2 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 3, 1994 With elect Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON - With the midterm elections only five days away, the brightening outlook for gubernatorial and Black congres- sional incumbents seems to be turn- ing the pundits' conventional wis- dom about trouble for current office- holders on its head. Both of President George Bush's sons, who were poised for big upsets over incumbents a few weeks ago, appeared to be yielding ground in their gubernatorial bids in Texas andFlorida. And a survey of polls from around ions 5 day: the country yesterday suggested more than a dozen governors and every Black Democrat running for re-elec- tion in Congress were on their way to easy victories. Only one truism was consistently being proven. In the final hours, can- didates in both parties unleashed an array of negative ads that were strik- ingly harsh, even in a campaign sea- son noted for contentiousness. The bad news for the Bush broth- ers came in two forms. In Texas, where George W. Bush is challeng- ing Democratic Gov. Ann Richards, a away, many races are still up I new poll released yesterday showed that Richards had climbed into a slight lead by last weekend, even before popular fellow Texan H. Ross Perot endorsed her Tuesday. Experts said the Perot endorsement, one of the few he has given to a Democrat this year, could mean a further boost. The poll, by the Houston Post and KHOU-TV in Houston, found Richards leading, 47 percent to 44 percent. She was gaining particularly among previously undecided voters. Things were also looking up for Gov. Lawton Chiles, Florida's Demo- cratic incumbent who was receiving more positive press reviews yester- day for his debate with the last president's younger son Jeb, a real estate magnate, than he had in the candidates' two earlier encounters. The Miami Herald said Chiles had put on his best performance while forcing Bush onto the defensive in the debate, particularly when the gover- nor criticized the young Republican for an ad that featured the mother of a murder victim who accuses Chiles of being too soft on crime. When Bush accused Chiles of being an "old liberal," Chiles answered with a Southern aphorism that seemed to be- fuddle the Texas-bred Republican. "The old-he-coon walks just before the light of day," Chiles said, a suggestion that the toughest raccoon best protects his brood from predators. Bush turned his palms up and offered an expression of mystifica- tion. Bush appeared to be running away with the campaign a few weeks ago but has slowly lost ground and the race now generally is viewed as a dead heat. In governors' races, a review of polls shows that six Democrats and seven Republican governors appear for grabs* to be coasting to re-election victories. The GOP count includes five Mid- westerners, George Voinovich in Ohio, Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, Jim Edgar in Illinois, Arne Carlson in Min- nesota and John Engler in Michigan. andtwoNew Englanders, William Wel in Massachusetts and Steve Merrill i New Hampshire. The Democratic gov- ernors who appear virtually assured of re-election include Roy Romerin Colo- rado, Ben Nelson in Nebraska, Bob Miller in Nevada, Jim Guy Tucker in Arkansas, Jim Folsom of Alabama and Howard Dean of Vermont. Now MONEY Continued from page 1 halt the dollar's slide. More massive interventions earlier this year, some carried out with foreign central banks, provided only temporary relief for the dollar, they noted. No European central banks intervened yesterday, though the Bank of Japan bought dollars to slow the rise in the value of the yen, as it does regularly. Analysts attributed the dollar's weakness to several factors, includ- ing trade tensions with Japan, weak foreign investment in the United States and strong U.S. economic growth. More rapid economic growth in the United States than in other major industrial nations has meant greater demand for imported goods here than for U.S. exports abroad. That has widened the nation's trade deficit and hurt the dollar, because foreigners earning dollars by export- ing goods to the United States have been selling those dollars for other currencies rather than investing them in this country. That has been particu- larly true of Japanese exporting firms that have needed the money at home to cover losses in a period of reces- sion and tight credit conditions, ana- lysts said. Meanwhile, the Fed released the results of its latest nationwide survey of economic conditions, which un- derscored the current strength of the U.S. economy. The survey found continued eco- nomic expansion throughout the na- tion. "Consumer spending generally remains strong," with many regions reporting higher spending but several finding retail sales flat or even declin- ing a bit, the report said. At the same time, manufacturing activity increased in nearly all districts. As for inflation, the Fed survey found that labor markets are getting tighter in most parts of the country, but there are only a few reports of rising wages. POLLACK Continued from page 1 committee. Looking back on her political ca- reer, Pollack said she has learned much. "I learned how unfair things are and how resources and power are unevenly distributed," she said. "I now understand how important it is to protect the rights of all people," Pollack added. "I understand how fragile these rights are and how the people who hold the most power are willing to sacrifice the interests of the next generation for their own short term gain." After more than a decade in the state Senate, Pollack claims many accomplishments. Her most prized legislative triumph, she said, was the "Polluter Pays" law, passed in 1990, after six years of work. This bill re- quires polluters to pay for damaging the environment. Apart from legislation, Pollack said she has set a standard "for speak- ing up and speaking out every single day. ... Being there for the people who don't have a voice and giving them one." Pollack has regrets too. "I regret that I and others didn't do a better job when the Democrats had the major- ity, a better job of holding the major- ity," Pollack said. "I should have taken a greater role in the party, but frankly (party lead- ers) didn't want to hear from me," she added. Pollack promoted her ideas none- theless. "Am I sorry I spoke up so much? (Am I sorry I was) a thorn in the side of the Republicans?" Pollack asked. "The answer is no." It was Pollack's clear stances on issues that impressed her colleague of eight years, state Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek). "Lana was intellec- tually very honest. She'd come at you with an issue. There was never any ambiguity on where she stood on an issue." Schwarz said the Senate is losing a good legislator. "We're losing a very articulate spokesperson for women's issues," he said. "The Uni- versity of Michigan will be losing an articulate spokesperson for its issues." Exactly one year before the pri- mary, Pollack entered the U.S. Senate race. "I decided to run for the United States Senate," Pollack said, "because it's extremely important in setting a direction in this country and because senators there can be an important voice." When she first announced her can- didacy, U.S. Sen. Donald Riegle, the Democratic incumbent, had not an- nounced his retirement. "I felt that Don Riegle would not be re-elected and that he would decide not to run," Pollack said. And when Riegle announced his retirement, the race to succeed him became saturated -five other candi- dates entered. "The campaign got confused because there were so many candidates," Pollack said. She criticized The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press for what she called a "D+" effort in its coverage of the primary campaign. "A person who read the paper would know 100 times more about a baseball season that was not happening than a campaign for the United States Senate that was hap- pening," she said. Pollack said that if she had won the nomination, her "personality would have a been a factor - both good and bad" and that the race "would have been more lively." She said that Bob Carr has run a "cautious campaign," adding "(Carr) hasn'tmade any big mistakes. Ithasn't been exciting enough to clearly dif- ferentiate himself from the Republi- can (Spence Abraham)." In 1988, Pollack ran for Congress and lost to incumbent Republican Carl Purcell in her first attempt at federal office. During 18-hour days on the cam- paign trail, her driver and assistant, LSA senior Kendra Huard, said Pol- lack always remained steady. "Even though it was an extremely high-stress situation we were in, she was calm," Huard said. Pollack's husband said there is no difference between Lana's private and personal life. "She's a highly prin- cipled woman," he said. "She's not deceptive. She's very straightforward and candid and that governs her personal as well as her public life," he added. Republican Joe Mikulec and Demo- crat Alma Wheeler Smith are compet- ing for Pollack's seat. Pollack endorsed Smith, her legislative aide, for more than seven years. "Thinking that she's going to win," Pollack said, "makes leaving the Senate a whole lot easier." DI WALl Continued from page 1 While the mood last night in the Blue Lounge wasjoyful, the ceremony was solemn. It included prayerful chanting and the offering of food and perfume to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. This was followed by a sharing of Indian vegetarian food pre- pared by HSC members. Vipul Parikh, LSAjunior and chap- ter coordinator of HSC said the turn- out far exceeded his expectations. "Events like these are excellentoppor- tunities for second generation Hindus. It gives them a way to understand the traditions," Parikh said. "We're trying to provide the stu- dents of Indian and Hindu back- ground on campus a way to stay in touch with the culture and celebrate," Meghani said. ECONOMY Continued from page 1 department and eliminated one de- partment entirely. Those kind of cuts brought criti- cism from his opponent. "He is a governor who believes in trickle-down - help the powerful and wealthy, give them tax breaks. That's the way the rest of the society will do better," Wolpe said. "We're all in the same economic boat. It's time we had a governor rowing with us." The spending cuts have outpaced the revenue cuts so far. The state's rainy day fund hit an all-time high at $663.9 million at the end of Septem- ber, which closed the books on fiscal year 1994. "This is a massive savings ac- count," said Maureen McNulty, the press secretary at the Department of Management and Budget. "It's mainly there for times of economic down- turn." The fund could also be used after natural disasters, but McNulty said it is mainly designed to avoid budget disasters. State Rep. Mary Schroer (D-Ann Arbor), who is running for re-election in the 52nd District, said the surplus needs to be managed like any other part of the budget. "We ought to sit down and see what we want to do with that sur- plus," she said, noting one of the suggestions is using it to plug any shortfall in the school aid fund. Kleine made that prediction, but admits the mounting surplus should make up for it. "At this point in time, it looks like we'll MOLESTER Continued from page 1 Burke said many of the calls came from the neighborhood bordered by Miller, North Maple and Newport roads, where the suspect has struck, leading police to believe that the mo- lester has ties to the area. A psychological profile also is being developed for the serial mo- lester. The reward for information lead- ing to the identification and arrest of the serial rapist was recently raised to $100,000, due largely in part to the efforts of a local businessman who helped raise the amount. At this time, no reward has been offered for information about the se- rial molester. The serial rapist is described as a Black man with a light complexion, between 25 and 35 years old, approxi- mately 6' in height, weighing nearly 170 pounds with short hair. The serial molester is described as a white male, 5' 8" to 6' tall, with an one-inch grayish-brown beard. He has a medium build and is between 30 and 40 years old, with a pointed nose and gray eyes. Anyone with information about the serial rapist or the serial molester s asked to contact the city'spolice tip line at 996-3199. have enough in the state's rainyl day fund (to stave off a shortfall)," he said. McNulty said anyone's projec- tions for four years down the road must be examined carefully.+ "It's based on assumptions. If you change by a few percentage points, you flip the whole world around," she said. Kleine said economic growth rates, now at 6 to 7 percent, will slow to around 3 or 4 percent by 1996. The auto industry, as it drives the economy, also drives the predictions. Auto-related companies account for more than 11 percent of all employ- ment in the state, and car sales have GREEN Continued from page 1 "Students are probably the most under-represented demographic section in the United States. Hope- fully, in addition to the environ- mental ramifications it (GSVB) might have, the GSVB will give students a reason to get out and vote," Plater said. Nationwide environmental sup- port has lagged substantially from its peak in the 1980s. Formative events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Love Canal sparked massive mem- bership growth in national environ- mental groups. Environmental vigilance has lessened since the last recession and the election of Clinton and Gore. Environmental groups are dubbing the decline in support the "Gore effect." Traditional supporters of these been rising for three years. Kleine says they have never increased more than four years in a row. Part of the sales increase can be attributed to pent-up demand. As t country fully exits the recession of the early 1990s, people can afford to replace their old car. In a few years, their savings will again be tied up in loan payments. "The auto industry is not as im- portant as it used to be, but it's still important," Kleine said, noting that in 1978, 18 percent of the state's jobs were tied to the industry. Higher interest rates, Kleine sai*l will also begin to take effect, slowing the economy, and inflation, further. groups also believe that the environ- ment is being cared for without mem- bers' support. "Environmental fund- ing has gone down because people feel the government is taking care of it," Plater said. For example, the environment organization Greenpeace has wit- nessed its membership dwindle from more than 2.25 million to less than 1.75 million since 1990. "I think there is a latent concern about the environment, but as experi- ence has shown when regulation is not pursued vigorously public con- cern can be readily and quickly aroused," said Paul Mohai, associas professor in the School of NaturaT Resources and the Environment. The Green Block is supported by the 50 members of the following Uni- versity environmental groups: Rainforest Action Movement, Enact- UM, Students for Zero Population Growth and Environmental Issues Commission. An Academic Year Abroad in the Arts and Humanities pend a year or a semester immersed in the life and culture of Florence. Study at the University of Florence in private tutorials and seminars. Students of the arts work with Italian artists and musicians. For information and an application: Sarah Lawrence College in Florence SARAHA Box UMIF Sarah Lawrence College LAVYIIE NTE 1 Mead Way Bronxville, NY 10708-5999 COLLEGE (800) 873-4752 sTe MVIUiciganDi lyOJ (ISN !'+Z.9~fl) Is puu.i0u1 u imonaay tho ugh uoay auung theuIaianaointer termsLoyiIO students at the University of Michigan. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $90. Winter term (January through April) is $95, year-long (September through April) is $160. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and the Associated Collegiate Press. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327. PHONE NUMBERS (All area code 313): News 76-DAILY; Arts 763-0379; Sports 747-3336; Opinion 7640552 Circulation 7640558; Classified advertising 7640557; Display advertising 7640554; Billing 764.0550. EIT RA STAFF . .i. a dito THE TOP TEN REASONS TO RE-ELECT MAYOR INGRID SHELDON 10. SHE WAS BORN AT U-M HOSPITAL 9. ABLE TO SPELL U-M AT A VERY EARLY AGE 8. INGRID HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM U-M 7. SHE IS A FORMER U-M SORORITY ADVISOR --_ % r.,T v" A u iT P A 4 7"17T NEWS David Shepardson, Managing Edltor EDITORS: James R. Cho, Nate Hurley, Mona Oureshi, Karen Talaski. STAFF: Robin Barry. Jonathan Berndt, Cathy Boguslaski, Jodi Cohen. Lisa Dines, Sam T. Dudek, Kelly Feeney. Ryan Fields, Josh Ginsberg. Ronnie Glassberg, Jennifer Harvey. Katie Hutchins. Daniel Johnson, Michelle Joyce, Amy Klein, Maria Kovac, Frank C. Lee, James M. Nash, Zachary M. Raimi, Maureen Sirhal, Matthew Smart, Andrew Taylor, Lara Taylor, Michelle Lee Thompson, Maggie Weyhing, Josh White, April Wood, Scot Woods. GRAPHICS: Jonathan Berndt (Editor), Andrew Taylor, Julie Tsai, Kevin Wner. EDITORIAL Sam Goodstan, Fint WaIkes, Editors ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Julie Becker. Patrick Javid. STAFF: Eugene Bowen, Allison Dimond, Jed Friedman. Greg Gelhaus. Ephraim R. Gerstein, Craig Greenberg. Adrienne_ Janney, Jeff Keating, Joel F. Knutson, Jim Lasser, Jason Lichtstein, Parthe Mukhopadhysy, Walter Perkel, Elise Smith, Jean Twenge. SPORTS Chad A. Safran, Managing Editor EDITORS: Rachel Bachman, Brett Forrest. Antoine Pitts, Michael Rosenberg. STAFF: Paul Barger, Roderick Beard, Eugene Bowen, Scott Burton, Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Sarah DeMar, Marc Diller, Jennifer Duberstein Darren Everson, Ravi Gopal, Michael Joshua. John LeRoi, Dan McKenzie, Rebecca Moatz, Davy Rothbart. Danielle Rumore, Melanie Schuman, Tom Seeley, Brian Sklar, Tim Smith, Barry Sollenberger, Doug Stevens. Michelle Lee Thompson. Ryan White. ARTS Melissa Rose Bernardo, Tom Ertwine, Editors EDITORS: Ma Carlson (Fine Arts), Kirk Miller (Books), Heather Phares (Music), Liz Shaw (Weekend etc.), Alexandra Twin (Film), Ted Watts (Weekend, etc.). STAFF: Jennifer Buckley, Thomas Crowley, Ella de Leon. Andy Dolan, Ben Ewy, Ariel Gandsman, Brian Gnatt, Josh Herrington, Kari Jones, Shirley Lee, Scott Plagenhoef, Fred Rice, Joshua Rich, Dirk Schulze, Sarah Stewart, Prashant Tamaskar, Brian Wise, Robert Yoon. F Columbia Review INTENSIVE MCAT PREPARATION I