Lackl,/STi Ta

Just five miles separate state
House, Senate on speed limit

The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 26, 1996 - 5
State House bill
tberlimt requred
ed the iit qu e

Woman
assaulted in
stmctur
An unknown stalker attacked a
woman Wednesday in a Church Street
carport.
The victim left East Hall around 9
p.m. and headed for her vehicle at the
carport, when she realized she was be-
* g followed. Her stalker repeatedly
fled, "Wait up girl," as he pursued
her, police said.
The man caught up to his victim in
the north stairwell and grabbed her arm.
As the woman pulled away, the stalker
clutched her lower leg, but she man-
aged to shake loose. The attacker then
gave up his pursuit.
The victim described her attacker as
having a thin build, about 30 years old
md standing 6-feet-3-inches tall, po-
ce said.
Law enforcement officials have no
suspects at this time.
Slow of thefts
Invade campus
residence halls
In the past three days alone, police
report eight separate incidents of theft
*om rooms in campus dormitories, in-
eluding Martha Cook, West Quad,
Couzens and Bursley.
Most of the incidents involve stolen
wallets but the removal of basketball
tickets and a leather jacket were also
reported.
Ore Martha Cook resident told po-
lice her checkbook and several credit
cards were taken between Dec. 15 and
ec.18. She discovered the theft after
arses between $7,000 and $8,000
appeared on the accounts.
Poice report no suspects in any of
the investigations and dormitory resi-
dents are warned to lock their doors and
protet their possessions.
Bicyclist injures
woman outside
lle Lloyd
A female pedestrian was unable to
avoidl an oncoming collision late Tues-
day night as she was struck by a bicy-
clistboutside Alice Lloyd residence
hall.;
The woman complained of a knee
injury from the accident, Department
of Public Safety reports indicate, and
police drove the victim to the emer-
9ncy room.
The identity of the bicyclist is un-
known, but the rider should turn him
or herself in immediately.
$250,000
superconducting
magnet damaged
Staff at the Kresge Medical Research
*uilding reported Tuesday that a super-
conducting magnet worth more than a
quarter of a million dollars was dam-
aged.
The damage to the magnet is acci-
dental, police say.
Kresge staff estimate the cost of re-
pairs to be at least $20,000.
Medical equipment

etolen
Three difibulators, machines in-
volved in cardiac medicine, were re-
ported stolen Wednesday from the
Towsley Medical Center.
The three units, with an estimated
value of $ 15,000, were in storage prior
to the theft.
The police report no suspects in their
investigation, but they say the machines
id not just get up and walk away.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter
Leonid Feller

LANSING (AP) - It appears certain the 55-
mph speed limit on most freeways in and around
Michigan cities will rise this year. But by how
much is anything but clear.
The Senate has approved limits ofup to 70mph.
Yesterday, a House committee capped the limit at
65 mph - setting up a future clash that is about
more than just a 5-mph difference.
The House Transportation Committee, on a 12-
1 vote, approved a bill to allow the state to nearly
immediately raise speed limits on 60 percent -
258 miles - of urban freeways to 65 mph from the
current 55 mph.
Those changes would apply to freeways in
outlying areas around Grand Rapids, Muskegon,

Ann Arbor and Detroit and some in Flint, Jackson
and Kalamazoo.
The remaining 175 miles of Michigan free-
ways still limited to 55 mph would be studied
extensively to see if raising the limit to 65 would
be safe, and may remain at 55 mph. They include
some ofthe state's most congested freeways - in
Detroit and suburbs, Highway 131 in Grand Rap-
ids, Interstate 496 in Lansing, Interstate 675 in
Saginaw and Interstate 475 around Flint.
AAA Michigan, the Michigan State Police and
the Michigan Department of Transportation opt
for what they call the safer House version. But the
National Motorists Association and other groups
say a low 65-mph speed limit ignores reality.


apt..insp
By Laurie Mayk
Daily Staff Reporter
Votes for current legislation in Lan-
sing may threaten, rather than protect
the lives of students in Ann Arbor,
representatives of the Michigan Stu-
dent Assembly and Ann Arbor Tenants
Union testified at a state Senate hearing
this week.
"We believe that if this bill passes,
tenants will ultimately die as a result,"
said Pattrice Maurer, AATU's coordi-
nator.
The bill, which has passed the state
House, wouldamend Michigan's Hous-
ing Code to require inspections of rental
housing only every six years, rather
than every two. The city inspector would
also have to secure the written consent
of the tenant before inspection.
Opponents of the bill argue that the
time and effort spent obtaining tenants'
consent may make the process more
costly, and they fear that less frequent
inspections would mean more danger-
ous housing.
"A great deal can happen to a rental
property in six years," said City
Councilmember Jean Carlberg (D-3rd
Ward). Carlberg supported a City Coun-
cil resolution opposing the bill last No-
vember.
Although those involved in the debate
may identify it as a conflict between
landlords and tenants, Ann Arbor's
Apartment Association, alandlord group,
also objects to the current legislation.
"(The reform) was originally designed
to provide a complaint-driven inspec-
tion process," said Marvin Carlson, Ann
Arbor Apartment Association legisla-
tive committee chair. "That bill has been
watered down extensively."
Carlberg said making inspectors get
a tenant's written permission may wind
up costing the tenant more money.
[he city charges landlords a fee to
cover the inspection. However, if more
time and energy is exerted to obtain a
written statement from a tenant, the
charge might go up, she said.
"Whatever it costs the city ... would
have to be charged to the landlord and
the landlord would have to charge the
Yg~ ggn

STEPHANIE GRACE LiM/Daify
What a fooling ..
Jason Merchant, Dance senior, rehearses for the upcoming Feb. 8-11 "Carmina Burana" show at the Power Center.
Senate Assembly reapportions seats to
make room for School of Public Policy

tenant," Carlberg said.
Tenants could request an inspection at
any time, but opponents say that a writ-
ten request for inspection could become
ammunition foraspiteful landlord. "You
couldn't be more overt about facilitat-
ing landlord retaliation," Maurer said.
Carlson, an Ann Arborlandlord, noted
that although the state inspection inter-
vals may change, Ann Arbor would still
require inspections every 2 1/2 years.
In the written testimony offered by
MSA state liaison Karie Morgan and
three other representatives, the assem-
bly asserted that because few student
tenants will remain in a unit for the full
six years between mandatory inspec-
tions, necessary repairs and violations
may gd uncorrected.
"Students don't know what their
rights are," Morgan said. "They don't
have the time to go through bills and
find out what their rights are ... it's not
reasonable to expect that."
"We have a situation in Ann Arbor
where many people are living on their
own for the first time and are naive in
what to expect from their landlord,"
said Mayor Ingrid Sheldon.
High turnover, vulnerability and re-
luctance to challenge a landlords' au-
thority already put student tenants in
danger, Maurer asserted.
"Students will be moving in, through
no fault oftheirown, to units that haven't
been inspected because the previous
tenant didn't sign the consent form,"
she said.
The committee postponed further
action on the bill until both sides could
negotiate a compromise.
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By Anupama Reddy
Daily Staff Reporter
Faculty members of the Senate As-
sembly this week made room in their
ranks for the University's newest aca-
demic branch, the School of Public
Policy.
With a unanimous cry of "aye," the
Senate Assembly approved a plan to
reapportion its makeup, including one
seat for Public Policy.
With the same cry, members also
agreed to eliminate one Engineering
and two LSA seats, while both the
Medical School and the Dearborn

campus gained one representative
each.
Biology Prof. Thomas Moore said he
was surprised the Medical School still
has one seat fewer than LSA.
"The Medical School has grown tre-
mendously," he said, adding that LSA
has dropped 10 percent in growth in the
last three years.
Ruth Barnard said it was not just a
matter of dividing up the 73-member
body, but of making room for Public
Policy.
Employing a method similar to the
one used to apportion the House of

State Senate approves
Renaissance Zones'

Representatives, assembly memberand
Engineering Prof. Ronald Lomax
drafted the plan.
While most University schools, col-
leges and the Flint campus will have the
same number of representatives, the
following will have different represen-
tation.
The change from last year is in paren-
theses.
LSA, 16 (-2)
Engineering, 7 (.1)
1 Medical School, 15 (+1)
Dearborn Campus, 4 (+1)
Public Policy, 1 (+1)
year ago
in the Daily
"The University on Friday held
its first open student code hearing
since the code of non-academic con-
duct was implemented Jan. 1, 1993,
opening the process up to the pub-
lic.
"American culture doctoral stu-
dent Melanie Welch was found to
have violated the Statement of Stu-
dent Rights and Responsibilities for
harassment, but the six-student panel
did not find Welch guilty."

LANSING (A P)-- The core ofGov.
John Engler's plan to stimulate eco-
nomic development and population
growth in depressed areas of Michigan
by eliminating most taxes passed the
state Senate yesterday.
"This is a landmark day," said Senate
Majority Leader Dick Posthumus (R-
Alto). "It will give hope to families in
depressed areas." He predicted the tax
reductions would make it easier and
cheaper to create new jobs.
"This is the most important urban
policy we've put in place in two de-
cades," Posthumus said.
Passage of the "Renaissance Zone"
legislation was Engler's first major tri-
umph of the new year, following his
1995 record of cutting taxes, revamp-
ing welfare and revising school and
insurance rules.
The nine Senate bills passed on bi-
partisan votes, going to the House to
join nine other measures which make
up the package. The main bill passed on
a vote of 26-11, with eight Democrats
joining 18 Republicans to support it in
the GOP-ruled chamber.

The final bill passed24-12, only after
Democratic-backed language to dis-
courage property tax breaks for absen-
tee landlords who own property in the
proposed zones was added.
Under Engler's proposal, five urban
and three rural Renaissance Zones
would be established in Michigan. All
state and local taxes would be waived in
the zone, with the exception ofthe sales
tax and local bond millages.
A tax-free zone would exist for up to
15 years. The tax-free zone would apply
to residential,commercial and industrial
property, in hopes that both people and
businesses would move into the zone
and reinvigorate the depressed area.
Every county and city in Michigan
would be able to apply for a low-tax
zone. Several criteria would be used in
reviewing applications, officials have
said, including poverty levels, unem-
ployment, education, private sector in-
volvement and other details.
The state would reimburse local dis-
tricts for lost school revenues, and fed-
eral taxes, state regulations and fee-for-
service levies would remain in place.



FRDAY
U "Death
Preser
hours,"
chaeol
a.m.-9
0 NInJItsu
76-8~

What's happening in Ann Arbor this weekend
U Taekwondo Club, beginners and James Paternoster, sponsored by
In Ancient Egypt. other new members welcome, Graduate Christian Fellowship,
ring," extended gallery 747-6889, CCRB, Room 2275, 7- Ann Arbor Christian Reformed
The Kelsey Museum of Ar- 8:30 p.m. Church, 1717 Broadway, 5:45
ogy, South State Street, 9 U "Taiwan Table,"TA SA members and p.m.
p.m. friends welcome, sponsored by
Club, beginners welcome, Taiwanese American Students for SUNDAY
251, IMSB, Room G-21, Awareness, Rackham lobby, 7:30 0 BalroomDanceClub,6687207,Michi-

t

Summer internship
opportunities at J.P. Morgan
Interrieirs for t'lIirersity of lilchigaw engineering
j.liors will be held on Jloda1 4-bruarv 26
for a position in
G;lobal Technology and Operations
Pleasefa x corer helter or restune by
)Ionday, ,ebrurr, 5),lo:
('urtis Jlnlgdon

i