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NEWS

The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 3

GOVERNMENT

Kerry returns to
Michigan to
attend rallies
Democratic presidential candidate
John Kerry plans to deliver a major
speech on job retention in Detroit
on Friday before heading to Warren
for an evening labor rally at a Unit-
ed Auto Workers hall. It will be the
first visit to the state for Kerry
since Feb. 6, when he held rallies in
Warren and Flint.
Kerry plans to fly into Detroit Friday
morning and will stop first at down-
town Wayne State University, where he
will deliver his midday speech.
He's expected to meet with UAW
officials before heading to the rally
at the union's Region 1 office. Gov.
Jennifer Granholm, who endorsed
Kerry before the state's Democratic
caucuses, is expected to accompany
Kerry on some of his stops.
After emphasizing the jobs issue
in campaign appearances and cam-
paign ads, Kerry hopes to capitalize
on that trust during his visit to
Michigan, where a 6.6 percent
unemployment rate and news of lay-
offs and plant closings have made
jobs and the economy top concerns
of Michigan voters.
House fails to
override veto on
abortion bill
The Michigan House failed a sec-
ond time yesterday to get the two-
thirds vote needed to override Gov.
Jennifer Granholm's veto of a bill
that she and other opponents have
said would make it too difficult for
young girls to get an abortion with-
out the consent of their parents.
The House voted 68 to 35 to over-
ride the veto yesterday, five votes short
of the 73 needed. That's less support
than the Feb. 24 vote to override the
veto, which was three votes short.
Matt Resch, spokesman for
Republican House Speaker Rick
Johnson of LeRoy, said the veto
override was put up a second time
yesterday after some representatives
who voted for the bill and then
against the override said they would
vote differently if given another
chance. "There had been some news
that some people who voted no the
first time had changed their minds,"
Resch said after the vote.
Postal rates may
increase 4 cents
in 2006 for letters
Postmaster General John Potter
warned that a postal rate increase
planned for 2006 could be 4 cents
or more for first class letters unless
restrictions on how the agency oper-
ates are eased.
Potter also asked a joint House-Sen-
ate hearing on the future of the post
office yesterday to free $3 billion in
postal funds from an escrow account
and to remove a $27 billion obligation
for the agency to cover military retire-
ment benefits for its workers who pre-
viously served in the armed forces.
Cities may be able
to keep current
living wage laws
Local governments would be able
to keep their living wage ordinances
as long as they applied only to their
own employees or to vendors with
local government contracts, under a

bill approved yesterday by a state
Senate committee.
The bill, sharply different from a ver-
sion that passed the House more than a
year ago, now goes to the full Senate.
It resurrects a debate over how
much power local governments
should have to establish pay scales
in their communities.
TV industry to
offer equipment to
blocks channels
The cable television industry said
yesterday it will provide free equip-
ment to allow subscribers to block
unwanted channels, a reaction to
efforts on Capitol Hill to curb indecent
programming.
The offer is directed to about half
the nation's 70.5 million cable sub-
scribers who don't have cable boxes
that can be programmed to block
certain channels or programs.
Bill would punish
people taking
invasive Dhotos

STUDENT GOVERNMENT
MSA inaugurates newly
elected representatives

By Cianna Freeman
Daily Staff Reporter
Jason Mironov accepted the
Michigan Student Assembly presi-
dential gavel at last night's meeting,
as Angela Galardi stepped down and
ended her term as president.
As new president and vice-presi-
dent, Mironov and Jenny Nathan of
the Students First party were sworn
into office and joined by the other
new represenatives.
Mironov addressed the new repre-
sentatives with advice for the
upcoming year.
"You are the face of MSA. ...
Smile," Mironov said. "Remember
your platform."
Nathan also encouraged the repre-
sentatives to get involved with the
committees, commissions and task
forces.
The newly elected assembly
passed a resolution to fund more
buses for the March for Freedom of
Choice on April 25th.
The assembly will pay an addi-
tional $6,400 for two extra buses.
The assembly has already funded
two buses.
The resolution was brought up
because the number of students
interested in attending the march

was more than the assembly antici-
pated, said MSA Rep. Ashwini
Hardikar.
Currently, about 180 students are
on the waitlist to travel to Washing-
ton for the march.
But some representatives were
reluctant to approve the resolution.
"Just because we have the money
doesn't mean we should use the
money," MSA representative Brian
Doughty said.
Many student groups might now
begin to ask for funding for trips
that the assembly might not be able
to afford, MSA Rep. Russel Garber
said.
The new members also voted to
fund extended hours at the North
Campus Recreational Building on
April 15. The building will remain
open from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 am.
"I think it is a good opportunity
to bring students to North Campus
and not only see the campus, use the
facilities and begin building the idea
and sense that North Campus is a
good place to be," MSA Rep. Kat
McGee said.
"This is something for students to
benefit from and begin to make a
connection between MSA and the
North Campus community," McGee
added.

But saying goodbye to the assem-
bly and wishing good luck to the
new members of MSA was the main
focus of the meeting.
Galardi ended her presidential
report by addressing the new execu-
tives.
"You are going to love this job
more than I ever could have," she
said to Mironov.
"You are going to do great
things," Galardi added, looking at
Nathan.
Outgoing Vice President Monique
Perry also gave advice to the new
representatives.
"MSA is really what you all make
it. You set the tone," Perry said.
She told them to remember stu-
dents voted them into office and
they are accountable to them.
The last resolution that the assem-
bly passed was the resolution to
fund Voice Your Vote at Relay for
Life on April 3rd.
Relay for Life is a fundraiser to
raise money for the American Can-
cer Society.
MSA will rent a stage at the event
to sign students up to vote.
Voice Your Vote Commission Co-
Chair Pete Woiwide said this event
would be a great opportunity to reg-
ister voters.

_RY CANNE.,/Daiy
Jason Mironov is sworn In as Michigan Student Assembly president at last night's
meeting in the MSA chambers of the Michigan Union.

Dean's new group will benefit state Democrats

By Michael Gurovftsch
Daily Staff Reporter

University alum James Whitaker said he wel-
comes all the help he can get. As a first-time
Democratic candidate for the state House of Repre-
sentatives, he hopes to mount a challenge against
Rep. Fran Amos (R-Waterford), an incumbent with
more far more resources than him.
Enter former presidential candidate Howard
Dean.
Dean's new group, Democracy for America,
which he announced the creation of last week, is
designed to provide money and strategic consulting
for aspiring Democratic politicians at all levels of
government."Our new enterprise will help in every
way possible," the former Vermont governor said
while announcing DFA's formation in a speech last
Thursday in Seattle. "We will put to work our
national grassroots network and organizing tools to
help candidates win."
The mission of DFA is four-fold: to recruit
progressive candidates at all levels of govern-
ment, to raise money for those candidates, to
develop partnerships with other progressive
organizations and to develop relationships with

similar political groups.
Whitaker, who plans to complete his MBA from
Michigan State University this spring, said he con-
tacted Dean's organization to obtain help with his
campaign.
Just one day after the establishment of the group,
Whitaker's name and meeting information
appeared on DFA's website.
"I hope people who were motivated by Dean stay
involved and use their power,"Whitaker said.
But Jeff Stormo, public policy and research
director for the state Republican Party, said he
believes the DFA will have very little effect in
Michigan, if any at all. "The impact (Dean) is
going to have is going to be with a very small
group of his supporters," Stormo said, adding that
"angry" Dean is just attempting to use leftover
money from his campaign at a different level.
The Republican National Committee echoed
these sentiments. RNC spokeswoman Heather Lay-
man downplayed the potential impact of the DFA,
categorizing it with other groups campaigning
against President Bush and other Republicans, like
moveon.org, a group which has purchased air time
for anti-Bush commercials in the last few weeks.
"We want to elect Republicans from the state

House to the White House. That is what we will
continue to do with our grassroots effort: reaching
out to new voters and communicating Republican
policies that we believe are the right policies for
America," Layman said.
The Michigan Democratic Party said they have
not yet been in direct contact with the DFA, but
would welcome any assistance the group may pro-
vide. "(Dean) has shown the ability to bring new
people to the party and the political process and
demonstrated new and innovative ways, including
using aspects of technology, to get people involved
in politics," state Democratic Party spokesman
Jason Moon said. Moon added that he believes the
DFA will have a positive impact on Democratic
candidates in Michigan.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who got
her political start at the grassroots level in 1974
when she was elected to the Ingham County Board
Commission, said she realizes the necessity to sup-
port upcoming Democratic candidates. "There's so
much at stake in this election," Stabenow said. "I
think it's wonderful what (Dean) is doing."
Stabenow said she has not talked with Dean
recently, but plans on campaigning in Michigan
along with Dean and U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-

"I hope people who were
motivated by Dean stay
involved and use their power."
-James Whitaker
Democratic candidate for the state House of
Representatives
Mich.) for state-level candidates.
The DFA is not the only organization helping
candidates at the local level. Both the Democratic
and Republican state and national committees cur-
rently provide services for candidates, including
donating money, providing strategic assistance,
locating volunteers, preparing mailings and buying
advertising time.
Corrections:
A photo on Page 1 of yesterday's Daily
showed LSA sophomore Jason Grunwald.
Please report any errors in the Daily to correc-
tions@michigandaily.com


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