Page 2-The Michigan Daily- Wednesday, December9,1992
Public challenges pay
raise for state officials
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP)
- Dorothy Matzinger waved a
newspaper article about the
Legislature's recent decision to let
some lawmakers collect their pen-
sions years earlier than before.
"Things like this sour people,"
Matzinger told members of the State
Officers Compensation Commission
at a public hearing yesterday. "With
all these cuts at General Motors and
all these jobs folding, how can we
afford this?"
Disclosure of the pension move
heightened the outrage of several
people who urged the commission
not to raise salaries of legislators, the
governor, lieutenant governor and
Supreme Court justices for the next
two years.
Under the new rules, outgoing
House Speaker Lewis Dodak could
start collecting a $40,864 annual
pension next year. He would have
had to wait until 1998 under the old
rules.
Nearly two dozen people spoke at
the last of three public hearings the
commission has held on pay for top
state officeholders.
Established in 1968, the panel
sets the officials' pay every two
years, although the Legislature can
reject proposed raises. That hap-
pened in 1990, when the commission
voted to raise their pay 16.2 percent
over two years.
Currently salaries are:
governor, $106,690;
lieutenant governor, $80,300;
legislators, $45,450;
Supreme Court justices,
$106,610.
The commission, whose seven
members are gubernatorial ap-
pointees, will begin deliberations to-
day and should reach a decision by
Dec. 15, said Chair Marvin Daitch of
Southfield.
He acknowledged the sentiment
of people who have written or spo-
ken to the commission was running
overwhelmingly against any pay
raise. In an interview, he said if the
panel recommends a raise, "I think it
would be just a token ... just enough
to cover the cost of living."
While insisting they had made no
decision, commission members often
interrupted speakers to question con-
tentions that top officeholders al-
ready make enough money or that
they hadn't performed well enough
to earn more.
Henry Fuhs, a commissioner
from Grand Rapids, said if pay lev-
els don't keep pace with inflation, it
would penalize middle-income offi-
cials with families and no outside in-
come.
"You don't want to make this a
game for the rich," Fuhs said.
Galleria closes
post office after
only one month'
by Tanisha Harris branch was not involvedl with
hthe
Students planning to go to the
newly-opened post office in the
Galleria to mail that last-minute
package to a special someone
should think again.
The post office branch in the
Galleria mini-mall closed Nov. 14,
less than a month after its Oct. 19
opening.
The short-lived post office
branch, located on South University
Avenue between Church and South
Forest streets, was convenient for
people who simply wanted to make
a drop-off or buy stamps after shop-
ping at nearby franchises, such as
Burger King and Tower Records.
The closing leaves the post of-
fice branch in Nickels Arcade as
the only campus-area post office.
Some people have not taken the
Galleria branch's closing lightly,
said Harry Burke, superintendent of
support services at the Nickels
Arcade post office.
"We have received more than a
few negative calls about the closing
of the Galleria post office branch,"
he said.
Burke said the Nickels Arcade
Galleria station's closing.
He said Campus Production
Company, which managed the
Galleria site, made the decision to
close it.
"We wanted to keep the station
there in the Galleria," Burke said.
'We have received
more than a few
negative calls about
the closing of the
Galleria post office.'
- Harry Burke
Superintendent
Representatives from Campus
Production Company were not
available for comment.
Burke said he does not believe
the closing has affected business at
the Nickels Arcade branch.
"There has not been an apparent
rush since the closing. Business is
about the same. Since it's
Christmas-time, it is a little more
busy in the Arcade station," he
explained.
"
The Galleria post office closed its doors for good on Nov. 14. The South
University branch was open for less than one month.
Survey: Despite GA
cuts, stress remains
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - More
than eight out of 10 social services
employees say they face as much
stress and work as before General
Assistance payments were ended, a
survey released yesterday said.
The survey said the Oct. 1, 1991,
end of General Assistance payments
"may have even exacerbated the
problem because they often had to
deal with hostile and distraught
clients and pressure to find outside
resources.
"We still have to deal with the
people, even though they're not on
GA," said Chuck Peller,
spokesperson for the Michigan
Department of Social Services.
The agency's survey of 277
workers who handle payments under
various assistance programs was part
of a three-year study of the impact of
ending aid to more than 82,000
adults.
Sheila Strunk, legislative liaison
for United Auto Workers Local
6000, said the survey undercut state
estimates that as many as 400 jobs
could be slashed after General
Assistance ended. The union repre-
sents social services workers.
"I'm not surprised at the results.
What surprises me is that the de-
partment would have released it,"
she said.
The survey found:
Only 4.3 percent agreed that
ending General Assistance had cut
their workload, while 85.5 percent
disagreed. While 3 percent said their
workload was more reasonable, 81
percent disagreed.
2.6 percent said they feel less
pressure on the job, but 86.5 percent
disagreed.
61.4 percent said all the
changes in welfare programs, not
just the end of General Assistance,
had made their jobs more stressful.
56.8 percent said they have
had to deal at least occasionally with
former General Assistance recipients
who were upset about losing
benefits.
More than half also said they had
to explain to clients why the
program was ended or refer them to
outside agencies.
The department has about 3,000
assistance payments workers and
department analyses of work left
undone consistently have estimated
it could use about 1,000 more, even
before General Assistance was cut,
Strunk said.
"With the elimination of GA, it
created a whole new set of strains on
the system," she said.
The deadline for students
interested in applying to the
Multicultural Programming
Board is Thursday, Dec. 10
at noon.
Applications can be picked
up and returned to the UAC
office in Room 2105 in the
Michigan Union.
Call 763-1107 with questions.
UAC
Continued from page 1
(student leadership) in the past, so
they've done very little in the way
of changes," Hackner said. "I
refuse to sit around and allow this
lame monotony of the past to
continue - the time has come for
a change."
However, Michigan Student
Assembly President Ede Fox said
it is not the assembly's role to
create cultural programs.
"MSA is not for putting on
programs forpeople to participate
in - we don't have movies or
plays or talks and stuff like that,"
she said. "Our main purpose is to
represent student interests."
But Fox said she is pleased
with UAC's planned multicultural
programming.
"I think it's important for
everyone to do it - no one can do
too much," Fox said.
INDIA
Continued from page 1
have not indulged in any act of vio-
lence," Advani told reporters as he
was led away.
He also condemned the decision
to rebuild the mosque and to outlaw
religious fundamentalist organiza-
tions, calling them "provocative,
myopic and repressive steps."
On Monday, a spokesperson for
Rao announced India would rebuild
the mosque.
"There may be backlash ... we are
dealing with very ruthless oppo-
nent," Rao was quoted as telling a
meeting of his governing Congress
party.
The announcement led to anger
on the street and among Hindu
nationalists.
"We are prepared to face any
hardship" to stop reconstruction,
said Giri Raj Kishore of the World
Hindu Council, a fundamentalist
group that led the demolition of the
mosque.
In Ayodhya, 600 helmeted sol-
diers using bamboo staves and tear
gas regained control of the mosque
site where the radicals had built a
platform and a small shrine housing
an idol of Rama. The militants
fought back with stones, but only a
few minor cuts and bruises were re-
ported from the half-hour struggle.
After the extremists were driven
away, hundreds of soldiers sur-
rounded the temple platform. Some
took off their boots and offered
prayers and donations at a small
Hindu shrine placed on the platform.
The devotions by the troops illus-
trated the powerful role religion still
plays in India, where nearly 90 per-
cent of the 900 million people are
Hindu.
VINE
Continued from page 1
"I did not know him," she said. "I *
called him and was impressed with
his knowledge of the issues."
Councilmember Kurt Zimmer
(D-4th Ward) said Ellsworth's ex-
pertise was not a good enough rea-
son to hire outside the city.
"It is a special area of law, but
everything is a special area of law,"
he said.
Fink also disagreed that an out-
sieattorney was needed.
"I don't think it's necessary," he
said. "The city attorney thought
there was a conflict. If there was a,
conflict, I would not use it unless my
attorney advised me strongly to do
so. I don't know why we need to go
all the way to Lansing."
Schwartz said she does not think
the court will take long to resolve,
the issue.
"I'm hopeful it will be one hear-
ing, a filing of briefs, and a motion
to dismiss," she said.
I I
GIFTS
Continued from page 1
save money and avoid the cold
outside than face pricey downtown
retailers.
Residential College first-year
student Melissa Mulligan said she
prefers to shop on South University
Avenue and State Street even though
some of the stores are more
expensive.
"It's easier to shop closer to me,"
Mulligan said. She added that she
will be bargain shopping because
she does not have a job this
semester.
While browsing through Rose
Bowl paraphernalia at the M Den on
South University, Business School
senior Jim Vanderwould said he also
feels financial pressure, but not be-
cause he's spending a lot on his
family.
He said he is conserving money
for his trip to the Rose Bowl.
Vanderwould said he used to buy
his parents separate gifts, but went
for the unusual this year and bought
them both one gift - a framed piece
of artwork.
"I thought I'd save some money
by buying the two of them one gift,"
Vanderwould said.
LSA senior Philip Kahn also said
he will spend less on his parents this
year. "These are the least expensive
gifts I've ever given my parents in a
long time," he said. "But they're
thoughtful gifts."
Kahn said he went for the un-
usual and bought his mother a horn
and wooden boat at an antique shop
and his father a mug. "I used to get
sweaters and shirts for them," he
said.
Art School first-year student
Rick Vanderleek also has chosen to
buy U-M paraphernalia for his fari
ily and girlfriend. He said he plans
to buy his father a Michigan sweat-
shirt or jacket.
But, he added, "It's not the price
that counts. It's the thought that
counts."
LSA senior Tim DelCotto, also
shopping at M Den, said he has be-
gun eating at Taco Bell to save
money. He plans to buy U-M gear
for his family, but will be careful not-
to overspend.
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Stop by and see a Jostens representative
( December 9-11 * 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
to select from a complete line of gold rings,
ME ME lRICCC CTACC Ate.,... nn:l--- 0....:........,. RA... ..f..... I
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