Monday December 8, 2003 02003 The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan z IC OqW 4*F - 441V 4 44& Eb rtcbtg au:3 tftlu Weaher TODAY: Mostly cloudy during the day with winds from 37 the south- LO 31 east at nine Tamorrow miles per 4 39 hour. www.michigandaily.com Vol. CXIII, No. 66 One-hundred-thirteen years ofeditoridfreedom New coalition to challenge Connerly initiative By Jeremy Berkowitz Daily Staff Reporter The University received support from numerous businesses and individuals last year when its race-conscious admissions policies went before the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, those same forces are preparing for another fight as the American Civil Rights Coalition hopes to nullify the same admissions policies with a statewide ballot initiative. Citizens for a United Michigan, headed by retired Brig. Gen. Michael Rice, was formed recently by a collaboration of the AFL-CIO, Critics say bribe was offered to lawmaker Democrats: GOP congressmen pitched deal to Rep. Nick Smith By Andrew Kaplan Daily Staff Reporter the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Michigan Catholic Conference. Rice said the group plans to fight to preserve the use of race in admissions. An initiative by University of California Regent and ACRC founder Ward Connerly, to amend the state constitution prohibiting race- conscious admissions and other state pro- grams that take race into account, is expected to be approved Thursday by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers. Afterward, Connerly's group has six months to gather 317,000 signatures to get the initia- tive on next November's ballot. The coalition plans to start its drive next month. Rice said his group is starting to build an advertising campaign to convince voters that this initiative is bad for the state. "We're working on a website ... we'll be buy- ing media time, maybe even billboards," Rice said. "This (petition) is wrong for Michigan." Rice added that he plans on building a broad coalition throughout the state to include more than just liberals. "This is a nonpartisan effort to defeat a bal- lot proposal," Rice said, referring to the state Republican Party's refusal to endorse Conner- ly. "We're capitalizing on that and we're build- ing on this coalition to be very inclusive." Although the state party remains neutral on the issue, a group of 20 Republican state leg- islators, headed by Reps. Jack Brandenburg of Harrison Township and Leon Drolet of Clin- ton Township, pledged their support to Con- nerly this fall, but Rice said he is unconcerned about them. Justin Jones, director of policy and planning for the American Civil Rights Coalition, said he looks forward to the competition. "I'm not worried at all," Jones said. "I look forward to debating with them." Some areas of Michigan are strongly con- servative, especially the western part of the state and the Upper Peninsula. Rice said he hopes to focus more on converting the unde- cided voters than on persuading those who already hold strong positions against affirma- tive action. "I would love to convert everybody, but I don't know if that's possible," Rice said. University spokeswoman Julie Peterson said she is not surprised by the outpouring of sup- port, especially after more than 300 organiza- tions filed 60 Supreme Court briefs in support of the University earlier this year. The court See INITIATIVE, Page 2A -!- 919M.''T77, , MM7777.,WW,, Blue accepts bowl bid amid BCS debate By Courtney Lewis Daily Sports Editor Michigan Democrats say the pas- sage of major Medicare legislation, which just barely snaked through Congress last month, was nearly tainted by a bribe - but its source and its substance are in dispute. In written statements released late last week, U.S. Rep. Nick Smith (R- Addison) - whose district covers most of Washtenaw Coun- ty, not including Ann Arbor - and the Michigan Democratic Party each affirm that Smith was offered financial NICJk Siiiith or political incen- tives to vote yes on the bill. Smith - who ultimately voted against the health care legislation and was unavailable for comment - has said the proposal came from outside Congress and would have provided political backing for his son Brad Smith's congressional campaign to succeed his father. Michigan Democ- rats said they suspect Republican congressmen - including a high- ranking Michigan representative - of pledging $100,000 to the cam- paign in exchange for the elder Smith's "yes" vote on the bill. Breaking with claims made by Michigan Democrats, Brad Smith said he hesitates to even call the offer a "bribe." "My understanding is that the night of the vote, leading up to the vote, groups were offering very substantial and aggressive support for my campaign," Smith said. "Call that what you will - I would not call it a bribe. "I have never heard of a (dollar) number," he added. The candidate Smith said the offer came from interest groups who might benefit from the passage of the bill. "I think (the offer) probably came from industry groups," he said, adding that insurance companies likely approached his father. Referring to Nick Smith's state- ments, Mark Brewer, executive chair of the Michigan Democrats, said, "His statement makes it clear that things were offered - cam- paign endorsements and so forth - so those things are equal violations of the law as if they were money." Current federal anti-bribery law cen- sures an individual who, "directly or indirectly," makes promises to public officials or persons "selected to be" public officials with the intent to affect the outcome of an act, such as a vote. Both sources said the U.S. Department of Justice has decided to investigate the alleged bribe. "The Justice Department has said they're going to look into it," Brew- er said. "We need to get to the bot- tom of this. ... This bill passed by the slimmest of margins and if peo- ple were bribed to get their votes, we need to know about it." Running back David Underwood, right, and defensive lineman L~arry Stevens hold a rose as they celebrate with fans on the Big House field after Michigan's win over Ohio State sealed the Wolverines' fate as Big Ten champs. Student bowl tickets available today It turns out Michigan will play in a national title bowl after all. The Wolverines, who officially accepted a Rose Bowl bid yesterday, will match up against Southern Cal. on Jan. 1, 2004. The Trojans were left out of the Sugar Bowl, the Bowl Championship Series title game, but coach Pete Carroll said that as far as he's concerned, his team will be play- ing for the national championship in Pasadena. That's because his Trojans are ranked No. 1 in the country in both the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. The coaches are obliged to choose the BCS championship bowl winner as the nation- sr e al champion, but the Di're media is not. So if pae Southern Cal. wins parking, the Rose Bowl, it could be named national champion by the AP and share pa the title with either Oklahoma or Louisiana State, who will play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. Carroll expressed no bitterness about his Trojans, ranked third in the BCS, not making the Sugar Bowl. Southern Cal. has been on the Sugar Bowl bubble since losing to Califor- nia on Sept. 27, but Carroll said his team didn't dwell on the BCS stand- -ings. "We weren't going to be worried about it and concerned with it because we had no control over it," Carroll said. "We want to get to the Rose Bowl and win the Rose Bowl - that's what the goals of this program are all about. So we want to take that oppor- tunity in hand and go for it. "The fact that there's a little contro- versy with it just makes it that much more interesting." Southern Cal. won't go to New Orleans because Louisiana State, now ranked No. 2 by the media and coach- es, jumped the Trojans in the BCS after winning the SEC championship this weekend. The Tigers had been behind the Trojans in the BCS rank- ings, but Louisiana State's win over Georgia boosted its strength of sched- ule and helped move it ahead of Southern Cal. The Trojans won the Pac-10 Championship Saturday with a 52-28 victory over unranked Oregon State. Previously undefeated Oklahoma dropped to No. 3 in the voter polls after getting trounced by Kansas State, 35-7, Saturday. But the Sooners remained on top of the BCS because of A ROSFO their strong schedule. The BCS system takes into account the human polls and seven computer u-;rankings, as well as strength of schedule and records. This year's bowl picture just added to the BCS's controver- sial history. Under the system, which was implemented in the 1998 season, the No. 2 team in the human polls has twice been excluded from the BCS championship game (Miami in 2000 and Oregon in 2001). But this is the first time the consensus No. 1 team will not play in the title bowl. Adding to the debate, Oklahoma will play for the national title despite not winning its conference title. "I have no real good sense of how this thing works, so I'm not a very good one to criticize it," Carroll said. But he added that "from a coach's per- spective and from a competitive per- spective," there's one good solution. "I don't know how to fix the system other than to play it off." See ROSE BOWL, Page 3A By Ashley Dinges Daily Staff Reporter Now that Michigan's trip to the Rose Bowl is official, the Michigan ticket office has opened registration for tickets to student season-ticket holders. Beginning today, students can apply for tickets to the game, either alone or in groups. The Ticket Office will be organiz- ing the sale of the tickets in the same manner as for regular away games. Season ticket holders can begin apply- ing today, on the Ticket Office's web- site, www.mgoblue.com/ticketojfice. A $15-surcharge will be added to the ticket price of $125. If the demand for tickets exceeds the number available, a lottery will be held. But a group of students is con- sidered one application, so the entire group will be ineligible if their num- ber is not drawn. In addition, students may only pur- chase tickets for themselves, and not for friends or other non-students. A student ID and alternate form of photo identification must be presented when picking up tickets on Dec. 30 and 31 in Pasadena. "The reason we are doing that is so the students who really want to go can get tickets. We have a better shot of meeting the demand," said Marty Bodnar, director of ticket operations for the Michigan athletic department. Many students oppose the athletic department's ticket prices because no discount is offered for students. All tickets will be sold at face-value price, prompting many students to seek other means of purchasing tickets. LSA senior Maria Arnold is debating whether or not to purchase tickets through the Pasadena Tournament of Roses website, rosebowl.com. "Michigan should support students and want them to go. Encourage your students to have some school spirit," Arnold said. Although rosebowl.com sells tickets for $125, they must be purchased through Ticketmaster, and students may encounter a surcharge there as "well, similar to the charge imposed by See TICKETS, Page 3A Criticisms prompt second Plymouth Road traffic studyj Hallelujah for Handel By Mona Rafeeq Daily Staff Reporter Muslim community leaders say they believe the city's original analysis of the intersection where two Engineering students were killed was poorly done, prompting city officials to conduct another study of the area. The November study examined the intersec- tion of Plymouth Road and Beal Street, to determine if a pedestrian-activated traffic light is warranted. The new study's results will be released Feb. 17. Some city officials are concerned that an unwarranted signal could cause problems in traffic flow in the area. The study came after Teh Nannie Roshema Roslan and Norhananim Zainol died while crossing Plymouth on their way home from an evening prayer at the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor. The report lists 11 conditions which, if met, could warrant a traffic light but the report stat- ed that none were met. These requirements for traffic signals come from the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic According to City Administrator Roger Fraser, the traffic counts are usually performed by mechanical counters, but the counter machines malfunctioned due to the cold weather. Leszek Sipowski, who is the senior project manager for the city and prepared the report, said it is difficult to tell why the traffic coun- ters malfunctioned. "In low temperatures it very often is a droplet of water freezing in the hoses. In this particular case, it could have been also a slow speed of Islamic Center traffic;" Sipowski said. Due to the counters' malfunction, the report was based on manual counts made by city technicians, which Muslim leaders say are unreliable. Islamic Center President Nazih Hassan said the technicians were not present during peak traffic times. Last month was Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims, and Taraweeh prayers were held each evening. Hassan said the prayers drew about 600 to 700 people each night, with cars arriving between 6 and 7 p.m. The technicians were present for the :{. -,:....:.x~ ; 5t:; ;# , ,t3.,, -. --.x- ' S{ . ...uxu ,..