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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
micnigandaly.com
* CAMPAIGN 2008 *
Local candiadates square off
0 City's mayoral candidates to
face off on television tonight
By TREVOR CALERO
Daily Staff Reporter
Candidates from two state legislature districts
in southeastern Michigan met last night as part of a
series of debates hosted by the Community Television
Network and the League of Women Voters of the Ann
Arbor Area, a non-partisan political organization.
Broadcasted live on CTN's CitiTV 19 and moderated
by the LWV's Judy Mich, the debates for the 52nd and
53rd District state House of Representatives provided a
forum for Democratic, Republican and third party can-
didates to voice their opinions on issues ranging from
alternative energy to rights for mental health patients
in Michigan.
In the debate for the 53rd District race, State Rep.
Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), campaigning for her
second term in office, debated against University alum
Matt Erard, who is runningwith the Socialist and Green
Parties. The race also includes Republican candidate
Christina Brewton who wasn't available for the debate.
The 53rd district is heavily Democratic, and Warren's
* challengers hardly pose a threat to her re-election.
Throughout the debate, Mich focused her questions
on bills passed in Washington and Lansing this past
year, and asked the candidates to weigh in on how and
why they voted or would have voted.
In response to the bipartisan energy package Gov.
Jennifer Granholm signed October 6, which mandat-
ed that ten percent of Michigan's energy come from
renewable sources by 2015, Warren said she believed
the energy requirement was "a first step," but thought
the standard should have been higher.
"I myself co-sponsored a bill that called for twenty
percent of Michigan's energy to come from clean,
green renewable sources by 2015," she said. "It doesn't
quite go as far as I would like it to, but it's a first step
and it's an important first step because it sends a signal
to Michigan's energy generators and to companies that
work with alternative'energy that Michigan is going to
require at least (ten percent)."
In response to the same question, Erard said he in
part agreed with Warren by supporting the aim of the
energy package, but disagreed in the supposed motives
behind the bill.
"While the energy initiative that came up with this
proposal was primarily concerned with cost consid-
erations, my primary basis for supporting it is that we
absolutely cannot reinvest into our fossil fuel based
economy," Erard said.
Among topics dealing with Michigan's incarceration
rates, education and economic growth in the state, the
most contentious issue the candidates addressed was
the Great Lakes Basin Compact that President Bush
signed into law on October 3. The long-debated compact
prevents the diversion of the water from the lakes.
Erard, however, said he was "deeply critical" of the
compact.
"One of the major problems with it is it opens the
door so that NAFTA and WTO provision can modify
Michigan's water to amuch greater extent," he said.
Warren said she strongly disagreed with Erard's
opinion on the issue, saying the compact is "one of the
most important pieces of environmental legislation
we've done in Michigan in 4 years."
"Until the Great Lakes Compact was signed into law
See DEBATE, Page 3
UNIVERSITY WEBMAIL
'Uoffers
new way
to check
messages
Responding to demand for
update, ITCS lets users choose
between two versions
By NICOLE ABER
For the Daily
Facing mounting demand from faculty and students
to modernize its e-mail system, the University has
launched a new e-mail client that features a modern
design and more options for users.
Alan Levy, a spokesman forInformation Technology
Central Services, said the new system called "Maize"
was developed "based on extensive feedback that we
received over the last year or so over the old e-mail
interface."
"We identified things that users were interested
in, such as a cleaner, more modern interface, which is
what the newwebmail provides," Levy said.
With the new Maize system, ITCS hoped to make
the new client include more modern graphics and
icons, said Mark Montague, manager of ITCS's Web
and Database Production unit.
Levy said that the previous e-mail system, now
called "Blue," will remain available to users.
"The old one is not going away," Levy said. "Stu-
dents, faculty and staff have different preferences....We
are keeping both e-mail interfaces in recognition that
many users like different features."
Montagie said ITCS evaluated all the possibleprod-
ucts available, both commercial and open source, when
looking for a new systemto use at the University.
He said that after assessing the different systems
available, ITCS decided to base its new system off a
program called the RoundCube Webmail Project.ITCS
then customized the system to fit the needs of the Uni-
versity, a process that mainly took place between June
See E-MAIL, Page 3
A TALE OF TWO E-MAIL SERVICES
What's new about the University's new online e-mail client
Launched lastiweek, the University's new "Maize" e-mail client
includes more moderngraphics and icons andfeatures including
a "drag and drop"message componentwhich enables users to
click on any e-mail message and drag it into folders listed on the
left sideof the page. The newfoldertlistingfeature alsoallowsfor
easier accessibility to the user's folders, which are now displayed
more prominently with the new Maize system. Useswhoepreferlthe
previous client, now called 'Blue,' can still use it.
John Boyle (left), Eric Lielbriedis (center) and Tom Partridge, all candidates for 52nd District State House, debate Monday
night at CTN Headquarters in Ann Arbor. The event was hosted by the League of Women Voters.
ANN ARBOR MAYORAL DEBATE
7 to 7:30 p.m. tonight
The debate between Democratic incumbent John Hieftje and Libertarian candidate Eric Plourde, an LSA junior,
will be televised by the Community Network Television Channel tonight.
Plourde, chair oflthe University chapter of College Libertarians, isrunningon a platform that involves lowering
taxes and potentially lesseningthe penalties levied against underage drinkers. Itelected, Plourde said he would
seek to minimize Minor in Possession penalties and make them more like marijuana possession charges are in
Ann Arbor.
Hieftje, who has served four terms as mayor, hasfocused on the city's infrastructure and downtown develop-
ment. Hieftje will focus his reelection effort on constructing a new police-court building and developing more
alternative energy sources in the city.
Plourde, 20 years old, was asked by Tom Bagwell, the chair of Washtenaw County Libertarian Party, to chal-
lenge Hieftje. He collected 250 signatures earlier in the yeartobe placed on the ballot.
RIDING HIGH
PROPOSAL 2
Coleman lends support
to stem cell measure
'U' can't take a To hear audio from
public stance, but yesterday's interview
with President Coleman
its leader hopes interview, go to .
initiative passes michigandaily.com:
VOTING IN MICHIGAN
Judge rejects state's
registration purges
By JACOB SMILOVITZ
Daily StaffReporter
University officials must tread
lightly when discussing their
positions on political issues for
fear of jeopardizing the Univer-
sity's tax-exempt status, but in
an interview yesterday, Univer-
sity~President Mary Sue Coleman
made it clear where she stands
on Proposal 2.
Coleman voiced passionate
support for the ballot initiative,
slated to go before Michigan vot-
ers next month, which would
lift the state's restrictions on
stem cell research using human
embryos. She said a lift on the
state's restrictions barring
embryonic stem cell research
would boost Michigan's econo-
my and help the state recruit the
best scientists to its universities.
State law - currently prohib-
its any research that damages
or destroys a human embryo. A
repeal of this ban would allow
researchers to use otherwise
discarded embryos for research
purposes.
Coleman, who noted that she
See STEM CELLS, Page 3
ACLU and student group
challenged state's 1,400
disqualifications this year
From staff and wire reports
A judge ordered Michigan election offi-
cials Monday to stop canceling a voter's
registration if the card is returned as
undeliverable.
More than 1,400 people in that catego-
ry have been disqualified so far in 2008,
although it's unclear how many cancella-
tions were actually wrong. Some people
may have moved or left the state.
Nonetheless, it's a violation of federal
law, U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy
said, ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Amer-
ican Civil Liberties Union and a group
representing college students.
Murphy said nothing should prevent
those voters from casting a ballot if they
can produce additional proof of residency
at the polls.
"It does sound like good news," attor-
ney Bradley Heard said. "Nobody should
lose their right to vote because they didn't
get a piece of mail."
The judge also found that Michigan is
violating federal law when it cancels a vot-
er's registration when that person applies
for a driver's license in another state.
"The appearance of an out-of-state
address on a driver's license application
simply does not establish that the appli-
cant is no longer an eligible Michigan
voter," Murphy said.
But the number of people, he added,
probably is small.
"We're still reviewing the ruling with
our attorneys to see what our next steps
will be," said Kelly Chesney, spokeswom-
an for the Michigan secretary of state's
See VOTING, Page 3
BEcJIiDEcL/Daily
LSA sophomore Alexandra Simmerson sits on'a seesaw in the
Diag. Her sorority, Delta Delta, and Chi Psi took part ina 36-
hour-long seesaw fundraiser for Motts Children's Hospitals.
WEATHER HI: 65
TOMORROW tO 47
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'U' alum to be featured on VH1 show
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