61 Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Wednesday, April 22,1992 Glie Midiigan~al 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 764-0550 Editor in Chief MATTHEW D. RENNIE Opinion Editors YAEL CITRO GEOFFREY EARLE AMITAVA MAZUMDAR Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. R OMg,.......a.r..r;:.:.e.n..s........ Religitie0eon, crrot; eviction, stc. -HIS LE c-rio hlYEA, LF.rT 'S S H4 1-'F: 6S /t6!S 1 , /N 'r,C r9 rLlVT EOt 1C ANS 'rH-Ar AE spTE war., '0 46 -66 X J T ES::t :::.":1 1,SSSS:: :':Y:"::".S:.ti:::::.:1":1:1S":i.S':. '.. .":4:5."S:SY. 4""4 ...1.1P.\".\.'L.O"1R11111 R4:'.".O ^L1".5 N T 1 H" 11. .:. . tal The Salvation Army has for years been associ- ated with worthwhile grass-roots aide for im- poverished people along with a strong alliance with the Christian church. Unfortunately, in the case of one local Salvation Army Shelter called Arbor Haven, that alliance has given rise to a troubling policy: the shelter has a policy of evict- ing residents who fail to attend mandated religious services. Arbor Haven certainly has the right to maintain this policy. But Constitutional guaran- tees of the separation of church and state demand that if it wants to pursue this course, it give up the state funding it receives. The problem lies in the funding of the 90-day shelter, which houses 15 of Ann Arbor's homeless. Arbor Haven is funded by the Salvation Army, an organization that receives money from the Michi- gan legislature and United Way, which receives federal funding. The shelter provides job counseling for its resi- dents, as well as three meals per day. The house works something like a co-op, with each member putting in a share of work to insure that the house runs smoothly. It also runs mandatory meetings regarding house operations almost every day. Within the past year, these meetings have ex- panded. Among the additions is one entitled "Spiri- tual Awareness." Its stated purpose is to allow house members to investigate their relationships with Jesus Christ. In addition, residents are re- quired to attend one church service per week. The punishment for missing too many of these meet- ings is eviction. Bluntly stated, if a resident does not attend the religious functions, the roof over their head is callously removed. Additionally, the staff has been placed under a similar restriction, a mandatory retreat to the nearby Salvation Army camp. Proponents of this policy may argue that a few measly hours of religion is a small price to pay for food and shelter, and it is, if that food and shelter is provided by a private organization. But it is not a fair price if it's provided by an organization which recently acquired $10,000 extra dollars from the taxpayers. Residents of the shelter are not the only ones affected by these rules. Certainly, the benefits of a shelter like Arbor Haven are immeasurable. It is the type of shelter that people have been scream- ing for- one that not only provides food and beds, but also helps in the search for jobs and housing. Unfortunately, it seems that the priorities of the organization have shifted to a slightly different direction, a direction which forbids the use of the public's tax dollars. t e City, residents should heed tent city L ast Wednesday, the Homeless Action Commit- tee and the Homeless Union collaborated to create the Salvation City for thePoor People's Park in order to increase the community's awareness of the problems confronting the homeless popula- tion. Its message is simple: homeless people are human beings and human beings deserve perma- nent homes. After months of enduring while the city neglected the issue, it seems the homeless have rightfully taken up their own cause. The residents of Salvation City, a make-shift community located at the corner of Ann and Main streets, are concerned by the vacancy of the Ann Arbor Inn and the Downtown Club. They feel that Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor can help home- less people by turning the unoccupied buildings into low-income housing. Their sentiments are u'nderstandable. The two buildings have remained vacant for too long, and the city should renovate them for low-cost housing. Ann Arbor residents and city government officials should heed their message. In additionto protesting the buildings'vacancy, these residents are raising the public's awareness that the stereotype of the drunk and lazy homeless person is a myth. Society views the intoxicated man vomiting on the sidewalk as the poster child for the homeless population. However, Salvation Bush passing the The programs distributed at President Bush's $1,000-a-plate campaign dinner held in Dearborn last Tuesday contained some revealing information. They included a list of five major corporations, including Upjohn Inc. of Kalamazoo, Deloitte & Touche and the Chrysler Corp., as major contributors to the Bush campaign, despite the fact that corporate donations are illegal under current campaign finance laws. Corporation mem- bers as well as Bush aids referred to the incident "and embarrassing, stupid mistake." Campaign officials later insisted that the donations were actually legal personal contributions, and the in- clusion of the names of the corporations was en- tirely coincidental. It is possible that these Bush officials are right. Some corporations solicit contributions from indi- vidual workers in the workplace through a process called "bundling." Once they raised the money, these corporations probably sent in a lump sum of money in exchange for dinner tickets. Peggy Pentacost of the Deloitte & Touche co. claimed that one third to one half of her firm's 59 partners bought tickets for themselves and their spouses for the maximum personal contribution allowed by law. City proves that the unfortunate stereotype is inac- curate as well. The residents do not allow alcohol or drugs on their grounds. Furthermore, they pro- hibit drug dealers and intoxicated people from causing trouble in the area. The residents have organized a night watch security system to insure the safety of their community. They have also prepared a list of items they need donated from the community, such as warm clothes, non-perishable foods, sanitary supplies, medicine and tents. The final item on their list is "houses." Salvation City was created to help lift the spirits of homeless citizens, not to cause problems for the community. Many of its residents are working but still cannot afford housing. Its construction has prompted visits from many members of nearby communities, and even residents of Detroit and Flint. But hopefully, whenthese people visit Salva- tion City, they will leave with more than a snap shot impression of the community. Better that they leave with a commitment to demand a comprehen- sive social policy that does not ignore the home- less. As one sign in the city says, "Empty building + people = home." While the residents of Salvation City wait patiently for their homes, they deserve as much support as possible from the rest of the community. ." toplate t crp. Common Cause PresidentFred Wertheimer said that "if corporate executives can gather alarge sum and turn it over on behalf of the institution, you wind up with the same capacity for... influence- selling as if the corporation made the contribution in the first place." Whether wrongdoing took place or not, Bush's '92 campaign organizers obviously did not learn from the accusations of illegality in his '88 cam- paign. Recent investigations by the Federal Elec- tions Commission (FEC) into whether the Fund for America's Future was illegally funneling cam- paign dollars into Bush's '88 campaign should have kept Bush's campaign organizers on their toes. Listing corporate donors in Bush's program indicates that the Bush campaign finds nothing wrong with evading campaign laws, privately or publicly. The president's disdain for election rules is only compounded by his promise to veto federal cam- paign finance reform laws. It seems he is content to keep money's influence in politics strong. Even worse, the FEC seems willing to ignore the Bush campaign's tendency to dodge campaign spending laws, and has not even hinted at the idea of inves- tigating corporate bundling. Avoid stereotMes To the Daily: I would like to draw your readers' attention to a terribly cruel stereotype displayed in the Daily's review of Basic Instinct. I have not seen this movie and therefore don't know how the characters are depicted. I wonder, however, if the Daily gave much thought to the use of the word "psychotic" when it said that, Catherine Trammel is possibly psychotic." Most people with a psychotic illness are not violent. Their thought processes are so confused by the illness that they aren't able to carry on the reasoning required to plan the premeditatedtviolent crimes that are of the plot of Basic Instinct. Donna Estabrook Ann Arbor Dailys make a mess To the Daily: I just want to say amen to the letter by Paul. Hirschfield (4/20/ 92). As a University custodian, I do find a lot of Dailys and other papers on the floor and all that does wind up in the trash. It would make my job easier if that wouldn't happen, but it does. The same goes for signs on doors and walls. Jay Daves Ann Arbor Abortion rights abuse To the Daily: Count me out! I have been raised by a set of rules that women have rights to keep their bodies safe without government control. I believe that this is absolutely true and I would fight tooth and nail to keep the abortion technique available as a life saving procedure. However, when I read an article on Monday about the march in Washington I was sicked by the woman who disposed of her child because the baby tested with a disability. I myself refuse to be a part of this kind of biologically selective RWL should keep to itself To the Daily: This statement is the culmina- tion of a long struggle within the Ann Arbor Committee to Defend Abortion and Reproductive Rights (AACDARR) over the past two semesters. The struggle has been conducted over fundamen- tally different methods to building and participating in the women's movement. The most visible difference in these approaches has been the difference between democracy and dishonesty within AACDARR. The Revolutionary Workers League (RWL), though not itself in AACDARR leadership, has repeatedly undermined AACDARR's internal democracy. The RWL has taken advantage of AACDARR's open attitude toward membership to force its views on the majority of AACDARR activists. When the decision was made by a clear majority two weeks ago to disaffiliate AACDARR from the National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition (NWROC), the RWL resorted to the despi- cable tactic of packing the next week's meeting with RWL members and other non- AACDARR members to reverse the decision. The RWL's abuse and combat- ive behavior toward independents and new AACDARR members who express disagreement with RWL supporters alienates people who may be new to politics but are nonetheless committed to militant defense of abortion rights. The presence of the RWLin AACDARR, and its willingness to resort to any means to enforce its sectarian view of the development of the women's movement, has unfortunately made infeasible the existence of AACDARR as a united organization. We urge all members of the AACDARR who are not members of the RWL to separate them- selves from the RWL and con- tinue the struggle for abortion rights in a genuine organization. We, the majority of AACDARR activists, have among us many talented and experienced activists who will continue to do militant pro-choice actions, including clinic defenses, in the real tradition of the AACDARR. Rhonda Laur NWROC rep., founding member Rebecca Wirtell AACDARR treasurer Ann Bernardin AACDARR vice-chair society! My vote goes to Pro-life candidates. Grant Grobbel LSA N.C.F.D. Daily 'king of crude' To the Daily: Who in the hell wrote the obituary on Sam Kinison (4/13/ 92)? What do you have to gain from gloating over the tragic accident that left Kinison dead and his wife hospitalized? I think its ridiculous the way that you stuck a' tiny piece in the Arts section and critiqued him, as if his death was his final act. What really bothers me about this article, and the Daily in general, is that it always assumes that everyone is as liberal as it is. Because of this, it thinks that no one is going to notice it belittle the death of someone because he made sexist or homophobic jokes that happened to be entertaining. Not everyone agrees with your views on Sam Kinison. I do not. The thousands who saw his comedy live or televised do not, and his newly wedded (and now widowed) wife most likely does not. I doubt that she would think of him as the "King of Crudeness and Insensitivity." The Daily seems to be the king here. John Kasiborski Engineering first-year student Letters to the Daily are continued on page 15. S'' }"'1:i": 'Y:":t...1' .....t ..W.0....... ..... J. .1"Y.. Jh . : .1.1 ,1" .. 1.ya .. .' aa. . .}; . .. }' . .l ! I Y .1V :.1.... .1..... . .{:r " ,:"a a: " .".v." "1"..'t'i".1 y,. hv1 . :.01..1 rs . .+1: 1 On line:* Jobs with digit ad justice Today's Daily is the last of this term. During the summer, the paper will come out on a weekly basis, with Dave Sheperdson and Gil Renberg at the helm of the Opinion page. Students are encouraged to keep reading and write plenty of letters. The editors would like to wish all students good luck with finals. Finals offer an ideal time to experiment with something students often don't have time to do - read books. Moreover, it offers students the opportunity to visit often neglected tourist sights throughout the University, namely libraries. For those students who are already done with exams, we wish you a long, slow and painful death. Good luck, and enjoy the summer. If you are a University student, you probably have a lot in common with Karen Tipton. Shewas a model high school student, and earned her B.A. in three years, with honors. But when she moved to Ann Arbor' after graduation, it was hard to find a good job with her out-of-state credentials. So NMI. Tipton got ajob : Y.:<1 as a cashier at t1Y".Y, : Kroger. Now ' she's on strike. :: Yr:,. Some stu- ::.: dents, she told;?S Y." me, have ElizabehCole crossed the line to shop at Kroger, calling out "get an education, get a job!" "I'm not expecting to work here forever," she said, "but this is my job. They don'tunderstand that unless the big- ger economic picture changes, this will be them." Most students also don't under- stand the working conditions at the grocery store they patronize. The striking Kroger workers have not had a wage increase 'i the past 11 years. Nevertheless, the union has prosperity they helped to create, the Kroger workers face an erosion of their existing standard of living. For example, although Tipton is lucky enough to work 40 hours a week, she is still apart time worker and receives no benefits. At Kroger, "full time" is not a function of the hours worked, but a status which is accorded only to about one third of the workers. The contract offered by management would limit the number of full time workers by committing 2000 full time jobs to the employees cur- rently holding them. That means that when full time workers leave or retire, their full time position willno longerexist.Over time there will be even fewer full time jobs at the grocery chain. Additionally, management's contract would force the union to allow it to bring in "free vendors," non-union workers contracted at lower wages to perform tasks that are currently the responsibility of union workers, such as restocking shelves. This would further cut the work hours available to Kroger employees. off. McGinnis argued that the ben- efits of corporate tax breaks do not trickle down to workers who are inadequately paid. Workers who receive sub-standard wages can't buy cars and other consumer goods. This leads to job losses in other industries. Moreover, because two half time workers pay less in taxes than one full time worker, low wages further erode the tax base. He takes issue with the argument that unions and worker demands are destroying the economy. Unions fought for and won many benefits which we now take for granted, such as the 8 hour work day, paid holidays and pen- sions. The striking Kroger workers are not the cause of what ails the economy, they areasymptom. They do not represent aby-gone age when unions were strong and active. They presage the service oriented economy the United States is be- coming. They are on the front line of the battle for the rights of workers in the new economy. "Unions want people to be paid well so that they . ¢' ®, t a IS Nuts and Bolts PvA+R 30'S, = HID 7WS ,LE7WIN YOUR~ L&& ac so yoou ~ > IN IIT ONLY WWW4 YOO E RACHEDi YWVR P L SIAMPTS. YOU'i by Judd Winick LFD iS A.S~EES oRBebINNINGS E' AUWnP LF~sr aHOL T JOrCL.OSEP ND ~ANOT1IER 1r ~E.ar1 PN IS. a1O ~ ~N 2LOV YWvIB v(oo 'ie'MULCH.j P.S. SEE Yo~u IN_'NE fl