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What It means:
Beginning May 1,
to 6 cents per doll
begin with the Apr
Proposal A wins handily; student vote mixed
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Michigan voters yesterday overwhelm-
ingly chose a higher sales tax instead of an
income tax increase to fund schools and
cut property taxes.
With 90 percent of precincts reporting,
Proposal A had 69 percent to 31 percent
against it. There were 1,461,175 "yes"
votes and 643,237 "no" votes. The mea-
sure was leading in all 83 counties.
The vote was more evenly split on cam-
pus, where poll lines were short and voters
unenthusiastic.
A slim majority of voters questioned
outside the polls at the Michigan Union
said they voted against Proposal A.
When the polls closed at 8 p.m. yester-
day, just under 120 votes had been recorded
at the Union. Poll workers there said turn-
out was relatively high for a single issue.
For most voters, the issue boiled down
to an increase in either the sales tax or the
income tax.
"The sales tax never goes down; it only
goes up. Other taxes can change," said LSA
senior Trent Reynolds, who voted against
Proposal A. "If we vote for Proposal A, the
sales tax would stay at 6 percent forever."
LSA senior Alex Van Vloten offered
no praise for either Proposal A or the statu-
tory plan. She called the ballot proposal "a
cop-out by state legislators," designed to
shift the tax burden from rich property
owners.
Proposal A, which will raise the sales
tax from 4 percent to 6 percent, was the
only measure on the special statewide bal-
lot. If voters had rejected it, a law passed by
the Legislature required the income tax to
be raised from 4.6 to 6 percent.
Proposal A and the income tax backup
both were part of a plan to provide $10.2
billion for schools and slash property taxes.
Gov. John Engler, the main supporter of
the sales tax increase, said the challenge
was to get voters to understand their choices.
"It's a major commitment to bring down
property taxes. We did that and as a result
we made history in Michigan," he said.
Engineering sophomore Matthew Mor-
gan also hailed the property tax cut, citing
See VOTE, Page 2
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Resull
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am with 901
Holocaust
victims
recalled in
)iag vigil
By SAM T. DUDEK
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
Six million people perished dur-
ing the Holocaust.
As a memorial to those who were
killed, Hillel began a 24-hour reading
of the names of Holocaust victims, on
*e Diag yesterday.
The vigil, which continues until
11 a.m. today, is part of the week-
long Annual Conference on the Holo-
caust.
Gathered under a make-shift
canopy, volunteers and organizers
read name after name. Fighting morn-
ing rain, afternoon snow, and the dark
of night, readers took turns memori-
izing those who died.
"Personally, I think that it's to
make sure nobody forgets exactly
what happened," said first-year Nurs-
ing student Alan Polsky.
"It's a way to commemorate what
happened in a way that helps show
how many people this affected and
how horrible the Holocaust really
was," he said.
Throughout the day, students
*opped by to listen to the names and
to read from the list.
See VIGIL, Page 2
MSA pres.
c nites
Iebate role
ofassembly
By RONNIE GLASSBERG
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
The highlight of yesterday's
Michigan Student Assembly (MSA)
esidential debate was not the seven
andidates in attendance.
Instead, the unusal nature of one
missing candidate's campaign turned
out to be the only thing out of the
ordinary.
Independent James Kovacs, who
is running his campaign through e-
mail, sent his campaign manager, LSA
junior David Pava, to represent him.
Aside from Pava and the seven
andidates, about 50 people attended
the debate yesterday of the candidates
for MSA president.
In the debate which lasted an hour
and a half, the candidates only got
through five questions.
Pava discussed the views of Kovacs
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Labor Secretary Robert Reich, flanked by Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and chair of the president's council of
economic advisors Laura Tyson, holds up the 41-page report at a press conference yesterday.
P News Analysis
Fanfare odesn't mask economiC fears
By JAMES R. CHO
DAILY STAFF REPORTER
DETROIT - Finance and labor
representatives of the Group of Seven
leading industrialized nations
wrapped up the first-ever jobs confer-
ence here yesterday afternoon ex-
pressing concern about the jobs crisis
but leaving with no agreements on
how to end it.
Still, they declared their meeting
an "important first step" that would
. lead to better coordination in the fu-
ture.
Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen
read a statement written in conjunc-
tion with the other finance ministers
summarizing the findings of the two-
day conference.
"It is critical that we prepare our
economies, and most importantly, our
people, for the challenges that await
us in the next century," he said.
After two days of exhaustive
closed-door discussions, the minis-
ters had little to show for their efforts
beyond a decision to study the prob-
lem further at the annual G7 eco-
nomic summit meeting in Naples, Italy
later this year and a 41-page report.
The report describes success sto-
ries in each nation ranging from
Canada's job-sharing programs to the
Clinton administration's new $13 bil-
lion plan to overhaul the country's
unemployment system.
Nevertheless, Bentsen called the
conference "a success."
"Jobs and growth move right up to
the top of the agenda," Bentsen said
Vice President Al Gore said the
jobs conference marked a fundamen-
tal shift in international economic
cooperation by putting the issue of
jobs on an equal footing with more
esoteric questions on interest rates
and budget deficits that normally
dominate international debate.
But other ministers conceded that
sharp differences remained.
"Every country is going its own
way, but in the setting of goals, a
coordination has been achieved," said
German Finance Minister Theo
Waigel.
See CONFERENCE, Page 12
By DAVID SHEPARDSON
DAILY NEWS EDITOR
DETROIT - The food was being
put away, the risers folded up and the
delegates were scampering out and
heading to all-points home.
All that remained from the G7
International Jobs Conference in Cobo
Hall were a few signs taped to the
walls directing people through the
hall to the events. The signs read,
"Jobs: This Way," but there was no
longer anything "that way."
In a sense, the signs were much
like the jobs conference itself - long
on symbolism and short on identifi-
able results.
The conference, which cost the
city more than $1 million - minus
corporate donations - and took the
Clinton administration more than
eight months to plan, was derided by
some as "a media show" and praised
See OUTCOME, Page 12
Rostenkowski wins Ill, primary
LOS ANGELES TIMES 50 percent of the vote. His chief rival, help the president enact a health care
CHICAGO - Overcoming alle- State Sen. John J. Cullerton, had 31 program to cover every American.
gations of corruption with the aid of percent. Former Chicago alderman He won the primary despite a two-
President Clinton and a rejuvenated Dick Simpson had 14 percent. year-old federal grand jury investiga-
city Democratic machine, Rep. Dan "Politics is not a profession that tion centering on allegations that he
Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) powerful chair rewards purity or perfection," he said converted $22,000 in postage stamps
of the House Ways and Means Com- as he claimed victory. "I've made from accounts of his office to cash for
mittee, easily won renomination last mistakes. I hope I'll learn from them personal use.
night after the toughest race in his and do better in the future." Low turnout and a massive show
long political career. Even so, Rostenkowski indicated of electoral force by an estimated
The controversial congressman that the grueling 1994 campaign may 6,000 loyal Democratic precinct work-
defeated four challengers in the Demo- be his last hurrah. When a supporter ers mobilized by Chicago Mayor Ri-
cratic primary, virtually assuring his shouted, "four more years," he re- chard M. Daley and remnants of the
re-election in the heavily Democratic sponded: "I don't know about four, still-powerful Democratic organiza-
Fifth Congressional District. but I know about two!" tion here helped Rostenkowski sur-
With 78 percent of ballots in the Rostenkowski pledged that he vive.
district counted, Rostenkowski had would go back to Washington and See PRIMARY, Page 2
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Panel to hear proposed code amendments
By HOPE CALATI however. Barbara Olender, assistant said although MSA opposes the cod
DAILY STAFF REPORTER to the judicial advisor, confirmed that "What we're trying to do with a lot o
Barring an act of nature, the hear- 26 student jurors had agreed to attend the amendments is to bring the scop
ing to consider amendments to the this hearing. of the code in line with the rhetoric
Statement of Student Rights and Re- The jurors and anyone else who The assembly is concerned wit
sponsibilities will be held tonight. wishes to attend the meeting will hear issues of due process. Specificall
Students who have drafted amend- proposed amendments from Michi- MSA wants advisors to be ableb
ments have been waiting for the ice to gan Student Assembly, two groups of verbally represent students duriq
stop falling from the sky and mid- students and the Office of Student hearings. Kight explained that stu
terms to end so they would have the Affairs. dents shouldn't have to choose b
onortunity to offer their amendments Student Affairs is proposing a tween the right to remain silent an
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