4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 20, 1999 (Tte atch41vUn a-tw,4,lg In Michigan's most importantjobs, it's hip to be dumb 0 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109 daily.letters@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan HEATHER KAMINS Editor in Chief JEFFREY KOSSEFF DAVID WALLACE Editorial Page Editors W ould you let a doctor operate on you if she never held a scalpel before? Would you only take classes from profes- sors who didn't graduate from college? Would you let a lawyer defend you in a Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. murder trial if he's never argued a case? Would you buy a painting from an artist who doesn't know the difference between contrapposto and chiaroscuro? These questions seem rhetorical, but in our fine state govern- ment, they are all too real. For the past year, our state House has suffered from lifetime term limits, which Michigan's voters approved through ref- 26 years later, Roe v. Wade quietly erodes T oday is the 26th anniversary of one the Roe is overturned, and desperate wom Supreme Court's most controversial will turn to alarmingly unsafe metho decisions: Roe v. Wade. The case that legal- Roe guarantees that if a women decides ized abortion is as contested as ever. Roe have an abortion, she can have a safe a has taken a tremendous beating from con- legal one. Roe was a major victoryf Jeffrey Kosseff .W , represented Ann Arbor in the state House since 1995. Because of term limits, this will be her last year as a state representative. "The longer you're there, the more you understand the process and the budget," Brater said. "You know the history behind certain legislation." The flood of new members, Brater said, prompted more extreme positions and less compromise in the House. Legislators don't have as much time to build relationships that cross partisan lines. They don't have time to thoroughly work on and learn about the state's most vital problems. This should bother the University commu- nity, which depends on the state for a signifi- cant part of its general fund, While the issue isn't as exciting as sweatshop labor or affir- mative action, its consequences affect us all. Term limits rest on the claim that policy makers don't need experience. And propo- nents also believe that term limits will drive corruption out of the legislature. Both claims have terrible logical flaws. They don't realize that politicians, like all other people, need experience to succeed. Like any job, policy making has a skill set that grows with experience. Brater, for example, has been an advocate for the environment and consumer rights. Term limits, unfortunately, will rob the state of her expertise next year. The best politicians are often the most senior ones. Consider Franklin Roosevelt, who was arguably the best president of the Twentieth Century. Even experienced Sens. Ted Kennedy and Jesse Helms, despite their partisan extremes, greatly contributed to the country's political landscape. Policy makers have perhaps the toughest management jobs in the country. They serve all of their constituents rather than a few key shareholders, and governments are enormous- ly complex. In the House, a freshman legisla- ien ds. to and for tor chairs the subcommittee that appropriates funds to the University, That lack of experi- ence frightens me. It often takes legislators six years to get used to their jobs. I can't imagine appropriating billions of dollars of money with no prior legislative experience. This fear of experienced politicians is.. responsible for the success of Jesse Ventura, whose ridiculous anti-politician propaganda defeated the campaigns of two knowledgeabl candidates. As governor, Ventura is . Minnesota's chief executive. He's more than just a tough figurehead - he has tremendous management responsibilities. His lack of$s experience didn't impress me, like it did vot- ers nationwide. It depressed me. The recent" hype over potential presidential candidate: Donald Trump depressed me even more. I don't want a country governed by profes- sional wrestlers and billionaire moguls who don't know anything about cost-benefit analy sis and public service. I also, however, don' want a government of corrupt party bosses who have lifetime appointments because of support from big-money special interests. Term limits don't solve this problem. Brater offered a more efficient and sensible solution. "Reform needs to come in the form of cam- paign finance reform,"Brater said. "Term lim- its changed the players but not the system.' As long as we have wimpy campaign i finance restrictions, we will have corruption Experience doesn't corrupt. Greed corrupts. Citizens must realize that policy making requires certain skills - and term limits pun-... ish people who have those skills. Hopefully, we'll see a referendum on the ballot within the next decade that would repeal term limits. If you vote on that question, please consider the problems of being governed by a House of incompetence. -Jeifrey Kosseff can be reached over e-mail atjkossefl@umich.edu GRINDING THE NIB servative legislators. So many states have since enacted thinly-veiled obstacles, such as required waiting periods and parental or spousal consent that Roe's original power faces constant erosion. State governments cannot dictate whether abortion is morally right or wrong. Abortion will always exist, even if feminists in the '70s, and since then, we've seen progress quietly backslide. This must not continue. Abortion may be a personal decision, but the right to have one is not debatable. Roe needs enforcement at the federal level. States should not be allowed to manipulate a law to better suit their leg- islators' morals. erendum. Sixty-four new state representatives took office last January due to the six-year limit. Eight-year limits will begin to effect the state Senate and governor in 2002. Like eating a bowl of raw cookie dough, driving in the rain without directions or throw- ing back that extra shot of Jagermeister, term limits sound like a great idea but have devas- tating consequences once they become reality. Michigan's legislature, like most state gov- ernments, has experienced its fair share of cor- ruption. The automakers and other big busi- nesses contribute vast amounts of money to local campaigns, and many of the state's envi- ronmental laws reflect that relationship. In the early '90s, staffers in the House Fiscal Agency embezzled millions of dollars. Corruption exists, but are term limits the remedy? I asked Liz Brater, a Democrat who has Not ready for ' Sweatshop document has right idea; needs work CHIP CULLEN tudents Organizing Economic Equality for Labor and (SOLE), one of the campus's most prominent activist groups, is pushing University President Lee Bollinger to sign the Worker Rights Consortium, which aims to improve labor conditions under which University- licensed apparel is produced. Unfortunately, the WRC is a flawed docu- ment that lacks specifics, so the University cannot - and should not - sign it in its current form. Instead, the administration should work with labor rights activists to map out the details. But we insist that both parties work together quickly and efficiently to reach a compro- mise. Once our campus takes a firm stand on workers' rights, many other schools will follow suit. The University, home not only to lead- ers in the sweatshop movement but the most popular athletic logo in the world, is being watched by other universities debating their own course of action. SOLE and the WRC aim to end sweatshop labor, or at least prevent the University from indirectly supporting it through ath- letic clothing. The movement's outcry about labor conditions is right on target. They have worked diligently and seem close to mak- ing a difference in the lives of workers hundreds of miles away. It is in the best interests of the University, which is prone to bureaucratic hang-ups, to act quickly on its potential to influence other schools and the sweatshop labor movement. But quality is far more important and influential than speed. Signing the WRC is far better than joining the Fair Labor Association, which advocates corporate monitoring and makes cover-ups easier. But WRC's lack of specifics undermines its potential power. The WRC aspires to prevent exploitation by revealing the location of sweatshops and their working conditions. The WRC presents a catch-22: make it more detailed and some may find it too binding; leave it vague and it cannot accomplish as much. But being binded to a less-than-concrete but more popular document undermines what SOLE is try- ing to accomplish. The University should not sign onto the current version of WRC because it is a public business, and no business executives would bind them- selves to a document that lacks detailed, concrete specifics. The WRC is based on ideals - good ones - but legal ramifi- cations have yet to be fleshed out. What exactly would the University be responsi- ble for? It's not clear. For the University administration to make a commitment, it needs to know exactly what it is getting into. United Students Against Sweatshops, SOLE's umbrella organization, needs to make some compromises to give the WRC real definition. 71 , an Daily-wecomesletters m aft of its readrs. Lettes from Unyrsity stu- dents, faculty, staff and am mistrators will be given priority over others. All letters nt include the wter's name, phone number, and school year or University affiliation. The Daily will not prtint any lfetter lthat e =not be verified,: Adho minem attacks will not be tolerated. Letters should be kept to approximately 300 words. The ichlganDtaily reserves the right to edit for length, clarity and accuracy. Longer "viewpoints" may be arranged with an editot. Letters will be run according to order received and the amount of space available, letters sbou d be sent ov er e-mnail t drl leters ut c#ric' or n ail to the Daily at 420 Maynard St. Editos can be reached at 764-0552 or by sending e.i-mail to the above addrss. Letters e.maled to the Daily will be geno ty over those droppd of rin person or sent via theU&. Postal Srxice,, Word 'diversity' is without clear definition To THE DAILY: I am writing because I am confused regarding the recent furor over the University's admissions procedures, and hoped that someone, be it the Daily's edito- rial staff or otherwise, could enlighten me as to how the process works. The first issue which confuses me is what the administration actually means by "diversity?" Does the University mean diversity in the "ethnic" manner only, or do regional, national, cultural, socio-econom- ic, sexual and religious differences consti- tute part of what it means to have a diverse student body as well? Are the above con- siderations factored into the admission process, and if so, in what manner and to what degree? I ask this because while the gay and les- bian community on campus is certainly dis- tinct, and adds a constructive voice to many topics, I am unaware of any complaints of favoritism regarding the admission of gays and lesbians. Nor am I aware of so-called "reverse discrimination" which benefits Hindus, Jews. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Muslims (many of whom are of African descent themselves), or any of the other unique and diverse peoples and individuals who make up the student body of this University. To be honest, I am ignorant as to whether the University even takes religion or sexual orientation into account when reviewing applications. Although it seems a University pledged to diversity would, I am curious to learn the manner in which they do so. t WffEr WY WC CAMWT "p, , 3UST HAVC SOME DELTA SIG S"SH O T EE UN rHr. , ES OLN Break the Code 'U' is infringing on students' rights Again, I suppose I'm just ignorant regarding what "diversity' means ,to the University, and am interested in what kinds of diversity warrant special attention in the admissions procedure. ALEXANDERLCRAWFORD LSA STUDENT Article on TV channel needed RHA's input TO THE DAILY: The Wednesday, Jan. 19 issue of the Daily contained an article entitled "U Channel 72 now shows movies continu- ously." While we at RHA appreciate that you ran the article, helping to make stu- dents aware of the additional RHA Movie Channel hours, we are greatly disappoint- ed that you did not attempt to contact any- one at RHA for a quote or to explain the new service. Our phone number is listed and we have been contacted many times this year by your reporters. If you are reporting on an RHA program, why did you not bother to contact anyone at RHA? Furthermore, our Website is not www. housing. umich. edu (University Housing's Website). You can find RHA on the web at www urnich.edu/-rha. A quick check of the website or actually contact- ing someone at RHA would have prevent- ed that incorrect information from being published. JASON TAYLOR RHA PRESIDENT her doctor alone L ast Saturday, the University started training a new group of students in how to carry out its infamous Code of Student Conduct. They are probably stu- dents with good intentions of democrati- cally helping with the University's disci- plinary system. Of course, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the deviltry worked into the Code is not very democratic at all. The University is looking into changing the Code, but the fact remains that its fundamentals are so unjust that it must be completely abol- ished. Run through the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Code describes "possible behaviors which are inconsis- tent with the essential values of the University community." The behaviors are punished by "possible sanctions which are intended to educate and to safeguard members of the University community." The Code allows the Abortion is concern for a woman and 4 the possibility of double jeopardy. A stu- dent may be tried in a court of law and convicted - then disciplined by the University for the same crime. It is unconstitutional in a court of law for one person to be tried twice for the same crime. Why does the University believe it is above this? The Code appears to put power in the hands of the students, allowing the accused student to choose between hav- ing either a Resolution Officer or a Student Resolution Panel arbitrate the dispute. But this is hardly a democratic process - and students are denied legal counsel. Even after a student panel makes a decision, they do not have the last say. Their judgement is only a "recommenda- tion" to the Dean of Students, who sub- sequently looks over the ruling and decides whether to accept or change it. In TO THE DAILY: I wish to respond to the Jan. 19 column by Mike Lopez that unilaterally (and rather emphatically) speaks in favor of "pro-life" and its insolubility with "pro-choice," both with respect to abortion. It seems to me that both of these positions have been so oft- cited that they have each become cliches 0 their own right, and that their true meanings (to the extent that either phrase has a mean- ing) are all-too-often looked over. To say that those who are pro-choioe cannot be pro-life is to completely over- look the definition of "choice," perhaps the most potent, important power we each possess. If a unified standard of "pro- death" were imposed upon all pregnabt women, certainly mad chaos would ensu* and all humanity would soon embark on Lopez' pretty path to extinction. But the more pressing matter at hand is that if such a morbid decree were made, preg- nant women would lose their power lo choose - and the same would occur were Hollywood to force all impregnated women to give birth. It's rather ironic that the subject at hand has been broached by two guys, who in reality have little or no say in such things. In the end, we must remember that aborti4 is a concern for a woman and her doctor, and that -those who would attempt to regu- late it one way or the other embark on a journey just as futile as trying to mix oil and water. JOSH BREITZER LSA AND MUSIC FIRST-YEAR STUDENT This is in response to James Wilson's Jan. 14 letter titled "Donating meals outside the cafeteria is a bad fundrais- abuse, domestic violence and countless other problems caused by social and economic injustice. and only time that ASB has participatel in the meal-sacrifice and there were at most four people from ASB at each dAr las. i t XUPfPI-'