LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Wednesday. October 27, 1999 - 5 *Abraham to sponsor new reform bill FINANCE Continued from Page 1 al, no matter how cynical this debate remains," he said, "the senator from Wisconsin and I will persevere." The roiling debate last week reflects a deep philo- sophical rift between the parties, as liberals press for more equitable elections and conservatives insist on fewer barriers to free speech. The rift extends into Michigan, whose senators - Carl Levin, a Democrat, and Abraham - voted with their parties. The state ranked ninth nationwide for soft- money donations in 1996. The debate also signals the ever-expanding role of money in politics and the lengths to which many law- makers will go to preserve the system that brought them to office. In the aftermath of Watergate, lawmakers in the mid- 1970s adopted measures to curb the influence of money in public decision making. At the heart of the work was a S 1,000 cap on gifts to individual candidates and a plan for partial public financing of presidential elections, so long as candidates adhere to strict spending ceilings. But even as they set out to democratize elections and empower ordinary citizens, the lawmakers ignored soft money, creating a loophole for the nation's wealthiest individuals and corporations. Twenty-five years later, soft money makes up a large chunk of U.S. campaign spending. In the 2000 cycle alone, the parties are expected to pick up $525 million '-in soft money, in addition to what the candidates raise. Gifts come in a wide range of amounts from corpora- tions and individual citizens. Donations often are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and occasionally in the millions. Soft money originated as a mechanism for donors to support general party-building activities, including get- out-the-vote drives, education programs and issue advertisements. But many argue that the money serves primarily to let big donors evade the S1,000 cap. The parties, they say, work around regulations to direct general donations to individual candidates. In mid-1996, for example, with the two presidential candidates' war chests depleted, the parties dipped into their soft money coffers to fund TV "issue" spots back- ing the candidates in all but name. A version of the soft-money ban, often tacked onto broader reform measures, has floated through Congress for four years. Republican Senators have blocked it. But in a sign that reform might be gaining momentum locally, a Michigan Senate committee pis expected tomorrow to vote on a campaign finance bill that would bind elections statewide. On the federal level, Abraham's new reform package involves three major approaches to reduce the influence of money. It requires a S60,000 cap on soft-money gifts; pre- vents candidates from raising more than 50 percent of contributions out of state; and adjusts the Sl,000 limit for inflation, bringing it to S3,000. Joe Davis. a spokesperson for Abraham, said the bill has bipartisan backing. He said McConnell and other GOP leaders have yet to raise objections. McConnell's chief of staff, Kyle Simmons. said the senator was "eager" to see the Abraham proposal but did not expect a vote this year. Republicans traditionally have opposed campaign finance reform on the grounds that placing limits on contributions is akin to censoring political speech. "I am more fearful of government regulating money than I am of citizens engaging in a free exchange of political ideas," said Ari Fleischer, a former top adviser to Republican Elizabeth Dole. McConnell has framed his objection to reform on those constitutional grounds. But in a landmark 1976 case, Buckley v.daleo, the Supreme Court upheld the S 1,000 cap, ruling that limits serve the vital government interest in reducing the "appearance of corruption." In contentious floor debate, advocates of reform argued that a soft-money ban would serve that interest. "It is that part of Buckley that upholds the constitu- tionality of limits on contributions, which is at the core of McCain-Feineolk" Levin said. "That is why we believe that is perfectly consistent with Buckley." To bolster charges of systemic corruption, McCain has itemized examples of special-interest and pork-bar- rel spending on his campaign Internet site, enraging many GOP colleagues. McCain and Senate Democrats contend that soft money gives the nation's elite exclusive access to Washington's halls of power and alienates ordinary Americans from the political process. Charles Kolb, president of the Committee for Economic Development, a group of prominent business leaders, said many in the business community hav e themselves enjoyed that access but are ready to end it. "People are feeling disengaged because they think, I'm not a fat cat," he said. "Why else would you give money?" he asked. The Democrats have argued that young people, in particular, are increasingly detached from politics, as big money drowns out their voices. But Fleischer suggested young people simply have other priorities. He said youth activism may have declined but that voter participation has always been low for that age group. Simmons said McConnell viewed the First Amendment as "immutable" and a higher priority than all other concerns. The senator does not believe money is the root of youth apathy. Fleischer - a former top aide to House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Archer, the powerful Texas Republican who oversees the nation's tax system - said money only buys a donor access. He insisted that politicians bring "pre-formed ideolo- gies to Washington" and ultimately vote their con- sciences. Although he favors a soft-money ban, calling some of the donations "too much," Fleischer said full disclosure of contributions, with a vigilant media exposing corrup- tion, is the only viable reform. "The best disinfectant of corruption is sunshine," he said. SMWam=HLLSLDD Two South American degus explore their surroundings yesterday at the Medical Science Building If. The University has made preparations to ensure that its more than 55,000 animals will not be adversely affected during the Y2K rollover period. Y2K Continued from Page 1 A Y2K emergency response team consisting of representatives from campus divisions such as Housing, Office of the Registrar and Department of Public Safety has been trained to handle potential emergency situations that may occur between Dec. 30 to Jan. 4, Griffiths said. The team is scheduled to rehearse challenging scenarios in early December. A portion of the DPS building will be converted to a Y2K emergency operation center to condense the University's efforts. DPS Director Bill Bess said DPS has thoroughly planned safety measures. The department plans to increase the amount of time officers will be working during the University's cntical period. Bess said it is beneficial that a limited number of students will be on campus. If there are problems, "we can deal with them in a timely way and get them corrected before students return to cam- race. Bush has a commanding lead in the poll, with the support of more than 50 percent of Michigan respon- dents. Nursing first-year student Kami Shelton, who this summer was named Miss Teen Michigan 1999 will introducing Forbes at the Union. Shelton, who often promotes abstinence and gives speeches against abortion, is planning to attend an event with Forbes at Domino's Farms earlier in the day. "We have the same views," Shelton said. "Whatever I can do to help with the campaign I will." After leaving Ann Arbor, Forbes is scheduled to speak at a press confer- ence at a Battle Creek farm and meet with the Republican Women's Federation in Kalamazoo. Forbes made an unsuccessful GOP bid for president in 1996, with Bob Dole securing the party's nomi- nation. pus" on Jan. 5. he said. The University already has tested stu- dent registration systems, administration mainframe computers and the medical center's main data system. To care fir the more than 45,000 mice. 6,000 rats and 1,000 frogs and other ani- mals housed in campus research build- ings, Director of Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine Dan Ringler said !abo- ratories have taken precautions to ensure the animals' safety and care. Ringler said all of the machines and computers responsible for providing water to animals and cleaning their cages have been checked for Y2K compliance Ringler explained that a power glitch could impact temperature control, venti- lation and automatic lighting systems. But animal houses will receive power from the University's generator. Ringler said 50 ULAM staffers are being asked not to schedule vacations during the period so that staffers will be present to check machines after mid- night. Jan. 1 will be treated as a regulav business day for ULAM, Ringler said CRASH Continued from Page 1 crossing the street when the accident happened. "He went to go around her and she just turned into him. "He flew off and flipped over the car," Schuster said. Several witnesses said Fitzpatrick appeared to have seen the impending collision but was unable to react in time. "He couldn't do anything," LSA first- year student Dean Joyce said. As a crowd of several dozen stu- 1ents and passers-by gathered on the sidewalk, emergency medical crews from Huron Valley Ambulance attend- ed to Fitzpatrick for about 15 minutes before transporting him to University Hospitals. "The motorcyclist is going to be OK," DPS Lt. Robert Neumann said. The dri- ver and her three passengers were not injured. DPS officers did not ticket the driver or Fitzpatrick at the scene, Neumann said, but either party may receive a cita- tion if further investigation reveals fault. "It's illegal to make a U-turn if it can't be done safely, but there's no blanket FORBES Continued from Page 1 Republican candidates," Eastman said. Last month, Republican presiden- tial candidates Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer and Forbes attended the party's biennial conference on Mackinac Island, Mich. Texas Gov. George W. Bush planned to attend but pulled out to return home after a shooting in a Fort Worth church. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who recently announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, is planning to visit Michigan on Nov. 10, with stops in Lansing and Oakland County, Eastman said. The most recent statewide survey conducted by polling firm EPIC/MRA in Lansing placed Forbes. fourth among Republican candidates, behind Bush, Elizabeth Dole and McCain. Dole has since announced her withdrawal from the SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daity A motorcyclist identified as LSA junior Jimmy Fitzpatrick lies on the street follow- ing an accident on East Washington Street yesterday. prohibition on U-turns," he said, adding that the motorcyclist could be cited for passing a moving car in a no-passing zone. "If there's contributory negligence on both parts, then often tickets aren't writ- ten," Neumann explained. After speaking with DPS officers at the scene, the driver and her passengers declined to comment. Fitzpatrick was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. __ _ AT TIAA-CREF, LOW EXPENSES ARE A HIGH PRIORITY All financial companies charge operating fees and expenses - some more than others. Of course, the lower the expenses you pay, the better. That way, more of your money goes where it should - toward building a comfortable future. As the largest retirement system in the world,' we have among the lowest expenses in the insurance and mutual fund industries.2 In fact, TIAA-CREF's 0.35% average fund expenses are a fraction of the expense charges of comparable funds.3 It's one reason why Morningstar says, "TIAA-CREF sets the standard in the financial services industry." 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