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November 3, 2003
02003 The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan
,Vol.CXIII, No. 43

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Consumer confidence index rises

1
,.. _

Increased spending will
fuel economic recovery,
experts say
By ToWdslav Laika
Daily Staff Reporter
Following a series of economic reports in
the past few weeks promising economic
growth and more jobs, consumers' confidence
in the economy rose in October, the Universi-
ty's Surveys of Consumers reported Friday.
The Index of Consumer Sentiment, which
Sis released by the University each month, rose

to 89.6 in October from 87.7 in September.
Although consumers' confidence is still lower
than the postwar high of 92.1, the increase
would have been larger if consumers did not
continue to worry about future economic
prospects, the report states.
The results follow a federal government
announcement Thursday that gross domestic
product rose 7.2 percent in the third quarter,
the largest such gain since 1984.
In a written statement, Surveys of Con-
sumers Director Richard Curtin said the
nation's economic outlook for the next year
has "improved considerably," but he added
that consumers are still worried about longer-

term prospects.
"The central issue for consumers is when
they can anticipate sustained gains in jobs and
wages from the revitalized economy. ... If
wage and job gains quicken in the months
ahead, we could anticipate a more complete
restoration of consumer confidence during
the year ahead," Curtin said.
Although consumers have recently
increased spending - partly due to extra
pocket money they received from President
Bush's tax cut program - two-thirds of con-
sumers continue to rate current economic
policies as unfavorable, Curtin said.
Consumers also anticipate smaller gains in

income next year, Curtin added.
But Business School Prof. Nejat Seyhun
said current economic expansion is an almost
certain sign that the nation has left behind its
economic struggles. He said the unemploy-
ment rate will soon decline if the economy
maintains a growth rate of 3 to 4 percent.
"The economy is expanding extremely
fast," he said. For job growth to occur, "all
that needs to happen is this expansion to last
another quarter or two he said.
Yet huge increases in productivity attained
through technological improvements could
possibly lead businesses to avoid hiring sig-
See CONSUMERS, Page SA


IN THE ZONE

Victory in East
Lansing puts
Blue on track
for Rose Bowl
By Kyle O'Neill
Daily Sports Editor

EAST LANSING - Michigan made a
serious push for the Rose Bowl on Saturday
with a 27-20, win over Michigan State.
With the victory, the Wolverines are now
two wins away from making their first trip to
Pasadena since 1997.,
After a week in which Michigan's offensive
tackles were called out by Michigan State
defensive end Greg Taplin, it was those tack-
les, along with the rest of the offensive line,
that opened up constant holes for running
back Chris Perry. The senior workhorse ran a
school-record 51 times for Michigan while
compiling 219 yards and one touchdown.
"I hope (Perry) wasn't complaining,"
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "He wants
the football. He's not a flashy guy, but what
an unbelievable football player he is. When
we get into games where we have to throw
the football, he's a devastating blocker. He
runs with power and can run outside, too.
He's a great back."
Michigan moved up from No. 12 to the eighth-
ranked team in both the Associated Press and
ESPN/USA Today coaches polls after the win. The
Wolverines will know its Bowl Championship
Series standing tonight when the rankings are
revealed on ESPN at 6 p.m.

A U.S. Army helicopter flies near the area where a U.S. Chinook
helicopter was struck by a missile and crashed near Fallujah.
16 troops
killed in
he icopter
ambush
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) - Targeting Americans with
new audacity, insurgents hiding in a date palm grove shot
down a Chinook helicopter carrying dozens of soldiers
heading for home leave yesterday, killing 16 and wounding
20 in the deadliest strike against U.S. forces since they
invaded Iraq in March.
Witnesses said the attackers used missiles - a sign of
the increasing sophistication of Iraq's elusive anti-U.S.
fighters.
Three other Americans were killed in separate attacks
yesterday, including one 1st Armored Division soldier in
Baghdad and two U.S. civilians working for the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers in Fallujah. All three were victims of
roadside bombs, the military said.
Yesterday's death toll was the highest for American
troops since March 23 - the first week of the invasion
that ousted Saddam Hussein - and the attack represented
a major escalation in the campaign to drive the U.S.-led
coalition out of the country.
The giant helicopter was ferrying the soldiers on their
way for leave outside Iraq when two missiles streaked into
the sky and slammed into the rear of the aircraft, witnesses
told The Associated Press. It crashed in flames in farmers'
fields west of Baghdad.
"It's clearly a tragic day for America," Defense Secretary
Donald~Rumsfeld said in Washington. "In a long, hard War;
we're going to have tragic days. But they're necessary.
They're part of a war that's difficult and complicated."
Like past attacks on U.S. forces and a string of suicide
bombings that killed dozens in Baghdad the past week,
U.S. coalition officials blamed either Saddam loyalists or
foreign fighters for the strike outside Fallujah, a center of
Sunni Muslim resistance to the U.S. occupation.
President Bush, who was at his Texas ranch yesterday,
refused to personally comment on the attacks. He spent the
day out of public view - a "down" day between campaign
appearances Saturday and today.
L. Paul Bremer, the head of the occupation in Iraq,
repeated demands that Syria and Iran prevent fighters from
crossing their borders into Iraq.
"They could do a much better job of helping us seal that
border and keeping terrorist out of Iraq," he told CNN. The
"enemies of freedom" in Iraq "are using more sophisticat-
ed techniques to attack our forces."
U.S. officials have been warning of the danger of shoul-
der-fired missiles, thousands of which are now scattered
from Saddam's arsenals, and such missiles are believed to
have downed two U.S. copters since May 1. Those two
crashes - of smaller helicopters - wounded only one
American.
The loaded-down Chinook was a dramatic new target.
The insurgents have been steadily advancing in their
See IRAQ, Page 5A

Wide receiver Steve Breaston congratulates Braylon Edwards after his second touchdown reception - a 16-yard post route -
against the Spartans on Saturday. Michigan won the game 27-20. Inside: For more on the victory, see SportsMonday. Page 1B.

U9 reports more crime than intrastate rival

By Endt Kram&k
DadlyS Reporter
Football prowess is not the only differ-
ence between Michigan State University
and the University of Michigan -their rep-
utations also differ for fans' post-game
behavior.
Riots after the basketball team's tourna-
ment loss in March earned Michigan State
fans a reputation for violence, prompting

discussion of riot preparation for Saturday's
game, The State News reported. But much
to the surprise of some students, however,
no couches burned after the Wolverines'
football victory.
Michigan State junior Andy Zemke said
his school acquired a bad reputation after
last year's riots. "Before I came to school
here I never heard anything about it being a
riot school or a party school. Now I think
we are kind of represented as being those

things, especially after the basketball stuff
last season,"he said.
"I've never seen anything burning around
campus. I could understand where people
would get the idea," said Zemke, who said
he saw the riots but did not participate in
them.
In fact, the differences between crime
rates at the two schools will probably sur-
prise many Wolverines. Violent crime rates
at the University of Michigan were higher in

2002 than rates at Michigan State, but alco-
hol violations at Michigan State outnumber
those at Michigan.
Campus crime statistics reported by the
Michigan State University Department of
Police and Public Safety showed seven
reported robberies and 136 reported burgla-
ries in 2002, while statistics published by
the University of Michigan Department of
Public Safety showed 13 robberies and 150
See CRIME, Page 7A


Indian American
roots celebrated
in culture show
By Evan McGarvey
Daily Staff Reporter
In front of a sold-out crowd at the Michigan Theater,
members of the Indian American Student Association
dressed in brilliant traditional clothing while perform-
ing to the beat of rousing songs during IASA's 20th
annual culture show. Using a mix of modern and tradi-
tional styles, performers were able to embrace both
their Indian roots and American upbringings.
This year's show was titled "Sahastitva," a phrase
translated as "life as it is" and used to illustrate the
theme of this year's show - the celebration of India's
many ethnicities and cultures.
Culture show co-coordinator Jasen Mehta clarified
the goals of this year's show.
"This year, one of our main objectives is to show that
Indian people may not always be united but that they
manage to coexist. The beauty is that they can coexist,"
Mehta said.

Candidates debate Prop. B
as city election draws near

By Mona Rafeeq
Daily Staff Reporter
With only a day left before city elections,
Ann Arbor City Council candidates from the
2nd, 3rd and 5th wards continue to address

student concerns.
The candidates continue
to focus on Proposal B, the
major issue on tomorrow's
ballot. The Greenbelt pro-
posal, if passed, would use 1
money raised from an
extended 30-year, .5-mil
property tax to preserve
parklands and other open
spaces, inside and outside
the city.
But opponents of Propos-
al B say it could increase
housing and rental costs in
Ann Arbor, potentially
harming students.
A candidate in the 2nd
Ward, Democrat Amy Seetoo,

City Council
2nd Ward
N Michael Reid, R
0 Amy Seetoo, De
3rd Ward
Leigh Greden, D
Rich Birkett, Lib
Donna Rose, in
5th Ward
Wendy Woods,C
Jason Kantz, Lib

She said past students, including actress
Lucy Liu, have commented on how the city's
greenery and multitude of trees have made an
impression on them.
"Nature can have a positive effect on a
well-rounded person," Seetoo said.
Her opponent, incumbent Republican
Michael Reid, was unavail-
l candidates able for comment.
Donna Rose, who is run-
ning as an independent in
epublican the 3rd Ward, said she
mocrat opposes Proposal B
because she would like to
see the City Council pres-
emocrat ent residents with a
ertarian detailed plan for the mill-
dependent age funds before the tax is
extended for 30 years.
"We really need to look
Democrat to the state to enforce regu-
ertarian lations on green space,"
Rose added.
Rich Birkett, the Liber-
tarian candidate in the 3rd Ward, said he also

U


said she sup-