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. 0 & OR~& Bv5'H.S -5Y NOT Va-rj N C& SOC 1E'TY i'T rACkNOWL~r-EF ovRf fPRo FOUNDPDAND tMEANIN6-FLLPOIL4TDAL'TATEA1EN*T" No-i-raoVoTF I ESoWLI E XGEP1 FR T E W'ILL EXERCISE C FAC-r-ri-AT H E'erNOT THAT R I &-k,-"* DA F m o ST YO UNG- P PL F N ,,--I L VOTED, TH-E ESpw- WVOULDLIHAvE -ro tvD .= To VS JMST7EAt)OFSIMPiL.Y /F E cT~ ItLWILL PAY m -e 1YtO~ FOR YOUR CO LL~ETJITIoN.'!iRO -,Fo..C C,1NT'iDATES wHo CAN J ANNOY 71HE A11Z4, LOVE TN) -41S N ONLY GIVE 5SNAPPY 3ULM~PEIR RE-&i c- B~uSH-! MIN LE~ V-H THEY SHIOvLa2 E ELEC-TEP. I I°EV1A114 REASON YOU) SMOuLi) VOTE,', yG n t~'Ytu~P R S G E O M Cl :FoE' !2 - r,r-I E EP1 6e4CgN5 HJ A EN:I) :fZIcHTS-. ISN'T IT T//tE To &/vc ; - 0 , a SOM. oNE Jt .- EA CI-A4CE 7-0 guN : X -~OQ X Y()u1CoCONTR~Y 'e OULRRI6±ITS ? ISSUE.S FORUM Read it, know it, join the debate 1992 Presidential race: the final stretch 0 6 F 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. 0 0 0 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. 6 l