4 - Tuesday, October 7, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com C4C ffchigan4,atilV Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan 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 of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. j Can you hear us now? New committee offers little hope for tuition reprieve J you think tuition costs are out of control, it's true - they are out of your control. When the University Board of Regents passed a 5-percent hike in tuition in July, it stuck with its tradition of raising tuition when no one's looking. In response to student concerns, Provost Teresa Sullivan announced her lat- est project: the Student Budget Advisory Committee. Some are optimistic about its promise to involve students in the budget- ary process. But it's hard to see how the closed-door meetings of a hand-selected committee will promote an open dialogue about tuition, let alone influence change. The hockey mom seems to be the soccer mom on steroids." - Matthew Grose, an Alaskan ice rink manager, about the spotlight on hockey moms after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's frequent self-descriptions as one, as reported yesterday by The Washington Post. ELAINE MORTON EA E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICH.EDU rie 2fOrI i'iy SGs +-fivirs8. (lslagl warlsir5 z" S..yuFhn J' hv { s q ns ya~-l!sD Darw ff4-lmeto 0fair elctfion1. 00-r Wat Palmn should have said Forming a committee is the University's favorite show of good faith on conten- tious campus issues. During her tenure as the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Texas, Sullivan often solicited student input. Her first two years at the University of Michigan have been no different, giving her a reputation for facilitating dialogue through committee for- mation, as she did with the Provost's Student Leadership Board and the Student Advisory Committee. But when faced with an urgent need to slow tuition hikes, it's important for us to know just what kind of appeasement the administration is offering. Sullivan says that the committee will seat a dozen students, graduate and undergradu- ate, "who would have an intellectual interest in the budget." But considering that tuition has risen 34.6 percent during the past four years, why involve only students with "an intellectual interest" in the budget rather than those who care the most or, perhaps more importantly, those who are suffering the most? Rising costs are taking a toll on students and their families, especially in this time of economic instability, and these consequences deserve real attention., Perhaps most telling is the selection pro- cess Sullivan's office employed to choose student committee members. Rather than publicize the committee openings to the entire campus, the Office of the Provost contacted only student organizations, stu- dent government and the Provost's Faculty Budget Advisory committee for nomina- tions in September. Many students didn't even know about the opportunity until they read about it in the Daily - on the day nominations were due. Rather than filter- ing out all but a few voices, every concerned student should be heard when it comes to tuition. Unfortunately, students shouldn't take solace in being able to at least observe the meetings - because they can't. While the University claims to wantstudents to under- stand the budgetary process and generate feedback, these meetings will be closed. And don't expect to review any minutes of the meetings either: According to the Office of the Provost, there won't be any. When reached for comment, the Office of the Provost said Sullivan is "not adverse to scheduling an open meeting at some point." If this comes to pass - and it should - stu- dents should demonstrate their need for attention and attend. Right now, that is the best chance the average student has for get- ting a say on this matter. So far, there is little to make us feel like the administration actually cares about "increasing student participation" in this process. But when it comes down to it, what students want most from this com- mittee is for their concerns to matter when the University considers next year's tuition rates. To find out if it fulfills even that basic expectation, though, it looks like we'll have to wait until next summer. The common consensus of pun- dits - conservative and liberal - is that the vice presidential debate Thursday was a tie. In light of the John McCain campaign's rapid loss of momentum, a tie means aloss. The common logic says the Republican tick- f et needed a game- changingdebateand didn't getone. But to ALEX this conservative, it PRASAD is not the mere fact that the debate had no clear winner that makes this a loss for McCain and Sarah Palin. Rather, it was the many oppor- tunities that Sen. Joe Biden graciously handed Palin but she didn't seize. It's not all gloom and doom for Republicans, though, as the liberal media would like to make it seem. Despite the fact that a poll after the debate showed 51 percent of viewers thought Biden won and only 36 per- cent thought Palin had won, the same viewers thought Palin was more like- able, 54 percent to 36 percent. The McCain-Palin ticket is running 5.7 points behind Obama-Biden, accord- ing to the most recent Real Clear Poli- tics average of all reputable national polls and is also behind in most of the all-important swing states. A comeback wouldn't be unheard of. But it would have been much more likely had Palin pointed out a couple of things Thursday. First, Palin missed a golden oppor- tunity to speak to conservatives about their favoriteissue:protectingthe Con- stitution. For example, Biden, speak- ing of Vice President Dick Cheney, said, "The idea (Cheney) doesn't real- ize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the executive branch." Palin easily could have retorted, "Actually Joe, Article I of the Consti- tution discussed legislative power. Ya know, it's disappointing that a sitting *senator doesn't even know the Con- stitution he's sworn to protect. The American people need somebody who is intimately familiar with the Consti- tution." Given the didactic tone with which Biden lectured Americans, the above Palin response could have pointed out Biden's inconsistencies and fired up the conservative base at the same time. Fittingthis commentinwithher previ- ous points about Biden's past praise of McCain and past criticism of Obama (calling him "not fit to be commander in chief") would have scored major political points. But by far the biggest missed oppor- tunity was in foreign policy -. Palin's weak point. The moderator, Gwen Ifill, asked Biden if Americans have the stomach for all the intervention he has proposed over the years, citing his calls for intervention in Bosnia, Iraq, Pakistan and Sudan. Biden responded, "I think the American public has the stomach for success. My recommenda- tions on Bosnia ... saved tens of thou- sands of lives ... (and) the end result was it worked." Palin's response was weak, discuss- inghowshehelped divert Alaskanstate funds away from Sudanese companies with whichit was doing business. Instead, she should have answered as follows: "Ya know, let's talk about success senator. Certainly, I can't match your long record in the realm of foreign policy. But, I don't think the American people - those Main Street- ers - just want experience. They want good Main Street judgment. You cite Bosnia as a success, yet 13 years after the initial conflict, we still have 10,000 troops there. You were one of the few opposed the first Gulf War, saying thousands of U.S. soldierswould die. In fact, only 293 did in an overwhelming victory. Your maverick opposition was irresponsible. "Today, you don't talk about success in Iraq. But just a few months before the surge, you suggested segregating Iraq into three separate countries. I guess, despite the fact that segrega- tion didn't work in the United States, it is good enough for Iraq. Instead of following your advice, John McCain, in a successful maverick decision, proposed the surge that has brought down military andcivilian casualties drastically over the last year. "Ya know Joe, I think the American people want the kind of success that John McCain's maverick judgment will bring to foreign policy." Of course, it is easy to suggest these answers now. But the alternatives highlight that Thursday's debate rep- resented McCain's last best hope, and it did not quite pull McCain back into the race. Paln missed her chance to attack Obama and Biden. The McCain-Palin campaign, bar- ring some major mistakes by Obama- Biden will likely lose this election. But expect this only to harden conserva- tives. Conservatives thrive when they are in the opposition (take a look at the early years of the Clinton admin- istration) and flounder when in power (look no further than the 2006 mid- term elections). Despite the hopes of the Obama campaign and many liberals, electoral defeat may just be the thing that reig- nites the conservative base. Demo- crats better hope that Republicans don't find the second coming of Ron- ald Reagan by 2012, or conservatives will again unite behind a presidential candidate. Alex Prasad can be reached at atprasad@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Matthew Green, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Shannon Kellman, Edward McPhee, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, Eileen Stahl, Jennifer Sussex, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Margaret Young ISSUES 2008 :_ a V ON ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT COLLEGE DEMOCRATS I An aggressive approach to energy. COLLEGE REPUBLICANS|IW'P"INT Quick relief, long term solutions Today, the United States stands at a crossroads about the future of its environmental and energy policy. While consumers pay more at the pump, the nation remains dependent on foreign oil, and the destiny of the planet becomes more uncertain. Barack Obama's comprehensive plan, "New Energy for America," presents answers for the United States' energy problems through a multi-faceted approach and focusing on a responsible path to independent, sustainable and environmentally efficient energy. A key part of the plan is conservation, of both energy and the environment. With this plan, Obama hopes to end our use of oil from the Middle East and Venezuela in 10 years. This change would occur through several policies focusing on energy effi- ciency and environmental conservation. One such policy, Health Care For Hybrids, would put at least one million American-made plug-in hybrid cars on the roads by 2015. To encourage car companies to build the hybrids, the government would provide massive incentives, including gov- ernment health care benefits for employees. While the plan also calls for increasing fuel economy stan- dards on cars each year by 4 percent, it will assist U.S. auto companies in restructuring car plants to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. Obama plans to make these environmentally friendly cars more available to Americans by giving a tax credit to those who purchase the more technologically advanced vehicles. While both John McCain's and Obama's energy plans have a similar goal to invest, both techno- logically and fiscally, in alternative energy sources, McCain's vision is not aggressive enough to enact immediate or significant change. McCain refused to vote eight times on a package of alternative energy tax breaks because it would slightly raise taxes on oil companies. McCain has also adopted the slogan, "Drill, baby, drill," advocating giving even more land to the oil companies, in addition to the millions of unexplored acres they already have. America has only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, but demands 25 percent of its supply. Oil is not the future, and John McCain is stuck in the past. Obama wants 10 percent of our energyto come from renewable resources by 2012, increase that to 25 percent by 2025 and advocate for less dependence on domestic and foreign oil. In addition to utilizing sustainable, renewable energy, building this new renewable infrastructure will create millions of new jobs. With Obama's energy plan, the United States will be more actively involved in fighting climate change and will work internationally to preserve our planet. The plan sets aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions _ released by corporations into the already dam- aged atmosphere. Obama wants to see an 80 per- This is part t cent reduction in green- house gas emissions by series by Coll( 2050, 20 percent more than McCain's proposal. Republica This reduction would be accomplished primar- lmportant lS ily through alternative Elec energy sources like clean coal and a market-based cap-and-trade program, where pollution permits would be auctioned off and the proceeds would be reinvested in a clean energy future. McCain's envi- ronmental program gives these permits away to many of the nation's biggest polluters. The next president of the United States will need to vehemently address issues concerning sustain- able, renewable energy and protecting the planet. This effort will begin the first day in the White House. This time, the "I'll get it done within the next eight years" excuse won't work. Obama pos- sesses and embodies the vision and willpower nec- essary to restore America. This viewpoint was written on behalf of the University's chapter of the College Democrats. hree ege D ns th sues 1 ction I Let's start by clearing something up: The Repub- lican Party is not anti-environmental. The environ- ment isn't an issue you can be for or against; this is an issue which both parties care passionately about. John McCain cares deeply about the environment and, in the tradition of President Teddy Roosevelt, a fellow Republican, he is committed to protecting our environment. The first aspect of McCain's environmental plan is to fight climate change by decreasing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. McCain has been a leader in finding ways to address climate change. To accom- plish this goal, he has proposed a market-based cap-and-trade system as well as federally mandated in a five-part vehicle emissions stan- dards. The cap-and-trade emocrats and system distributes permits equal to the cap on green- at looks at house gas emissions and leading pto allows companies to sell g p these permits on the open Day. market if they cut their emissions below those levels. Not only does this program gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it also encourages companies to develop new environmentally friendly technology by rewarding companies that reduce their emissions. Furthermore, McCain has unveiled a timetable for reducing emissions with the goal of having 2005 greenhouse gas emission levels fall 66 percent by 2050. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an important first step toward fighting climate change and protecting our environment. Energy is an important topic that comes up when discussing the environment. John McCain is com- mitted to developing clean alternative energy to help ease our reliance on carbon-based sources that harm the environment. This includes investing in research and development for clean coal technology, plug-in and hybrid cars and clean energy sources like nucle- ar, wind, solar and hydropower. By encouraging and developing these clean energy sources, America will become less dependent on carbon-based fuel sources and thus reduce carbon emissions. Because these new energy sources will take time to develop, the United States needs immediate solutions to address the high gas prices thataffect every Amer- ican. We must address both supply and demand. On the supply side, we need to increase our sup- ply of oil, which can be accomplished by drilling in the coastal Outer Continental Shelf. Drilling in this area will lower gas prices by increasing supply and decrease our dependence on foreign oil, which fun- nels billions of dollars to nations that don't support our international and domestic political and eco- nomic interests. Drilling is only a temporary solution designed to hold us over as new technology becomes available. Let's face it: most of us don't drive hybrids or cars fueled by natural gas. Untilthese cars become more accessible and mainstream, there needs to be a way to provide cheaper fuel sources. Drilling pro- vides this solution. To address demand, McCainwillcontinuetoinvest resources and provide tax breaks for companies that research and develop electric cars and other fuel sources, as well as a $5,000 tax credit to anyone who buys a zero-carbon-emission car. This two-pronged approachwillbothlowergaspricesinthe shortterm, while preparing us for the long-term goal of using new technology for energy and transportation. Energy efficiency and environmental protection are two of the biggest issues facing our generation. McCain's leadership and experience in this field is essential to effectively addressing these issues. John McCain's plan offers real solutions to protecting the environment by addressing climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, while also encouraging the development of clean, alternative energy for the - future. This viewpoint was written on behalf of the University's chapter of the College Republicans. 4.