4 - Tuesday, December 2, 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 oftthe Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views ofttheir authors. A second chance As Big Three retur'n to D.C., focus should be on workers F or the Detroit Three, Round 2 begins today. After execu- tives from General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. paraded onto Capitol Hill off of their private jets last month, whined about their misfortune and looked thor- oughly unprepared to explain what they would do with the bil- lions of dollars in federal money they were requesting, Congress sent them a stern rebuff and a demand for a plan. Those plans are due today. In the debate that will inevitably follow, Congress needs to keep in mind one important reason to bail out the Detroit Three that got buried in last month's spectacle: This is about more than three car companies. Mr. President-elect, I am proud to join you on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century." -Hillary Clinton, speaking about her nomination by President-elect Barack Obama to the position of secretary of state, during a press conference yesterday in Chicago. JASON MAHAKIAN E-MAIL JASON AT MAHAKIAJ@UMICH.EDU 4* As critics - including Michigan Gov. Jen- nifer Granholm - have almost universally agreed, GM's Rick Wagoner, Ford's Alan Mulally and Chrysler's Robert Nardelli inspired no sympathy last month. Seemingly expecting assistance, they didn't pay much attention to the image they conveyed or the embarrassing lack of thought they had put into where the $25 billion they were request- ing would go. It was a typical display of how these companies - especially Chrysler and GM - have ignored the rest of the world for decades. Today promises to be different - if only because so many people have demanded it be that way. There will be plans, real answers and no private jets. But what also needs to change is Congress's focus and the conclu- sion it reaches. This time, Congress needs to approve a bailout for these companies to protect the millions of workers, the state and the many institutions that depend on these companies. Take, for starters, the sheer number of jobs that would be lost if the Detroit Three severely contracted. According to the Cen- ter for Automotive Research, if the Detroit Three reduced operations by 50 percent, almost 2.5 million jobs would be lost next year across all sectors of the economy. The government would lose more than $20 bil- lion in tax revenue, owe almost $12 billion in social welfare payments and lose more than $17.5 billion in Social Security receipts in 2009 alone - figures that add up to alot more $25 billion these companies are requesting. Michigan would be devastated by these losses. For a state that has teetered on the edge of complete economic ruin for years, this would tip it over the edge. Already, a study by researchers here at the Univer- sity of Michigan is predicting Michigan's unemployment rate to jump to double digits in upcoming years from its current 16-year high at 9.3 percent. Couple that with the fact that Michigan's unemployment fund is not just empty but owes the federal govern- ment $472.8 million, and it's easy to see how a death knell for the Detroit Three might as well apply to the state of Michigan, too. There are still more victims of a Detroit Three collapse - the University of Michigan being one of them. These companies have typically contributed millions of dollars to the University, are responsible for numerous programs and scholarships here and have created thousands of jobs for graduates. If any one of these companies goes belly up, a ripple effect will certainly be felt here. When Congress debates a bailout for the Detroit Three again this week, it needs to remember these consequences. This is what the debate should be focused on, not private jets. T he Detroit Lions are bad. Everybody knows that. Right now, the Lions are in pursuit of what could be a "perfect" season, as in perfectly awful. They are 0-12, three-quarters of the way to the first winless season in the history of the National Football League. And as the ALEX franchise, whichP hasn't won anything since the 1950s,- twists in the wind, having finally fired General Manager Matt Millen, it's not a great time to be a Lions fan. The beginning of the 2007 season had some promise as the Lions got off to a 6-2 start. But all of us lifelong Lions fans were simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. And did it ever - the Lions are1-19 in the 20 games since that start. The Ford family already has its hands full with a sickly automotive franchise, and has presided over one of the worst professional sports franchis- es since it bought the team in 1964. In 43 years of Ford ownership, the team has won one playoff game. One. How did the team get here? The story is surprisingly similar to that of the auto industry in the state: a little incompetence and a penchant to "let the good times roll." The solution for both is the same, too: bold changes. For starters, take the Lions' low expectations. The Lions' dirty little secret is that because NFL television contractsare such a cash cow, the Fords make money on the Lions every year, win or lose, due to revenue sharing. Moving the team from the cavernous Pontiac Silverdome to its beautifulnew downtown stadium, Ford Field, served one major purpose: shrinking capac- ity. If an NFL team does not sell out its home game, it is blacked out on local television, meaning less television rev- enue and a need to actually puta qual- ity product on the field. Minus Barry Sanders, the Lions no longer have even one quality product on display. This is eerily similar to the situation of Ford Motor Co. a fewyears ago. Ford was making most of its money on large vehicles, like SUVs and trucks, and continued to make shortsighted invest- ments in those areas. This, coupled with poor quality and high labor costs, created an awful mess, where the com- panyisviable intimes ofextremelylow gas prices, but is more than vulnerable in times of medium to high gas prices. But the company made a change at the top when CEO BillFord stepped down, brought in a new CEO and now it's on something like a road to recovery (at least compared to the other Detroit automakers). Assuming the Fords have had a change of heart regarding winning, and perhaps they do now that they fired Matt Millen (31-93 in his tenure, including this year), there are several steps the team can take to turn things around like it has started to at the auto company. First, it needs to hire a com- petent generalmanager. Hiring Millen, right out of the broadcast booth with no managerial experience, was unin- telligent to say the least. Millen lacked in the most essential aspect of building an NFL team: scouting. Similarly, leaders of Ford, and the other domestic automakers, lacked in the most essential aspect of maintaining a successful business: foresight. When times are good, you need to be invest- ing in cutting edge technology and new product, not resting on your laurels as the BigThree did inthe late 1990s. The Lions, given enough financial investment, could try to poach Scott Pioli, the New England Patriots' vice president of player personnel. He has been rumored to be less than happy in New England, and would surely like to prove it was him and not head coach Bill Belichick who was most respon- sible for building the Patriots' power- houses (the team has been to the Super Bowl four of the last seven years). How the Lions and the Big Three have a lot in common. If Pioli were hired and started to bring in talent, he would surely try to recreate the stable framework that Belichick and his coaching staff built in New England. Such a framework can bring in such "bad boys" as Randy Moss and turn them into team players. It just so happens that such a coach is currently unemployed. Bill Cowher, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl championship (ironically in Detroit), left the Steelers in Janu- ary 2007 to "spend more time with his family." With Pioli and Cowher, the Ford family could start the restructur- ing of its team, much as it restructured its car company: with new, bold leaders with a track record of success. Alex Prasad can be reached at atprasad@umichedu. 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, Imran Syed, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Margaret Young SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU Lloyd Scholars Program is a welcoming community for a huge street-theater parade. Our annual arts and literary journal publishes contributions from dozens of students. We "coordinators" of LHSP are well aware of the stereotypes with which our program must TO THE DAILY: contend. I only wisht I was disappointed by the recent article in examine these more: the Statement about the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program (About Campus: The secret of Lloyd Carol Tell island, 1/25/2008). Far from a groundbreaking The letter writer is t expose, thisarticle rehashed old stereotypes Scholars.Program. about how the Lloyd Hall Scholats Program is made up of students from "New York City, Long A hopeful Island certain affluent suburbs in metro Detroit and, increasingly in recent years, Los Angeles." j Though we provided the reporter with statis- wake ofM u tics that proved the geographical diversity of our program (including that only 16 percent of TO THE DAILY: our current first-year students are from New In the wake of In York), these statistics were not mentioned in the dence, Rabindranat story. More disturbing, the article insinuated greatest poets, wrote that this geographical bias is in fact a class bias. for India in his poem' A thoughtful article might have placed such fear." In the aftermat claims within a broader context: the nationwide these are bitterswee struggle among universities to attract and retain words worth remem disadvantaged students. Tagore's poem is our1 The article ignored the reality of our program, domestic walls" of r and the changes made in the past five years - fragment us and that' from new classes to co-curricular programs to guides our reactions. more expanded recruiting. But most troubling In honor of all tho was the article's misrepresentation of our stu- a student body, ded dents. The reporter appears to have spoken only pledge: to a handful of students, whose claims he never questioned. He did not speak with our student Where the mind is wit leaders. He asked for, but did not cite, the num- high bers of participants in our clubs and events. He Where knowledge isfr interviewed our instructors but didn't quote Where the world hasn them. He refused invitations to classes, clubs and fragments other events. Therefore, I don't know how he can By narrow domestic w claim that the number of our students actively Where words come ou involved in the arts "belongs to a small minority." Where tireless strivin Such a focus on the "opportunistic" LHSP stu- perfection dent maligns everyone here. Where the clear stream I am proud of our students' contributions to Into the dreary desert campus and civic life. The Sweetland Writing Where the mind is led Center has recently been enlivened by art from Into ever-widening the our students, and extraordinary LHSP murals Into that heaven off decorate the Undergraduate Life Sciences build- country awake. ing and inner city Detroit. Our FestiFools event (covered extensively by the Daily) brings togeth- Akshaya Varghese er students, faculty and community volunteers Business senior the reporter had bothered to than superficially. he director of the Lloyd Hall message in the mbai attacks dia's struggle for indepen- I Tagore, one of India's about the image he sought "Where the mind is without :h of the attacks in Mumbai, t words for India but still bering. For so many of us, plea. We plead that "narrow eligion and politics do not "the clear stream of reason" se who have died, let us, as icate ourselves to Tagore's hout fear and the head is held Free not been broken up into valls tfrom the depth of truth g stretches its arms towards of reason has not lost its way t sand of dead habit forward by thee sought and action freedom, my Father, let my CLAIRE HAROLD AND KATE MUELLEVIEWP'IN- Women, prison and human rights Like most University students, we had no idea what prison was like. We registered for "Women, Prison & Human Rights," taught by Carol Jacob- sen, an Art and Design and Women's Studies professor. It has been one of the most eye-opening classes we have ever taken. As the course immediately delved into the subjects of murder related to domestic violence and self- defense, human rights violations and other issues relevant to women pris- oners throughout Michigan's correc- tional system, it was clear we were in for an education beyond what we had anticipated. Jacobsen is the director of the Mich- igan Women's Justice and Clemency Project at the University. The goal of the project is to convince Gov. Jennifer Granholm to grant clemency or com- mutation, and the parole board grant paroles to women who have been con- victed of murder for killing their abus- ers in self-defense. It also addresses human rights abuses of women in Michigan prisons. The course draws attention to this mission, educating and encouraging University students to give these women a voice. The class has discussed at length the conditions for women in Michigan prisons, especially the various kinds of abuse and neglect occurring at Robert Scott Correctional Facility in Plym- outh and Huron Valley Women's Pris- on in Ypsilanti. There are roughly 100 women suing the Michigan Depart- ment of Corrections for sexual abuse and rapes committed against them by guards and other corrections staff. Because of the lengthy list of victims, the class action case is being tried with approximately 10 women at a time by the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. To gain a firsthand understanding of the issue, we had the opportunity to sit in on the questioning of the former director of corrections for the state of Michigan in October. We also partici- pated in a large rally at the State Capi- tol in Lansing. Lined up on the steps of the Capitol building, the women in the class wore T-shirts with words like "mother" or "waitress" on the front, representing the prisoners in the proj- ect. On the backs of our shirts were stenciled the unfair prison sentences the women received. Many times the sentence for women who kill their abusers is life. In Michigan this truly does mean these women are in prison until they die. Some classmates also created bold posters and installations arguing that many of these women were imprisoned in their own homes by abusers long before they are impris- oned by the state. During the semester, we've worked on other publicly visible projects and have had several guest speakers, including a former prisoner, Clemency Project founder Susan Fair and Jane Atwood, who has photographed wom- en's prisons around the world. Finally, last week our class was granted access to the Robert Scott Correctional Facil- ity. The warden's assistant led us on a tour around the educationalcenter, caf- eteria and a low-security housing unit. Unfortunately, it seemed that much of what the official told us did not match up with thousands of abuse testimo- nies, Amnesty International reports and other critical accounts. We came into contact with some of the prisoners during our visit, many of whom made sure we heard them say, "NEVER come to prison, ladies!" One even screamed this from her cell window as we left. From all of these experiences, we both have come to a new understand- ing of the criminal justice and prison systems and how unjust they can be. We were both raised to support the prison system, always thinking that people in prison deserved to be there. It is rare to see anything opposing that perspective in the media. We have read about so many women who have been sexually and physically abused by their partners or were somehow invol- untarily involved in a crime that their partner committed and now serve life sentences because of it. Some of these stories are more believable than others, but the bottom line is that the sentenc- es are unjustly long and the conditions of the prisons inhumane. One of the most disturbing parts of many of these stories is the neglect on the part of the police. Many of the women repeatedly called the police for protection, only to be ignored. Domes- tic situations are often brushed aside because they are "too messy." Now these abused women sit in prison for taking justice into their own hands when the law wasn't there for them. This article is one of many projects that our class is working on to raise awareness on campus and beyond about women in prison and the unjust details of their convictions, sentences and incarceration. A candlelight vigil for freedom for women wrongly con- victed and human rights for all women in Michigan prisons will be held today at 5 p.m. at the corner of South Univer- sity and East University. Please visit http://umich.edu/-clemency/ for more information and to get involved. Claire Harold and Kate Muelle are Art and Design juniors. 0 The Daily is looking for a diverse group of strong, informed writers to be columnists next semester. Columnists write 750 words on a topic of their choice every other week. E-MAIL ROBERT SOAVE AT RSOAVE@UMICH.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION.