8A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 18, 1999
LOCAL/STATE
INDEPENDENT
Continued from Page JA
Hustvedt said. "It's almost like hav-
ing a split personality."
Hustvedt added that he just wants
to be a representative of the student
body.
Many of the candidates said they
feel they are more capable than
party members of creating change
within the student government
because they are not affiliated with
a particular party, and are conse-
quently free to make decisions based
on student needs, not the needs of a
larger party.
The independent candidates also
said they feel their straightforward
campaigns will win votes in the
upcoming elections.
Without a lot of flashy advertise-
ments and catchy campaign slogans,
the candidates said they will rely
heavily on their friends to get the
word out, explaining that one of the
main campaign issues they face is a
limited budget, unlike their highly
funded party opponents.
The candidates said they set very
modest budgets for themselves -
ranging from about $20 to $75 -
and will stick to them.
LSA junior David Taub, an inde-
pendent candidate, has never held a
position in student government and
said he believes this fact will give
him an advantage when election day
rolls around.
"I'm an independent thinker, and
I haven't been corrupted by the stu-
dent government system," Taub
said.
Taib said he sees himself as the
pro-biker, pro-pedestrian candidate
and feels that the limited budget of
the independent candidates is more
friendly to the environment.
"The more you spend, the more
you waste," Taub said.
Candidates focus on tu
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Staff Reporter
Yearly tuition hikes plague every student on cam-
pus and the Michigan Student Assembly has dedicat-
ed much of its time this semester to limiting increas-
es in tuition in upcoming years.
Under MSA President Trent Thompson's adminis-
tration, the assembly has focused on educating itself
on the issue, Thompson said.
At its meeting March 9, the assembly passed a res-
olution to work with administration in improving the
problem of tuition increases.
The first steps MSA has taken toward understand-
ing the issue include conducting monthly meetings
with Associate Provosts for Academic Affairs Paul
Courant and Marylin Knepp.
The assembly has also successfully worked for a
student member on the Advisory Council on
University Budgets, which is chaired by Knepp and
currently consists of faculty and University depart-
ment officials. The position, chosen by Knepp, is
scheduled to be announced early next month, said
LSA Rep. Sumeet Karnik.
Karnik, who initiated the meeting and the XA
student position on ACUB, also invited
Courant and Knepp to speak at an assembly
meeting earlier this month.
"That's another way to educate our-
selves," Karnik said.
Courant said the assembly has two roles
in influencing tuition.
The first, he said, is to remind his
office that students would like tuition to Part or
be low. three-r
The second, he said, is "making student issuess
views known as we put together a bud-
get."
Courant added that the assembly should "help pro-
mote a useful exchange of information on what goes
on in the budget"
an(
TO
se
tlon hikes'
MSA has also shown interest in lobbying in
Lansing to increase state funding for the University. a
Three MSA members plan to travel to
Lansing today to meet with two state repre- 2
sentatives and a state senator.
"What we're aiming for is a 3.3 percent
appropriations increase," said LSA Rep.
Peter Handler, who plans to travel toQ
Lansing.
Handler added that members of the
assembly plan to return to the state's capital
in a few weeks. In addition, they will attendN.,
e of a at least one of four public hearings held
art across the state by the Senate a
:ries. Appropriations Higher Education -
Subcommittee in April.
"We're not happy with the initial recommendation
the governor gave us, Courant said.
The assembly also plans a letter writing campaign .
for students led by Rackham Rep. Suzanne Owen.
Higher Ed
budget
passed in
committee
BUDGET
Continued from Page 1A
four tiers to determine minimum fund-
ing.
Because the University already
receives more funding than its tier's
funding floor, the system would not
allocate any additional funds to the*
University, while other schools could
get up to an additional 5 percent
increase from the state.
"That in my view is not good public
policy," Bollinger said.
The tier system was passed in its
original form, although Jellema said it's
not flawless.
"It's not perfect but it's a good begin-
ning" Jellema said. "For a one yea*
budget, it's not bad"
Jellema said he is willing to look
into revisions of the tier system in
the future, but time constraints
forced the committee to simply pass
that portion of the proposal as is for
now.
Rep. David Mead (R-Frankfort),
vice chair of the committee, said it is
unfortunate that the University
would not benefit from the tier sys-
tem.
"The University of Michigan is a
very unique school," Mead said. But
"we have the responsibility of seeing
that we live within the budget," Mead
said.
Wilbanks said the tier system may
be modified as the proposal passes
through the full House and Senate.
Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek),
who chairs the Senat
Appropriations Subcommittee o
Colleges and Universities, has said
he will closely examine the tier sys-
tem, she added.
"At this point we would anticipate
change," Wilbanks said.
LIKE TO
WRITE?
DON'T SLEEP
MUCH?
SKIP CLASSES?
So DO WE.
JOIN THE
DAILY.
WE'RE
LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE
INTERESTED IN*
WORKING FOR
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Y K
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Pur ErATIfN
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