One hundred eleven years ofeditorialfreedom t tt NEWS: 76-DAILY CLASSIFIED: 764-0557 wwwmichigandally.com Friday January 18, 2002 Vo.CUNo 1An Aro.MihianQ202Th Mchga Cuts likely in higher ed funding By Loue Mezish Daily Staff Reporter With the state facing an estimated deficit of $900 million, funding for Michigan public uni- versities for the next academic year is expected to remain low and could even be cut. The amount of funding the University receives usually determines tuition for that year. When State Treasurer Doug Roberts met with the directors of the House and Senate fiscal agencies Tuesday to make revenue estimates for the coming fiscal year, they predicted fiscal year 2003 revenue would drop 0.4 percent from 2002. State Budget Director Don Gilmer will make Gov. John Engler's budget presentation to the Legislature Feb. 7, and indications are that higher education funding will be cut. "(The governor) doesn't think there will be a department in state government that will not face cuts," said Engler spokesman Matt Resch. When asked if that included the state's universities and colleges, Resch added, "Everyone needs to be prepared to tighten their belts." The state's constitution requires a balanced budget. Last summer, Engler and the Legislature approved a 1.5 percent increase in funding for the University of Michigan, but with that fund- ing, the Board of Regents approved a tuition increase of 6.5 percent for most students. The budget presentation kicks off the several month-long appropriations process in which leg- islators wrangle over the funding of the numer- ous state-supported institutions. "A lot of hard decisions are certainly going to be made;' said Glenn Stevens, executive director of the Presidents Council of the State Universi- ties of Michigan. "But again the point needs to be made that what happens on the appropriation front certainly has a significant bearing on the institution on the tuition front." Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek), chair of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees higher education funding, outlined the prospects for this fiscal year. The worst case sce- nario for the University is a 5 percent cut, the best a budget that maintains the same funding as last year, he said. The last time the University saw a "flat" bud- get increase was during the 1993-1994 fiscal year. Some legislators have called for a pause in the phase-outs of the state's single business See BUDGET, Page 7 LESLIE WARD/Daily Noorla Popal fled Afghanistan in 1986, after witnessing a number of injustices against women and children. She spoke of her experiences to students and faculty last night at the School of Social Work. Mghan refugees speak about Taliban injustices Haddad moved to Chicago By Jeremy Berkowitz Daily Staff Reporter Ann Arbor Muslim leader Rabih Haddad was transferred from the custody of the U.S. Marshals of the Eastern Dis- trict of Michigan to the U.S. Marshals of the Northern Dis- trict of Illinois yesterday. Haddad is being held in a federal institution in Chicago, where it is probable that he will be given a subpoena to appear in front of a grand jury in the future. The move was met with the same outcry from Had- dad's supporters that has been heard since he was incarcerated on Dec. 14. They claim Haddad is being unfairly held without due process. James Douglas, head of the U.S. Marshals Service of the Eastern District of Michigan, said that Haddad is not being treatedunfairly and that the marshals are concerned for his safety. "We are not heartless people," Douglas said. Douglas also said the only charge Haddad faces is an expired visa violation, and the movement of a detainee in this situation is standard procedure. Haddad was held in the Monroe County Jail until Friday, when he was moved to an undisclosed location from which he was moved yesterday. Douglas also said that due process has not been vio- lated. He pointed out Haddad has already had two hear- ings and that the secrecy of the proceedings are for Haddad's own good. "We are concerned about his safety and security," Douglas said. Members of the Islamic community questioned the trans- fer to Chicago. They alleged the government is trying to put pressure on Haddad to talk more about the Global Relief Foundation, the charity co-founded by Haddad, and its pos- sible ties to terrorism. "By taking him to Chicago, they are trying to break his spirit," said Homam Alburouti, a board member of the Michigan chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Rela- tions. Executive Director of Michigan CARE Haaris Ahmed said that he didn't understand why the govern- ment is trying to keep every aspect of Haddad's case quiet. See HADDAD, Page 7 By Jordan Schrader Daily Staff Reporter After witnessing a woman's hands being cut off for her jewelry and bombs being placed in toys left for children to find later, refugee Nooria Popal said she was glad to have fled Afghanistan for America. Popal and two other Afghan refugees joined humanitarian aid workers yesterday at the School of Social Work to participate in a panel discussion on the plight of civilians in Afghanistan. Popal, Maroofa Ahmadi and Masooma Ahmadi were resettled in Michigan by Refugee Services of Catholic Social Services after escaping from Afghanistan. At the discussion, they described the bru- tality they saw in Afghanistan, including that carried out by the Taliban and the anti-Soviet Mujahideen guerrillas before them. "The Taliban are not like normal people," said Popal, who described her own experiences and translated for the other refugees. "They do things without reason. They open the door and they don't see, this is a wife, this is a child. They shoot them." Her move to the United States has been a good experience, said Popal, who first fled to India in 1986. Her initial fear of being hated because of where she was born was replaced by gratitude for her neigh- bors' generosity. "Some people bring for me blan- kets. Some people bring for me dishes. I say, 'What is this? Why do they help me?,"' she said. "I learn life here. I learn love here from American people. They are so beautiful, so nice," she said. The overthrow of the Taliban in recent months has not given her reason to go home, Popal said. See AFGHANS, Page 7 ALYSSA WOOD/Daily Interim President B. Joseph White speaks at his first meeting of the University Board of Regents yesterday while Michigan Student Assembly President Matt Nolan looks on. Construction, plas on..hold for theater By Shannon Pettypiece and Kara Wenzel Daily Staff Reporters Plans to build the Arthur Miller Theatre,-one of the largest projects proposed by former University President Lee Bollinger, have been delayed because of budget con- cerns. Officials decided~ to. hold the project until costs could MLK Day activities celebrate 1ife an By Maria Sprow Daily Staff Reporter The University's list of observances for Martin Luther King Day is the longest of any college or university in the country, offering students, faculty and staff a range of opportunities to celebrate the Civil Rights Movement and King's life. "I think the University of Michigan has the strongest commitment to diversity in the country," said Damon Williams, program associate in the Office of Academic Multi- cultural Initiatives. "I think there are other ic titati + o tht t ad i ti n rnr tr.Ando things as well, but we are always trying to push the envelope and always trying to improve." As part of the free trip into the life and lessons of King, students have their choice of lecturers, sympo- siums and discussion topics to attend throughout the day. The keynote lecture by Detroit native Dr. Benjamin Carson, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hop- kins Medical Center in Baltimore, as part of the of the "nonrin s Challenmin and Liv- ing," symposium is the biggest event planned for the day, Williams said. He expects anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 people from the University and surround- ing communities to attend the lecture at 10 a.m. Mon- day in Hill Auditorium. This is the 15th year of the symposium, which began in 1987, when the holiday was still controversial. Though legislation asking for a national MLK holiday was first introduced four da saftr ing's Aeth in L diversit 1968, a bill was not passed by the U.S. Sen- ate until 1983. The first holiday was observed in 1986. The holiday was not celebrated by all 50 states until 1999, when New Hampshire passed legislation in favor of recognizing King's work. "The first reason (the symposium was started) is that the University, in all it's greatness, wanted to recognize the contribu- tions of a great man," said Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs. "It was at the strong urging of students that it happened." See MLK, Page 7 be reevaluated after building construction plans exceeded the $20 million budget,, said interim Univer- sity President B. Joseph White. "This project is not in danger" White said. "This project is alive; it is not dead." White said it "The Cost estimates were vastly higher than the $20 million." -- B. Joseph White Interim University president in ough ren US nggg le R vers gains endorse-mient in toug re-e cto ba layJ altGl r..Ulrj J U!UdUi 111 Don't fence me in Unless Republican plan for redistricting is overturned, she'll face veteran Rep. John Dingell By Loule Mlzllsh Daily Staff Reporter In an effort to help get the ball rolling for U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers' 2002 re-election campaign, the Washington-based fundraising group EMILY's List announced this week it will begin to collect funds on her behalf. Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) will most likely face Dearborn Rep. John Dingell in the Democratic nrimarv, after the Renublican-controlled state trict. "Though some in Washington think the power-* ful former chairman must be a shoo-in," said Ellen Malcolm, the president of EMILY's List, which only collects monies for Democratic and pro-choice women congressional candidates. "EMILY's List is confident that Congresswoman Rivers will win primary voters with her staunch support of choice, gun safety, and the environ- ment." Dingell, 75, is the longest-serving member of the House and chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee until Republicans gained a majority in the 1994 elections. Din- gell is now the ranking Democrat on the com- mittee. would be several months before he knows the theater's future. White said Bollinger's resignation from the University has no connection with the delay of the project. "Lee Bollinger would have had the same problem with it if he would have been here," said White. "Bollinger told me the cost estimates were vastly higher than the $20 million." Theater construction plans were not discussed yester- day at a meeting of the University Board of Regents, who originally approved building plans, but the regents did release a description of the criteria candidates to become Bollinger's replacement should meet. The duties and responsibilities defined by the criteria state the next president should enhance and continue the University's policies and practices towards comprehen- sive diversity, undergraduate education and the life sci- ences. The criteria does not specifically state that the next president must support affirmative action, instead saying that candidates should be in favor of maintaining diversi- ty on campus. The criteria states that the president have "significant academic and administrative experience, preferably at the senior management level in a research university or com- parable institution in business or government and an appreciation of the values and objectives of a large, pub- ALYSSA WOOD/Daily Rill EmArson dlA with Anrnn Christnnherson Iast night at the YMCA. where i i