4 - Tuesday, November 14, 2006 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com L74c fftc4t*gan4,3at4olp, ALEXANDER HONKALA Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890 413 E. Huron St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 tothedaily@michigandaily.com DONN M. FRESARD EDITOR IN CHIEF EMILY BEAM CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS JEFFREY BLOOMER MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Pentagon, redesigned Washington must learn from Rumsfeld's mistakes W ith the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld and the Democratic takeover of Congress, many liberals are celebrating the start of a new era. Although the pub- lic and the new Congress must now look ahead for new solu- tions, it is crucial that they do not neglect to examine the past. It will take time to sort out the mess Rumsfeld left behind at the I would ban religion completely." - ELTON JOHN, explaining his belief that organized religion promotes dis- crimination against gays, as reported yesterday by CNN.com. Life after affirmative action t 0 0 Pentagon. Former CIA director Robert Gates, nominated to replace Rumsfeld, has excel- lent credentials and a reputation as a prag- matist, and hopefully he can point the Pentagon in a new direction. Rumsfeld's mistakes will be felt for years, however, and only through investigations can leg- islators understand the current situation and rectify problems in the Pentagon. Using the opportunity voters have given Congress, politicians on both sides should ensure the policies of the Rumsfeld era are investigated thoroughly. While cronyism in the Pentagon has existed for some time now, the remarks made by several retired generals in the past year and the evidence of no-bid contracts handed out to political allies reveal grievous abuses in the Penta- gon. The public deserves to know to what extent Rumsfeld's Pentagon filtered infor- mation about the Iraq War to suit its views of the war. By investigating this, we can see a far more complete picture of Iraq and of homeland security deficiencies. Furthermore, Congress must carefully analyze how funding for the war in Iraq was spent. Although evidence of question- able funding decisions and rampant waste has emerged, neither the public nor leg- islators are certain to the exact extent of this corruption. Holding contractors more accountable and ending no-bid contracts for work in Iraq are musts - not only to lower costs and make troops safer, but also to expose any illegal activity and deal prop- er punishment where necessary. Democrats in both houses have prom- ised to enact the 9/11 Commission recom- mendations. Senators will need to properly question Gates on how he will contribute to this goal during his confirmation hearings - and to make sure he has an answer. Fur- thermore, senators must take care to find out Gates's motivations; he has been accused of overstating Soviet military strength for political gain in the 1980s and had ties to many officials involved in the Iran-Contra affair. While the future for the Pentagon looks brighter with Rumsfeld out of the pic- ture, it will only be through investigating its past that Rumsfeld's mistakes over the past five years can be put behind us. think ofProposal2's passageintwo ways: as afait accompli - affirma- tive action is gone and not coming back - and as an opportunity. When the history of this Universityis written, the ban on affirmative action will be looked on as a turning point; Election Day 2006 will be regarded as a water- shed moment. That is, if we're honest - withourselves about what the passage of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative means. We must admit two things: that - - affirmative action JAMES is dead and that if we want diversity, DAVID it'll take much more DICKSON than slapping 20_ admissions points - or, since the old point-based system was deemed unconstitutional, its "holistic" equivalent - on the problem and think- ing we've fought the good fight. In my five years at the University, I've never heard more thoughtful, constructive dialogue on the prob- lems which al minorities than I have in the five days since MCRI passed. The "what now" - what will we do now to ensure minority representa- tion at the University? - conversa- tion simply wasn't happening when affirmative action existed, when its proponents relied solely on social engineering and point scales to do what the education system couldn't: get black students into Michigan. This is why I'm given pause when I hear that University President Mary Sue Coleman wants to fight MCRI. As she said in her Nov. 8, post-MCRI address to the campus: "I will not stand by while the very heart and soul of this great university is threatened. We are Michigan and we are diver- sity. ... I have directed our General Counsel to consider every legal option available to us." Affirmative action is off the table. Period. Michigan's voters - nearly 60 percent of them, majorities in all but three counties - demand it so. Cole- man, above all, should realize this, and should lead the paradigm shift as our University moves beyond race preferences. The worst that could happen is for the University to conve- niently ignore that fact, because that ignorance will enable it to do what affirmative action's supporters have been doing far too long: hinging the fate of diversity on a divisive social policy. The University has proven itself willing to shell out the money to defend affirmative action and ensure diversity. It's done it in court cases. It's done it the past 30-plus years through the Bridge Program, which prepares disadvantaged students for the rigors of the University. Now that affirma- tive action is a nonissue, though, I wonder whether we'll see that same commitment come through in more creative ways, or if we'll fight in vain in the courts so that we can soak up the limelight and maintain our repu- tation as the defenders of diversity. Coleman should save our money on the lawyers, and instead spend it cre- ating work-study or fellowship posi- tions thatcwill give minority graduates the chance to give back to their com- munities, either in full-time teaching or mentoringroles.And it doesn'thave to be limited to minorities: Anyone who feels a sense of commitment to ensuring quality education in Michi- gan would be more than welcome to help, and could make some money doing it. or perhaps the University could promote (and lead the efforts to obtain state funding for) a "Teach for Michigan" program that would exchange free schooling for a prom- ise that the "leaders and best" would make their presence felt in Michigan classrooms upon graduation. Either program would allow the University to maintain the funding There are better ways to foster a diverse campus. levels needed to attract top minor- ity students, while putting them to work in classrooms where they could train and recruit the next generation of potential Wolverines. Talk about a "Michigan Difference." But rather than tackle the problem at the roots by working to ensure that Michigan's high schools graduate stu- dents who are qualified for admission and prepared for college coursework, Coleman seems satisfied that the "20 points" mentality is enough. She seems intent on defending it publicly and legally, rather than privately, and at the grassroots level. There is a way to ensure that our minority numbers don't drop, that our sacred cow of diversity is protected without resort- ing to race preferences. But it'll take no small dose of reality and creativity to find that solution. It'll sure as hell take more than 20 points. What now, indeed. James David Dickson can reached at davidjam@umich.edu. DANIIL GUN ITSKIY, JOSH KERSEY AND ZACK YOST MAP-ping out change What do you think of when you hear about student government on this campus? If you're like most students, you've either never heard of it or are only vaguely familiar with what it can do. Keeping this in mind, the Michigan Action Party is committed to ending the disconnect between students and their student govern- ments by showing you the work that we already do for you and by making these representative bodies more open and accountable to your true needs and issues as soon as we are elected. Who are we, and what do we stand for? MAP is a group of qualified, experienced and dedi- cated students who have come together to work for you in the Michigan Student Assembly and LSA Student Government, and we are focused on taking action for you. We do not adhere to a specific political ideology, butinstead encourage an open marketplace of ideas both within our party and throughout the University because we believe that this is the environment neces- sary to develop the best policies for students. We also believe in working toward innovative yet achievable goals, both large and small, that will directly improve everyone's experience at the University. In short, we stand for taking action that will make a true difference in your lives, not promoting half-promises and unreal- istic goals that will never be achieved. How do we plan to take action? Our slogan, "Protecting Your Rights, Protecting Your Wal- let and Taking Action for YOU!," summarizes exactly what MAP is about. If elected, our can- didates will protect your rights by expanding the availability of University Health Service resources to make them more convenient for students, improving both on- and off-campus lighting and safety measures and continuously stressing the need for local police to focus on the safety of students rather than simply writ- ing tickets for drinking violations. We will also protectyour wallets by expand- ing Entree Plus service to several off-campus locations, working with faculty and admin- istrators to have textbook lists released early to allow students to purchase materials from cheaper sources and reforming the printing limit policies currently affecting many stu- Dems don't necessarily. deserve Green Party votes dents on campus. Finally, we will take action for you by listen- ing to your ideas and making them a reality by working with the administration and within the student government's hardworking com- mittees and commissions. We will also act to further our own candidates' projects - such as creating an online bank of old exams, increas- ing bus service to Oxford and North Campus and working with the University Activities Center to bring more big events to campus - to improve campus life for everyone. This is only a sampling of the clear, achiev- able goals that MAP candidates will continue to work toward as both committee members and student government representatives. MAP is committed to creating bold plans that we know can be successfully implemented. Our party can make this distinction because we have several members who already work for you as committee members and representa- tives in student government, and we know how to get things done. Other parties make claims with no experience or research to back them up. We strive to present students with goals that we know will get results. On Nov. 16 and 17, we encourage you to take the opportunity to elect the qualified and dedi- cated individuals of the Michigan Action Party to MSA and LSA-SG so that your voice is effec- tively heard throughout the University and your ideas can become a reality. Take a minute to read through our extensive party platform and get to know our candidates and their individual goals for student government at www.michiganaction- party.com, then head back to this website when the polls open on Nov. 16 for a direct link to the voting website. Lastly, please contact any of our candidates or party members with any ques- tions or concerns, because in the end we're all here to Take Action for you and put your ideas on the MAP. Daniil Gunitskiy is an LSA sophomore and is the chair of MAP. Josh Kersey is an LSA senior and is the communications chair for MAP. Zack Yost is an Engineering junior and is a member of MAP. Mary Sue should take up interpretive dance NEIL TAMBE Hope for MSA? First there was the Michigan Student Assembly's lacklus- ter performance in organizing the Ludacris concert lastfall. Then came MSA's difficulty in adheringto its own suggested business-casual dress code. In the winter, MSA's 15-minute stroll to determine which portions of campus were inade- quately lit was criticized, even by some assembly members, as ineffective. The election last spring - a circus by reason- able standards - was tainted by a denial of service attack, the tearing down of campaign posters and prolific spam- ming of students' inboxes. By my count, that's four separate instances that the assembly has been caught with its pants down in front of the student body - and that doesn't even include missteps that have happened since March. Despite these previous displays of incompetence, one of MSA's recent public efforts was highly successful - and should not pass without notice. It happened in the Diag, with the distribution of "vote today" stickers, encourag- ing students to vote. It happened in the dormitories, with volunteers canvassing door-to-door. It happened across campus, with students registering voters and distributing nonpartisan information on the issues. After spending hundreds of man-hours this election season, the Voice Your Vote Commission and its student volunteers registered 4,896 voters and encouraged many others to participate in last week's midterm election. In campus precincts this year, election-day turnout was more than double the number from the last midterm election in 2002. According to the commission chairs, Voice Your Vote registered the third-most voters among colleges across the country - and ranked first among campuses where voter registration drives are not institutionalized by the univer- sity itself. The numbers, while certainly impressive, are not the most compelling factor in declaring the commission's efforts to get out the vote a success. Rather, it was the meth- od that Voice Your Vote used that is most important. The commission presented itself in the public eye as organized and skilled rather than inept and ignorant of student inter- ests, as MSA usually appears. Students benefited from the commission's help, because registering to vote and casting a ballot can be difficult and ERIN RUSSELL confusing. Many students vote for the first time on campus, or are out-of-state students unfamiliar with Michigan's election laws. Getting off campus to register at City Hall or at the Secretary of State's office is tough for students without their own transportation, which makes Voice Your Vote's on-campus presence all the more crucial. The commission was also successful in recruiting many student volunteers, involving them in MSA activities. Locked away in the Michigan Union, MSA often seems dis- tant and out of touch with students. Increasing student par- ticipation in MSA activities fights that notion, and working directly with students enables MSA to better understand the student body it represents. The premise of the effort itself and its visibility were also nice changes from MSA's status quo. Outside of elec- tion season, MSA is relatively quiet, and students may won- der how much MSA's work actually benefits students. The Voice Your Vote Commission's work was highly visible and was definitely in the students' best interest. Activities to get out the vote aid students in expressingthemselves political- ly, preventing politicians from ignoring the bloc of student voters. Students are often ignored because their turnout rates are relatively low, so promoting voter registration is vital to helping them raise their voice in Washington. To be fair, MSA's work in helping to pass the lease-sign- ing ordinance and creating a liaison position to the AnnO Arbor City Council was positive, and last year's mistakes happened under another president's watch. But that doesn't mean that MSA can't learn a lesson or two from the Voice Your Vote Commission about executing large projects or managing its public image. MSA should try harder to tai- lor its actions to the best interests of students and should empower many more students to get involved in stages of planning and implementation. MSA should be more visible and present itself as organized and empathetic to student interests. Thankfully, after witnessing the public success of Voice Your Vote, the studentbody now knows that an effec- tive MSA is possible. Neil Tambe is an LSA sophomore and a member of the Daily's editorial board. TO THE DAILY: TO THE DAILY: The AP article Did Green Party help GOP Proposal 2 is now Michigan law, and win state? (11/12/2006) perpetuates the absurd University President Mary Sue Coleman must notion that Democrats are somehow entitled to accept the will of 58 percent of Michigan. the votes cast for Green Party candidates. I urge her not to waste our money in fight- Those who voted for Greens in the close ing a battle in court that is already lost to her. Michigan senatorial races did so because they Millions of dollars will be wasted. I suggest she supported the candidates. Their votes weren't takes up interpretive dance, like our friends at "stolen" from the Democrats; the Democrats Trotter House, in expressing herself over Pro- never had any right to them. posal 2. Anyone looking to assign responsibility for Democratic losses need look no further than Dan Shuster two parties: the Democrats, whose turnout Rackham was insufficient, and the Republicans, who successfully elected Republican candidates. There was an election lest week. It was a pretty big deal. Patrick Cooper-McCann Send us your thoughts. RC freshman tothedaily@michigandailycom WHAT ARE YOU poING? NOW T HAT THE OEMOC AaTS CON iOlNoeCS, PIu4'CAE1$000MC 1. IT'S TIMEFOR ME T O LE AVE FO THAT 8i, PEO STA' iN THC E SKY. AE YOU T AWKNS AOUT HCAVEN? 07 tO. rePUeLIC lNs H AVC fGllT A iPA0 UT AT ON ONCP F, Pt. 0UCHAN E S0ENC. XER, CA L CONQUEf+I.R.. . SLI EAT E OT HEA RC CM OJES WCWAN! Editorial Board Members: Reggie Brown, Kevin Bunkley, Amanda Burns, Sam Butler, Ben Caleca, Devika Daga, Milly Dick, James David Dickson, Jesse Forester, Gary Graca, Jared Goldberg, Jessi Holler, Rafi Martina, Toby Mitchell, Rajiv Prabhakar, David Russell, Katherine Seid, Elizabeth Stanley, John Stiglich, Neil Tambe, Rachel Wagner.