NEWS
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 5A
Senate approves major
.increase in debt limit
WASHINGTON (AP) - A divid-
ed Senate approved an $800 billion
increase in the federal debt limit yes-
terday, a major boost in borrowing that
Sen. John Kerry and other Democrats
blamed on the fiscal policies of Presi-
dent Bush.
The mostly party line, 52 to 44 vote
was expected to be followed by House
passage today. Enactment would raise
the government's borrowing limit to
$8.18 trillion - $2.23 trillion higher
than when Bush became president in
2001, and more than eight times the
debt President Reagan faced when he
took office in 1981.
In his first remarks on the Senate
floor since his presidential bid ended in
defeat two weeks ago, Kerry (D-Mass.)
Ssaid his former opponent had presided
over "the worst fiscal turnaround in our
nation's entire history."
He was referring to the change from
the $5.6 trillion in surpluses that were
projected for the next 10 years when
Bush took office in 2001, to the $2.3
trillion in deficits now estimated for
the coming decade. Kerry and other
Democrats complained that those
bills will have to be paid by future
generations.
"This can be called a birth tax, a
birth tax that is dumped on the back
of every American child unwillingly,"
said Kerry, who voted against the bor-
rowing increase.
Republican senators did not join in
the debate, underscoring how politi-
cally uncomfortable the measure is for
them. That discomfort was highlighted
when they refused to bring the bill to a
vote before the elections.
Administration officials urged
lawmakers to act quickly. The gov-
ernment reached its $7.38 trillion bor-
rowing cap last month, and since then
the Treasury Department has paid fed-
eral bills by taking cash from a civil
service retirement account, which it
plans to repay.
"We are nearing the end of our rope,
and it is critical that Congress act," said
Treasury spokesman Rob Nichols.
Failure to raise the debt ceiling
could force a federal default and leave
the government unable to pay Social
Security recipients, federal workers
and other obligations.
The Senate's debt-limit vote came
as congressional bargainers used the
lame-duck session to put some finishing
touches on a compromise $388 billion
spending measure to finance scores of
agencies over the next 10 months.
That package - a combination of
nine separate spending bills - will
finance the heart of the government's
domestic programs, everything except
the departments of Defense and
Homeland Security. The measures
were supposed to be approved by last
Oct. 1, when the government's budget
year began.
In a letter to lawmakers, White
House budget chief Joshua Bolten
threatened a veto if the bill grew in
size. Legislative leaders have already
decided to keep it within the bounds
Bush wants - aided by about a 0.75
percent cut in all programs and reduc-
tions in a host of presidential priorities
from community colleges to absti-
nence education.
Several legislative provisions that
drew White House veto threats are
also being dropped from the final
bill, aides said. These include lifting
restrictions on trade with Cuba and
easing limits on aid to overseas fam-
ily planning efforts.
Democrats complained that the bill
- which will let non-defense, non-
domestic security programs grow by
about 2 percent next year - was too
stingy. They said that clean water
grants, the National Science Founda-
tion and federal subsidies for hiring
local police officers were all being cut
from last year and that funds for educa-
tion, biomedical research and veterans
health care were inadequate.
"I don't agree with these priorities,
but it is time to move the process for-
ward," said Sen. Robert Byrd of West
Virginia, the top Democrat on the Sen-
ate Appropriations Committee.
Even so, Democrats were cooperat-
ing in negotiating the bill's final form,
and many of them were expected to
vote for it on grounds that it was better
than the alternative.
IFC
Continued from page IA
worried that recent hazing allegations and
Senduring stereotypes about the Greek com-
Wmunity may hurt their recruitment efforts
among freshmen.
"Without an influx of quality characters,
the Greek system wouldn't continue to be
a strong as it is now," said LSA sophomore
Jordan Edelman, who was elected as IFC's
recruitment chair last night.
To reverse a trend of low recruitment over
the past few years, Edelman said he would
start by publicizing the Greek system.
"It's all about having flyers and leaflets all
over campus. We want people to get the word
out, and publicity is one of the biggest tools
we have. The new social policy will help --I
think that education is the biggest key. If we
continue to educate people to end the stereo-
types, we can really bring in quality guys in
large numbers."
The IFC is scheduled to vote on the chang-
es to parties Dec. 8.
TECH NO LOGY
Continued from page IA
The LeT US program has received the Council
of Great City Schools' 2004 Urban Impact Award,
which annually recognizes outstanding projects
conducted through collaborations between univer-
sity faculty and Great City School districts. To be
eligible for the award, the project must be currently
operating and have been in place for at least two
years.
The Council of Great City Schools, founded in
1956, is a coalition of 64 of the nation's largest
urban public school systems and includes cities
such as Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit. Atlanta and
St. Louis.
HOUSING
Continued from page IA
of more living space and air-conditioning. "Any time you
can have a bigger room, it's always better," LSA freshman
Kevin Crosby said.
__ LSA freshman Katherine Crimmins, who lives in a triple
Win Mosher-Jordan, also said if her room was any smaller,
she and her roommates probably would not fit. "I think if
we fought at all, we would feel like we were cramped,"
she added.
Crimmins said the lack of air-conditioning was also a
problem during the first month of school.
The University's renewal plan responds to the changing
intellectual and personal needs of students everywhere,
Henry said. "Everybody is face4d with the same dilemma,
and the larger the housing operation, the larger the chal-
*lenge," she said.
Henry led many large-scale projects in her previous
position in housing at the University of Connecticut. She
came to the University of Michigan from Connecticut
in June. "We're not modeling this after any institution."
Henry said, although she added University staff visited
several campuses to make comparisons, among them the
University of Maryland.
Maryland renovated its dorms to offer apartment- and
suite-style dorms 20 years ago, said Maryland Housing
Director Jan Davidson.
Davidson said the renovations helped to diversify what
was offered on campus. "With that in our case came ame-
nities we were not offering like air conditioning, carpeting
and the look and feel of apartment-style living," he said.
Davidson also said Maryland offers university-owned or
sponsored housing for about half its population. By con-
trast, the University of Michigan residence halls can cur-
rently accommodate about 40 percent of undergraduates.
The new residence hall will house 500 more students.
Robert Heitert, director of housing administration at
Purdue University, said he agreed that there is a trend
toward suite- and apartment-style accommodations. Pur-
due currently offers suites and single apartment units.
He said Purdue is also planning changes to stay up to
speed with the trend of changing dorms. It is planning to
build single rooms with private baths in modules of 12
with a common living space, Heitert said. He said the goal
is to stay one step ahead of the changing preferences to
anticipate what students will want next.
Heitert also said suite-style dorms are particularly pop-
ular at Purdue.
Henry said suite- and apartment-style dorms are avail-
able on North Campus in Baits and in the Northwood
apartments. Until this year, these rooms were generally
reserved for families and graduate students; however, there
are freshmen in these halls this year because the Univer-
sity could not fit the record freshman class in Central Cam-
pus halls.
The University is doing more than following a nation-
wide trend toward suite-style rooms, Henry said. It will
also be building a mixed-use facility - something that has
not been done at any other university, Henry said. The
mixed-use facility refers to having both academic and resi-
dential space within the same building.
"The innovative thing that U of M is doing is building
a mixed-use facility to provide a seamless undergraduate
experience with a strong collaboration between the aca-
demics and residential life," Henry said.
Construction of the new residence hall is slated to begin
in 2006 with the destruction of the Frieze Building. The
Continued from page IA
of the North Burns Park Neighborhood
Association.
Both members of the commission and
neighborhood groups who opposed the
building plan said they felt the auditorium
would be too large for the lot and would
not fit in with the-neighborhood. Addi-
tionally, concerns were raised regarding
the number of people the church would
bring to the area during services, as well
as a lack of available parking.
"Picture 550 people, even walking,
coming in during a relatively short peri-
od of time - I'm picturing that however
often there is an event at the church. I1
can't see that as anything but a major
impact on the area," Planning Commis-
sion member Ethel Potts said.
Commissioners and neighbors also
cited specific portions of the city's Gen-
eral Standards for Special Exception use
policy to support their argument that the
building plan did not meet the required
standards.
One of the most frequently cited sec-
tions reads that a building "will be con-
sistent with the general character of the
neighborhood considering population
density, design, scale and bulk, and the
intensity and character of activity."
New Life had designed the architecture
of the auditorium in a style similar to other
buildings in the area, but those opposing
the site plan said they still felt the building
was just too big to fit in with the general
character of the neighborhood.
Afternoon Delight University Flower Shop
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase UPS Store at the Michigan Union
Apple Computer, Inc. Christina Vallem
Arbor Land Consultants, Inc. - P. Schwimmer Villa Pizza at the Michigan Union
The Ark Wendy's in the Michigan Union
Aunt Agatha's Bookstore
Beanster's at the Michigan League
Calvin Bell
Big Ten Party Store
Tom Brady of the New England Patriots
Classic Collegiate China
Cottage Inn on William Street
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore
Dell Computers
Detroit Pistons
Findings for Artists and Seekers
Anne Flora
The Henry Ford
Gandy Dancer Restaurant
Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees
M-Den
Magic Wok at the Michigan Union
Michigan Union Bookstore, Barnes & Noble
Courtney Morgan
Barb Niemi
Office Max - a Boise Company
University ofMichigan
Alumni Association
Athletics
Credit Union
Division of Student Affairs
Exhibit Museum of Natural History
Gilbert & Sullivan Society
Golf Course
Rec Sports
Matthaei Botanical Gardens
& Nichols Arboretum
The Michiganensian
Museum of Art
Photo Services
School of Music
U-M Computer Showcase
U-Move Fitness
University Activities Center (UAC)
University Press
A &..i........