4 - Tuesday, January 23, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 74C fid1ligan Bja11M Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 413 E. Huron St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 tothedaily@umich.edu EMILY BEAM DONN M. FRESARD CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS - MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views oftheir authors. Price but private Private donors foot the bill for state's new med school "We have thought long and hard about these steps, because we are acutely aware of their impact on colleagues and the communities where we are located." - Jeffrey B. Kindler, the chairman and CEO of Pfizer, speaking yesterday about the company's decision to close its Ann Arbor research center and lay off the 2,100 employees who work there, as reported yesterday by mlive.com. ERIN RUSSELL fT 5AY5 HE'E- CTHAT CONfES$ $ OEM ANOIN6 THAT l.$SH 6lVE THEM A PEPOPT ON THE P9O7PES5 MAiE IN IPAQ EVERY MONTH. IT ALSO SAYS THAT HE'S SET TGN6 FS ON ALL H!$ REPOr-T$ 50 FAR, ANO WHAT'S WPON WIT HC-ET T O rFSP i 4i I AT LEAT HE'$ CON$I5TENT IN 6ETTIN6 THO$E F'S. ANO THAT STICK-TO-IT-NEes 1$ WHAT MAKES HIM SUCH A 6PEAT L.EAE P' A fter more than five years of speculation, it's official: Michi- gan State University will soon begin construction of a new medical school in Grand Rapids. In an uncommon approach, however, the project will rely entirely on private funding, to the tune of $70 million. But while the venture holds promise for Michigan's economy, projects like this one are rare. The project underscores serious concerns about the future of education in Michigan because the focus of state funding remains far off the mark. The war on common sense The new Secchia Center, named after former MSU alum and ambassador to Italy Peter Secchia, is an unprecedented achievement in how much can be done with private donations alone. Secchia himself will donate $20 million, Rich- ard DeVos's Spectrum Health will drop $35 million and the privately-owned Van Andel Institute has pledged another $16 million for research. The seven-story facility will be construct- ed in downtown Grand Rapids and will boast state-of-the-art research and teach- ing facilities. More importantly, the project promises to double MSU's medical school enrollment. Starting in 2010, the Grand Rap- ids campus will admit 100 students per year with another 100 entering the East Lansing campus. With demand for medical profes- sionals on the rise and most schools hesitant to increase enrollment, the center should help to fulfill a pressing need. The project will also help buoy Michigan's staggering economy. Having a new medical school in the area will bring intelligent and educated people into the state. Better yet, there is a good chance that they will choose to stay in Michigan even after they graduate (yes, despite the inclement weather). After all, just under half of medical school gradu- ates choose to practice in the state in which they graduate. That means that a significant number of skilled medical professionals will choose to remain in Michigan. How can that be bad? Unfortunately, this success story is not altogether common. The fact of the matter is that Michigan does not have many more Secchias or Van Andels to bail the state out of its economic difficulties. These tycoons aren't going to be around forever, and even if they were, occasional philanthropic dona- tions are simply not sufficient to rejuvenate the economy or sustain a viable educational system. Ultimately, that responsibility rests with the state legislature. Regrettably, while legislators have been eager to boast their support of anew knowledge-based economy, they have been reluctant to support higher education with the one thing that matters - money. In fact, when spending cuts need to be made, public universities are all too often the first victims. If the politicians in Lansing are serious about fixing the state's economic situation and advancing higher education, they need to support universities by providing addi- tional funding. Expanding higher education in the state is the best way to train the sort of individuals who could drive a recovery of our strugglingeconomy. While the construc- tion of this new school holds a great deal of promise, its reliance on private funding is a testament to the legislature's failure. n a recent demonstration of money wellspent duringthe BushAdmin- istration's tenure, agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency raided medicinal marijuana clinics to confis- cate the one medicine many believed could help them. Upholding the con- cept of federal- ism by granting j supremacy to fed- eral law over Cal- ifornia state law,. the DEA seized; the contraband in part to honor' the federal ban of marijuana. Our country's prohibition of JARED pot began not as GOLDBERG a concern for our health but rather as a reflection of early 20th century racism. Harry Anslinger, as commis- sioner of narcotics in the Bureau of Narcotics, campaigned for marijuana prohibition vehemently. The result was a 1937 act levying a tax on mari- juana. During the hearings on the law when it was debated in Congress, Anslinger let this one slip: "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, His- panics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This mari- juana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, enter- tainers and any others." Marijuana would later be grouped with other narcotic substances like heroin and LSD after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. President Richard Nixon, in a brilliant if not a politically evil move, used this as another way to battle against the anti-war protesters who were fervent- ly pushing for an end to the Vietnam War. In the decades that would follow, the "war on drugs," of which marijua- na was a major target, would cost the American people billions. According to the 2006 Budget Summary for the National Drug Control Strategy, the federal government directly spent an estimated $12.5 billion on this war in 2005, with an astounding $734.5 mil- lion going toward the Andean Coun- terdrug Initiative. Additionally, in 2003, 20 percent of the population in state prisons consisted of drug offend- ers. The figure jumps to 55 percent for federal prisons. It should be apparent that our current policy is grossly mis- directed. In the spirit of The Michigan Dai- ly's infamous 1967 call for an end to marijuana prohibition, I propose two policies. If marijuana is to remain illegal, then we must also ban tobacco products, alcohol, high-fructose corn syrup and all fast food. Since cardio- vascular and cerebrovascular dis- eases account for almost 30 percent of deaths worldwide, eliminating fast food and high-fructose corn syrup from the diet of Americans would cer- tainly make us healthier. Because such a policy denotes that Americans can't be trusted to manage their own bodies as they choose, gov- ernment intervention into our indi- vidual lifestyles would have to be the answer. The concept that one set of dangerous chemicals is bad for us while another set is perfectly acceptable - as long as that other set is provided by a corporation - is hypocritical and illog- ical. We would need to ban all nuclear power plants and any other products that may be carcinogenic, because cancer is another of the big killers, responsible for the death of 13 percent of humans on this planet. The other policy is simple - com- plete legalization of all drugs, espe- cially marijuana. The modern war in drugs, begun by Nixon in1971 andcon- tinued through the present adminis- tration, must end unconditionally. We must recognize its utter failure and the injustice it has wrought. The so- called drug problem would need to be recognized as medical, not criminal. It would therefore go without saying that our anti-drug policies in Central and South America have to end. Our 1987 invasionto arrest Panama's Pres- ident Manuel Noriega - who through much of the Reagan administration was also on the payroll of the CIA - exemplifies the fallacy of our pro- hibition. The disbanding of the DEA The war on drugs is fought for all the wrong reasons. or its complete transformation from a law enforcement agency into a health agency would be required. Terrorists originating from central Asia whose main sources of fund- ing are the production of opium and other very harmful drugs would find their profits seriously hindered if we ended our war on drugs. The freedom we purportedly wish to spread to Iraq and other areas of the Middle East would look much more genuine if we were allowed the most basic freedom to put into our bodies any substance which we choose. I am not advocating the use of mari- juana or any recreational drug. The health risks associated with such drugs are significant. But just as we are inun- dated with advertisements for alcohol, tobacco as well as fatty foods, and are still trusted to make the right choices, the same must be true for marijuana and other recreational drugs. Anything else is unAmerican. Jared Goldberg can be reached at jaredgo@umich.edu. JAMES DICKSON Democracy for public schools 0I The classic knock against politically active college students is that we tend to support social justice in ways that place no burden on ourselves and that we lack connectivity with the causes we support. The Daily's editorial board unfor- tunately opened itself to that argument with last Friday's editorial (From the Daily: A public con- cern, 01/19/07), which placed the responsibility to improving Detroit's schools on parents. Although a supermajority of editorial board members are Detroit suburbanites (or can afford out-of-state tuition), their faith in the value of grassroots political activism would straddle par- ents with an unfair and unnecessary burden - that of willing a blatantly corrupt school system to perform up to a high standard and mortgaging their children's education on a school they must force to do its job. For all the very American rhetoric we hear about "choice," "free market" and the "will of the people" - useful at times to those of every politi- cal stripe - few speak of K-12 education in such terms. While all of us have driven around town to shop for the best gas price, it's never occurred to many people - and is abhorrent to others - that education can be thought ofinthe same way. Such thinking, if persistent, will prove crippling forthe educational futures of children in the state. Raised on the value of neighborhood schools, which for suburbanites are a reality but in major American cities are an educational death sen- tence, some naively hold to the notion that every child should receive an education in his or her own community. But what if a neighborhood school can't provide a quality education? What if the neighborhood school is a liability in terms of educational and career prospects? So many peo- ple are quick to ask "what about the schools?" Far fewer ask "what about the kids?" Activism is great for those who have the time and the disposition, but most parents aren't activ- ists, neither should they need to be to ensure quality schools for their children. It's the job of the state, not of parents, to educate children, and in many places, particularly in Detroit, the state is failing terribly. Let's be clear on this point: It does not fall to parents in Detroit - already paying far higher taxes than the quality of living in the city can justify - to entice the city's school system to be better. Not when the district's problems are so structural that they may warrant a state take- over. The editorial board is rash to bewail the loss of $7,500 per student when Detroit parents find sub- urban addresses without considering that maybe underachieving schools don't deserve the money. It's just like how we all pass by an overpriced gas station without giving it a second thought. Most parents don'thave time for school board meetings or to spend campaigningfor change - they're too busy raising children. In making the educational great escape, Detroit parents are merely partak- ing in a tradition time immemorial, yet uniquely American: voting with their feet and tax dollars. Now that's democracy for you. James Dickson is an LSA senior, Daily columnist and is also the former editor in chief of The Michigan Review. SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU KATIE GARLINGHOUSE Nostalgic activists should go great interest i reforming textb out and do something to explore thisc University admi TO THE DAILY: for the distribut In her column last Thursday (Out from under the Student gover '60s shadow, 01/18/2007), Whitney Dibo bemoaned the lower textbook1 "pathetic" efforts of campus groups voicing student sary resources a opposition to the war. To be honest, I'm sick of hearing tion as studentst about all this supposed political apathy on campus. This the search for n( Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I marched with hundreds of professors do li others in a rally organized by BAMN in defense of affir- know of whatv mative action. During the march, I was approached by a is a great way tc Daily reporter who asked me to comment on student apa- should be furthe thy. He had to shout to be heard over the spirited slogans these solutions r being proclaimed by students in defense of civil rights. frustrations oft When we grow accustomed to complaining about the ductive. Get inv impotence of our generation, we can become blind to government, tal what is going on around us. If you want a more active this long-term s campus, go out and start something. Eric Li, Max N Alex Smith Li is an LSA junior LSA senior Nowak is an LSAs Commission. Ruka Textbook prices can't come down unless students get involved Studentsr TO THE DAILY: campus As the Daily's editorial board acknowledged, the Cam- TO THE DAILY: pus Issues Forum on Textbooks last week was indeed Why must the "a formidable starting point" in tackling the issue of from its idealsa rising textbook prices (From the Daily: Well-read but The '60s were a broke, 01/16/2006). Bringing together University faculty went from segr and administration as well as local business, the event insane war tha allowed for a thorough discussion of this enormously cared about the' complex problem. Both the Michigan Student Assembly dren. We seem t and LSA Student Government are committed to fighting WhitneyDibe this cause on behalf of the campus community. 01/18/2007), exj Textbook prices depend on everyone from professors should have our to publishers. Sometimes professors release textbook I agree. But wec lists very late, preventing students from escaping the created and try campus monopoly by purchasing their materials from '60s were not so online or off-campus retailers. But local bookstores, dream go out of; while easy to target, are also caught in a vicious cycle. ing to show you Karl Pohrt, the owner of Shaman Drum, said that the As John Lent store earns less than five cents on each dollar. Then to show us the p there are the publishers who often needlessly print new all have. It wasm editions of textbooks, forcing businesses and students the possibility."' to buy those instead of cheaper, used editions. This has and a dream th amounted to a massive industry, one that now has rev- that dream, we enues upwards of $8 billion a year. Yet, to be fair, text- down inside of books are expensive to produce - not only for the actual we must take tI book itself but also the figures, charts and copyrighted struggle from it information it contains. of. Now we mu: Last term, the University created a Textbooks Task working to dotl Force, an investigative body of both faculty and students. This collaboration is a good start, and we must sustain Yousef Rabhi this effort. From abusiness perspective, Pohrt expressed LSA freshman n working with student government in book policy. MSA and LSA-SG are ready opportunity, in addition to working with inistration to finally set sound guidelines ion of course materials. rnment is ready to spearhead the fight to prices. MSA and LSA-SG have the neces- and contacts, but we need your participa- to lobby the administration and faculty in ew solutions. As articulated at the forum, isten to their students but don't always we want. For instance, ctools.umich.edu o post course materials and this practice r encouraged. The pressure to implement must come from us students. Funnel your high textbook prices into something pro- volved. We encourage you to join student k to your representatives and help us in truggle to lower textbook prices. owak, Lisa Rukavina and chair ofMSA's Budget Priorities Committee. sophomore and chair of MSA's Academic Affairs vina is an LSA senior and a member ofLSA-SG. ust be activefor ctivist groups to thrive o '60s era bea shadow? Why must we flee as if it were a fad that faded into disuse? period of dreams and action. The nation regation to integration. They ended an t was fought for insane reasons. People world that they would leave to their chil- to take their gift for granted. o's column(Outfromunder the'60sshadow, pressed a clear feeling that our generation own unique movement for social change. can't just trash what previous generations to build something completely new. The 'me fad that can just go out of style. Cana style? Peter, Paul and Mary were just try- that beautiful energy isstill alive. non once said: "The thing the'60s did was ossibilities and the responsibility that we n't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of They created an energy of peace and love at a better world is possible. We too have too have that energy, somewhere deep all of us, inherited from that time. Now hat energy - that dream - and mold our . The'60s showed us what we are capable St go and do it. Anti-war Action has been his, but we need your help. 0i 01