4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 20, 1996 dThic atrttgatt oat7ltj 420 Maynard Street RONNIE GLASSBERG Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editor in Chief Edited and managed by ADRIENNE JANNEY students at the ZACHARY M. RAIMI University of Michigan Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Dailys editorialh oard. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily FROM THE DAILY ITD is working hard to fix computers or a University veteran student, one of computer. the worst computing nightmares is the Another problem is the chaos in the two-hour wait at the Angell Hall Computing Angell Hall site. Salley said the University Site. But for those who just arrived on the has abandoned its old waitlist policy scene, a new dread has taken over: the com- because it was inefficient. She said students bination of long lines and fewer computers. often steal their waitlist numbers or give The University's Information Technology them to friends who have not waited in line. Division, which runs most of the computing Instead, the University will use flags or facilities, has received an increase in com- markers to denote open computers. plaints since the school year began. Salley said two employees will roam the Thus far this year, computer problems computer site, keeping watch over what have increased at sites. Last year, ITD computers are empty and trying to control received 30 problem reports per day out of the crowd. This program is expected to start 1,350 computers. This year, the complaints in the next few weeks, once the University have increased to 50 per day. Liz Salley, the gets its supplies. Operations Manager for Campus However, the new policy may cause Computing Sites, said the number of com- more confusion than before. The site will plaints has increased this year because of need more than two employees to patrol it. "aging" equipment, not enough funding and Plus, the new policy eliminates the first- the hiring of new technicians. come, first-serve policy, which is more fair. Salley said ITD closed its Computer Moreover, the two employees would be Service and Repair Center last summer more useful if they worked with students on because of inadequate funding. The center computer problems, rather than policing the had helped repair most of the University's area - this would be time better spent. The computers. Many of its employees are no old system was imperfect, but it presented longer with the University, Salley said, and more order than the new one could. ITD has hired new employees. Many students, particularly those who Currently, the University's general fund held temporary University jobs over the is the major funding source for ITD. The summer, found their X.500 entries deleted University should consider increasing the or badly distorted during the first week or division's funding. Finding new funding for two of school. While the mix-up was annoy- any of the University's divisions is never an ing, ITD deserves credit for quickly repair- easy task; however, ITD provides a service ing the system and restoring correct infor- that directly impacts student life. mation to the X.500 directories. The cost of personal computers is expen- Midterms are approaching and students sive - roughly $1,600 to $2,000 for an will need easy and quick access to comput- adequate system. Many students cannot ers. Despite a lack of funding, ITD appears afford such an expense. Instead, computers to be working hard to repair broken com- should be available to them. Moreover, due puters. In the meantime, ITD should rein- to the increase of broken computers, stu- state the waitlist policy in Angell Hall to dents often have to traipse over campus - ensure more fair - and less chaotic - sometimes late at night - to find a working usage of computers. Iol ing out las ks Illegal drug debate lacks substance NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'A president is supposed to show the way. This president has shown moral confusion.' - Bob Dole, Republican presidential candidate, deriding President Clinton ' drug policy in a speech Wednesday afternoon JIM LASSER r -.- IE'M 6iONIMA4KE Y UL gouj6 ,, ThUG/HI A vET5 f//s 1v6AF j'KoL'co r / AH5MI,, .r- 4 Yto s - Ci!{ t SHARP AS TOAST 4/r r e *! tt 1 EXCUSE ME., . ANDME7"E S !. o 0 4 4 Q * i LETTERS TO THE EDITOR T he "War on Drugs" is generating a lot of publicity as both major party presi- dential candidates are using the "war" as a platform from which to sling political mud. While the issue is important, both candi- dates have traded lame barbs instead of honestly and intelligently discussing solu- ions to the growing problem. Election-year politics once again has reared :its ugly head. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised to decrease the size of the White House staff. In ful- filling his promise, Clinton cut the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 146 people to 25. Dole cites this action as a cause for the recent upward trend in drug use. However, Dole has not mentioned that the increase in drug use began dur- MAT ing the Bush administration. The president has since restored the Drug Control Policy .ffice's staff. Furthermore, the Clinton appointed Barry R. McCaffrey - a retired four-star army general - as a new "drug czar." He also elevated the position to cabi- bet-level status. Dole's attacks on Clinton lack validity. Under Clinton's administration, the portion of the national budget devoted to fighting drugs has increased from $13.3 billion in fiscal year 1995 to $15.1 billion for the fis- cal year 1997. Furthermore, Clinton used his first legislative veto to prevent Congress from slashing appropriations to the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act. Dole is grasp- ing at straws. to Dole's attack, the Clinton campaign ran commercials stating that "Bob Dole even voted against creating the drug czar." Again, this political mud-slinging lacks substance. Although Dole initially voted against the creation of the position, he later changed to support it. Clinton never men- tioned this in the ad, thereby relaying mis- leading information. Rather than focusing on more substantive issues - such as the economy or welfare reform - Clinton and Dole have taken a stand on an issue on which they essentially agree: Both candidates oppose drug use. Instead, the candi- dates are using the drug issue to cloud more controversial issues. Clinton is seizing the WIMSATT/aaiiyissue to take a stand that has strong bipartisan support, instead of issues on which he might have trouble taking action because of a Republican Congress. Dole also sees a chance to create a stir. Clinton appears to be coasting to re-elec- tion, leading by about 20 percentage points, in most polls. The economy is in good shape and crime rates are dropping. Dole is trying to undercut Clinton's lead; however, focusing on the drug issue is not com- pelling enough to win an election - or even save Dole's losing face. Yesterday, Dole continued to promote his anti-drug message, and Clinton contin- ued to defend himself. But the words are becoming hollow. If the candidates wish to discuss drugs, they should introduce solid U religious policy will help students TO THE DAILY: A perennial problem for religiously observant students at the University is missing classes, tests, paper deadlines and other academic responsi- bilities on religious holidays. The University has been wary to address the issue in the past, and students have been tacitly expected to check their religion at the door while in class. Consequently, students have been confused about their academic responsibilities on religious holidays, and facul- ty have been equally uncer- tain. Individual professors and graduate student instruc- tors have attempted to patch this administrative hole by developing their own de facto policies on religious-academ- ic conflicts. While most students work out agreeable alternatives with their instructors, some are not so fortunate. Professors have been known to penalize students who miss class on religious holidays, and some students have even had to drop courses or accept failing grades because of grievously intolerant instruc- tors. The new University pol- icy on religious-academic conflicts - approved by the offices of the Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs - will help alleviate this problem. It articulates the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty. The policy is fair, applies to all religious traditions, and empowers students to prevent the negative outcomes of missing class. While The Michigan Daily has demonstrated that it does not understand the history of the problem or the policy ("Holydays," 9/11/96). those of us involved in draft- ing the policy appreciate the publicity it has received. Sunday evening through Monday evening, thousands of Jewish students on campus will observe Yom Kippur, the solemn Day of Atonement. Thanks to the Daily, Jews and all other religious stu- dents now know that we will not be penalized for missing class on our holy days. ANTHONY SCAGLIONE LSA SENIOR CHAIR, HILLEL GOVERNING BOARD Dole should use influence TO THE DAILY: I would like to protest the weapons treaty was the cor- rect thing to do. The "rogue states" that you seem to address as insignificant are where the concern for this treaty should be directed. This element is important for the fact that when declaring to destroyta portion of one's defenses, that country is leav- ing themselves vulnerable, to attack or otherwise. Only if all parties are in agreement does this declaration have any meaning. Without full participation from all involved, the treaty is more dangerous than beneficial. CHRISTIAN SPENCER ENGINEERING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT Parking is available TO THE DAILY: In response to your editorial on parking ("Cooperation," 9/9/96), I have to make a few points. Much of the editorial discusses the lack of parking and the problems faced by commuters trying to park their cars. The University offers a free parking lot on South State Street to any student or staff. I parked in this lot for two years and never found it more than half full. The University pro- vides a free bus to campus from this lot every 15 minutes. In my two years of parking there, the bus nearly always ran on schedule. There is also a free commuter lot next to Crisler Arena. Are people so lazy that they have to park on campus because they refuse to wait a few minutes for a bus? Your editorial complains about the cost of parking meters and parking tickets. What are you comparin these costs to? Parking tick- ets in many cities can easily run $15 and up. Ann Arbor charges $5 to $7 for an expired meter. Most parking meters in other cities charge a much higher rate than the one cent a minute in Ann Arbor. How can you possibly call these fees "outrageous?" You suggest that the University open staff lots to students. Yet you don't men- tion that fees are charged of staff to park in these lots. some of which cost hundreds of dollars per year for a per- mit. Certainly if these lots were opened to students the University would not waive these fees. There have been many complaints about the ongoing construction on campus. Yet the Daily is advocating that the University build more high-rise parking structures. You do not suggest who will pay for new high-rise struc- tures. Either the people park- ing in them will have to pay, MSA parties squelch real debate TO THE DAILY: Political parties have turned the Michigan Student Assembly into a joke. How can I say that? I've served on the assembly for more than a year, only to see it go from a forum of debate to a dramatized version of 'Lord of the Flies" Where once we might debate affirmative action, we now argue over parliamentary procedure. Where once there was substance, there are now personal agendas. And where there was once order, there is now utter chaos. Why have things gotten to this sorry state? I believe it is a direct result of partisan pol- itics on the assembly. For evi- dence of this, let us play a quick game of "Where Are they Now'?" starring the can- didates for president in last spring's MSA election. Among the candidates from the smaller parties, not a single one has attended an MSA meeting yet this fall. Jonathan Freeman of the Students' Party has left the country. Andy Schor of the Wolverine Party has since cast off his affiliation with his former mates. Finally, the winner of that mock election, Fiona Rose, has been going blue in the face trying to tell everyone within earshot that the partisan days of the assembly have passed, so as to somehow save face before The Michigan Daily prints another negative editorial. The common thread'? All of the candidates have been pursuing their own personal interests, not those of whichever party they held allegiance to in the spring. The explanation to this is very simple, but also very important: There are no real issues debated by MSA. Sure, the assembly does all sorts of good things, from funding student groups to promoting student interests in Lansing. But these aren't issues; they are tasks better handled by bureaucrats than politicians. So, ifthere are no real issues, why do parties exist? Why, for personal gain, of course. There is a simple contract between party mem- bers at campaign time: Tell your friends to vote for me, and I'll tell my friends to vote for you. When one party has more "friends" than the rest, all the crafty politicians jump ship to get in on the bandwagon. It is no coincidence that both our current president and vice president changed their party affiliation before their successful bid for office. The Daily has stated sev- era] times that narties are SHAKING ThETRH Votefor Bill:* A Democrat is better than a Dole President Clinton turned his back on Imillion poor children when signed the welfare bill in Augus putting short-term political interests before good pub- lic policy. But I will vote for him anywap. Gearing up 'for the convention I was disappointed ' - but not sur prised - to learn that the president had signed the bill that his own appointeestat the KHAT IE Department of HUTCHINS Health and Human Services claimed would throw a million children into poverty. But I brushed the issue aside and supported the president, figuring he knew some- thing I didn't. Until the resignations pouredi Peter Edelman, a long-time advocate of children and families and adamant fighter against poverty, was hardly the person I expected to resign his post at HHS at such a crucial time. He and Mary Jo Bane - both assistant secre- taries -resigned last week, citing the welfare bill as their reason. Their pledged departures follow a similar protest - that of Deputy Assistant Secretary Wendell Primus - by * month. The resignations were quiet. They came more than a month after the president signed the bill. They came without public commentary from Edelman or Bane. And now the issue is nearly forgotten. It makes me wonder what the presi- dent's really trying to do to fix that bill.. With all the posturing he's been doing about how he'll make amendsO was starting to believe it. I was sur- prised at the convention to see HHS Secretary Donna Shalala - a behind- the-scenes opponent of the bill - defending it so strongly. But she didn't have much to say to audience members who attacked her in a question-and-answer session. One socialeworker asked what she should tell her clients on welfare when they ask what they should do with the lives. Shalala's answer: "Ele Democrats." Presumably, these Democrats we elect will somehow be able to fix a bill that kicks people off welfare after two years; that places lifetime limits on receiving benefits at five years; that turns control over welfare administra- tion to the states. This will be a partic- ularly daunting task because there are no jobs out there. So the liberals are furious. The party is in an uproar. Loyal friends and appointees like Edelman, Bane and Primus are resigning when the presi- dent needs them most. The scary thing is, these are the people who were -the best candidates for "fixing" the wel- fare bill. But that doesn't mean we can a n don Clinton. He has placed us in a ~f ficult position, but if we understand the logic behind it - that this _v* something President Bob Dole would have signed, anyway; that signing it gives him a great chance at reelection and a chance to create more jobstfor current welfare recipients; that the bill can't be enforced fully for a few more years (leaving him time to fix it) -we can still support him. The president and Shalala wanted welfare reform. They advocated get ting people out of the destructive cyc$ and into the workplace. It's better for welfare recipients and for this country as a whole - reduding federal spending on welfare by $54 billion in the next six years. It simply doesn't have the safety nets in place - yet. Clinton was wrong when he risked the lives of 1 million children to get reelected. Even if he did it for the ulti- mate good of the country, if there. no Democrats in the White House after January it will be pretty tough to save the kids. Polls tell us Clinton's got a .-great chance; but how many children's lives would you leave up to the results of a presidential election? But it's over. Edelman and Bane - for whatever reason - abandoned the cause and gave up their positions tha might have had some influence on fi ing the bill. Or maybe they didn't have much influence at all. After all, the White House ignored their initial protests. What Edelman and Bane did was admirable, not so much because of TT V i I