NEWS The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 5 INITIATIVE Continued from Page 1. infrastructure, dividing the state into 18 regions and recruiting coordinators to campaign in these areas. The initiative currently has about 60 coordinators and 314 petitioners. MCRI officials also said the group is in desperate need of more funding to run its petition campaign. It has set a fundraising goal of $4 million for the petition drive and cam- paign. MCRI is currently soliciting donations from citizens across the state. State Rep. Leon Drolet (R-Clinton Twp.), who is an MCRI co-chair- man, said at the meeting that for every $20 donated, the initiative can obtain 15 signatures. United Michigan has proposed a similar plan for its "internal cam- paign," a quiet opposition movement to the MCRI petition drive. The group will recruit local leaders to spread its message of "Decline to Sign," mainly through mail-in dona- tions. It continues to expand its coali- tion and seek more funds, Rice said. "We're growing the base and we're keeping people informed," Rice said. MCRI is taking highly public steps toward its own goal of 400,000 to 425,000 signatures by June 15. Many signatures are not valid, since unregis- tered voters often sign petitions. If MCRI receives filled petitions early, they can count signatures to ensure a high validity rate. Earlier this month, the group pub- lished an advertisement in the Detroit News and Free Press Sunday edition asking citizens to "help MCRI end all racial discrimination in Michigan." The ad contains testimonials from four citizens and one family, includ- ing state Rep. Jack Brandenburg (R- Harrison Twp.). Saturday's meeting was the first meeting of its kind, drawing a crowd of about 50 people. MCRI unveiled a short video with information on the history and future of "racial preferences." The video contains testimonials from students, professors and families of all races but rarely refers to gender prefer- ences, even though gender is included in the proposed amendment. The final screen reads, "Courage! The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. End Race Preferences." Greeted with a standing ovation, Con- nerly gave a speech toward the end of the meeting. "Freedom from race. Free- dom from race," he said. "It is one of the most debilitating preoccupations of the government today -race, race, race." Outside the hotel, BAMN and con- servative student groups clashed as both asserted their position. Marching in a circle, BAMN members chanted 'MCRI, we say no. Racist attacks have got to go." Members of the Young Americans for Freedom and some college Repub- lican organizations stood silently for most of the time, holding signs and occasionally commenting on the BAMN protestors. One sign read "Character not color. Yes to MCRI." Campaign manager Tim O'Brien spoke at length on the "art of peti- tioning." Suggestions ranged from not accept- ing post office box numbers as address- es and not abbreviating towns and cities to "resisting the urge to debate" and "keeping your eye on the prize." When approaching someone to sign, O'Brien advised petitioners to ask, "Would you like to sign a peti- tion to end race preferences?" Other suggested phrases included "to end race and gender discrimina- tion" or "to end affirmative action," though the group has continually asserted that it is not opposed to affirmative action. Petitioners were advised to ask friends, families and members of their civic organizations to sign. "They'll sign it because they like you," O'Brien said. ECONOMY Continued from Page 1 is projected to grow by 4.7 percent this year - the largest increase in 20 years - and 3.8 percent in 2005. Crary said that the government is currently utilizing expansionary fis- cal policy, meaning increased gov- ernment spending, which is causing the economy to grow. The outcome of the presidential election in November will not alter the forecast, as changes in fiscal policy are gradual, she said. In addition, the forecast for infla- tion and interest rates is positive, the report says. Inflation is expected to be low this year, according to the economists. The consumer price index, which is a measure of the change in prices paid by consumers for an assort- ment of goods, is expected to rise 1.4 percent compared to a 1.5-per- cent rise last year. It is expected to pick up in 2005, increasing to 2.2 percent next year This be the verse MASING Continued from Page 1 people (so that) abortion is the last choice a person would make." His plat- form includes tax incentives to help small businesses and regulation of gov- ernment programs to monitor cost-effec- tiveness. Masing's campaign as an independent candidate allows him the flexibility to draw from Republican and Democratic views, but he said he may have to run under a party affiliation. "One thing that's going to keep me off that ballot is that (as an independent) I have to get three times as many signa- tures as Republicans or Democrats," he said. "I'm thinking about maybe running (with a party) just to get onto the ballot." Masing said it is unfortunate that moderate candidates do not have a place in American politics, which he believes are controlled by a bipartisan system closely tied to special interests. "You can't win as a moderate in this country because the extreme left or right will paint you as wishy-washy"he said. Even if Masing does make it on to the ballot, he may not have much luck, political science Prof. Kenneth Kollman said. "Third parties very rarely win seats in the U.S. House," Kollman said. "Peo- ple that do what he's doing are trying to promote a set of ideas." Currently, Bernie Sanders of Vermont is the only independent congressman in the House. Dingell said he is confident that.his service has met the needs of the 15th District and for this reason, voters keep electing him back into office. "We don't worry about our opponent. We just carry out our own campaign," he said. Even Masing will be the first to admit that Dingell's name recognition alone could win him the election without running a single ad. He, on the other hand, "has to solicit every penny he raises." So far, Masing has been running the campaign largely from his own pocket with the help of a few small donations. To continue in the race, Masing said he needs to raise between $80,000 and $100,000 and gather 3,000 signatures within a six-month window. Despite these obstacles, he said he refuses to bow to interest groups and emphasized the need for new leadership for the 15th District. "When you look at where (Dingell's) money comes from, you wonder if he knows what the 15th District is about anymore," he said. Masing said involvement, in the political process has exposed him to the dirty side of politics, with its "back deals" and "slick answers" - aspects of the congressional race that he said have been disturbing. That is why at the end of the day, Masing is content teaching "Programming I" and working on the Coursetools Next Generation revisions for the Universi- ty while spending time with his two children. And if his political aspira- tions go unrealized, he's always got his gig with the Witch Doctors. BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily Poet Scott Withiam reads selections from his book "Arson & Prophets" at Shaman Drum b Bookshop yesterday. - ~,.