4A - Monday, March 31, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

0

74Ce ICd1ian :altj
Edited and managed by students at
the University ofMichigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu

ANDREW GROSSMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF

GARY GRACA*
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

GABE NELSON
MANAGING EDITOR

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors.
The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a critical look at
coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor
with questions andcomments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu.
FROM THE DAILY
Retrain and retain
State legislature needs to focus on workers, young and old
With the Big Three on the run and few prospects look-
ing to fill the void, Michigan's economy is in shambles.
Lacking specialized knowledge and skills, Michigan's
former autoworkers are taking the biggest hit. Enter the No Work-
er Left Behind program. Thankfully, Michigan's House of Repre-
sentatives recently voted to expand this initiative, which offers at
least a partial solution to the state's economic woes by training dis-
placed workers for jobs in high-tech industries. What Michigan's
legislature still hasn't realized is that the real solution is here - at
Michigan's state universities.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE
We've heard mixed things about Detroit,
but it's been great."
-Christian Hambleton, a Davidson College sophomore, on his visit to Detroit for the NCAA Midwest
championship basketball game yesterday at Ford Field, as reported yesterday by the Detroit News.
HARUN BUINA E-MAIL BULJINA AT BULJINAH@UMICH.EDU
Down yov \WoRRY. A'
t -4 WE L
OF TH
Leaning left

0
6

By the numbers, Michigan is in dire eco-
nomic straits. While the rest of the country
is just getting introduced to a recession,
Michigan has been leading the way for
years. The state's unemployment rate in
February was 7.2 percent - an astonishing
2.4 percent above the national unemploy-
ment rate of 4.8 percent. But buried in all
the bad news, there is a statistic that offers
a way to fix Michigan: Only 4 percent of the
state's college graduates are unemployed.
While it might seem obvious, that's a big
difference, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the
state legislature recognized this difference
last year when they created the No Worker
Left Behind program. The project oper-
ates on a simple concept: displaced workers
- laid off by industries closing up shop -
receive free tuition at community colleges
so they can train for new jobs in fast-grow-
ing fields. In its second year, the program
already has 20,000 individuals enrolled,
with another 11,000 on the waitlist. Ear-
lier this month, the state House voted to
provide another $40 million to support the
expansion of this popular initiative and
move these people off of waitlists and into
training.
The expansion of NWLB is a recognition
that Michigan's unemployed adults can't
just wait around until their jobs come back.
Growing industries in areas like alternative
energy and medicine are out there - they

just aren't here. This program is a way to
attract those industries to Michigan. More
importantly, the overall benefits are kept in
the state even though the program is large-
ly funded by federal grants. This makes it
relatively inexpensive for the state - a per-
fect combination.
Teaching old dogs new tricks is neces-
sary, but the state legislature shouldn't
forget that it won't be sufficient to fix Mich-
igan. College students are fleeing the state
the second they get their degrees - largely
because the state hasn't offered them a rea-
son to stay. It isn't offering much financial
aid to help students get through college.
And once students graduate, it isn't offer-
ing them many jobs or support if they want
to be entrepreneurs. Yet, keeping us around
may mean the difference between a pros-
perous Michigan and another decade of
economic disaster.
If the state wants to keep its students
here, it will have to put its money where
its mouth is. There is still no substitute for
adequate university funding. Creating jobs
for students to move into when they gradu-
ate isn't easy. And innovative entrepreneur-
ship programs don't come cheap.
Thankfully, the NWLB hopes to tackle
the problems left in the wake of Michigan's
old economy. But Michigan still hasn't
found a way to develop its new economy. To
do that, it needs to start young.

t's old news: College professors,
including those at the University,
skew politically to the left.
According to the
most recent Federal
Election Commis-
sion filings, people
who listed the Uni-
versity of Michigan
as their employer
have contributed
a total of $125,298:
to the presidentialK
candidates. of that,
Republican can- STAMPFL
didates ' received
$27,113. Democratic
candidates got $98,185. That's kind of a
big difference. Of the money that went
toDemocrats,HillaryClintontrounced
all the GOP hopefuls combined with
$34,394, and Barack Obama did even
better, raising $55,887, twice as much
as the Republicans. Of 492 contribu-
tions by University affiliates, 52 went to
Republicans and 450 to Democrats.
Of course, those filings reports are
an inexact measure for several reasons
- the Democratic race has lasted lon-
ger, for one - but they paint a generally
accurate picture.
Still not convinced?
A steady parade of surveys shows
that professors are overwhelmingly
liberal, most of which inspire their
share of vitriol on conservative blogs.
And it may be somewhat telling that
my biological anthropology professor
chose to illustrate a point about evo-
lution with an image of a modern day
primate next to an eerily similar pho-
tograph of President Bush.
So there's a demonstrable liberal
slant in academia. But does the dispro-

portionate number of Democrats as
opposed to the number of Republicans
in the faculty have any effect on the
quality of our education?
I think it does.
Did you ever get the feeling in Ann
Arbor that either Clinton or Obama
- judging by campus support, prob-
ably the latter - is sure to rout John
McCain by 50 points in November? Did
you ever get the sense that there is only
one acceptable view on affirmative
action? on withdrawal from the war in
Iraq? On abortion? That - if they actu-
ally exist - the people who don't sup-
port gay marriage live millions of miles
away in some red state that hasn't yet
experienced the benefits of evolution?
There are some pockets of conser-
vatism on campus. Some academic
departments have more conservative
professors than others, and there are
a handful of student groups that try to
counteractliberals'campus chokehold.
Still, the majority of liberal professors
largely sets the agenda on campus.
They attract more liberal professors
- not because they discriminate in the
hiring process but because conserva-
tives don't apply for jobs. They attract
more liberal students. They even pro-
duce some liberal students - not by
indoctrinating their classes with Paul
Krugman's talking points or trashing
Republican leadership at the begin-
ning of every lecture on astronomy
but by establishing a culture in which
a certain set of views is more accepted
than another..
I'm liberal myself. When I came to
the University four years ago I was an
uninformed conservative, but campus
has changed my mind. That's a won-
derful thing.

But nowI find it hard to find conser-
vative viewpoints to balance my own.
If this university has taught me any-
thing, it's that I'm probably wrong. So
naturally I want to be exposed to more
right-wing rhetoric. An odd thing for a
liberal to say? Maybe, but you should
feel the same way. At the very least
hearing conservatives' misguided con-
victions will strengthen yours.
George Will, the columnist with
whom I disagree on just about every-
thing, put it this way: "(Colleges) cul-
tivate diversity - in race, skin color,
ethnicity, sexual preference. In every-
thing but thought."
Campus liberals
need intellectual
nemeses
I'm not suggesting that the Uni-
versity begin an affirmative action
program for the same people who
voted for the ballot initiative to ban
race- and gender-based preferences in
2006. I'm also not blaming the faculty
or the administration or the student
body. It's simply unfortunate that con-
servatives self-select themselves out
of the faculty, because we need their
viewpoints here.
Even when they're spectacularly
wrong.
Karl Stampfl was the Daily's fall/
winter editor in chief in 2007. He can
be reached at kstampfl@umich.edu.

S
S

SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU

Recognizing the importance
of the group behind a leader
TO THE DAILY:
While I am thoroughly honored to have
been recognized by thetaily in its "Students
of the year" (03/26/2008) for my participation
in Students Allied for Freedom and Equality -
a diverse group of student activists organized
to promote justice, human rights, liberation
and self-determination for the Palestinian
people - I would like to note that our success
as an organization cannot be attributed to just
one person. Nothing could have been achieved
this year had it not been for the hard work and
dedication of all SAFE's members, especially
my co-chair Hena Ashraf, Bre Arder, Faria
Jabbar, Ryah Aqel and Kamal Abuarquob.
This year, SAFE was steadfast in its effort to
ALEXANDER HONKALA
E-MAIL HONKALA AT QUATSCH@UMICH.EDU
O course,
r e S C+I
opot5N

provide the campus community with a holis-
tic and analytical outlook at the Israeli-Pal-
estinian conflict. It did this in spite of being
harassed by Internet and campus watch-
dogs who attempted to intimidate SAFE into
silence through libelous blog postings and
offensive fliers, which sometimes compared
the SAFE members to the Ku Klux Klan. By
ignoring and properly reporting these cow-
ardly acts of hate and discrimination, SAFE
demonstrated that it is possible to engage in a
civil and analytical debate on the Israeli-Pal-
estinian conflict
As members of an institution of higher
learning, we have a fundamental obligationto
uphold the principles of freedom and equali-
ty. SAFE calls on people from all backgrounds
and political persuasions to support peace
and justice in the Middle East.
Andrew Dalack
LSA sophomore
The leerwriter is the co-chair ofSAFE
Students of the year'failed
to honor worthy students
TO THE DAILY:
I'm perplexed by what criteria were
employed by the Daily when it compiled its
"Students of the year" for Wednesday's State-
ment (03/26/2008) and what the Daily's defi-
nition of making a difference is.
Common logic suggests that difference
makers would be those students who have
positively influenced this campus above and
beyond their peers. Some folks that come to
mind would be those responsible for programs
like Dance Marathon and Relay For Life. Both
are major hallmarks of the University calen-
dar that raise hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars each year for worthy causes and were
omitted from the list. The leaders of these
groups and many others are far more deserv-
ing of the Daily's recognition than some of the
people on the list.
Promoting hatred of apeople and a country
as well as justifying - in no uncertain terms
- suicide bombings against civilian targets,
as Andrew Dalack did in a viewpoint in the
Daily last year (A blueprint for conversation,
04/10/2007) does not strike me as being a
positive campus leader. If it's Dalack's pre-
rogative to support civilian deaths, the Daily
must use its place as the widest-circulation
newspaper on campus to promote true lead-
ers and not destructive ones.
Aaron Willis
LSAjunior

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Emad Ansari, Harun Buljina, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Milly Dick,
Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Arikia Millikan, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, lmran Syed,
Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Kate Truesdell, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa.
KEVIN BUNKLEY IVIEWPOINT

Hoping for Obama vs. McCain
McCain versus Obama - doesn't Now, the Democratic and Repub- carefully courted moderates, muc
that just roll off the tongue and lican parties are living their worst to his success.
make you warm all over? These nightmare - they are out of the Nomatterwhathappensbetweer
two men are surging toward their driver's seats. These two have made now and the conventions, McCair
parties' nominations. McCain's it this far because they are the and Obama have put their parties i:
Straight Talk Express ran over Mitt antithesis of what their two parties a tough spot. Both parties need thei
Romney and Rudy Giuliani, and were "selling". They're respectable, nominees more than the nominee
Barack Obama is drawing crowds, they're positive and they want to need their, parties. If either part:
like a rock 'n' roll star. And if every- help the country and not their par- wavers in their support for theil
thing goes as Obama hopes, come ties. Too bad for the parties, but nominee, voters will flee in droves
November America will be choos- good for America. Each of the candidates' kryp
ing between two candidates who Just listen or watch one of tonite - the one thing despised b
are separated by decades in age. Obama's mega-rallies. They include the party - is exactly why each i
This age dynamic will prove to Obama's linguistic mastery, nau- winning. With McCain, it's th.
be the story of this election- the seating amounts of cheering and laundry list of aisle-crossing alli
young idealist against the age-test- even some fainting. You can't help ances: McCain-Feingold, McCain
ed pragmatist. What it comes down but feel inspired, or at least positive Kennedy and McCain-Lieberman
to, though, is that these two men about where our political discourse For Obama, it's his unabashed an(
are the best two people to provide is headed after you hear him speak. consistent resistance to the Ira
this country with something it des- When he says, "Now is our time to mess. - Democratic elites thinl
perately needs: a presidential elec- write a new chapter of history," he's he'll paint the party as a dissident.
tion focused on issues, not smear empowering us to go out and make However, everyone should cros
politicking. . a difference. Obama's speeches are their fingers that these are the tw
One year ago, it was a foregone like listening to the passion of Mar- candidates America will choos
conclusion that Hillary Clinton tin Luther King, Jr, mixed with from in November. Then, the elec
would be the next president of the the resonance of John F. Kennedy. tion would be a showdown betwee
United States. Six months ago, con- He can bring good ideas back to a the politics of hope and the poli
servatives were lining up behind Democratic party that has become tics of leadership - not smea
Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani. And complacent and unoriginal. politics. The alternative is an elec
eight years ago, McCain and Obama McCain's greatest strength is tion in which Clinton picks up th.
would not have made it out of Super that he's the Republican candidate Democratic nomination because o
Tuesday. And what better proof least associated with the Bushies - superdelegates and she launche
than the fact that McCain didn't the faction of the GOP that America her patented brand of vitriol poli
make it out. now loathes. He wants Americans tics against. Then we're right bac
But what a difference disgrace- to be proud again, even ifthat means where we started.
ful decision-making in the Oval telling the Republican base to take a
Office and a little corruption from hike. While he may be giving Rush Kevin Bunkley is an LSA senior and
Congressional Republicans makes. Limbaugh a headache, McCain has member of the Daily's editorial board

0
0

h
,n
In
in
r
Is
y
r
.
-
y
s
e
A
iq
k
s
e
-
r
e
k
a
d.

6

A & 4