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A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE
Defying Clinton, China
resumes nuclear testing
Ondsay Cader, a first-year student, studies yesterday afternoon in Ingalls Mall.
school boycott of Colorado
WASHINGTON (AP) - Presi-
dent Clinton ordered the Energy De-
partment yesterday to prepare for a
possible resumption of nuclear test-
ing, acting just hours after China deto-
nated a nuclear bomb and shattered
hopes for a global test moratorium.
U.S. analysts and some members
of Congress said they interpreted
Clinton's response as a diplomatic
jab at China and a cautious way of
keeping a U.S. test-resumption op-
tion alive rather than reflecting an
intent to order a test anytime soon.
"This is a positive approach he is
taking," said Rep. Mike Kopetski. "I,
think the president is showing re-
straint because he knows that just
because China is acting like a rogue
nation doesn't mean we should, too."
Hours after its underground
nuclear blast, China issued a state-
ment saying its nuclear weapons are
for self-defense and reiterating that it
would join in negotiations starting in
January to ban all nuclear weapons
tests by the end of 1996.
A White House statement said
Clinton had ordered the Energy De-
partment to "take such actions as are
needed to put the U.S. in a position to
be able to conduct nuclear tests next
year."
It said Clinton had not decided to
actually resume testing.
Repeated calls to the Energy De-
partment seeking further details went
unanswered yesterday.
Current law says the government
can conduct tests only to ensure the
safety and reliability of existing weap-
ons, not to test new ones. Any tests
must be certified to Congress as nec-
essary, and Congress can disapprove
a proposed test.
That provision in the law makes a
resumption of U.S. testing unlikely in
the near term, since Clinton declared
just three months ago that "my ad-
ministration has determined that the
nuclear weapons in the United States
arsenal are safe and reliable."
The last known nuclear weapons
tests were conducted in September
1992 by the United States and China.
Russia has not tested since 1990, and
the other two declared nuclear weap-
ons countries - France and Britain
- last tested in 1991.
State Department spokesperson
Mike McCurry said the administra-
tion specifically rejected the option
of responding in kind to China's test.
He said it hoped France and the other
nuclear powers would show restraint
and that China would not test again..
"We have put in place the plan-
ning that would be necessary if there
is not an adherence to the moratorium
or if widespread testing resumes,"
McCurry said.I
In Moscow, a Foreign Ministry
spokesperson said Russia regretted
China's decision to test and said Presi-
dent Boris Yeltsin would review
Russia's position on testing. Britain
condemned the test; France had no
immediate public response.
Clinton's action yesterday re-
opened a charged debate over whether
President Clinton today ordered
a new look at nuclear testing
after China detonated a
medium-sized device yesterday.
He added negotiations on a
worldwide ban on testing
should start in January,
RUSSIA
Urumqi. ..NGOLIA
Underground
nuclear test CHINA
explosion
600 hiii
600 km a
the United States should observe a
self-imposed ban on nuclear tests be-
fore multinational agreement is
reached on comprehensive test ban
treaty outlawing all tests. Clinton has
repeatedly said he is committed to
completing such a treaty by 1996.
Jack Mendelsohn, deputy director
of the Arms Control Association, said
China's test could prompt France to
resume testing, but that the surest way
of dashing hopes for continued inter-
national restraint would be to resume
U.S. testing.
Others argue that more U.S. tests
are needed now to enable the Defense
Department to adequately maintain
its nuclear stockpile in the decades
ahead.
y DAVID SOMMER
R THE DAILY
The Queer Law Students Alliance
(QLSA) is demanding that the Law
school join a boycott of Colorado in
an effort to overturn an anti-gay-rights
measure passed by the state in No-
vember.
The QLSA boycott, to be pro-
posed tiis morning, would prohibit
olorado-based employers from us-
ing campus facilities for recruiting
purposes with the exception of firms
who are actively attempting to over-
turn or invalidate Amendment 2.
According to the QLSA proposal,
the boycott would also "prohibit the
expenditure of law school funds di-
rectly into the Colorado economy"
and "prohibit institutional purchases
of goods and services from Colorado-
based companies."
"The impact of Amendment 2 is
that if you are a homosexual male,
lesbian or bisexual, you can be dis-
criminated against in any way, and
there is nothing that you can do about
it," said Charlotte Croson, a Law stu-
dent and member of QLSA.
Colorado's Amendment 2, which
narrowly passed by a vote of 53 per
See BOYCOTT, Page 2
Engler unveils plans to reform school finance
By ANDREW TAYLOR
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Gov. John Engler announced his
tention to raise the state sales tax to
percent as part of his education
reform package during an address to
the state Legislature yesterday.
Engler's plan would restore $6
billion of the $6.3 billion that schools
lost in this summer's property tax cut,
although overall state taxes would
still be cut by $300 million.
This proposal was forced by the
Legislature's surprise vote in July to
d the use of property taxes for school
operations.
Engler asked lawmakers to pass
his plan before Dec. 8 to permit the
Feb. 8 statewide vote on raising the
sales tax from 4 percent to 6 percent.
Statewide approval is mandated by
the Michigan Constitution.
Engler'splanwould also impose a
new 4 percent transfer tax on home
ales, boost the cigarette tax from 25
nts to 75 cents a pack and put a
comparable tax on other tobacco prod-
ucts.
Part of the sales tax amendment
would be to end the use of general
property taxes to run schools in all but
a handful of the state's wealthiest
districts.
Engler said he would support a
clause allowing voters to decide in
.0e year 2000 if they are satisfied with
the restructured tax system or if it
should be repealed.
The sales tax proposal has met
with skepticism because voters re-
jected a similar proposal in June.
However, Michael Traugott, Uni-
versity professor of political science,
indicated this second attempt might
meet more success.
"(A referendum) might do a little
better this time, since it would be
directly linked to education. But I
think it would still be tough to over-
come the reluctance of people to raise
the sales tax," he said.
The plan would also put a 16-mill
property tax on property belonging to
businesses and nonresidents in the
state, as well as owners of second
homes.
A mill is one dollarin property tax
for each $1,000 of assessed property
value.
Some Democrats advocate an in-
crease of the state income tax instead
of the sales tax, a move they say
would be fairer.
Jeff Gourdji, chair of the College
Democrats, said, "Sales tax is a re-
gressive tax (that) socks at people
who don't have money ... (and) dis-
proportionately hurts students.
"Income tax is a more progressive
way to raise revenue," he said.
Traugott agreed some Democrats
may work to change the proposals.
"The current plan isn't exactly
bipartisan, although I think it's a good
start. The Democrats will likely push
to modify the plan, probably by sub-
stituting income tax for sales tax," he
said.
Engler also addressed the issue of
school choice, which he advocates in
his plan.
"Parents and children deserve a more
flexible system, a system with schools
that respond more to the educational
needs of the family than to the bottom
line of the system," Engler said.
He said he also wanted a building-
by-building report card on school
performance to help parents make
choices. He said he hoped the first
report cards would be out in a month.
Engler proposed creating a "Stu-
dent Education Bank Account" that
would show each student's parents
how much money the state is spend-
ing on their children.
If parents choose a lower-cost
choice school in their district or in
another district, they could use the
leftover money for tutoring or sum-
mer schooling.
And students who finish their high
school requirements in their junior
year would be free to use their senior
year grant to offset tuition at a college
or university or the cost of technical
training, Engler said.
Permitting any public entity or
nonprofit organization, such as a uni-
versity, to create a charter school
served as another main point in the
governor's speech. Suchschools could
take any form as long as they met
student needs, he said.
-James Nash, Hani Sharkey and
The Associated Press contributed to
this report
Yesterday Gov. John Engler announced his plan to fund public
schools. The reforms are needed to restore the $6.3 billion in
revenue lost through July's property tax cut. Additional funding will
come from the state general fund. Among the increased taxes he
proposed are the following:
Higher Cigarette Tax
The plan would raise the cigarette tax from 25 to 75 cents per pack.
There would also be an increased tax on other types of tobacco.
Total Tax Cost: $380 million
6% Sales Tax=
A sales tax increase of at least 2 percent and possible 4 percent is
being considered. This tax would effect everyone.
Total Tax Cost: $800 million
New Property Taxes
Business and indutrial properties would face a 16-mill
property tax increase. Owners of second homes and
out-of-state homeowners would also pay the tax.
Total Tax Cost: $1 billion
Reaction
to proposal
falls along
party" lines
LANSING (AP) - The menu of
school finance andeducation ideas
Gov. John Engler laid out yesterday
was swallowed whole-hog by Repub-
lican lawmakers, but Democrats were
more finicky.
"I would say the majority of this
would pass. I think it's pretty main-
stream," said Sen. Mike Bouchard
(R-Birmingham), who chairs the Sen-
ate Education Committee.
But Democrats said the governor
threatened the package's chances by
attacking teachers, funneling money
to private schools by backing cre-
ation of charter schools, and basing
too much of its finances on a sales tax
increase voters already have rejected.
Rep. Robert Emerson (D-Flint)
said some of those ideas might be
tough talk at the start of negotiations
between governor and Democrats.
"He's almost always believed in
the philosophy of show them death
and they'll readily accept amputa-
tion," said Emerson, co-chair of the
House budget subcommittee on school
aid.
"There's no question that the gov-
ernor has decided to make hay from
teacher-bashing," said Sen. Debbie
Stabenow (D-Lansing).
"All that stuff about union-bust-
Engler has set a Dec. 6
deadline to decide on the
final package so the sales
tax increase can be included
on the Feb. 6 ballot.
JONATHAN BERNDT AND ANDREW TAYLOR/Daily
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