1- m 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 mnanp afrnm n ~~nri t.,antiA faiNvt*