LOCAL/STATE
The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 15, 1999 -- 3
OCRIME $
'emplo ee
boyfriend
A University employee was assault-
*by her live-in boyfriend Tuesday
afternoon, according to Department of
Public Safety reports.
The women was transported to
University Hospitals' emergency room
by Huron Valley Ambulance personnel.
Warrant checks on the 23-year-old sus-
ppet by DPS officials were negative.
He was arrested and taken -to
Washtenaw County Jail. A report was
filed.
*wo radios taken
from CCRB
Two University radios were reported
missing from the Central Campus
Recreation Building early Monday
morning, according to DPS reports.
The radios, valued at $1,500 each,
were taken from room 4740 in the
CRB.
Housing cafeteria
employees hurt
during work
In two separate incidents, University
iHousing dining hall employees were
injured while working this week,
according to DPS reports.
In the first incident a student
ployee in Couzens Residence Hall
was cut by equipment' on Monday
evening, DPS reports state.
The student cut one finger on a slicer
in the kitchen area and the cut appeared
to require stitches. The student was not
taken to University Hospitals' emer-
gency room and was instead take to
;their residence hall room.
In a second, unrelated incident, a
*ockwell Residence Hall dining hall
employee also cut her finger and
declined transportation to University
Hospitals.
Nearly $4,000 in
books destroyed
by water in NUBS
Water damaged destroyed $3,966 in
oks located -in the North University
Building on Wednesday afternoon,
DPS reports state.
DPS officers ruled the property
damaged in room 1035 as accidental.
Snow and ice
threaten safety
* DPS officials received several
quests to remove snow and ice from
University property, DPS reports state.
* Icicles forming on the West Hall
Arch were removed by University
grounds employees Tuesday afternoon,
according to DPS reports. Pedestrians
disregarded yellow caution tape parti-
tioning off the area. No injuries were
reported.
In a second incident, a caller told
DPS officials Wednesday afternoon
at snow falling from the roof of the
7 urie Engineering Center appeared to
be dangerous. University Grounds
employees put up barricades near the
West entrance of the building.
-dale student
falls ill in Markley
A male student was transported
om Mary Markiy Residence Hall
to University Hospitals' emergency
room Wednesday evening, DPS
reports state.
The male student had a fever and
severe shivering, and was unable to get
out of bed. DPS officers requested an
ambulance for the student who was
taken to University Hospitals. The stu-
dent returned to his room two hours
later.
- Complied by Daily Staff Reporter
*Jennifer Ycnn
GEO waits for wage counterproposal
By Nick Falzone
Daily Staff Reporter
Following the cancellation of a negotiation meeting between the
Graduate Employees Organization and the University, last night
GEO members expressed disappointment that they hadn't yet
received a wage counterproposal from the University.
The meeting was canceled due to the illness of GEO Chief
Negotiator Eric Odier-Fink. University negotiators had been expect-
ed to present a wage counterproposal.
"We expect a wage counterproposal," said GEO member Charles
Smith. "It doesn't seem (the University) feels there's any great rush
to get this done."
GEO currently is waiting for a response to their counterproposal
for a 37-percent increase in graduate student instructor average
monthly income. GEO bargaining team member Seth Quartey said
the group is asking for a large increase because of the high cost of
living in Ann Arbor.
"The main idea behind the need for a wage increase is due to the
fact we give out more than half our monthly, post-tax earnings to rent,"
Quartey said. "Some of us have cars and we also need books, so we
have nothing in our pockets at all."
In addition to a 27 percent wage increase and an abolishment of
the graduate employee registration fee, GEO also is asking the
University to restructure its payment system to more accurately
reflect how many hours a GSI works.
Currently, the average GSI is expected to work 40 percent of the
hours of a full time University faculty member.
Smith said many GSIs work more than this specified amount of
time but are not adequately compensated for their work.
"You can't be forced to work more than you're getting paid for,"
Smith said. "The system should be more representative of the time
actually spent working. If you can't get your work done within the
allotted time, there should be a reassessment of the system."
GEO is planning to hold a rally next Thursday at noon on the Diag
to increase the University awareness on the organization's issues.
"Every time we start a new term, there's a large turnover of GSIs,"
Smith said. "At this membership rally, we want to try and say we
have a contract negotiation that's really important."
Smith said the most important group GEO wants to appeal to is
the University's undergraduate population.
"Half of their in-class hours are spent with GSIs" Smith said. "If
they don't have good GSIs, they're not getting what they're paying
for. We want to raise awareness with them especially."
University Chief Negotiator Dan Gamble said GSIs' frequent con-
tact with undergraduates is one of the reasons they will not strike,
even if their contract is not renewed.
"I think it would be extremely unfair to the undergraduates if that
would happen," Gamble said.
Snow volleyball
Budget to consume
early legislative session
By Kelly O'Connor
Daily Staff Reporter
As the Michigan Legislature's pre-session activ-
ities are concluded, including an orientation for its
newest members, forming the fiscal year 2000
budget has emerged as an important issue for all
involved in the process.
Gov. John Engler's budget proposal will be pre-
sented to the Legislature in approximately the second
week of February, said Kelly Chesney, spokesperson
for the Department of Management and Budget.
Engler doesn't take his role in the creation of the
budget lightly, Engler spokesperson John Truscott
said.
"He has always been extremely involved, going
through virtually every line of the proposal,
department by department, issue by issue,"
Truscott said.
Overall, Truscott said he doesn't expect a major
overhaul of the budget from last year.
"The increase across the entire budget could be
less than the rate of inflation," he said.
The inflation rate for 1998 was 1.8 percent,
which is less then the 1997 rate.
As he has in the past, Engler will stress educa-
tion, Truscott said.
"He is interested in preserving higher ed. fund-
ing at one of the highest levels per capita in the
country," Truscott said. Another concern of
Engler's is "getting more money into the class-
room."
Last year's higher education budget provided a
2.5-percent increase for the state's colleges and uni-
versities, well below the University's request. This
year the University Board of Regents requested a 5-
percent increase in funding from the state.
After the DMB presents the budget to a joint
meeting of the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, those bodies will begin deliberations
on the proposal and work out their own proposal.
These proposals must then pass the full houses,
where individual legislators will have their say.
Many legislators already have carved out spe-
cific areas they would like to see prioritized when
state money is allotted.
Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek) said ensur-
ing that the state allocates sufficient funds for
higher education is top on his list.
"I am interested in seeing the appropriations for
all 15 (public) universities being at the level where
we don't have to see any tuition increase," said
Schwarz, who has chaired the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Colleges and
Universities in the past.
Assignments for this session are still pending.
More specifically, Schwarz estimated that about
$320 million was doled out to the University. He
said he hopes to see a higher number in this year's
final plan.
"I would like to see that increase a minimum of
$20 million," he said.
The issues legislators make a case for during
budget appropriations are the same issues they
emphasize in their other work in the Legislature,
said Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor).
"Priorities for the budget tend to reflect our prior-
ities in general," she said.
Overall, Brater expressed an interest in seeing
an increase in the budget equal to or above the rate
of inflation. There also have been many programs
passed over in the past which should get some
extra attention, Brater said.
"We've closed 15 mental hospitals in Michigan
and we're ending up seeing a lot of people getting
criminalized" because of under-funding, she said.
Brater said that a failure to protect the environ-
ment can directly affect aspects of life people take
for granted.
NATHAN RUFFER/Daly
iSA first-year student Craig VanKempen bumps a ball during a snow volleyball game in thesouth
courtyard of East Quad Residence Hall yesterday.
Report outlines
steps in charter
school approval
LANSING (AP) - The Michigan
Association of Public School
Academies released a report on charter
school authorization yesterday, an issue
leaders say is critical as they lobby to
lift the state cap on charter schools.
The report, prepared by the Detroit
law firm Dykema Gossett, outlines the
authorization process and explains who
has oversight over the state's 137 char-
ter schools.
For example, the report determines
that the State Board of Education does-
n't have the constitutional authority to
revoke school charters. But the state
board is able to withhold or deny state
funding to charter schools that aren't
performing.
And while those who authorize the
charters receive and dole out state
funds, the board of directors of the
charter school is responsible for devel-
oping the school's budget. The autho-
rizing body is not allowed to manage
the financial aspects of the school.
Charter schools may be authorized
by four entities: local school boards,
intermediate district boards, communi-
ty college boards and university boards.
Universities may issue charters
statewide; the others may only issue
charters within their own districts.
Dan Quisenberry, president of the
Association of Public School
Academies, said the report is the first
to clearly explain the duties of autho-
rizing bodies. It will be presented to
the Department of Education and the
state school board in the next few
weeks.
Jim Goenner, the director of Central
Michigan University's charter school
office, said the report is one way to sim-
plify the difficult task of chartering a
school. Goenner said his office is also
using the Internet to improve the autho-
rization process.
"We're looking for ways of stream-
lining so that they can focus on the chil-
dren, not the paperwork," he said.
The report could also help schools
gain a measure of legitimacy after
reports of low test scores and otheradif-
ficulties.
"Every time I read in the media that
charter schools are going to have less
bureaucracy, it's a myth," said Pat
Sandro, who authorizes charter schools
for Grand Valley State University.
Sandro said charters are almost
doomed to fail, since they face
tremendous financial drawbacks and
must meet dozens of codes and reg-
ulations.
We thought so.
That's why, this weekend, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, January 15-17, Ann Arbor's new pair of
record>
independent record stores, Pn&RCK and .Z'
are giving you a reason to brave the snowy streets
by announcing the first annual
THIS WEATHER SUCKS SALE
Stock up on the finest in jazz, blues,
rock, pop, techno, hip hop, world music,
folk, country, bluegrass, soul, R&B, and
much more, from our vast inventory by
taking 20% off our regular prices
STOREWIDE.! liii! !
Every CD in the store is at least 20 %
off its retail price with some titles being
sale priced even lower.
So, whether it's the hits you are looking
for, some obscure, moldy oldie, a box
set or something no one else but you
has ever heard of, it's cheap, cheap
che !
IlL Q kLLN L AR
FRIDAY
D "Kathy Constantinides, Publi
on Art & Politics of Profh
Sexual Exploitation," Sp
by National Endowment
Ants and School of Art &
Art and Architecture B
Room 2104, 7 p.m.
"Welcome Back Sh
Sponsored by Hillel, Hille
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Kiwanis Building, 200 S. First St., Rem(
corner of Washington, 9 a.m-12 p.m. Prese
ic Panel Audi
essional SUNDAY AU"The
onsored Affi
for the U "Falun Gong Workshop," Sponsored Spon
Design, by Falun Gong Practice Group at U Affirr
uilding, of M, Dow Building, Room 1005, .iusti
1320 Baldwin Ave, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Ange
abbat," U "GAP Swing Dancing," Sponsored by
I, 1429 Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 7:30 p.m.
embering, Discovering &
erving," onsored bySchool
Music, aham Building,
torium, 3 p.m.
First Open Debate on
mative Action at U of M,"
nsored by Academics for
mative Action and Social
ce and College Republicans,
ell Hall, 3-5 p.m.
.E
'