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........