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One hundred nine years of editoria freedom
Tuesday
November 30, 1999
linton signs budget, closes divisive session
Anand Giridharadas
aily Staff Reporter
The bitterly divided Congress that faced off
er impeachment - and went on to squabble
er everything from gun control to HMO
form - adjourned this month with a remark-
moderate budget deal.
a ceremony in the White House Rose
arden yesterday, President Clinton signed the
nal $385 billion spending package to the
cers of members of Congress and his cabinet.
"I am proud to sign a bill I believe will give us
stronger, better America in the 21st Century."
e said, tabling partisanship to congratulate both
arties on overcoming division and adjourning
amicably.
On Capitol Hill last week, each side claimed
victory. Republicans touted increased funding
for the Pentagon, an across-the-board spending
cut at federal agencies and the return of control
to local school districts. Democrats hailed the
defeat of the GOP's S792 billion tax cut plan and
the salvation of Social Security and Medicare.
But beneath the flurry of rhetoric, lawmakers
on both sides of the aisle left town -- and one of
the most divisive sessions in recent memory -
with striking proximity on fiscal issues.
"It was a pause from the fights of the year,"
said Marshall Wittman, who tracks Congress for
the conservative Heritage Foundation in
Washington. "That's as good as it gets when you
have an executive and a legislative that loathe
each other."
On an array of funding questions, from educa-
tion to the environment, Democrats and
Republicans met halfway, each side tempering -
but ultimately adopting - the other's proposals.
Their final reconciliation illustrates how a
year of scandal and stalemate in Washington -
and an increasingly wary electorate - weak-
ened party leaders politically and forced them to
shelve lofty goals for clean compromise.
It also shows how a booming economy and
federal budget surplus have made some sem-
blance of compromise possible, by giving poli-
cymakers an unprecedented opportunity to avert
hard choices and pursue once-exclusive goals
concurrently.
"The parties feel the economy is so good that
they can both spend more and still show a sur-
plus," said Bill Frenzel, a scholar at the nonpar-
tisan Brookings Institute in Washington who
represented Minnesota in the House of
Representatives for 20 years.
The final budget package, adopted over-
whelmingly in the House and Senate and signed
into law yesterday, reflects three fiscal approach-
es - budget cuts, increased spending and
deficit reduction - that make for strange bed-
fellows.
The 13 bills totaling S609 billion that com-
prise the budget for the 2000 fiscal year - five
of which were' lumped together and cleared to
close the session on Nov. 20 - provide a wind-
fall of funds for each party's favorite projects.
Democrats secured S86 billion in discre-
tionary spending and $229 billion in mandatory
spending for Medicare and Medicaid programs
and restored $12 billion that had been cut from
the programs two years ago.
In a nod to environmentalists, Democrats also
won passage of S470 million for government
purchases of scenic or environmentally sensitive
land that is threatened by development.
See BUDGET, Page 7
U' Predicts
ecine in
inority
umb ers
Report of minority
nrollment to be
eleased as soon as
omorrow
y Michael Grass
aily Staff Reporter
fer delaying the release of its
rehensive enrollment report for
ore than a month, the University
ould release the report sometime this
eek.
University spokesperson Julie
Peterson said
Minort the report
( r could be
Slfnl repert released per-
f the Uiversty hapsas early
reflcts recent as tomorrow.
ds, minority P e t e r s o n
enrollment h said the delay
been drpn can be tied to
sincee1995 by t iems
~perct1each year problems
- processing
1ercent' additional
x99:14 perent data for the
q: 13 percent report.
8:3pe rt " W e' ve
t1 9 12 perCent tried to
O he incorporate
some new
eterson said.
Preliminary enrollment informa-
ion released in June indicates that the
umber of minorities applying to the
niversity dropped from 1998 to
1999.
Since the initial report is based on
pplications processed before May 17,
he final numbers could change
terson could not say whether the
1 numbers are reflective of the ini-
ial report.
If the preliminary numbers hold true,
inority enrollment has been decreas-
ng since 1995.
In 1995, underrepresented minori-
ies comprised 15 percent of the stu-
ent body while in 1997 and 1998,
nderrepresented minorities made
up 13 percent of the student popula-
The University defines black.
Native American and Latino/a stu-
dents as underrepresented minori-
ties.
According to the preliminary
report. the University received
21.01 1 applications from prospective
students hoping to enter the current
first-year class.
Out of that number, 2,260 appli-
cts were underrepresented minori-
From the total applicant pooi, the
University admitted 13,351 students
into the current first-year class, with
1,520 underrepresented minority
prospective students.
As of May 17, 5,841 paid deposits
weesent to the University by students
planning to enroll in the current first-
year class.
~he University uses the number of
pd deposits as an indication to class
size.
From that number, 662 students were
from underrepresented minorities, less
than 12 percent.
For the final report, which will
include additional information on the
Warming up
Goss creates
Athletic Dept.
CFO position
By Michael Grass
Daily Staff Reporter
The University Athletic Department
announced yesterday that Athletic
Director Tom Goss has hired an execu-
tive director of athletic business opera-
tions to handle the departments fiscal
affairs.
Jason Winters will come into the posi-
tion after two years as vice president and
corporate controller for Ann Arbor-based
Captec Financial Group.
"I am extremely excited to have
Jason join our staff," Goss said in a
written statement. "He will not just
look at the financial picture but he will
oversee all cost centers."
Winter's position is most similar to
that of a chief financial officer of a cor-
poration. The creation of the position
comes on the heels of a controversy
involving the Athletic Department's
reported $2 million budget deficit for fis-
cal year 1998-99.
The Athletic Department maintains a
budget separate of the University's gener-
al funds.
At the July University Board of
Regents meeting, Goss announced
there would be a budget surplus of
$880,000 for fiscal year 1999-2000,
with additional revenue coming from
four more home men's basketball
games and a non-student football tick-
et price increase.
In September, the department
announced that an audit revealed an
additional deficit of $756,000.
Athletic Department spokesperson
Bruce Madej said the hiring was not in
direct response to the shortfall, rather it
grew out of advice from various con-
sultants.
"This has been in the works for a
while. We've been looking at differ-
ent ways of finding revenue streams
for the Athletic Department," Madej
said.
The Athletic Department used its
estimated $20 million reserve fund to
cover the budget shortfall. The budget
See CFO, Page 2
JESSICA JOHNSON/Uaily
A member of the University School of Dance shows off her moves during a class yesterday at the Central Campus
Recreation Builing..
tudent, faculty express
disgustobacco stock
By Nika Schulte
Daily Staff Reporter
Considering its reputation as a nationally acclaimed
research institution, many students and faculty question why
the University would place its dollars and cents in tobacco
companies.
About 20 students, faculty and community members told
of their disgust for University funds being linked to tobacco
companies at a forum in Rackham Auditorium last night.
Biology Prof. Lewis Kleinsmith, vice-chair of the Senate
Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said such
investments go against the University's goals.
Kleinsmith said the University's missions of being a rep-
utable research and health care provider are contradicted if
it ignores the "enormous scientific body of evidence" indi-
cating that tobacco products are lethal.
"If the University respects research, perhaps it should act
based upon it," Kleinsmith said.
The eight-member student, faculty and staff Advisory
Committee on Tobacco Investments scheduled the event to
allow the public to express their views.
The committee formed in September after being
appointed by University President Lee Bollinger and
Chief Financial Officer Robert Kasdin. In 1997,
SACUA passed a resolution calling on the University
Board of Regents to divest from tobacco investments.
The group was charged with the task of determining
whether the investments are conducive to the mission
of the University.
Law Prof. Kyle Logue, who serves as chair of the commit-
tee, said that as of Aug. 31, the University's investments in
tobacco stock totaled approximately $17 million. The amount
is about .05 percent of the University's investment portfolio,
Logue said.
LSA and Music first-year student Jocelyn Frank said she
is against the University being a share holder in tobacco
companies because people focus on financial benefits of
tobacco and ignore the negative health risks.
Frank said she does not smoke but is bothered that she
See DIVESTMENT, Page 2
JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily
Physics Prof. Martin Einhorn speaks out against the University's investment in
tobacco stocks at a forum last night at Rackham Auditorium.
Student-planned AIDS Awareness
Week kicks off with film screening
By Hanna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reporter
Not everyone in the 50-plus member
audience knew what they came for
when they sat down in the Michigan
League Underground last night at 8
p.m. Many came to see the University a
cappella groups Amazin' Blue and The
Gentleman - performers for the
evening.
But as the LSA senior Riya Saha wel-
comed the audience to the kickoff of the
":r . A . -vih -, inA TT'C AwnaiPnPcc
and University Activities Committee
Special Events planned yesterday
evening's activities as a way to introduce
the audience to AIDS Awareness Week.
"I think it would be best to start with
something enjoyable and fun," Saha said.
The hour-long concert was followed by a
screening of the Academy Award-win-
ning film "Philadelphia."
The entire evening was sponsored by
the Michigan League Programming
Board and the movie was co-sponsored
by the Office of I ehian Gav.
is "to get rid of the 'it can't happen to me'
mentality that college students seem to
have - especially here."
LSA sophomore and The Gentlemen
member Rob Humbracht said he hoped
his group's participation would "draw as
many people here as possible for a
cause." He added, "If adding our name
to the venue helps in any way, then
we've accomplished our mission."
LSA and Music senior. Anna
Gleichauf came to sing as a member
of Amazin' Blue. "If (AIDS) is not