4A - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MSd48109 tothedaily@umich.edu KARL STAMPFL IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorialboard. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a criticallook at coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with questions and comments. He canbe reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. .: O TH E A I L Water works Great Lakes need immediate action from state and feds President Bush has a peculiar logic when it comes to fed- eral spending: Hundreds of billions of dollars for his two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq isn't excessive, but a meager $23 billion to clean up and protect our nation's water is unneces- sary. Thankfully, Congress had something else to say. By overrid- ing Bush's veto of the water bill on Thursday, Congress reasserted that the survival of our future water supply is a concern that needs immediate attention - something even lawmakers from the Great Lakes state haven't always been willing to assert. The majority was elected on a pledge of fiscal responsibility, but so far it's acting like a teenager with a new credit card." - President Bush at a speech in Indiana yesterday, justifying his veto of a $606 billion spending bill for education, health care and labor. Bush also signed a bill yesterday approving $471 billion for defense. Prison Beakdown 4 f there's one thing Michigan lawmakers seem to love more than bickering over the state budget, it's incar- ceration. With only a few notable exceptions, most legislators want to lock up as many people as possible 4 in as few prisons as possible, ignore $ them and the con- GARY ditions they live in while they are GRACA there, expect them to make a seamless return to society through the all-powerful Michigan Prison Re-entry Initiative and pre- tend like the whole process doesn't come at a cost. They couldn't be more delusional. To the tune of almost $2 billion a year, Michigan is financing one of the most dysfunctional corrections sys- tems in the country, and certainly the most backward in the Midwest. The sadder thing is that fixing the problem is a lot easier than people might think. Positive reforms just can't get sup- port. Although these might not be the most popular or politically palatable solutions, if the state eased up its sen- tencing guidelines for a few low-risk offenses and opened up the option of parole for inmates who have earned a second chance, much of the strain and cost of the system would go away. According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice, Michigan incarcer- ates people at the eighth-highestrate in the country, locking up 502 people out of everyt100,000. Each of these inmates costs roughly $35,000 a year to keep behind bars - a figure that is more than three times the U.S. poverty line for a single, non-elderly person. Mean- while, Michigan's unemployment rate is still hovering around 7 percent, and lawmakers are slashing safety-net ser- vices like Medicaid because they can't bite the bullet and raise taxes. Somehow, the Michigan Depart- ment of Corrections still managed to get a budget increase of $125 million for the next fiscal year. While it might seem wildly unfair that the state keeps pumping money into Michigan's system of mass incar- ceration even as it ignores unemployed workers, it might just be worth it after all if it is making our state a safer place. But it's not. Accordingto2005 statistics fromthe U.S. Bureau of Justice, when compared to neighboring states like Ohio, Illi- nois, Indiana and Wisconsin, Michigan has the highest violent crime, murder, forcible rape and aggravated assault rates per 100,000 people - despite also having the highest incarceration rate. Last October, two Michigan cities, Detroit and Flint, were also bestowed the honor of beingthe second and third most dangerous cities in the country, as judged by the private research com- pany Morgan Quitno Press. In May 2007, Gov. Jennifer Gran- holm proposed one solution that makes sense: Reform sentencing guidelines so less people end up in prison and those in prison serve shorter sentences. The plan would reform 142 felonies and includes lowering maximum sentences for cocaine and marijuana possession and higher thresholds for forgery, lar- ceny and counterfeiting crimes. The changes would save an estimated $76 million per year. Nowthathehasinexplicablystopped writing about the health care problems in Michigan's prisons, Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Gerritt wrote another proposal this weekend that just makes sense. Gerritt proposed that Michigan allow well-behaved, reformed inmates with life sentences the opportunity to parole after serv- ing roughly 15 to 18 years. This was an option till 1992 - when then-governor John Engler helped institute a "life- means-life" philosophy - and recidi- vism rates for these parolees were much lower than other offenders. But both of these common-sense proposals will have to fend off the ubiquitous public safety arguments. People don't want ex-convicts in their neighborhoods or at their workplaces. And victims understandably want severe punishment for the perpetra- tors, regardless of whether the crime is theft or murder. State Republicans tap into and take advantage of these sentiments every timethis debatecomesup. Like allgood things Republican, the answer lies in Mass incarceration isn't making us safer - only poorer. letting the market make it all better. By privatizing our state prisons or out- sourcing our prisoners to other states, Michigan can still mass incarcerate - it just needs to doit more efficiently. It's pretty far-fetched to say that out- sourcing inmates away from their fam- ily and community is an effective way to reform them, but if by some stretch of the imagination it is, why not satisfy everyone and implement a viable sys- tem of parole, too? The reality is that we don't have a punishments system; we have a cor- rections system - and that means not locking up people when they aren't dangerous and not keeping inmates in prison indefinitely. Michigan can find better ways to spend its money. Gary Graca is an associate editorial page editor. He can be reached at gmgraca@umich.edu, 4 4 Meant to increase spending on water projects across the country, including two highlighted projects to clean up the Florida Everglades and the Gulf Coast, Congress's $23 billion water bill was one of the few bipartisan things done in Washington this year. But claiming that the bill included more than $9 billion in pork barrel projects, Bush vetoed it two weeks ago. On Nov. 6, the U.S. House of Representa- tives voted overwhelmingly to override the veto, with all of Michigan's 15 representa- tives - Republicans and Democrats - vot- ing with the majority. Finishing the job, the U.S. Senate joined the House on Thursday to deliver the first veto override of Bush's presidency. The reasoning behind Bush's veto of the bill was faulty to begin with. Brought into focus by the wildfires out West and the drought in the South, America is currently experiencing a water crisis. The water sup- plies that we do have are becoming increas- ingly polluted, and we must turn the focus to cleaning them up right away. Although he claimed that the bill included too much pork barrel spending, all of the projects included in the bill are essential to the health of the country's water supply. By any standard, essential spending simply cannot be considered pork. The bill comes with many benefits for Michigan and the Great Lakes water system, which contains more than 20 percent of the world's fresh water. It includes funding for a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie, which would open up northern Michigan to ship- ping and strengthen the Upper Peninsula's local economy. In the Detroit area, the bill would fund shoreline protection along the Detroit River, and the cleaning up of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River. One of the most essential parts of the bill includes funding to correct raw sewage overflows into the Great Lakes, which encourages the growth of dangerous e-coli bacteria. Even though the federal government just poured money into the Great Lakes, our own state government is still lagging behind. As one of the few remaining parties yet to sign the Great Lakes Compact - a regional agreement between the eight states border- ing the Great Lakes and the two Canadian provinces to prevent Great Lakes water from leaving the basin - Michigan lawmakers are dragging their feet. With faraway states coveting Great Lakes water, the compact, if also approved by Congress, would bar the transport of water out of the Great Lakes system. That is an essential step in ensuring the Great Lakes, already at historically low water levels, are not further depleted. Congress had the right idea when it voted to override Bush's veto and fund the pro- tection of the nation's water resources. It is time for Michigan to get on board and sign the Great Lakes compact. After all, water is one of the few things Michigan has left. 4 4 T ) I ETSEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU STUDENTS OF OBJECTIVISM Celebrating rational egoism Cable, BTNtoo trivial for Daily editpage TO THE DAILY: I was horrified to read Patrick Zabawa's column about students' inability to watch the Big Ten Net- work on Comcast cable (The one cable company, 11/09/2007). I was horri- fied to see that a medium as influen- tial as a newspaper's editorial page is being used to discuss something as trivial as television. What about the social justice issues that plague the nation and the world? What about the discrimination of people of color, women, the poor, the LGBT commu- nity, immigrants, etc.? What about the corruption of the criminal justice system, violence against women and environmental issues? Yes, it is disappointing that you can't watch all Michigan football games on TV, but there are more important issues in the world to worry about. It is just television after all, and the number of pieces and let- ters the Daily has printed about this is ridiculous. Amber Hassinger School ofSocial Work Tsunamis not caused by global warming "Atlas Shrugged," the magnum opus of novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, depicts a world in which the productive, the effica- cious and the creative are damned and shack- led by those who think that the only way to be moral is to sacrifice, to give and to be selfless. It also shows what happens to human exis- tence when those who produce the material and spiritual values we all take for granted choose to no longer be damned or shackled and instead go on strike. For the celebration of the 50th anniversary of this inspirational novel's publication, the University of Michigan Students of Objectiv- ism would like to take a moment to discuss the historical significance of the novel's mes- sage, especially its revolutionary new moral- ity of rational egoism. The call to serve others - whether a super- natural being, one's neighbors or one's nation - has gone on throughout human history, and the 21st century has not been an excep- tion. In today's political realm, it appears to be self-evident that the productive mem- bers of society must (not have the choice to, but must) give their fair share to the collec- tive "greater good," or in other words, give to those who haven't produced. Examples of this coerced sacrifice can be seen in the current welfare states around the world, the calls for national service, the billions spent on-foreign aid and altruistic wars and the tax systems that support these sacrifices. During both the sermon and the classroom lecture, we're told to be our brother's keeper, to serve the community, to avoid selfish achievement and to be altruistic. But does life require altruism? Are other people and the obligatory satisfaction of their wants and needs the sole purpose of living? In other words, does a human being have a moral right to exist, to live and take action? If so, who ought to be the beneficiary of such action? The idea of rational egoism, as presented in "Atlas Shrugged," states that an individual has the moral right to exist, should be the ben- eficiary of his own action and should hold his own life as the standard of value. Using reason to figure out what goals are actually in one's long-term self-interest and accomplishing these goals becomes a daily necessity. Instead of regarding this policy of selfishness as evil and immoral, rational egoism regards it as a profound achievement. . In a passage from character John Galt's speech in "Atlas Shrugged," Rand summa- rizes the essence of rational egoism: "To live, man must hold three things as the supreme and ruling values of his life: Reason, Purpose, Self-esteem." The characters of the book either embody this spirit or anti-spirit of an egoist. Whether it's dealing with the struggle between the pro- ducers and the looters or the courage to rely upon one's own mind, "Atlas Shrugged" viv- idly depicts the heroic life of a moral, rational, selfish person and the consequences of an irra- tional, altruistic parasite. It's no wonder that Rand characterized her philosophy as one "for living on Earth." In this novel, a type of selfishness is present- edthat is not irresponsible, brutish, moronic or irrational. Instead, this type of selfishness is principled, fulfilling, just and rational. If readers would like to know more about this new morality, the University of Michi- gan Students of Objectivism suggests you pick up a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" and attend our speaker event, "Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand's Morality of Egoism," tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Angell Hall Auditorium A. Andrew Sardone is an LSA senior and Roderick Fitts is an LSA sophomore. Sardone is the president and Fitts is the vice president of the University of MichiganS students of objectivism. enact this specific type of legislation in the country, opponents claimed that it would cause frequent gun bat- tles over every small public dispute. However, years later, it has become clear that these predictions were false: Violent crime rates in Florida have fallen significantly. Forty other states also give citi- zens a "right to carry," with 36 states having "shall issue" laws like Florida, which necessitate that if applicants meet certain, agreed upon guidelines, they must be issued a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Not a single state that has passed a concealed weapons law has voted to repeal it. Of the states that allow concealed weapons, currently Utah is the only state that permits concealed weap- ons on campuses. As we have come to expect, opponents of this extension claimed that students and teachers would engage in gunfights over class- room discussions. And as it turns out, these claims did not come true. In 2006, Virginia legislators con- sidered passing a law that would have permitted the same extension as Utah. Unfortunately, the law failed. When a student went on a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech Univer- sity earlier this year, he chained the doors of the building shut with the full knowledge that the only guns in this building were his own. One can't help but wonder what would have happened if law-abiding citizens, licensed by the state to carry firearms for self-defense, had been able to fire Join me in pledging to act as strong advocates for civil liberties wherever they are at risk. Peri Weisberg Public Policy junior The letter writer is chair of the Univer- sity's undergraduate chapter ofthe ACLU Bring You~ube' democracy to the air TO THE DAILY: I am writing in response to Imran Syed's column last week, (The liberal revenge, 11/07/2007). I have no prob- lem with conservative anchors being pushed off cable - to a point. Conser- vatives have had the stage for eight years and now the tables have turned. The people have decided; the liberal revenge, as it were. Just "as the majority of Americans have not transformed suddenly into foot soldiers for the neo-con cause," the majority will not become polariz- ing and prejudiced. Syed asks, "Why is it that we cannot have a network with differing viewpoints and true disagreement? Isn't that the most logical extension ofAmerican democ- racy to the airwaves?" Indeed, true democracy would be YouTube view- ers regularly challenging anchors and other viewers on TV. I call it YouTube Democracy. The CNN/YouTube Debates are working better than the mockery of a presidential debate we are usually treated to. My point is this: Let the people do the thinking via YouTube dialogue and debate and then have the media and government act on it. The best thing about YouTube is that it would create a dynamic between those in power and those not in power - between the Washington politician, the YouTube citizen and the media czar. Michael Koslowski LSA senior Wolverine fans impress in Madison TO THE DAILY: On Saturday, my school, the Uni- versity of Wisconsin at Madison, had the pleasure of hosting Michigan fans for our last home football game of the season. Even though Michigan lost, I was impressed by the attitudes of the team's supporters. Michigan had the greatest number of fans at our sta- dium out of all the teams I have seen play there. Michigan fans are ener- getic, good sports and overall classy people. I know Camp Randall isn't always the friendliest environment for visitors, but I hope you will con- tinue come back in years to come. Allison Goldthorpe University of Wisconsin sophomore 4 0 4 TO THE DAILY: back. In his viewpoint Thursday, Neil Sardana incorrectly linked the Jon Regal 2004 tsunami with global warming Alum (Activism and survival in our times, 11/08/2007). Tsunamis are typi- cally caused by an undersea earth- Free sp quake that causes a wave to radiate outward, rising as it approaches Vigilan land. There is no evidence that sup- ports a link between the geological TO THE DA activity that would cause a tsunami I was pl and global warming. article Mon Making such an obviously false president of claim hurts the global warming erties Unio argument and damages Sardana's freedom of defense of student activism. How Defend the o can students be truly active if we point canno don't even know the facts? that maintai doms requir Bryan VanDuinen The story Engineeringfreshman ture was on Amendment dential adm Campus safety comes one that has prestigious with looser gun laws House of Re and as mun TO THE DAILY: the Michiga In response to Monday's article I was esp about the University chapter of the sen's attent College Libertarians raffling off a gun First Amen voucher (To push gun rights, group nated here offers a gun voucher, 11/12/2007), continue to: increasing safety still has one simple campus like and reasonable solution: allowing cit- freedom, I w izens to carry handguns. to keep in m When Florida passed its concealed tural contex handgun law in 1987, the first state to take place. ?eech needs tprotection ILY: eased to see the Daily's day on the lecture by the the American Civil Lib- n, Nadine Strossen, on speech (ACLU president: ffensive,11/12/2007). The ot be made too strongly ning America's core free- es constant vigilance. yStrossen told in her lec- e of a struggle for First t rights with every presi- ninistration. It was also been fought on stages as as the floors of the U.S. presentatives and Senate dane as the chambers of n Student Assembly. ecially inspired by Stros- ion to precedent-setting dment cases that origi- at the University. As we discuss relevant issues on speech codes and artistic Mould encourage my peers ind the rich legal and cul- xt in which our decisions 4 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Jon Cohen, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Robert Soave, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be under 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@umich.edu. 4 4