lj ffEid~igan 4Bail'. 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 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS 'U' alum to be featured on VH1 show THEFILTER.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX NEWS ..................................2 ARTS .................................5 Vol CXVIIINo.31 SUDOKU ............................3 CLASSIFIEDS......................6 m©zvtThMchiganaily OPINION ...............................4 SPORTS"................8 ,