4A - Thursday, October 23, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 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 representsolely the views of their authors. Students and the city Conference, state overlook student role in revitalization f you're graduating soon, you've probably given some consid- Jeration to leaving Michigan for greener pastures after col- lege is over. In a time when the entire nation is facing a tough economy, our state has one of the most depressing outlooks. But even with a September unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, the state is finding ways to make things better. The Creative Cities Confer- ence 2.0 in Detroit last week was one of those efforts. But the con- ference, like many of the state's innovative ideas, failed to answer one of the most important questions: How is the state going to har- ness one of its best resources - its students? I always wanted a son named Zamboni." - Gov. Sarah Palin, proposing other potential baby names she could have chosen, according to an interview with People Magazine. CHRIS KOSLOWSKI E-MAIL CHRIS AT CSKOSLOW@UMICH.EDU 1 wonder what scenario Colin Powel endorsed would be worse- uthink that depends on sow Ohana sw kTh ymitEst Lansegafter Wolverine ysu measure "worse"- as well skip the elect ion. It 'Football victory or Ann number of couches burned in the bag ababy Arbor after McCain v cty. or number of hippies crying s, " Cutting justice off at a deadline 6 6 6 The Creative Cities Summit, held in St. Petersburg, Fla. in 2004, chose Detroit as host in 2008 so the city could serve as a symbol for the transformation of economies into innovative, vibrant economies. Com- munity leaders and professionals, including architects, urban planners, city politicians and educators, from across Michigan gath- ered at the conference to attend workshops and discuss how to revive the state economy. These methods include high-minded ideas like social and community involvement, encouraging intellectual diversity and cre- ating green and sustainable neighborhoods. And while Michigan needs to do all these things in order to recover from years of economic hardship, the devil is in the implementation. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been pitching ideas similar to those dis- cussed last week for years. Take the Cool Cities Initiative, for exam- ple. The project was meant to be an urban strategy to revitalize communities, build community spirit and retain smart work- ers - workers who are leaving Michigan in alarming numbers. It offered cities up to $166,000 in grants so they could become a little bit cooler. And what happened with that money? East Lansing spent its grant on a few free wireless hotspots and public art and gar- dens in boulevards. Ann Arbor received a $100,000 grant to create microcinema lounges at the Michigan Theater. While these projects weren't necessarily a waste, it would be a stretch to think they helped keep smart young people in this state. It's not hopeless, though. Where projects like the Cool Cities Initiative have failed, others have succeeded with a more practical way. The University, for example, expand- ed the size and scope of the Dearborn and Flint campuses. The campus expansion has done a lot more to revitalize these cit- ies and retain educated young people than a few wireless Internet spots ever could. And that shouldn't be a surprise. Students are the perfect consumers. They fuel local businesses and foster the youthful culture that makes a city cool. The three research universities in Michi- gan - the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State Universi- ty - help bring and retain jobs in the state. But the students attending universities across the state are driving economic activ- ity, too. Their efforts and contributions shouldn't be forgotten. n April 30, 1994, a heinous crime - one that sounds more like it came from a Hollywood movie script than a quintessential sub- urban town - took place in Clinton Township, Mich. As the story goes, a man broke into a house that nightI while the only per- son home was asleep. His face disguised GARY by a nylon stocking, GRACA the intruder hand- cuffed the sleeping, 28-year-old woman's hands behind her back, blindfolded her with her under- wear and raped her multiple times over four hours. He ended the ordeal by ejaculating in the woman's mouth. To eliminate the evidence, he forced her to wash downthe semen with soda and then put her panties in her mouth to wash the semen from those, too. Based on the woman's testimony and a composite sketch she later admit- ted was only 60 percent accurate, Ken Wyniemko was convicted ofthat crime. And he served eight and a half years in prison for it. But like all good, unbelievable crime stories, the police got the wrong guy. When state police re-examined the original evidence - including a left- over cigarette butt, the semen-stained nylons, scrapings from under the vic- tim's fingernails, the panties and the bed - they found that Wyniemko couldn'thave committed the crime. His DNA didn't match any of the evidence, which instead pointed to another per- petrator who was later found. In 2003, Wyniemko was exonerated and later compensated $3.7 million in an out-of- court-settlement for the mistake. All that was made possible, though, by a bill passed by Michigan's legisla- ture in 2000. That law allows convicted defendants like Wyniemko to petition. to re-open their cases based on new DNA evidence if the evidence hadn't been considered before and could lead to exoneration. Since 2001, the legislation has lead to three exonerations in Michigan, includingWyniemko's.Hundredsmore prisoners are waitingtohavetheir peti- tions considered by law clinics like the Innocence Project at Thomas M. Cool- ey Law School, which usually handle the most promising cases. Those prisoners might be out of luck come January, though. On Jan. 1, Michigan's law allowing post-convic- tion relief because of DNA evidence is set to expire. Though efforts are underway to extend the deadline, there are no guarantees when it comes to Michi- gan's legislature. In March, Michi- gan's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed an extension for that deadline, pushing it back to 2012. But, not surprisingly, the bill has stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate, where it hasn't made it out of committee. By now, people shouldn't need a lecture on the miracle that is DNA evi- dence. More than 220 people nation- wide have been exonerated because of DNA evidence. Though recent discov- eries have raised questions about this figure, the FBI estimates that the like- lihood of two unrelated people sharing nine of 13 genetic markers is 1 in 113 billion. That's pretty good odds if you match a criminal to the DNA at a crime scene - a fact that has made DNA evi- dence standard in criminal cases if prosecutors can getit. If so many people agree that DNA evidence should be relied on in cur- rent criminal cases, why shouldn't it be applied retroactively to those who didn't get the opportunity duringtheir original trial? The point of our crimi- nal justice systemisto convictthe right people for the crimes they committed. That principle should apply anytime. But when it comes to Republicans, it's not really about justice or fairness. It's aboutelections. And it's about fear. As Rep. Paul Condino (D-South- field), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, told the Metro Times ear- lier this month, he is still hopeful this bill will pass. He just expects it to pass duringthe lame-duck session between November and December. Why Michigan needs to extend its DNA testing law. 6 If you read between the lines, what he's trying to say is that Republicans wouldn't dare do something that could made them look soft on crime before Nov. 4. They are already going to get creamed, better to not forfeit an issue that could mitigate the damage. What's left is a common sense bill in peril because of some stubbornRepub- licans. But this isn't about a bill. It's about the dozens of potential prisoners it could affect - all those people con- victed of crimes they didn't commit. Republicans should do them justice. Gary Graca is the Daily's editorial page editor. He can be reached at gmgraca@umich.edu. BEN CALECA | V EWP.i T Our forgotten mode of travel No, the seat cushion beneath me can't be used as a flotation device, and yes, ridingthe rails just doesn't getyou places as quickly as cruising on a jet. However, there's something to be said about the experience of passenger rail service. Per- haps I'm nostalgic, or jaded because I can write this as I stretch my six-foot frame as much as I like and type on my laptop with my own electri- cal outlet, but intercity rail lines are something the United States needs. The collapse of private rail systems in the wake of cheap, reliable air transportation led to the creation of the consolidated, government- subsidized Amtrak service we know today. When I decided to take a trip by train this fall break to Chicago, some of my friends responded to my plans with skepticism, and warnings. In their minds, Amtrak was just a step up from a Grey- hound bus. They thought I would be surrounded by filth, decay and mentally deranged travelers. To many people, the quality of travel is expected to be a function of how fast you are moving. However, what the train has to offer is fairly tangible. Besides printing a ticket and boarding the train, wait times are negligible. Consider- ing you're asked to spend at least 2 hours at an airport before your flight, suddenly the 4-hour train ride doesn't seem nearly as bad as 3 hours in an airport and over an hour packed in an air- plane. I'm pleasantly surprised that my seat is cleaner and more comfortable than any airline I've ever been on, and at less than half the cost. Unlike airports, train stations can be located centrally in a city without the NIMBY concerns facing airport projects located even remotely near populated areas. Perhaps the most senti- mental reason is that when you take the train, you're forced to see what lies between cities, for me right now it's rolling hills of orange and green, covered with a fine fog. There are, of course, things to consider when we talk about Amtrak. Train delays, often caused by having to use track space owned by private freight rail lines, are frequent. The equipment trains use is decades old. Europe offers high- speed rail twice as fast as most U.S. services in comparatively futuristic trains, shuttling trav- elers between cities with an efficiency we can't match here. Factor in how much more economi- cal and environmentally friendly train travel is compared to airliners, and it seems almost mad- dening that we are so far behind. The biggest limiting factor to train travel of course is speed. Not everyone thinks the jour- ney is as important as the destination, and to most, getting where you want to be fast is the key. While our existing fleet of trains runs between 80 to 120 miles per hour, except for the Acela high speed service in the Northeast corri- dor (which can only go faster than other Amtrak trains for brief periods), Europe and Asia have existing and upcoming technologies offering speeds over twice as great. TGV type trains operating at well over 200 miles per hour have been around since 1981, but we haven't made an effort to set up the dedicated rail lines required for such a service. By making an effort to connect clusters of nearby cities and offering modern service and amenities air traffic can be greatly reduced, not only reducing our consumption of fossil fuels but also taking strain off of our overburdened air traffic control and airport system. These environmental benefits can be even greater to the environment if electrically driven trains are used and powered by the next generation of renewable energy sources. Scenery and nostalgia aside, the United States isfacingcrisesofeconomics,theenvironmentand infrastructure. Delays can be reduced and speeds increased if funds are put into dedicated passen- ger raillines, while also offering people a cleaner, efficient and enjoyable alternative to air travel. Perhaps now, more than ever, we should take a second look at a way of travel tied intrinsically to the past, but with great potential for our future. Ben Caleca is an engineering junior. E-MAIL BELLA AT BELLZ@UMICH.EDU EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Nina Amilineni, Emad Ansari, Elise Baun, Harun Buljina, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh, Brian Flaherty, Matthew Green, Emmarie Huetteman, Emma Jeszke, Shannon Kellman, Edward McPhee, Emily Michels, Kate Peabody, Matthew Shutler, Robert Soave, Eileen Stahl, Jennifer Sussex, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Margaret Young SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU . more research. Embryonic stem cell research Is I was a creator and owner ofone of those infamous three- .dcstory beer bongs from the apartments on the corner of State immoral Gnd impractical science Street and Hoover Street. According to my understanding, the beer bong originated at least five years ago with a group TO THE DAILY: of engineering students who also rented apartments in the I recently saw a poll in the Daily asking if Proposal 2, house. The actual apartment used for the beer bong was which seeks to loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell vacant at the time, so the engineers were able to use it on research in Michigan, should be passed. A large majority Saturdays - with the landlord's permission, of course. of respondents were in favor of Proposal 2. This is disap- However, when those students left, the beer bong wasn't pointing for two reasons. in sanitary condition. I, like the students in the story, had First, embryonic stem cell research crosses a definite to construct my own. During my tenure, though, the apart- moral boundary, because it involves destroying human ment that was used had tenants. The tenants were also stu- embryos. In a logical and scientific sense, these embryos dents who loved the three-story beer bong. Thus, tradition must be considered fully human. An organism is defined was upheld. as something that grows, reproduces, performs metabo- I'm glad that the students currently living there are car- lism and responds to stimuli. An embryo fulfills all of these rying on what has always been a great tradition and a fond qualifications, except for the ability to reproduce. memory for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to see the three-sto- Granted, some people may say that the embryos ry beer bong every time I come to Ann Arbor for football shouldn't be considered fully human because they are Saturday. underdeveloped. However, determining human worth based on level of development is both arbitrary and mor- Jared Goldberg ally troubling. Using the same argument, someone could Alum say that an infant is not human, since an infant is not yet fully developed. After all, an infant's mental capacities are far below that of an adult. bama's tax increases would rob Admittedly, many will disagree with my arguments and say that the therapeutic benefits of embryonic stem cell consumers and private businesses research are worth the destruction of an embryo. How- ever, a few years ago, researchers found a way to make TO THE DAILY: adult stem cells pluripotent, meaning that they can become With the recent battle over Joe the plumber and his any cell type and be used in countless treatments. To date, questioning of Barack Obama's proposed tax increases, adult stem cells have been used in more than 70 different Obama stated that "spreading the wealth" would be good types of treatment. In contrast, no successful treatments for everybody. Karl Marx had the same idea in the "The have been conducted with embryonic stem cells, even in Communist Manifesto". countries where restrictions are loose or nonexistent. For all the Democrats who see Obama as a Robin Hood Embryonic stem cell research is immoral not only who will take from the rich and give to the poor, consider because it destroys human embryos, but also because it this: How do you think that the large (and small) corpora- wastes time, money and resources that would be better tions will cover the costs of increased taxes? Do you think used on promising research with adult stem cells. they will just absorb them and nothing will change? They ato!o1settoe ancresea t axes3 ..st.w:n BELLA SHAH S oLwee! n j 1All) ' 3' f,, . , A - will raise price Jeffrey Brown affect consume LSA sophomore socioeconomicc But Obama tr everybody inst The story behind the three-story optometrist wh his employees a beer bong tradition for aminute por he wouldn't be a TO THE DAILY: employees respc After reading The Statement's feature on houses that are People need traditional party places (The party must go on, 10/21/2008), Hood. He's siml I was glad to see the snippet regarding the three-story beer bong from the 914 apartments on State Street. However, Justin Grofik I think the writer, Trevor Calero, could have done a little LSA senior es to offset the increased taxes. That will rs across the country, regardless of their class. ruly aims to cross class lines and take from tad of just the wealthy. My father is an o pays 85 percent of the health benefits for and their families, leaving them responsible tionoftheir coverage. Withincreasedtaxes, ble to afford that large of a share, leavinghis * onsible for a larger portion of their benefits. to open their eyes. Obama is not Robin ply robbing the 'hood.