick
Daily City Reporter
The days of Ann Arbor's $5 pot
law may be numbered. For the sec-
ond time in seven years, residents
will vote on a proposal this April
that would toughen local penalties
for possession or selling of mari-
juana.
The City Council voted Monday
night 9-2 to approve a measure -
sponsored by Mayor Jerry Jernigan
--that will place a referendum on
the April 2 ballot which, if ap-
proved, would set marijuana fines at
$25 for first-time offenders. Second
Ask
and third time offenders could face
$50 and $100 fines.
According to the proposal, of-
fenders can have fines waived if they
agree to seek help with drug rehabili-
tation.
A similar proposal was placed on
the 1983 ballot but was soundly de-
feated by a vote of 13,977 to 8,660.
Rich Birkett, member of the Na-
tional Organization for the Reform
of Marijuana Laws (NORML) said
the new effort to make stricter pot
penalties was "beating a dead horse"
and expressed confidence that the
proposal would be defeated.
Birkett said a political action
committee would be formed to mo-
bilize the necessary voter support re-
quired to defeat the referendum. The
group will set up information tables
at dorms and the fishbowl, and ap-
peal for the support of the Michigan
Student Assembly, he said.
The pot-lobbying group will use
this year's annual Hash Bash as a
rally against the proposal, Birkett
said. Hash Bash is held every April 1
- falling one day before this year's
elections.
Councilmember Larry Hunter (D-
1st Ward), who voted against the
proposal, said the council was wast-
ing its time with the measure. He
explained that referendums of this
type should be initiated by citizens
and he had observed no public outcry
for such laws.
"If the objective is to control use,
you don't do that by imposing fines,
you do that with public education,"
he said.
However, Council member Mark
Ouimet (R-4th Ward) downplayed
the significance of the referendum,
explaining that the proposal would
only amend the current law and it en-
joyed bipartisan support. Ouimet
called the increased fine "just an in-
flationary increase. It puts it on par-
ity with alcohol."
Ouimet said most residents he
talked to were not bothered by the
new fines, adding that he would be
surprised if anyone was offended by
them.
"We're not putting people in jail
over this. We're asking them to get
help," he said.
The $5 pot law has been part of
the city's charter since 1974 when
Ann Arbor residents successfully
placed a referendum on the ballot and
voters approved the measure. The
charter also requires that city offi-
cials prosecute offenders as violators
of local ordinances rather than under
state law.
LSA senior Zachary Kittrie,
former chair of MSA's external rela-
tions committee, said a large student
turnout helped defeat the 1983 pro-
posal. He expressed doubt about the
possibility of a strong student re-
sponse in city elections this year,
citing current student apathy.
"NORML is going to have to cat-
alyze the student population to get
out the vote," he said.
Bo leaves
ichigan
- joins
Tigers
by Adam Benson
Daily Football Writer
Before his final game as football
coach at Michigan, Bo Schembechler
told his players to think of him as
"as one of the seniors," just graduat-
ing 21 years late.
Well now that he's graduated, Bo
has gone pro.
On Monday, Schembechler took
a leave of absence from his post as
athletic director to become president
and chief operating officer of the De-
troit Tigers baseball club.
Associate Athletic Director Jack
Weidenbach will be the interim ath-
letic director. There has been no an-
nouncement as to when a permanent.
athletic director will be named.
Schembechler became the 12th
head executive of the Tigers since
the club's birth in 1901. Although
Schembechler will be a full-time
employee of the Tigers and no.
longer on the University payroll, he
can still be consulted by the athletic,
department.
"I would not be doing this if I
didn't think that I could effectively
leave Michigan and leave it in good
shape and be able still keep my ties
there," Schembechler said.
"Michigan is special to me."
The new Schembechler-Weiden-
bach plan is still subject to approval
by the University's Board of Re-
gents, but University President
James Duderstadt has said he will
recommend that the regents support
Bo's new role.
Schembechler's departure as Ath-
letic Director has been expected. He
hinted that he would leave the post
when he stepped down as coach in
December. See BO, page 10
Bylaw expires;
'U' Council's
fate is unclear
DAVIDLULI~NEtlIy
Then 'M' football coach Bo Schembechler talks with his successor, Gary Moeller, before the Rose Bowl. The
17-10 loss to USC was Bo's last game with the Wolverines.r
Michigan found out that
Roses also come with thorns
by Noelle Vance
Daily Administration Reporter
The University's bylaw which
gave students input into policies of
non-academic conduct expired last
month, leaving the fate of the Uni-
versity Council - a nine-member
board of students, faculty and admin-
istrators which formulates policy
guidelines- and the council's pro-
posed free speech policy guidelines
unresolved.
According to a regental decision
made last spring, bylaw 7.02 was to
become inoperative last month if the
'U' Council could not propose
guidelines for enforcing the Univer-
sity's policy on protests and free
speech.
The council presented its prelim-
inary guidelines at the University's
Board of Regents December meeting.
But the Regents took no action
to extend the existence of the bylaw,
therefore rendering the council pow-
erless.
University President James Dud-
erstadt indicated he hoped the U-
Council woi d continue to exist in
an advisory capacity.
But 'U' Council member Corey
Dolgon, a Rackham student, said
without the bylaw, the 'U' Council
would be nothing more than an advi-
sory committee worth "no more than
the paper it's printed on."
Making 'U' Council into an ad-
visory committee leaves students
"no mechanism on campus to have
any kind of powerful voice (in pol-
icy-making," he said. "I would hope
the student government and the rest
of the students would agree that we
shouldn't participate in the council
until it's restored to it's real power."
The University Council has faced
an uphill battle to prove its effec-
tiveness since it was reconvened.
Originally disbanded in 1987 be-
cause student members strongly op-
posed any form of a code of conduct
- the council was reconvened by
the regents in 1988 with the condi-
tion that council members prove
they could work together effectively.
University Regent Thomas
'I would hope the
student government
and the rest of the
students would agree
that we shouldn't
participate in the
council until it's
restored to it's real
power.
-'U' Council member
Corey Dolgon
Roach said the University Council
did not complete this mandate.
"'U' Council failed utterably,"
said University Regent Thomas
Roach. "For it's entire life it's never
decided anything until the prelimi-
nary guidelines (were proposed at
last months meeting for enforcing a
policy on regulating free speech)."
"There's no feeling on the part of
the president or regents that students
don't have anything to say," Roach
said, but he added the University has
to come up with a better system of
incorporating input into its decisions
than the 'U' Council.
PASADENA - What could have been the most
fairytaled moment in the history of Michigan sports
turned into some evil, horrifying reality check.
All right. So Michigan doesn't win everything. And
Bo Schembechler can't control everything. And he
won't ever be around again. And the Wolverines played
with the intensity of a milk carton in his last game.
And Bo nearly fell on his behind.
That was the worst moment for me. After an official
dared to throw a yellow flag on a beautifully executed
fake punt, Schembechler went bonkers. We've all seen
what happened, whether we were at the game, watching
at home, or viewing the highlights.
The most respected icon in Wolverine football
history tripped over his headphone wire during a most
vehement protest, and nearly fell on his behind.
Richard
Eisen
Had his derriere actually hit the
turf, it would have truly ranked as.
one of the darkest moments in Wol-
verine history. Thankfully, that did-
n't happen and Schembechler could
leave his beloved game with most of
his dignity intact.
The flag sat on the field, ruining
everything. It was like dropping a
spot of acid onto the Mona Lisa.
Cruelty, thy name is holding.
Or blocking below the waist.
Take your pick because the referee's
duplicity is what made Schembechler
See EISEN, page 10
Governor stresses
,community colleges
in annual speech
Vest
new programs, facilities
may suffer if 'U' cuts budget
by Christine Kloostra
Daily Government reporter
Michigan is looking forward to a
bright future after a decade of eco-
nomic rebuilding, Governor James
Blanchard said in his State of the
State-Address last night.
Blanchard's speech focused pri-
marily on his goals of increasing the
quality of education, fighting crime,
and creating a healthy environment.
Blanchard did not propose any
concrete plans for state universities,
stressing instead his goals for the
state's community colleges in his
speech, which was delivered on the
campus of Lansing Community Col-
lege. These plans include cash
bnuses for the ton 40 community
to evaluate the performance of both
students and institutions, and guaran-
tees of financial aid to students
demonstrating high academic
achievement.
Blanchard also plans to propose
capital outlay expenditures to
schools which keep tuition increases
to a minimum.
"We will begin this year with fi-
nancing new research and education
facilities at Michigan's world-class
universities and community colleges
- new laboratories and classrooms
to train the young people who will
invent our future," Blanchard said.
Blanchard also offered his plans
fnr fiahtin,, ',4mn.4tna hif nnvi to
Blanchard
as crack houses.
The governor also disclosed a
proposal to expand the state police
post in Detroit, create two new posts
in its suburbs, and increase the num-
ber of police on Detroit area free-
ways.
In addition to his emphasis on
education and crime prevention,
Blanchard also stressed the need "to
makerj~ Ahio~nthe Pcleanest- helthi-
by Noelle Vance
Daily Administration Reporter
If the University is forced to cut
its budget next year, student services
and minority recruiting programs
will remain top priority items and
will probably not see a major drop
in funding, said University Provost
Charles Vest in an interview last
month.
On the other hand, severe limita-
tions may be placed on the develop-
ment of new programs and on reno-
vating campus facilities, Vest said.
Budget cuts may be made as part
of a plan unveiled by University
President James Duderstadt last
month to refocus state attention on
the problems of funding higher edu-
cation.
The proposed plan would cap in-
to implement would be the first ar-
eas not to be funded, followed by
campus renovations.
Expenditures in both areas have
been curbed during the last decade.
Reallocations have annually trimmed
approximately one percent from ev-
ery departmental budget and have
limited the types of new programs
schools can implement, said Physi-
cal Education Dean Dee Edington.
If the University mandates major
budget cuts, Edington said, the
school of Physical Education will
have to cut personnel.
"We have cut so much in the last
ten years that the only place left is
people," he said. Cutting people
doesn't necessarily mean laying off.
faculty or staff, Edington explained.
Keeping positions unfilled can also
ear.Pa Na n 1..Aa* n
If deans address budget cuts by
not fulfilling or opening new posi-
tions, there is a possibility recruit-
ment of minority faculty members
- a stated priority of the University
- will be affected.
But according to Vice Provost for
Minority Affairs Charles Moody that
is not likely to happen.
"I don't see it as a gloom-and-
doom situation," he said. "I don't see
there will be a change in the com-
mitment on the part of schools and
colleges," he said;
Michigan Student Assembly
President Aaron Williams agreed that
the University would not likely cut
back on its minority recruitment be-
cause it would have negative politi-
cal ramifications.
It looks bad politically to cut
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