4- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 13, 1995

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TST'EIN

JASON'S LYRIC

420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Edited and managed by
students at the
University of Michigan

MICHAEL ROSENBERG
Editor in Chief
JULIE BECKER
JAMES NASH
Editorial Page Editors

Letters from Turco, Christie
and all of my dear friends

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.
MSA: Hope via division
Assembly split shouldn't hinder progress

;T he balance of power on the Michigan
Student Assembly shifted Tuesday night,
effectively ending the honeymoon of execu-
tive officers Flint Wainess and Sam Goodstein.
Their party, the Michigan Party, captured none
of the 11 committee and commission chair
positions. At the same time, the Students'
Party, whom Wainess and Goodstein edged
out in the presidential and vice presidential
race, took seven of the chair slots. That may
leave Wainess and Goodstein in an uncomfort-
able position as governors - but it will also
force the competing camps in MSA to work
together. As long as MSA's principal parties
resist the urge to play cheap political games,.
the assembly could be destined for its most
productive year yet.
By razor-thin majorities in a series of party-
line votes on Monday night, the Students'
Party took a majority of chairs. The Wolverine
Party captured two chair positions and an
independent representative took one, while a
non-MSA member was appointed to head the
Students' Rights Commission. Committee and
commission personnel are very important, as
the committees and commissions do much of
the preliminary work before an issue reaches
the whole assembly. With this realignment of
leadership, the Michigan Party not only holds
a minority of at-large MSA seats, but also finds
itself at a distinct disadvantage in setting the
assembly's agenda.
That disadvantage should not harm the
agenda as a whole, as MSA's groups have
much to do in the coming year. The Budget

Priorities Committee plans to take a harder
look at what students are getting for their
money, while the Academic Affairs Com-
mission will continue the significant progress
on limiting textbook prices. The Students'
Rights Commission should look to build
upon its work against the Statement of Stu-
dent Rights and Responsibilities, and the
External Relations Committee must rebound
from the firing of its former chair to continue
as an effective voice for students with the city
and in state lobbying efforts.
Wainess has said the split on MSA pro-
vides an invaluable opportunity for the par-
ties to work together. Students' Party mem-
bers say the same thing. But Students' Party
members waged a sometimes petty cam-
paign this spring; if they are serious about
putting this chapter behind them, they should
accept the olive branch Wainess and Good-
stein are extending to them.
The Students' Party's dominance on com-
mittees and commissions, coupled with the
Michigan Party's leadership of MSA as a
whole, poses a classic model of divided gov-
ernment. As the leaders of MSA, Wainess and
Goodstein must overcome that division and
work with the committee and commission
chairs to craft an effective agenda. So far, their
statements are encouraging. MSA has impor-
tant work to do this year, and progress could
easily fall victim to politics. Many new chairs
are first-year MSA members getting their first
taste of campus politics. Party quibbling
should not encumber their idealism.

Dear Mr. Lichtstein:
Let me say that I've read one too
many columns of "Jason's Lyric" these
past two terms and I think that it has
affected my play. I am holding you re-
sponsible, you flaky wordsmith from
Florida. Been north of Whitmore Lake,
friend? The Panthers -- ha! I came to the
'U' to play hockey, to tend the nets, to take
Red's squad to the fabled land of champi-
ons. But sir, what I didn't count on was a
weekly bashing in of all places, page four of
the Daily. I came to A2 from Sault Ste.
Marie; but mindless people like you have
turned my journey into pure hell. Time and
time again you have dissed the Soo Locks
and tossed my treasured family name around
like it was some sort of rhetorical plaything.
Enough, I say. I have talent, you do not. I do
cool pre-game stretching exercises, you do
nada. Praise April 13,theendofthe"Lyric."
Yours truly,
The Turc-ster, of Ontario, Canada -
got it?
To whoever isinvolved in the production
of that trashy, libelous weekly heap, the
"Lyric":
We, the suit-and-tie revolutionaries of
Nov. 8 have endured a year of meaningless
put-downs, slights and recently even talk of
class warfare from this Thursday columnist.
But this is to be expected from the Daily.
What we, the FON (Friends of Newt), find
particularly odious is Lichtstein's sad at-
tempt to discredit the new majority party in
the Congress with humor, sarcasm and mere

smoke and mirrors. We collectivelyvomit
on the worthless column, "Newt's Con-
tract: It slices, it dices, it soaks the poor!"
and its perversion of the concept of laissez-
faire capitalism, manufactured to the de-
light of leftist longhairs. So unproductive,
so cynical, so depressing a creature you are.
Sincerely,
Oddfellows local 151 and all the gang at
West Georgia College
Dear J. Samuel:
Oddly enough, I have received a copy of
your column each week since my stay in
Spain began eight months ago in Madrid.
I thought it would be a peaceful junior year
abroad, but oh no. Generally, your writing
has been entertaining, but I feel I must
comment on the continued and unautho-
rized use of my name and the deplorable
content contained in the column "My so-
called life" - a work I would very much
like to forget. You have also hidden ob-
lique references to me and my disdain for
history and politics in column after gut-
wrenching column. Plus, your character-
ization of Couzens as the center of conser-
vatism and hell on earth is just absurd.
Liberal bashing! Right. You always had
your door closed shut and every time I
came near your room some unintelligible
industrial crap was blasting from it. No
doubt you relish exaggeration, usually at
my expense, the International Center's or
the Peace Corps'.
Gotta go!,
Maria Stark, Sevilla, Andalucia

Wassup!
As the official body of student renters on
Greenwood, we have longed for this day,
the day the Musak died and your fumblings
ended. Probably no one else has sustained
more of the mean-spirited criticism aimed
our way by the "Lyric" than the hathead
men and aerobicized women of Greenwood.
You have for a year's time engaged in a
surprising bigotry and xenophobia directed
against out-of-staters, namely New Yorkers
and Jeep drivers.
Catch ya later dude,
Greenwood Ave. Homeowners Assn.

Dear Jason,
Bug off, buddy boy. I've had my fill of
your smart-aleckey one-liners. I can stom-
ach 'em no longer. And let me say for the
record that I have not - let me repeat -
not announced my candidacy for the Sec-
retary-General's job' at the U.N. Na ga do
it. Not prudent at this juncture.
I've got money on Dole-Wilson in '96,
Mike Christie III
To the departing "king of comedy, "
Just a warning Mr. L, but you're damn
lucky that your days as a columnist are
coming to an end, because one more ille-
gal use of REM lyrics or act of plagiarism,
and we'd have sued your butt back to
Rockville.
Take a break,
Jefferson Holt and Bertis Downs, REM
P.S. Uni-brow is doing just fine. He'll be
on the road in no time.

0

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Jim LASSER

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The slow road to peace
Talks must continue despite terrorist attack

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NOTABLE QUOTABLE
"I know a kid on
the panel and he
says those kids
are out to send
people to the big
house. He says
those kids are
Just out to fry
each other."
- LSA senior Brian Kalev
Freeman, accused under
the code, on reasons for
choosing an administrative
hearing rather than a
student pane

A s long-time foes in the Middle East again
near an elusive peace, extremist groups
are determined to thwart the process with
bloody terrorist attacks. Arab terrorist groups
- Hamas and the Islamic Holy War - claim
responsibility for the April 9 suicide bombing
in Kfar Darom that left six Israelis dead and 45
injured. Since the signing of the Middle East
peace pact 19 months ago, 123 Israelis have
been killed in terrorist actions.
But even as the world mourns these trag-
edies, it must realize that extremists cannot be
allowed to sabotage the peace process. The
July 1 deadline for free Palestinian elections
and complete Israeli withdrawal from the West
Bank is near. As the time approaches, Israel
must reaffirm support for and trust in Palestine
Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser
Arafat to accomplish the peace that fanaticism
again threatens.
The efforts Arafat and the Palestinian Au-
thority have made toward peace now threaten
the PLO's leadership position, as Hamas and
other militant terrorists threaten to take over
power. With deadly attacks on Israel accom-
panying each step toward peace, Arafat has
worked to control, prevent and punish terrorist
acts. Palestinian self-rule has transferred the
duty of conducting police sweeps to Arafat and
the Palestinian police. The swift PLO arrests
after the Kfar Darom bombing have proven the
PLO's ability to maintain order - which has
created a rift in Palestinian support for the
united Palestinian organization.
Arafat has worked diligently to quell Israeli
How TO CONTACT THEM
Sen. Carl Levin (D)
459 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-6221

fears of terrorist attack, most recently through
his mandatory order of weapons registration
by May 11. Through these efforts, he has
moved in a firmly moderate direction. Yet in
rightfully addressing Israeli safety concerns,
Arafat has drawn bitter accusations of weak-
ness from Hamas.
Unfortunately, extremism is gaining popu-
larity in the region as Palestinians look for
faster methods to reach their goal of statehood.
On April 7, in the first open election under
Palestinian authority, Hamas won all 11 seats
on the governing board. Arafat's tightrope
walk toward peace with Israel has led to the
dangerous possibility of civil war between the
PLO and Hamas. In order for the peace process
to continue, the Palestinian anger toward Arafat
must be curbed. Failure to do so will allow
outlying factions like Hamas to capitalize on
the dissatisfaction of Palestinian voters and
derail the road toward peace.
To ensure that extremist tendencies will not
obstruct the peace process, Arafat must be able
to demonstrate real, tangible improvements to
his people as a result of their efforts toward
peace. The threat Hamas poses to the peace
process necessitates further Israeli support for
and cooperation with Arafat. Realistic peace is
shaping under the skill and trust between Is-
raeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat,
and must be allowed to continue unhindered
by political violence from either side. Peace is
more than the product of two men in negotia-
tions - and these fragile talks could easily
shatter with another terrorist attack.

LETT.RS

f tl

/

Fletcher is
anti-student
To the Daily:
Although we never expected
them to admit it, the College
Republicans have finally con-
fessed to being anti-college stu-
dent.
In the article "House Plans
Could Reduce Student Aid," (3/
30/95) Mark Fletcher - presi-
dent of the College Republicans
- states that he is "not eagerly
awaiting cuts in student aid."
"Not eagerly awaiting"
Mark, many students are down-
right scared that they will not be
able to pay for school next year.
We think that Mr. Fletcher
should ask the 6,500 University
students who receive Perkins
Loans or work study assistance if
they are "not eagerly awaiting"
the possibility of being unable to
use this money for school. Or,
perhaps Mr. Fletchersshould ask
the 7,500 students who receive
subsidized loans if they are "not
eagerly awaiting" the cuts.
In all fairness, Mr. Fletcher is
simply following the anti-student
rhetoric that Republicans in
Washington have been using.
For example, in a recent
speech, Republican House
Speaker Gingrich took hypoc-
risy to new heights when he said
he could not have attended Tulane
University without student loans,

as do many other Democrats,
want a tax break for the middle
class. However, the Republicans
want to give an average $1,000
tax break to those earning up to
$200,000 a year. When one con-
siders that 25 percent of the fami-
lies who will receive this tax break
earn more than $95,000 a year,
simple math shows that the tax
break will save these people less
than .01 percent of their monthly
gross income.
How much will the tax break
really help this class of people?
Probably not very much. So, we
wonder why the House leader-
ship does not make the tax cut a
"middle class tax cut." The an-
swer is that people who make
between $95,000 and $200,000
vote, and they have disposable
income to use for big donations.
So, Republicans only cut money
from programs that are perceived
to have small or weak constitu-
encies - such as school lunches
forlow-income children and stu-
dent loans.
Whysdo the Republicans
want to cut programs like student
loans? Everyone except the Re-
publicans agree that education
protects America's future. These
loans help many people earn an
education which then increases
personal earnings and govern-
ment income tax revenue. Also,
student loans are just that -
LOANS. These students are not
asking for gifts Thev are simnv

College Republicans president
shows trite view of student aid

To the Daily:
I disagree on two points with
the remarks of Mark Fletcher,
president of College Republicans,
regarding the proposed cuts to
federal student aid ("House plans
could reduce student aid," 3/30/
95).
First, he says that "students at
the university do see waste in
money." That may very well be
true, but does Fletcherreally think
that the cutting of student loans
will result in the streamlining of
the University's budget, thereby
lowering tuition and suddenly
making education affordable to
all, without the help of a loan?
Those ofus living in reality know
that cutting loan money is only
going to mean that people with
less money are not going to be
able to go to school.

Secondly, Fletcher provides
as an example of University waste
the laser printers that are attaches
to the MIRLYN terminals in the
libraries. Is this the best example
of waste that he could find?
Maybe he should be looking at
some administrators' excessive
salaries and perks. If anything,
there are not nearly enough print-
ers in the libraries (I am a refer-
ence desk assistant, so believe
me, I know). Fletcher obviousl*
has not done much research in
the library, or maybe he just en-
joys scribbling down authors,
titles and call numbers while an
impatient line for the terminal
grows behind him.
Suzy Herring
Graduate student
School of Information and
Library Studies

Sportswriter shows male bias

Sen. Spence Abraham (R)
B40 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-4822

To the Daily:
In denying that ballroom
dancing, ice dancing, and syn-
chronized swimming are true
"sports," ("Dance your way to
the Olympics?" 4/6/95) Ryan
White may just be poking fun at
something he finds silly based on
his limited experience with these
activities.
Unfortunately, he is also up-
holding testosterone-laden norms

The young Czech dancers I saw
practicing became every bit as
sweaty as any basketball team
while building up their strength
and endurance, plus they had to
attend constantly to the position-
ing and grace of every line i4
their bodies. In what sense were
they not athletes?
I would encourage Mr. White
to rethink his article in light of
two further questions: Is it merely

Rep. Lynn Rivers (D)
1116 Longworth House Office Building
Washington. D.C. 20515