TODAY
Afternoon sun;
High: 68, Low: 53.
TOMORROW
Mostly sunny;
High: 71, Low: 46.
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MSA should
organize students
against cops.
See OPINION
Page 4.
One hundred and one years of editorial freedom
Vol. CII, No. 2 Ann Arbor, Michigan - Tuesday, October 1, 1991 the Mtnhgan
Activists rally
against Belleville
Cracker Barrel
by David Wartowski
BELLEVILLE, Mich. - About
100 people rallied yesterday after-
noon outside the newly-opened
Cracker Barrel restaurant in
Belleville, protesting a company
policy that prohibits gay men and
lesbians from working for the
Southern-based chain.
The protest, which was met by a
smaller counter-demonstration, was
broken up by Van Buren Township
police dressed in riot gear.
Protests began nine and a half
months ago in opposition to Cracker
Barrel firing its gay employees.
Protesters estimate 12 to 15 people
have been fired under the policy.
George Frisbie, a former Cracker
Barrel employee of more than three
years, said he was fired after a com-
pany vice president circulated
"internal memos" that claimed gay
and lesbian employees did not up-
hold "traditional heterosexual val-
ues," and called for their dismissal.
Tom Zerafa, a member of the
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power-
Detroit, an AIDS activist organiza-
tion, claimed the franchise fired its
gay and lesbian employees because it
feared they would infect food with
the AIDS virus. Zerafa said too
many people assume that all homo-
sexuals have AIDS.
The demonstration soon devel-
oped into a verbal confrontation be-
tween the protesters and a group of
20 to 30 local residents who op-
posed the rally.
While protesters chanted,
"Anti-union, anti-gay, Cracker Bar-
rel bigots go away!" counter-
demonstrators retorted, "Adam and
Eve! Adam and Eve!"
Kevin Snowdon, who stood with
friends watching the protest, felt
the demonstration was "wrong."
He laughed at the protesters, saying
that "they should write their con-
gressman ... not get in my way."
A man who identified himself
only as Victor the Baptist stood
silently, with a bible in his hand,
watching the demonstrators. He
said Cracker Barrel has the "right to
hire and fire anyone they want."
Frisbie said his initial shock of
being fired turned to anger when he
realized there was no organization
to help him get his job back..
"Well, he does now," said Ron
Woods, a Huntington Woods ac-
tivist who led the protest. Woods
said he hopes to get the former em-
ployees' jobs back, along with back
pay and former status.
In anticipation of the counter-
demonstration, several activists in
drag distributed mock flyers, pre-
tending to call for, "No homoerotic
art on the walls of the restaurant;
only pictures of flowers, Norman
Rockwell prints, and smiling nor-
mal heterosexuals."
Protests have been organized
over the last nine months in several
Southern states and now Michigan,
Woods said, "and soon to be Ohio."
Cracker Barrel officials have re-
fused to comment on the protests.
The protesters plan to return to
the Cracker Barrel this Sunday at 11
a.m. for another protest.
County lacks
$2,135 in late
filing fines
by David Rheingold
Daily City Reporter
Many local political candidates and committees
that have turned in their election files late still owe
the county hundreds of dollars in overdue fines,
Washtenaw County records show.
Moreover, the county treasurer says his office lacks
the legal means to collect such fines. Prosecuting the
offenders, he says, would only further overburden the
prosecuting attorney.
The state requires local candidates for public office
and major political parties to file campaign statements
with the county. They must turn in these statements by
certain dates, or else pay daily late fees.
But a recent examination of such files showed that
many of these fines have not been enforced.
Last year, the county estimated there were $2,135 in
outstanding fees.
County Senior Elections Specialist Dan Byrne said
he has tried to contact several of the violators.
But many people with overdue fees said last night
that they do not recall being contacted about them.
Some of those who the county claims owe late fees
include:
the Ann Arbor Democratic Women's Club, $970.
Former treasurer Mary Jo Gord said she assumed the
position without much knowledge of the situation.
"I was never really treasurer in anything other than
name, but by the time we needed anyone's name on the
form, (Councilmember) Thais Peterson asked if I could
do it," she said.
County Treasurer candidate Kenneth Latta, $610.
Latta could not be reached for comment.
Ann Arbor Democratic Party, $410. Party chair
Sabra Briere said she had no information about these
dues, and added that the party disputes some of the
fines because it has not always funded candidates.
"As a rule of thumb, the party has not been so flush
that we can provide large sums of money to candi-
dates," she said.
Ann Arbor Councilmember Larry Hunter (D-1st
Ward), $300. Hunter refused to comment.
City Council candidate Ed Surovell, $300.
Surovell said he had not been contacted about the over-
See FEES, Page 2
U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Ne b.) speaks to supporters at a rally in Lincoln, Ne b., yesterday.
Kerrey announced he will seek his party's 1992 nomination for president.
Nebraska Sen. Kerrey
" "
joins race for
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska Sen.
Bob Kerrey, portraying himself as a bold new
leader for a country gone astray, entered the
Democratic presidential race yesterday with
a call to change course after a decade of greed
and cynicism.
"My generation is uniquely positioned to
understand what must be done," the 48-year-
old senator told thousands of cheering sup-
porters who gathered in the shadow of the
state Capitol where he served one term as
governor.
"It is time for leadership in America
committed to posterity rather than popular-
presiden cy
ity and focused on the next generation in-
stead of the next election."
The charismatic Vietnam War hero por-
trayed himself as the best man to shake the
Democratic Party from its lethargy and make
it once again "the party that reached out to
those bent low and raised our sights to the
moon."
Kerrey said the hopes of his generation
had been dashed in the 1980s by shortsighted
leaders.
"I believe Americans know deep in their
bones that something is terribly wrong and
See KERREY, Page 2
" MSA to write new chapter in group recognition epic
by Purvi Shah
Daily MSA Reporter
The verbal volleys are ready to
be served: a proposal for automatic
student group recognition is on the
table for tonight's meeting of the
Michigan Student Assembly.
Automatic student group recog-
nition was one of the main issues in
last year's MSA elections. The
Conservative Coalition, which took
14 of 24 seats on the assembly,
promised to push for recognition of
all student groups.
Recognition entitles a student
group to petition MSA for funding,
office space allocation, tables in the
. State cuts
may hurt
library
services
by Joshua Meckler
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's library system,
already strapped for funds and fac-
ing a possible 2 percent budget cut
later this year, may reduce book pur-
chases, hire fewer personnel, and re-
duce operating hours.
Donald Riggs, dean of the Uni-
versity Library, said, "I will do ev-
erything I can not to reduce library
hours. But, if we're faced with a
$400,000 deduction, the money has
to come from somewhere."
Robert Holbrook, associate vice
president for academic affairs, said
the University was expecting a
"negative supplemental" from the
state government. A negative sup-
plemental occurs when the state
keeps some of the money it
0 promised to allocate, effectively re-
Fishbowl and authorization for ral-
lies on the Diag. Student groups as
defined in the old and new proposed
MSA code must have at least five
members. In addition, a majority of
members must be students and at
least two-thirds of members must
be University students, alumni or
faculty. Members cannot profit
financially.
Student group recognition has a
volatile history. In February 1989,
the Cornerstone Christian
Fellowship (CCF) was derecog-
nized by the Central Student
Judiciary (CSJ) - the judicial
branch of MSA - on the basis that
it discriminated against gay men and
lesbians by refusing them leadership
positions within the organization.
At the time, CCF representative
Rev. Mike Caulk commented that
the organization allowed homosex-
uals as "suspended members" until
they repented.
When MSA went through the
recognition process again in October
1989, CCF was granted official stu-
dent group status.
But when the Lesbian and Gay
Rights Organization Committee
filed a complaint with CSJ, arguing
that CCF's recognition violated the
anti-discrimination clause of the as-
sembly's constitution, CCF was
derecognized again. The group was
recognized again in the spring of
1990.
The new proposal would elimi-
nate anti-discrimination and anti-
hazing clauses from the recognition
rules.
"I think the biggest potential
for opposition is our definition of
student groups doesn't have any
anti-discriminatory or anti-hazing
clause that the old one had," said
Engineering Rep. Brian Kight, vice-
chair of the rules and elections
committee.
However, Rules and Elections
Committee Chair Greg Morrison
said that MSA will still be in con-
trol of which groups will receive
funding and room allocations even
after automatic recognition.
Only basic privileges, including
the ability to assemble on the Diag
and obtain a table in the Fishbowl,
would be granted to all recognized
groups, Kight said.
"What we're trying to do is de-
politicize it and give all groups op-
portunity for basic recognition,"
Kight said. "Any student group re-
gardless of their political views
would be able to get the very basic
privileges of recognition."
Despite assurances by Kight and
Morrison, Rackham Rep. Max
Ochoa said the anti-discrimination
and anti-hazing clauses are
necessary.
"I'm going to propose an
amendment reinstating the discrim-
ination and hazing parts," Ochoa
said. "I suppose the overall goal of
this is to streamline the student
recognition process, but keeping the
discrimination and hazing clauses is
crucial. We don't silently condone
any type of discrimination."
Ochoa argued that the new pro-
posal would not affect the politi-
See MSA, Page 2
Congress to debate new
student loan program
Banks, universities square off in financial feud
by Stefanie Vines
Daily Government Reporter
A proposal to streamline government
student loans, which is pitting universities
and student lobbying groups against a vocal
banking industry, will be introduced today in
the House subcommittee on post-secondary
education.
After the subcommittee makes its recom-
mendations, the bill will go to a Senate sub-
committee for further debate.
The bill includes a new loan program that
would scrap the current $10.8 billion-a-year
Stafford Loan - also referred to as Guaran-
teed Student Loans - and replace it with a
direct student-loan program.
Under the current program, students ap-
ply through a private lender, such as a bank,
to obtain student loans. Under the new pro-
gram, students would receive money directly
through their universities and the federal
government. The application process would
be made easier and decreased costs and taxes
could mean lower interest rates.
The bill would also expand Pell Grants,
guaranteeing more grants to students at a
cost of an estimated $5 billion.
cal restructuring of the loan delivery mecha-
nism would pose a serious risk that loans
would not be made at all."
Hough said the direct loan program
would not cost less than Guaranteed Student
Loans or simplify loan administration for
.schools, but would instead increase the ad-
ministrative costs and risks for schools.
Fritz Elmendorf, vice-president of com-
munications for the Consumer Bankers Asso-
ciation, said the program is not workable.
"We don't think the savings will be
real," he said. "There are a lot of operational
problems in letting the government take
over where banks have been doing it success-
fully."
The Consumer Bankers Association and
Sallie May sent a letter to subcommittee
chair Rep. William Ford (D-Mich.) and to
ranking minority member Rep. Thomas
Coleman (R-Mo.) opposing the direct stu-
dent-loan program.
Craig Orfield, press secretary for Cole-
man, said the problem lies in the institutions,
not with the banks.
"If you have students performing poorly
and not receiving enough aid then you have to
'M
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