4-- The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 12, 1994
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420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan
Jessie Halladay
Editor in Chief
Samuel Goodstein
Flint Wainess
Editorial Page Editors
Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board. All
other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily.
'How do you balance the budget, cut taxes but
increase defense spending? It is very simple. You
do it with mirrors.'
-John Anderson, independent presidential candidate in 1980
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The CIA,
Aristide and
communism
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Reevaluating TA wages
Most University students have had their
share of good and bad TAs. Regard-
less, as the TAs begin to duke it out with the
administration overcontract negotiations once
again, it is imperative that the University re-
evaluate the low wages which TAs earn and
fully support this captive labor force.
Currently, TAs are receiving $729 per
month plus a tuition waiver. Since mostgradu-
ate students are on their own, that monthly
stipend has to cover rent, utilities, food, trans-
portation, textbooks andother livingexpenses.
Health insurance is a luxury for teaching assis-
tants.
In the summer months the situation only
worsens because the graduate students are left
to look for temporary employment. Summer
jobs are less than plentiful sources of income
in Ann Arbor in the off-season. Unenrolled
students have no medical coverage and lose
University Health Services benefits. And sav-
ing is an impossibility while paying rent on
minimum wage, so squirreling money away .
for the long winter is just a hopeful fantasy.
Even during the year, the TA stipend is not
enough to survive in Ann Arbor. Sometimes
TAs are forced to take on another job; they
spend evenings and weekends waiting tables
or slinging hash. Moonlighting not only takes
away from the TAs' already precious little
study time, but it affects their ability to teach
their assigned sections. Holding down two
jobs and going to school full-time is highly
unrealistic.
In addition, a low salary will not help to
attract talented graduate students to an assis-
tantship. Those who do not have to teach -
such as graduate students who have fellow-
ships or research assistants --simply will not.
Undergraduate students pay enough tuition to
deserve to have qualified TAs who are per-
forming their duties to the best of their abili-
ties. Students should not be taught by someone
unenthusiastic about teaching them.
Finally, it cannot be denied that TAs take
on the majority of the work in a class. They
attend lectures, meetings, discussion sections,
hold office hours, do the reading, prepare
exercises and explanations for the students,
and complete enormous amounts of paper-
work, including exam grading. Most classes in
this University would not function without the
TA. This is not to invalidate the role of the
professor, but a TA carries the burden of work
for the class. Certainly that should count for
something.
The pay increase which the TAs are asking
for is relatively insignificant: They want $100
to $200 more per month; enough to make a
living, but nothing approaching extravagant.
Surely the University can squeeze this out of
its budget without severely impairing another
area or the old standby of raising tuition.
Most institutions want to protect their re-
sources. The University should want to keep
roofs over the heads and food in the mouths of
one of its most valuable resource: teaching
assistants.
Co ract with the Devil
GOP plan would redo voodoo economics
he Republican Party staged a Contract
T With America on the Capitol steps two
weeks ago, in an effort to present the GOP's
plan to revitalize America. This contract would
more appropriately be called a contract to send
the federal government into bankruptcy - a
contract that the hundreds of GOP congres-
sional candidates who signed the document
know all too well is a pact with the devil. This
is a fictional contract that will revert the
government's revenue plans back to the thor-
oughly discredited Reagan era of supply-side
economics.
The meat of the GOP's legislative agenda
is to roll back the Clinton tax increases while
simultaneously upping the amount of dollars
appropriated for defense spending. Among
other things, House Minority Whip and
Speaker of the House hopeful Newt Gingrich
(R-Ga.), and Senate Minority Leader Bob
Dole (R-Kan.), would like to slash the capital
gains tax cut, put tight controls on welfare
spending, institute aconstitutionally-mandated
balanced budget and amend the Constitution
to allow congressional term limits, limiting
House representatives to three terms and sena-
tors to two terms.
But it may seem to astute observers of
Republican political campaigns across the
country that the rallying cry of the GOP is
more anti- Clinton than anything substantive.
The Contract With America is a hollow eco-
nomic plan that will bust the federal budget
and increase the deficit by more than $500
billion.
On the other hand, Bill Clinton's '1993
budget cut the deficit by some $200 billion and
led to the lowering of interest rates and the
creation of four million new jobs. Don't trust
us on that - trust Republican Chairman ofthe
Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, who has
signalled that it was the Clinton
administration's will to bring down the deficit
that led to the robust economic expansion of
It seems a paradoxical turn of events that
the GOP, for so long hammering on liberal
congressional Democrats for inflating the bud-
get deficit to pay for social welfare programs,
now presents a "contract" that will do exactly
as they fear. And where is Ross Perot and his
band of deficit hawks? In the 1992 elections,
it was clear that the public wanted fundamen-
tal change, namely, a Congress and a president
that would deal responsibly with the deficit.
The GOP plan would trash the deficit, all in the
name of political expediency and the party's
dream of a U.S. House and Senate controlled
by the team who filibustered lobbying reform,
modest health care reform, simple conserva-
tion measures and the not-so-well-known act
to ensure drinking water safety standards. The
nation needs leadership and legislative acu-
men, not a party known more for its filibuster-
ing and obstructionism than for its ideas and
policy proposals.
Ofcourse, theRepublican leadership would
respond by saying the Contract with America
is their plan. And that is the greatest irony of
all. Explodingthedeficit is problematic enough
- but consider that the GOP wants to do that
while allowing a $500 tax credit for children in
affluent families, slashing the capital gains so
that it will be easier for the wealthy to invest in
mutual funds, throwing teenage mothers that
have been deserted off the welfare rolls and
cutting back Medicare benefits for the already
financially strapped elderly.
Michigan voters can make a difference in
preventing this kind of catastrophe. Currently,
Republican senatorial candidate Spence
Abraham is leading Democratic House Rep.
Bob Carr in the polls by five percentage points,
in a state where the '94 off-year elections are
of the utmost importance. No longer is this a
question of liberalism vs. conservatism. It has
become abattle for the economic future of this
country. Go to the polls and register your
opposition to the Contract with America in
LGBPO will
remain strong
and active
To The Daily:
A recent (9/22/94) edition
of the Daily contained a well
written description of an inter-
view with Ronni Sanlo, the new
Director of the Lesbian Gay
Male Bisexual Programs Of-
fice, by Daily reporter Kelly
Feeney. The preface to the ar-
ticle states that I "retired last
spring after 20 years of ser-
vice." Actually, I was trans-
ferred from LGBPO to the Af-
firmative Action Office (Hu-
man Resources/Affirmative
Action) after 23 years of ser-
vice. I am glad to report that at
the Affirmative Action Office I
am experiencing every degree
of personal and administrative
support from my colleagues and
superiors.
From1971 to 1994lworked
with ten women co-coordina-
tors of the LGBPO (formerly
LGMPO), to whom we all owe
hearty thanks. We were hired
for six years at quarter-time pay'
ten at half-time pay and seven
at full time pay, although the
work for all those 23 years de-
manded far more than a 40-
hour work week. While there is
no longer gender parity in the
leadership of the LGBPO, we
are fortunate to benefit from
Ronni Sanlo's warm presence,
excellent skills and solid expe-
rience in working with lesbian/
gay concerns.
Sincere thanks to the hun-
dreds of people - volunteers
unpaid and paid staff, constitu-
ency members, colleagues,
friends - who have worked
with LGBPO and given me their
support and encouragement
since 1970. the year when we
founded the Gay Liberation
Front and, at the suggestion of
Terry Moers, began to negoti-
ate with the University for the
establishment of an office to
respond to sexual orientation
concerns.
Lesbians, gay men and bi-
sexualspeople everywhere, in
our struggle for freedom and
justicesurvive harassment, dis-
crimination and assault-some
of it direct, some of it covert.
LGBPO will, I know, continue
in its calling to combat this in-
justice and strive for the accep-
tance and support of persons
and groups of all sexual orien-
tations at the University and in
the larger community. I myself
will continue in that vocation
so long as I am able.
Jim Toy
Affirmative Action Office
The folly of
T . A
Dubious dealings at the
Office of Student Affairs
To the Daily:
I have already been increas-
ingly bewildered by the seem-
ingly self-promoting agenda
that is pursued by the Office for
Vice President of Student Af-
fairs at the University. The ini-
tiatives reveal a leadership that
possesses an inherent misun-
derstanding of the fabric and
nature of this University. The
most disheartening example of
this is the recent decision to
redirect the position ofombuds-
man currently held by Don
Perigo. I'm outraged and deeply
saddened by this news.
The direction that student
affairs is taking demonstrates a
lack of understanding of the
ombudsman, as well as igno-
rance of the complex structure
of a university such as Michi-
gan. The ombudsman holds the
unique and necessary role of
mediator, providing ethical,
impartial solutions for all par-
ties involved. Currently, there
is no other place on campus
where this role exists.
What Don Perigo brought
to that role was the rare talent
for connecting the disparate el-
ements of the University. He
demonstrated an inexhaustible
knowledge of the University
and a deep compassion for its
character. He skillfully bal-
anced the tenuous tasks of be-
ing concerned and involved,
while maintaining neutrality on
difficult issues. During my un-
dergraduate years at Michigan,
I vividly recall seeking Dr.
Perigo's advice and counsel,
and becoming more involved
in my undergraduate experi-
ences as a result. For hundred's
of students, Don Perigo's con-
tributions have made this com-
plicated, sometimes cold Uni-
versity manageable and cher-
ished. Even now, as an alumna
and a member of the Ann Arbor
community, the Office of the
Ombudsman is the first place I
think to begin when I am not
sure where to begin.
Ms. Hartford's inability to
understand the role of ombuds-
man is baffling, and her will-
ingness to toss aside the talent
and integrity of Dr. Perigo is
frightening. How dare she deny
Michigan students access to the
resource ofombudsman and the
gifts of Dr. Perigo? Given the
advocacy role of student atf-
fairs, I even question the appro-
priateness of the ombudsman
position reporting to her area.
Don Perigo possesses a
compassion, intelligence and
dedication that eclipses thatof
many student affairs profes-
sionals. Given the current ad-
ministration, I guess he is out of
place.
P. S. Di Rita
B. A. '86
Something quite remarkable is
happening in Haiti, perhaps. As ex-
pected, congressional Republicans
are trying to spin it negatively, and
Democrats spin with the wind as
usual. Slick Willy remains confused
as to why his ratings didn't go up,
with Panama in his daydreams an
Somalia in his nightmares. It is sti
not clear either what will finally
transpire nor what the spin doctors
will be able to convince CNN to say
about it.
Thus far it is mostly history re-
peating itself, but there are some
new twists. On the side of "history
repeats itself," the U.S. has invade
side of "history repeats itself but
never in the same way," the U.S.
appears to be restoring a popularly
elected president. This is a prece-
dent. Just how has that precedent
unfolded?
Immediately afterAristide'selec-
tion, the CIA went into action. Un-
satisfied with the military appy
ratus they had set up years ago, the
formed a paramilitary alternative to
the growing popular movement. This
new formation is what became
FRAPH, the main organization of
armed enforcers, responsible for
thousands of murders. With the aid
of FRAPH, the Haitian military did
what they had been taught to do.
They overthrew Father Aristide, th4
replaying the normal pattern the CIA
began in Iran, perfected in Guate-
mala and replayed in a dozen other
countries around the world. But this
time there were two complicating
factors - the lack of a Cold War,
and effective popular protest at home.
If the Soviet Union had still been
a threat, undoubtedly we would be
hearing a chorus about Aristide
communist and Haiti only a boat
ride from Disneyworld. Even the
most rabid Republicans, now par-
tially defanged by the end of the
Cold War, have not been able to
recall this old drum beat.
But perhaps even more impor-
tant was the existence of the Con-
gressional Black Caucus and its sup4
porters both in Congress and in the
streets. Popular protests, including
arrests of members of Congress in
front of the White House, a hunger
strike by aprominent African Ameri-
can leader, letter-writing campaigns
and protests by Haitian support
groups, all contributed to keeping
Haiti on the front burner. Slick Willy
was forced to take action.
But this brought a new dilemma.
Action was required because of po-
litical pressure, but the basic po-
litico-economic structure of Haiti
had to be preserved. The military
dictatorship set up by the CIA was
seemingly the only force capable of
doing the latter, yet it was also the
force that provoked the political presi
sure to invade in the first place. The
solution to this dilemma seemed to
be at hand when the Carter/Powell/
Nunn team brokered an agreement
with the dictators - the Haitian
military would remain in power,
backed by the U.S. military, and
Aristide would return only as a fig-
urehead. But to the public conster-
nation of Jimmy Carter, that pla
has not worked. And exactly what it
is that does seem tobe working is not
yet fully clear.
Remember that the maintenance
ofnation-states requires that the state
have a monopoly on violence. When
U.S. forces landed, that monopoly
was broken for the Haitian military.
Popular support for Aristide wa4
stronger than expected, and state
violence more vile than expected.
The fabric of that state violence,
residing in the Haitian military, was,
perhaps unintentionally, broken.
This seems to have led to an out-
Sniffing glue
on Haiti
To the Daily:
This will be my final re-
sponse to Mr. Szczepanczyk in
regards to his letter of October
6th, forlI fear that he might wish
to continue debating the virtues
of glue sniffing.
First, in regard to Mr.
Aristide's endorsement of
necklacing (putting a gas
drenched tire around a person's
neck), Mr. Szczepanczyk calls
that "ludicrous" and refers to a
bulletin board to refute me. I
prefer to get facts, not bulletin
board allegations. Mr. Aristide
had endorsed necklacing SEV-
ERAL times according to the
April 1, 1994 issue of the Wall
Street Journal. I doubt that Mr.
Aristide's Creole was being
continually mistaken. Whether
he said it in Creole, Spanish, or
German, he DID say it.
However, according to Mr.
Szczepanczyk, the Journal is
probably a bastion of right wing
radicalism like the Daily, so
what would he say to the Wash-
ington Post? The Post, in No-
vember 1993. had an article
reporting that the State Depart-
ment, in its survey of human
rights violations, had found that
Aristide "had ordered the kill-
ing of political opponent Roger
Lafontant." I wonder if Mr.
Szczepanczyk paranoiacally
believes that the Washington
Post and the State Department
are also bastions of right wing
radicalism and inaccuracy?
Perhaps Mr. Szczepanczyk be-
lieves that Mr. Aristide's sup-
porters are pro-human rights.
Wrong, on February 7th, 1991,
pro-Aristide forces burned
down a cathedral, the head-
quarters of the Bishop, in Port-
au-Prince. They also paraded
the Bishop naked around town
and killed possibly several
people. It is ironic that Mr.
Szczepanczyk calls a lack of
national security interest "plas-
tic," yet his labelling of
Limbaugh as a fascist is not?
Mr. Szczepanczyk may deny
the truth and call names, but if
he does, then who is the one
truly sniffing vapors?
Mark Fletcher
President,
U of M College
Republicans
I
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