Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 30, 1992
Iig Alittgau &ztlj
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764-0552
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 mjority of the Daily's Editorial Board.
All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
'U' obstructs DPS oversight board
O n Wednesday, the University Public Safety
Oversight Committee met for only the sec-
ond time since its inception months ago. Public
Act 120, the state law which grants public univer-
sities the power to deputize campus police forces
through elected governing boards, requires an
campus police oversight board to hear student
grievances and make appropriate recommenda-
tions to the University administration. This gives
students at least token accountability from the
Department of Public Safety. Unfortunately, the
University has dragged its feet on the issue and
refused to give the oversight board any real power.
Under the Michigan Open Meetings Act, meet-
ings of the Campus police oversight must be held
in public, and notice of the public meeting is
required under state law. While the committee is
still disappointingly in its infancy two months
after school began, this doesn't excuse the Univer-
sity from following the law. If University officials
merely forgot to comply with the law, than they
should immediately rectify the situation; it simply
cannot continue.
The long-awaited meeting finalized basic pro-
cedures for the committee. Dean of Students
wRoyster Harper completed a grievance procedure
form that was accepted by the committee. This
latest development begs a simple question: since
her appointment in August, why has this seem-
ingly basic task of creating a piece of paper for
complaints to fill out taken so long?
There has been no way to complain in the last
two months, but Harper argues that since "no
student has come in to complain," the police are
doing a good job. If there is no mention of the
committee and no form to register complaints, her
reassurances that police procedure has been vindi-
cated by a lack of student complaint are hardly
accurate. Examples ofpolice harassment have been
widely reported, but have not found their way to the
oversight board that is supposed to act on them
because no one knows the board exists.
In addition, members of the oversight board
have already heard from campus police officers
about internal investigation procedures. The police
refused many of the committee's requests for infor-
mation, including a copy of the departmental rules
of conduct for police officers, claiming the infor-
mation was not public. As members of the board
correctly argued, it is impossible for the board to
address alleged violations of police procedure if
they don't know what police procedure is. The
board should continue to press the police to comply
with the Freedom of Information Act.
The oversight board is the best instrument for
ensuring accountability from the campus police
force. The police and University administration
have obstructed every effort by the oversight board
to do its job. If the campus police force is to be at
all accountable to the student body, it must stop its
policy of noncompliance and cooperate with the
oversight board.
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ISSUE.S FORUM
Read it, know it, join the debate
1992 Presidential race: the final stretch
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The race for President of the United States is
reaching the final stretch. As the candidates turn
the corner, each one strives to gather those last
few voters who are walking the fence.
The issues have been debated, babies have been
kissed and the accusations offoul play have been
dealt. It is time for the American people to make their
choice. Who will be our next President?
Will the American people grant George Bush
another four years in the White House or will we
see a new face in the Oval Office? Will Bill
Clinton regain 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.for the
Democrats or will a win by the Texas billionaire,
Ross Perot* surprise us all.
Gather the facts, make your decision and take it to
the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Vote yes on SAFE House bond
W hen women and children are battered in
Washtenaw county homes, they need a safe
place to go. This is the premise under which the
Domestic Violence Project, Inc./SAFE House has
been working since its doors opened in 1978.
Fourteen years later, SAFE House's residential
facility is crumbling from the wear and tear of the.
2,500 adults and 5,000 children who have lived
there. On Nov. 3, a YES vote on the one-time
SAFE House bond proposal to obtain a new facil-
ity will ensure the continuing success of this im-
portant service to the community.
SAFE House's mission, simply stated, is to end
battering in Washtenaw county. Once a woman is
abused by her partner, her risk of being victimized
again is high. National Crime Survey data show
that during a six-month time period following an
incident of domestic violence, approximately 32
percent of women are victimized again. Therefore,
a crucial means of ending the cycle of violence is
providing a refuge for battered women and chil-
AsAFren.
SAFE House stands for Shelter Available For
Emergencies. In addition to providing housing for
up to 30 days, the agency provides emergency
medical care, counseling, help with obtaining long-
term housing, legal advocacy, and other assistance.
SAFE House's services have been in increased
demand during the last five years. At the same time,
its ability to meet the community's needs has been
hampered by the deterioration of its residential
facility. It has been determined that to make the
needed repairs.and expansion of the current build-
ing would be more expensive than to build a new
shelter.
The bond, which temporarily increases prop-
erty taxes, will cost the average homeowner $1 a
month for only two years. Students who lease
housing off-campus would probably pay this indi-
rectly through their rent. University housing resi-
dents, however, would not be affected at all, since
the University is exempted from property taxes.
The SAFE House bond proposition has no let-
ter, but is the fifth proposal on the ballot, directly
after Proposal D. Do not overlook this much-
needed proposal.
President Bush
President Clinton
President Perot
Four more years of President George Bush
by John Petz
'D' not insurance reform solution
When an insurance company places a referen-
dum proposal regarding insurance rates on
the ballot, the public is naturally suspicious. In the
case of Proposal D, an auto insurance reform
measure sponsored by the Michigan American
Automobile Association (AAA), the suspicions,
Are justified. Michigan voters should reject it.
If approved, the proposal would amend
Michigan's auto insurance laws by offering mo-
torists a trade off between reduced insurance costs
and adequate coverage. While on the surface Pro-
posal D seems consumer-friendly, it is actually
danger-
ously mis-
leading. x
Essentially,p
A A A
would be
less liable
for serious
raccidents,
and part of
this huge
ssavings
would be
passed on
to auto in-
-s u r a n c e
purchasers.
The pri-
mary ben-
eficiary of Proposal D is, not surprisingly, AAA
and other insurance companies. Customers would
be given the option of reduced auto insurance rates
- in return for reduced coverage. The minimum
coverage requirement would be $250,000, with
.additional coverage available at a higher cost.
A A A hao-, nnt milinne tnhtinG PmnnalD aln
victims of unforeseen disasters. If Proposal D
passes, millions of drivers would benefit slightly,
to the vast detriment of a few unfortunate souls.
The proposal would also attempt to reduce legal
costs by prohibiting drivers from suing except in
the case of serious accidents. Additionally, the
proposal would prevent drivers who are more than
50 percent at fault - a percentage decided by
insurance adjusters - from collecting damages.
By doing so, it would limit an individual's rights to
seek damages in court, particularly since determin-
ing the percentage of fault is a tricky and subjective
matter.
H e r e
-again, the
proposal pur-
ports to help
the motorist
by cutting
costs, but it
really hurts
them by lim-
iting their op-
tions.
The roll-
backs of rates
} aren't even
guaranteed,
since the pro-
posal allows
FILE PHOTO/Daily for rates to be
increased after six months, so the initial rate cuts'
may soon disappear, leaving policyholders with
less rights and benefits, and no advantages.
Proposal D requires auto-insurers to provide
refunds to motorists when profits exceed 5 percent,
but it is unclear how refund will be determined, and
the nmna1 dne not stinulate how this will he
If President George Bush is
awarded the responsibility for all the
economic, political and social prob-
lems in the United States, as the me-
dia and Democrats have been so quick
to lay blame, then George Bush also
deserves credit for all the good that
has occurred over the last four years.
On the economy, inthe third quar-
ter of this year the economy grew by
2.7 percent, the sixth straight quar-
terly increase.
Interest rates are at their lowest
levels in two decades, allowing more
people to refinance and invest in the
future.Inflation, the worst of all taxes,
has remained low and stable at around
three percent.
Since President Bush took office,
the U.S. trade deficit has declined
almost 44 percent, from $119 billion
to $66 billion. Exports are up 30 per-
cent since 1988, to $422 billion, mak-
ing the United States once again the
world's leading exporter of goods.
By the adherence to the policy of
Petz is President of the University
of Michigan College Republicans
and an LSA senior.
peace through strength the Reagan-
Bush era brought about the crum-
bling of the Berlin Wall and the fall
of the Soviet Union. The result has
been the liberation of Eastern Europe
from oppression and for the first time
in 45 years, the United States is no
longer manufacturing nuclear weap-
ons.
Just because the Cold War has
ended doesn't mean the United States
can turn away from its world leader-
ship role. George Bush's foreign
policy experience make him uniquely
capable of winning the global eco-
nomic battles that lay ahead. Bush's
support for North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and con-
tinued pressure on Europe in the
General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT) negotiations will in-
sure the U.S. position as the premier
economic power, while creating bil-
lions of dollars in U.S. export goods
and thousands of new trade-related
jobs, including an estimated 360,000
Our country needs a proven leader to guide the
nation in the right direction toward growth and
development. George Bush is that leader.
due to NAFTA.
The United States is going through
a transition to prepare for the eco-
nomic challenges of the 21st century.
Our country needs a proven leader to
guide the nation in the right direction
toward growth and development.
George Bush is that leader.
George Bush will revitalize the
U.S. economy through economic-en-
terprise zones, investment-tax credits
for businesses, and a capital-gains-
tax cut to spur investment by private
individuals.
George Bush will control govern-
ment spending through a Balanced
Budget Amendment and a line-item
veto to cut wasteful special interest
projects. George Bush will return the
government to the people by support-
ing Congressional-term limits and
campaign-finance reform by elimi-
nating Political Action Committees.
George Bush will continue to pro-
vide the quality leadership the world
has come to respect.
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Vote for Bill Clinton: It is time to challenge the status quo
by Jeff Wolf
Our future does not look promis-
ing. Our most basic freedoms of edu-
cation, choice, a clean environment
and the opportunity to work are rap-
idly vanishing - and President Bush
is doing very little about it.
Although we will be University of
Michigan graduates, many of us will
be working in jobs that do not match
the skills we have developed here.
Gov. Bill Clinton is the hope for our
future and the "American Dream." He
has a vision to change the direction of
government to reach us -real people
- who have real fears about the fu-
ture.
Students have been shafted by the
"Education President," who still has
not outlined a clear-,at policy on
higher educatir- ,inton plans to
make higher education accessible and
to receive "real" training through a
widespread apprenticeship program.
George Bush has been focusing
his campaign on the issue of "family
values." However, Bush's veto of the
Family and Medical Leave Act
showed a clear disregard for the needs
of the working Americanfamily. How
Gov. Bill Clinton is the
hope for our future
and the American
Dream. He has a vision
to change the direc-
tion of government to
reach us - real people
- who have real fears
about the future.
can he claim to support families when
he is forcing them to choose between
ing that the United States is in a reces-
sion. Bill Clinton understands the hard-
ships we are going through and his
Rebuild America Plan aims invest
ment toward our deteriorating infra-
structure, technologies and industries
of the future, and comprehensive job-
training. He is committed to a 50
percent deficit reduction in the next
five years - to begin to erase the
legacy of debt accumulated during the
Reagan-Bush years.
George Bush has also left a trail of
environmental degradation. His lack
of courage in Rio last June was an
embarrassment to our country. Bill
Clinton and Al Gore understand that
jobs are not a trade-off for a clean
atmosphere; rather, improved stan-
dards will create jobs in new indus-
tries and make America a leader in
sustainable development.
This election is about our future.
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