4A - Thursday, October 25, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com L7L4C fitIC4l*Qan4,3al*lv Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR We've definitely turned the corner in the city." - San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders on the much-needed relief diminished winds have brought to his wildfire-ravaged city, as reported yesterday by the Los Angeles Times. 4 KARL STAMPFL EDITOR IN CHIEF Michigan's trump card Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solelythe views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a critical look at coverage and content inevery section ofthe paper. Readers are encouragedto contact the publiceditor with questions and comments. He canbe reached atcpubliceditor@umich.edu. Lasting costs States must alleviate the burden of rising tuition rates The College Board reported Monday that the cost of tuition at public and private universities has risen twice as fast as the inflation rate this year, causing students to scram- ble for extra financial aid. States like Michigan have shirked their duties to students in recent years, denying public universities ade- quate funding and flippantly advising them to make up for their funding deficits with cuts. But making cuts is not possible without significantly affecting the quality of education offered. It's up to legislators to recognize this reality and counteract rising tuition rates by making education a priority. i's as good as a slap in the face to Michigan residents - the only consolation is that our governor didn't take it sit- ting down. - We're all well aware that the state of Michigan is in big trouble. Facing the high- est unemployment rate inthe country, Michigan's popu- IMRAN lation continues to SYED drop year by year_ as people go else- where looking for work. But as states like Michigan lose electoral votes thanks to decreasing populations, other areas of the country, namelythe South and the West, have seen signifi- cant growth. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released at the end of last year, the states that experienced the most significant population growth in 2006 were Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Georgia and Texas. Not coincidentally, Michigan's automotive jobs have gone to places like Texas and Georgia. Those growing states showcased themselves to businesses as emerging economic powerhouses, the better alternative to worn-out giants like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The Rust Belt isn't getting a touch-up anytime soon, the argument goes, and it's time for states like Michiganto step aside and let plac- es like Nevada, Georgia and Alabama become the newhome of the prototypi- cal American middle-class worker. But what if it wasn't meant to be that way? The five fastestgrowingstates inthe country listed above all face immedi- ate concerns tied to shortages in water. Droughts and wildfires have become more prevalent in the South and West respectively in recent years in what some scientists are calling the first signs of the long-term effects of global warming. The disastrous wildfires rag- ing on the West Coast are a reminder that decreased rainfall and warmer weather could make many of our favor- ite parts of the country vulnerable, even before the polar icecaps melt. While the wildfires in California are most directly linked to weather, droughts in places like Alabama, Georgia and Idaho could also be linked to overpopulation. That's a dif- ficult concept to accept. I'm not say- ing that the 2.53 percent population growth Georgia experienced in 2006 is responsible for the dire water short- ages the state now faces. What I am saying is that places like Georgia are not well equipped, especially in our warming world, to.sustain large popu- lations or industries without help and resources borrowed from other states. States like Michigan. A column earlier this year in The Birmingham Times rather delicately took up a position most politicians and people inthe SouthandWestfindinev- itable: The Great Lakes states should share some of their water wealth. Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, said earlier this month in Nevada that he advocates a "national water policy." That sounds well and good, except that it essentially means pumping water out of the Great Lakes water system and piping it out to parched states in the South and West. Gov. Jennifer Granholm's response? "Hell no." That's an unpopular stance to take as fires consume hundreds of thousands of acres in California and droughts threaten to leave Georgia completely out of fresh water in as little as three months. Sure, the Great Lakes states should make sure no one in Atlanta goes thirsty in February of next year, but solutions beyond that must entail something more sustain- able than siphoning water from the Great Lakes. Aside from potentially draining the world's largest source of fresh water, shipping water to other states so that they can continue to fuel their growth - and continue to leave Michigan in the wake - is the eco- nomic equivalent ofthrowing yourself in front of a semi-truck. If there are no local freshwater sources available in some states, then the long-term solution is obvious - and very politically incorrect. Those dry states are not equipped to handle large populations and industries. They may have lured people and jobs with prom- ises of pleasant weather, but if climate patterns make water hard to come by, then Michigan should not have to fuel those states' false growth. They're paper tigers, without the resources to back up their economicpromise. Mich- igan on the other hand, is blessed with, plenty of water and a climate that isn't all that unpleasant. There are reasons so many people and industries called the Midwest and Northeast home for the better part of the last two centuries: natural resourc- es like water and suitable land and The many problems with sending water' to dry states. access to waterways for transporta- tion.Thosemadefortruesustainability - growththatwas completely genuine, not based on borrowed resources. It may seem heartless to say that Alabama and Georgia can't handle the heat (literally), but it's no more heart- less than the reasons given for the transplantation of thousands of jobs and taxpayers from the Great Lakes states to the South and West: bet- ter weather, no unions, low business taxes, etc. Those states and businesses have always argued that it's simple com- petition and Michigan should shape up if it wants to keep up. If it's just a matter of simple competition, then there is no competition: We'll keep our water, and if you want it, you're welcome to move here. Imran Syed isthe Daily's editorial page editor. He can be reached at galad@umich.edu. 4 Tuition, which the College Board reports is up 6.6 percent at public four-year univer- sities from 2006, will likely remain on the rise. Because this rise is greater than the rate of inflation, a good college education may be becoming progressively less afford- able for the average student. While the University continues to promote cultural diversity, underprivileged students, who are statistically more likely to be minorities, will be unable to afford a college education - at great cost to their future and great det- riment to diversity on college campuses. Public universities rely heavily on state funding like other public facilities - librar- ies, parks, etc. - but it is necessary to recog- nize that public institutions do not function the same way as other businesses. Whereas many major corporations can easily make cuts in their labor force and save money thanks to technological advances, it's not so easy at universities. Cuts at colleges would mean larger class sizes and poorer facilities, and no amount of technology can complete- ly replace professors. In fact, as technol- ogy progresses, schools must spend more to constantly upgrade and remain up-to-date so that they can provide the best education- al environment possible.i Private universities and top public insti- tutions like the University of Michigan have the advantage of a large endowment and can counteract rising tuition costs by increasing financial aid, at least in the short term. Smaller public universities don't have that luxury. Without enormous endowments from which to offer sufficient financial aid to prospective students, these smaller schools could become unaffordable to the average high school graduate. This could have dire consequences, especially in Michigan, because public universities edu- cate the vast majority of tomorrow's work- force. State economies rely on the skills of the workforce, so it will be nearly impossi- ble for our state to come out of its economic funk if tomorrow's workers face the same disadvantages as today's. Consequently, a new system must be cre- ated to counteract the current growth of college costs, It is not acceptable for the leg- islature to treat education as the flex option - to be cut whenever it's convenient. Mich- igan must prioritize correctly in its budget and set a feasible minimum for state fund- ing to universities and increase that amount by at least the rate of inflation every year. We must make sure that a college education doesn't revert into being out of reach for average Americans. 4 4 KIRSTEN TINER Athletes achieve more than enough ADAM DE ANGELI ' Support Ron Paul For any American who values peace ant freedom, the choice for president couldn' be easier: Congressman Ron Paul. An Ai Force medic during the Vietnam War and an obstetrician who com- pleted his residency at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital, Paul's com- mitment to principle has never wavered in J 10 congressional terms. He is, as Sen. John " McCain once said, the - most honest man in PAUL Washington. Paul's deeply conservative stances on taxes spending, welfare, gun rights and illegal immi gration have won him a rapidly growing con servative following. His stances against the illegal occupation of Iraq,the unconstitutiona Patriot Act and the immoral military draft art wellknown, and yet, people are startled to dis cover how many mainstream liberals are find ing themselves agreeing with him. Only Paul calls for America to leave the World Trade Organization, World Bank International Monetary Fund and .th United Nations. These organizations hell oppress millions of people across the globe whether through economic blackmail (th IMF) or direct intervention. Remember the U.N. sanctions on Iraq? Remember the U.N slaughter in Yugoslavia? These institution: represent the growth of a global governmen not accountable to anyone. We need to pro tect our sovereignty and stop meddling with the affairs of other countries. Welfare and health care programs seem like compassion for the working class, bu the cost of these programs is paid by ou: own taxes and inflation. Michigan's econo my serves as a clear example of the conse quences of unbalanced budgets, and Paul i: the only candidate expressing concern abou our massive federal debt. When the govern ment borrows money, collects taxes to pay interest and prints money at the price of inflation, it is those on low and fixed income: who suffer the most. These programs also lead to dependency: What happens if you are thrown off of welfare? Internet freedom is a major priority fo anybody concerned about a healthy media - Why then are Democrats lining up to destroy it? Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sup port the Internet Freedom Preservation Act which requires Internet service providers to get a license from the Federal Communica tions Commission. They tell us that this will keep ISPs in line, but in reality, this will only d make it more difficult for new companies to t compete. Also, the potential for censorship r is endless. Democrats want affirmative action for the sake of "diversity," but ending federal control C of school budgets is the real solution to heal- ing the income gap. Schools should be run by state and local governments, not by the U.S. Department of Education. Illegal immigration is another issue Demo- crats have trouble with, but as Paul points out, if our economy was in better shape, require- ments could be eased and foreign workers would be welcomed. We turn away people L patiently waiting to enter legally and offer social services to illegal immigrants at the expense of everyone else. How is that com- - passionate? - Con- . . .. e servatives This viewpoint is the 1 overwhelm- third in a series by e ingly sup- leaders of campus - port Paul's - stance on groups supporting just about various presidential e everything until the candidates. e war against terrorism comes up. Is it really so difficult to see the connection between our country's e military aggression and the hatred that it e creates? Certainly the 9/11 Commission . Report mentioned it. s At Paul's rally on campus earlier this t month, it was interesting to see the anti-war - Left and members of Young Americans for Freedom participating in the same event. These groups once protested against each other, but as Paul is fond of saying, "Freedom t brings people together." r Paul's campaign is energized and growing - by the day. The Democratic party's games - have caused its candidates to ignore Michi- s gan completely. So much for the Democratic t process. Meanwhile, the Republican Party is - finally starting to resent the harm the neo- y cons have done to it, and embrace the conser- f vative that they can count on to limit the size s of government.- Paul's army of 50,000 volunteers is grow- e ing every day, his popularity on the Internet is legendary, he receives more donations from r active-duty troops than any other candidate, . and his campaign is afoot in nearly ever5 county in America. - We're making great progress, but we've got a lot more to do. Please join us. - Adam De Angeli is a University l alum and a member of the University chapter of Students for Ron Paul. I am writing in response to the two recent articles regarding the call by the University's main fac- ulty governing body for academic reforms for athletes (Assembly calls forathleticreforms, 10/23/2007,Profs want change in University athletics, 10/02/2007). As a student-athlete, I intend to prove that these reforms are unnecessary and unjust. As one article reported, "The Athletic Department is one of the few self-supporting departments in the nation, meaning it funds its operating budget entirely from its own revenues." Under the supe- rior direction of Athletic Director Bill Martin, this department went from being in debt to being fully self-funded. He is a remarkable businessman and a well-respected leader on campus. The suggestion that a tenured faculty member should hold his position as chair- man of the University's Advisory Board for Intercollegiate Athlet- ics is illogical. How could a faculty member who has no involvement with the inner workings of the Ath- letic Department be more qualified than Martin? Perhaps the most disturbing reform proposed is the integration of the Athletic Department budget with the University's general fund. As reported, "The University's gen- eralbudgetgrew1.9 percentbetween the 2006-2007 fiscal year and the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The Athletic Department's budget, meanwhile, increased 17.6 percent during that same period." Given the discrepancy ingrowthbetweenthetwobudgets, I see no logical way to integrate them. Faculty members are outraged over the type of spending the Ath- letic Department is doing. But the University's teams have a strong tradition of winning, perhaps the strongest in the country: To whom much is given, much is expected. We as student-athletes have been given every opportunityto succeed, and so far I see positive results across the board. The beautiful Ross Academic Center and renovations to the Big House, baseball stadium and soft- ball facilities, as well as plans to expand other facilities wouldn't be possible had the Athletic Depart- ment's current budget not been in place. If we are fully self-funded, then why is the University up in arms about spending? The Ath- letic Department's spending is not harming the University in any way. My final issue is that of academ- ics. Student-athletes are just that: Students, then athletes. Most of us embrace this fact and take it very seriously.We knowthat we are lucky to be here and take full advantage of the opportunities that we have been givento attend atop university while playing the sports wejove. The call for higher admissions standards for athletes and greater scrutiny of our majors is unfounded. On my team alone, we have three Business Schoolstudents,threepre- med students and a flock of other strong majors, like graphic design and psychology. I can assure you that there is a strong emphasis on grades, academic achievement and community involvement. Yet both of the articles qucse people call- ing for greater campus involvement by athletes. Here are some facts for you: Every Thursday evening, student-athletes visit C.S. Motts Children's Hospital. Every Friday, we send student-athletes to local elementary schools to read to and tutor struggling students. In our countless volunteer activities, stu- dent-athletes have given so much back to the Ann Arbor community that so passionately supports us. How can the University hold us in contempt? I would like to see some of the other students at this Univer- sity handle the schedules that we as student-athletes have and perform as well as we do. I came to Michigan forthe chance to have it all - strong academic pro- grams and unparalleled athletics. I will graduate in the spring with a BBA from the Ross School of Busi- ness and a BA in English from LSA. I have been a Big Ten Regular Sea- son Champion or Big Ten Tourna- ment Champion six times and will perhaps even be a National Cham- pion by the time our season ends this year. I hope that the University will take a closer look atthe Athletic Department, and what it produces: Strong, talented and capable men and women, almost all of whom, as the NCAA commercials remind us, will be going pro in something other than our sport. We are success- ful doing what we have been doing and growing the way we have been growing. Don't stop us now. Kirsten Tiner is a Business School and LSA senior and co-captain of the Michigan field hockey team. 4 I 4 4 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Brian Flaherty, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Robert Soave, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa JOHN OQUIST STIV Y EE Andseweregssnso ago Then we'regoiBe t or a Crcnawrap +re gonto BoW e King) T Donld's and Wend's.-YAAAW and Arbysand White Caas and A&W! 6i h a dFX3fce ,p 8tb#* a s 6 4 8r # 4 'Me** " -11- 7 VI.. 4 4