NEWS
The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 3
ON CAMPUS
Former University
provost to speak
on tuition increases
Paul Courant, a former University
provost, and economics prof. will
speak on rising college tuition costs.
The event will take place from 6 to
8 p.m. today at the U Club in the
Michigan Union.
Documentary
examines HIV
treatment options
There will be a screening of a
documentary on the challenges faced
by people with HIV when seeking
treatment.
The film pays particular attention
to poor individuals with HIV who
often have trouble gaining access
to treatment. The showing will take
place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in Audi-
torium 3 of the Modern Language
Building.
Yale prof talks
about global
health concerns
Yale prof. and head of the school's
Division of Global Health, Derek
Yach, will be speaking today on his
work at the World Health Organiza-
tion.
Yach developed the global health
policy titled "Health for All" that
was adopted in 1998 by all govern-
ments. He will be speaking today
from 4 to 6 p.m. in room 1636 of the
School of Social Work.
Mockumentary
explores issues of
native Australians
There will be a film screening of
the mockumentary titled "Babkiue-
ria" today in the William Monroe
Trotter Multicultural Center from 6 to
8:30 p.m. The film takes a look at the
country of Australia and the way in
which life would have been different
for the Aborigines if they switched
places with their colonizers.
CRIME
NOTES
Subject taken
to hospital after
seizure
A subject was transported via
ambulance to the University Hos-
pital emergency room after having
a seizure Sunday at the Michigan
Union, the Department of Public
Safety reported.
Purse stolen from
parked vehicle
A vehicle was broken into Sunday
at the Varsity Tennis parking lot, DPS
reported. A purse was taken from the
car and credit cards found in the purse
have been used.
Papers stolen;
no suspects
Paperwork was stolen from the
University Hospital Sunday, accord-
ing to DPS. There are currently no
suspects.
Officials find
loopholesin
PAC restrictions
DETROIT (AP) - Michigan's
top elected officials, like some oth-
ers across the nation, are legally
getting around restrictions on
political action committees by
using organizations that came to
prominence during the 2004 presi-
dential election.
The so-called 527 funds - named
after a provision of the federal tax
code - support travel, entertaining
and other perks of public office for
members of both political parties,
according to a report yesterday in
the Detroit Free Press.
Donations from corporations
and law firms help Gov. Jennifer
Granholm, a Democrat, reimburse
the costs of using a state-owned
Land's fund was started by a
friend of hers, Rusty Richter.
But campaign watchdog groups
are concerned about the trend of top-
level state officials using the 527s,
which came to prominence during
the race between President Bush and
challenger John Kerry last year.
"This is certainly an avenue that is
now being exploited even more than
in the past for politicians to raise
large amounts of money from spe-
cial interests and to support all kinds
of activities," said Edwin Bender,
executive director of the Institute
on Money in State Politics, based
in Helena, Mont.
Bender said lack of accountabil-
ity is an issue with the 527s.
Other concerns
are the large
or does amounts of money
:axpayers din the accounts
a~yayers and the percep-
avel tion that financial
supporters have
lon- undue influence
,, on the politicians
al nature." to whom they give
twin-engine
airplane for
personal or
political busi-
ness.
Republican
Attorney Gener-
al Mike Cox has
entertained in
Washington and
New York and
bought Univer-
sity of Michigan
football tickets
with contribu-
"The govern
not expect t
to pay for tr
that is of a n
government
Republican legislators push
for lower taxes for businesses
- Liz Boyd
spokeswoman
money.
Political action
committees,
which are typi-
Granholm's
tions from attorneys and developers.
Corporations helped pay for a
party thrown by Secretary of State
Terri Lynn Land at last year's Repub-
lican National Convention.
Cox and a spokeswoman for Gra-
nholm both defended use of their
527 funds to pay for office-related
expenses without using state money.
"The governor does not expect
taxpayers to pay for travel that is
of a non-governmental nature," Liz
Boyd, Granholm's spokeswoman,
told the Free Press.
Cox spokesman Stu Sandler said
the attorney general prefers to have
contributors, rather than taxpayers,
cover some expenses during tough
economic times.
Cox said that, unlike in private
law firms, he can't reward his law-
yers with "outlandish bonuses and
big salary increases."
So he uses the fund to pay for
an occasional dinner or for foot-
ball tickets.
Land's spokeswoman said her boss
doesn't control the 527 fund that she
raised money for last year.
cally used by pol-
iticians to handle donations, come
with restrictions on how much
money can be given by individuals
and groups.
But 527s can raise unlim-
ited amounts from corporations,
unions, law firms, individuals and
others.
The 527s must disclose donors
and expenses to the Internal Rev-
enue Service.
Few other Michigan politicians
have 527 accounts similar to those
of Granholm, Cox and Land.
But several lawmakers raise
money through IRS-recognized
charities or social welfare organi-
zations.
Granholm's 527 account has
raised $188,300 and spent $139,043
since she entered office in 2003,
according to the Free Press.
Cox's 527 fund has raised
$164,088 and spent $129,289. Land's
527 has raised $144,002 and spent
$119,545.
All three politicians have signifi-
cantly more money in their tradition-
al campaign committee accounts.
LANSING (AP) - The Republican-
controlled Legislature will push forward
today with a revised plan to lower busi-
ness taxes by $500 million over four
years, with cuts targeted to help the
state's struggling manufacturing sector.
Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikke-
ma and House Speaker Craig DeRoche
will announce the scaled-back legisla-
tion a little more than a week after Gov.
Jennifer Granholm approved similar
provisions in a larger business tax-cut
package but vetoed others, killing the
whole plan.
Manufacturers would receive a 15
percent credit for taxes they pay on
equipment and computers starting Jan.
1, as well as a 100 percent investment
credit in 2007 and 2008 if they bring
jobs into Michigan. A special tax break
for Delphi Corp. and Visteon Corp. that
is scheduled to end next month would
be extended, according to details of the
legislation obtained by The Associated
Press late yesterday.
Republicans said the legislation is
more straightforward and simpler than
bills they approved earlier this month.
"This isn't a complex deal or a com-
plicated tangle of tie bars," Sikkema
(R-Wyoming) said in a statement. "It's a
simple plan with a single purpose: to get
Michigan working again."
Granholm last week signed bills that
included the same personal property tax
credits, but they died because all the
bills were tied together so that vetoing
one killed the whole nine-bill package.
The Democratic governor vetoed two
bills, which she said contained huge tax
loopholes, and said lawmakers should
continue the state's main business tax
beyond the end of 2009 so other taxpay-
ers will not have to pick up the tab.
Granholm has previously pressed
for the tax provision that helps Delphi
and Visteon.
Spokeswoman Liz Boyd said yester-
day that the governor is willing to work
with Republican leaders on a solution that
helps manufacturers, but she declined to
comment further.
"It's difficult to comment on their
proposal until we've had ample time to
review it," she said.
The GOP legislation would not
eliminate the sunset on the single
business tax.
"That's not on our to-do list right now,"
Sikkema spokesman Ari Adler said.
Sikkema and DeRoche (R-Novi) said
the legislation is the first of many bills
the Legislature is planning to reduce the
tax burden on businesses.
"This tax relief plan will take effect
Jan. 1, providing an immediate boost
to our economy and sending a signal to
manufacturers and workers that Michi-
gan is serious about keeping the thou-
sands of jobs they provide in Michigan,"
DeRoche said in a statement.
The revised GOP plan would reduce
state revenues by $90 million in the
budget year that began Oct. 1. Sikkema
spokesman Ari Adler said lawmakers
do not anticipate making budget cuts
because about $170 million in extra rev-
enue is expected to come in.
Earlier Monday, Granholm said any
tax-cut legislation sent to her desk must
be bipartisan.
"If they insist on jamming some-
thing through the Legislature, it
indicates they really don't want a
compromise, they don't really want
an agreement," Granholm said dur-
ing a news conference. "That would
be the greatest travesty of all for the
state of Michigan. We are here and
ready to talk."
$1.00 BEFORE 6:00PM - $1.50 AFTER 6:00PM
TUESDAY50C ALL SHOWS ALL DAY
FLIGHTPLAN 12:453:00 5:157:30 9:45 PG13
CORPSE BRIDE
12:00 2:00 3:50 5:401:30 9:30 PG
THE FOG 5:15 9:30 PG 13
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS 12:15 2:15 G
THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN 4:151:00 9:30 R
JUST LIKE HEAVEN 1:00 3:101:30 PG13
REC
SPORTS
IN TRAMURALS
The University of Michigan
Department of Recreational Sports
Intramural Sports Program
www.recsports.umich.edu.
734-763-3562
REC
SPORTS
INTRAMLRALS
Entries due:
Wed, 11/30
4:30 PM
IM Building
Entry Fee:
$35 per team
Manager's Meeting:
MANDATORY
Thurs, 12/01
7:15 PM
IM Building
Tournament Dates:
Entries also 12/02 & 12/04
taken online IMSB
Dodgeball
Entries due:
Thurs, 12/01
4:30 PM
IM Building
Entry Fee:
$35 per team
$5 per individual
Manager's Meeting:
MANDATORY
Thurs, 12/01
6:00 PM
IM Building
Meet Dates:
Entries also 12/06 - 12/08
taken online Sports Coliseum
Wrestling
THIS DAY
In Daily History
Murder of
columnist's wife
still puzzles AAPD
Nov. 29, 1983 - The Ann Arbor
Police Department still has no suspects a
in the shooting of 39-year-old Nancy
Faber, a city resident and wife of a col-
umnist for The Ann Arbor News. Faber
died at the hospital Friday after being
shot in the head at about 8 p.m. near the
K~roger gocerv store on Plvmouth and
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