The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Friday, February 20, 2009 - 3

NEWS BRIEFS
NEW YORK
Dow ends at lowest
close since 2002
An important psychological bar-
rier gave way on Wall Street yester-
day as the Dow Jones industrials
fell to their lowest level in more
than six years.
The Dow broke through a bottom
reached in November, pulled down
by sharp declines in key financial
shares. It was the lowest ending for
the Dow since Oct. 9, 2002, when
the last bear market bottomed out.
The move below that level
dashed hopes that the doldrums of
November would mark the ending
point of a.long slump in the mar-
ket, which is now nearly halfway
below the peak levels reached in
October 2007.
The market's inability to rally
signals that investors see no imme-
diate end for the recession, which
is already 14 months old and one of
the most severe in decades. Inves-
tors also haven't been impressed
with two major economic initia-
tives from the Obama adminis-
tration this week, an economic
stimulus package and a mortgage
relief plan.
OTTAWA
Obama asks Canada
to come to its aid
in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama courted
warmer relations with America's
snowy northern neighbor yester-
day, declining to ask war-weary
Canada to do more in Afghanistan,
promising he won't allow a protec-
tionist creep into U.S. trade policy
and talking reassuringly around
thorny energy issues.
Obama-happy crowds cheered
Obama's seven-hour visit, his first
outside U.S. borders as president,
and he returned the compliment
with a quick stop at an indoor
market where he delighted shop-
keepers by picking up pastries and
souvenirs for his daughters.
"I love this country and think
that we could not have a better
friend and ally," Obama said as he
appeared side-by-side with Canadi-
an Prime Minister Stephen Harper
at gothic Parliament Hill. He later
slipped slightly as he walked to his
plane and joked that the weather
reminded him of Chicago.
SCARAMENTO, Calif.
Schwarzenegger
receives California
budgetbills
The California Legislature yes-
terday approved a plan to close a
$42 billion budget deficit after an
epic impasse that involved several
all-night sessions, sending Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger a package
of bills that raises taxes and cuts
spending. It was not immediately
clear when Schwarzenegger would
sign the bills.
During an afternoon news con-
ference, the Republican governor
praised the effort to forge a compro-
mise. Itrequired Democrats to back

away from their opposition to deep
spending cuts and some Republican
lawmakers toset aside their opposi-
tion to tax increases.
He called the Legislature's work,
after a grueling week of late-night
sessions, courageous.
CHICAGO
Black pastors to
ask Burris to resign
A group of black ministers who
supported U.S. Sen. Roland Bur-
ris as he fought to get his job now
plan to ask for his resignation fol-
lowing revelations that he tried to
raise money for the disgraced gov-
ernor who appointed him, one of
the ministers told The Associated
Press yesterday.
Many of the city's influential
black pastors supported Burris
because of his scandal-free reputa-
tion - even though he was appoint-
ed by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich
three weeks after the governor was
arrested for allegedly trying to sell
the Senate seat.
Now some of those pastors will
ask Burris to resign, according to
the minister, who spoke on condi-
tion of anonymity because a meet-
ing with Burris had not yet been
scheduled.
Burris testified before an Illi-
nois House committee in January
that he hadn't had contact with
key Blagojevich staffers or offered
anything in return for the Senate
seat vacated by President Barack
Obama.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports

Regents approve
$13 million in
new construction

By ERIK TORENBERG
For the Daily
At its monthly meeting yes-
terday, the University Board of
Regents approved four construc-
tion projects that will together
cost approximately $13 million.
The regents approved renova-
tions to the Residential College's
auditorium in
East Quadrangle NOTEBOOK
Residence Hall.
The renovation will update light-
ing, stage and seating areas, and
is expected to cost approximately
$2.1 million.
An additional $1.2 million was
given to update research labs in
the Environmental and Water
Resources Building. The Col-
lege of Rngineering will fund the
8,300-square-foot renovation.
The Regents also authorized
a $6.6 million plan to replace
600 feet of utility tunnels in the
northwest section of the Diag
and 125 feet of tunnels near
Lorch Hall.
The Regents also approved the
University of Michigan Health
System's plan to add a new cooling
tower and new piping and controls
for its chilled water expansion sys-
tem. The $3.25 million project will
help meet increased demand dur-
ing the summer months.

$320 MILLION
COMMUNITY BENEFIT PACKAGE
Douglas Strong, director and
CEO of University of Michigan
Hospitals and Health Centers,
updated the regents on UMHS's
community involvement.
Strong said he estimates that
UMHS's spent more than $320
million in 2008 to benefit the com-
munity. Of the estimated $323
million, $170 million is credited
for uncompensated direct patient
care, $11 million for community
health programs and $142 million
for research.
Strong said UMHS was voted
the best large hospital overall in
Michigan by patients. The hospi-
tal sees approximately 300,000
different patients each year and
received about $340 million
in federal research money last
year.
Strong closed by saying that
despite the current economic situ-
ation, UMHS is increasing its com-
munity outreach.
"It is increasingly difficult in
this economic environment to
provide the level of benefit to the
community that it needs," he said.
"Amidst all of our other demands,
we have significantly expanded
our commitment to community
benefit in recent years."
. See CONSTRUCTION, Page 7

ARIELiBOND/Daily
Mary Sue Coleman listens as The Student Sustainability Initiative and the Student Veterans of America both addressed the
Board of Regents during the regents' monthly meeting in the Fleming Administration Building yesterday.
u dents lobby 'U' for
more veterans benefits

ii

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Group asks for founded the Student Veterans of
America, told the regents that by
n-state tuition charging all veterans the in-state
tuition rate - regardless of resi-
for veterans dency - that the University could
attract more highly qualified vet-
By KYLE SWANSON erans. The 21st Century GI Bill,
Daily StaffReporter which will take affect in 2009,
will cover the full cost of in-state
University students tuition for veterans and provide a
national student veterans housing stipend.
cy organization urged Blumke also said the University
riversity Board of Regents should create an extended admis-
day to adopt more veter- sion application deadline for vet-
ndly policies in an effort erans returning from deployment
ke it easier for veterans to to accommodate their needs. He
the University. talked about some potential stu-
two student-veterans, rep- dents who may be deployed at the
ing the Student Veterans time applications are due but hope
erica organization, asked to enroll the following semester.
oard of Regents to offer By waiving the application fee,
e tuition to all veterans, Blumke said the University could
application fees for veter- encourage more veterans to apply.
:tend application deadlines He said that the University has
ployed soldiers and award the second lowest veteran enroll-
mic credit for specialized ment in the Big Ten, with only 48
ig received while in the veterans enrolled in 2007. Ohio
forces. State University had 598 veterans
junior Derek Blumke, who enrolled in 2007.

Blumke also urged the regents
to consider allowing student-vet-
erans to receive academic transfer
credit for advanced training that
has an equivalent at the Univer-
sity level. If approved, veterans
may qualify for transfer credit
for training in topics like foreign
languages and engineering.
LSA senior Carl Ireland, the
Michigan legislative director for
the Student Veterans of America,
also spoke before the regents on
the issue, telling the board that
when he enrolled, the GI bill only
covered $11,000 of tuition costs.
"As you guys can put together
pretty quickly I'm under a moun-
tain of debt right now," he said.
Ireland added that by offering
in-state tuition to out-of-state
veterans, the University would
receive full tuition payment from
the federal government while not
having to offer any financial aid
or scholarships.
-Erik Torenberg
contributed to this report.

Stimulus package may provide
Mich. $2.5B in education funds

U.S. Education Dept.
money would make
up for expected cuts
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -
Michigan's K-12 schools probably
don't have to worry about losing
$59 per pupil in the fiscal year
that begins Oct. 1.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said
yesterday that money from the
federal stimulus plan should
make up for any cut in per-pupil
aid she's proposing for the next
school year. That move could
be outlined in a supplemental
budget bill Granholm expects to
submit next month to the state
Legislature.
The U.S. Department of Edu-
cation estimated yesterday that
Michigan will get about $2.5 bil-
lion for schools from the stimulus
package over a two-year period.
Nearly $1.6 billion would come
in state fiscal stabilization funds
designed to prevent budget cuts.
"We will submit a supple-
mental that makes the schools
whole," Granholm told reporters
Thursday.
Stimulus money also could
lessen the need for a proposed

3 percert budget cut for state
universities. But Granholm still
wants the schools to pledge to
freeze tuition in exchange for
avoiding a smaller appropriation.
That stance could be subject to
a legal debate.
Gary Olson, director of the
nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency,
said Thursday the federal stimu-
lus measure won't allow the state
to cut money going to K-12 schools
and universitiesnext fiscal year.
Granholm released her bud-
get proposal last week, before
President Barack Obama signed
the stimulus package into law on
Tuesday. The Democratic gover-
nor did not take the stimulus cash
into account when proposing her
education budget, although she
did count in additional federal aid
for Medicaid health coverage.
K-12 school districts are get-
ting at least $7,316 per student
this fiscal year.
Granholm said Thursday any
cut in per-pupil money would be
reimbursed through the stimulus
package.
Granholm spokeswoman Liz
Boyd said the administration will
"stand firm" on its decision to cut
the foundation grant, but noted
the cut would be more than offset

by stimulus money for education,
just not within the foundation
budget line itself.
- Schools are set to get more fed-
eral dollars through the stimulus
package for programs such as
Title I, which gives schools extra
money to help low-income stu-
dents, and for special education.
Those extra funds - along
with money schools could get
from budget stabilization dollars
in the stimulus package - means
most school districts would be
able to overcome any cut in the
per-pupil dollars from the state.
But funding schools that way
could have implications forschool
budgets ina couple of years, when
the stimulus money runs out.
School funding would be starting
from a lower per-pupil allowance
level that it would otherwise.
Granholm warned education
officials at K-12 schools and uni-
versities to be looking now for
ways to save.
"We have to take a two-year
look at this, because the stimulus
money is going to be gone next
year," Granholm said. "This is an
opportunity for them to take this
year and do everything they can
to tighten their belt in prepara-
tion for next year."

University Prof. John U. Bacon was surprised yesterday when he received the news
that he is this year's recipient of The Golden Apple Award.
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Clyburn: Opposition to
the stimulus is slap in face

U.S. Rep. insulted
by govs who may not
accept stimulus
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The
highest-ranking black congress-
man said yesterday that opposition
to the federal stimulus package by
southern GOP governors is "a slap
in the face of African-Americans."
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn,
D-S.C., said he was insulted when
the governors of Texas, Louisiana,

Mississippi and his home state,
which have large black popula-
tions, said they might not accept
some of the money from the $787
billion stimulus package.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said
Wednesday he would accept
the money, and none of the oth-
ers has rejected it outright. The
Republican governors of Idaho
and Alaska also said they had
reservations about whether the
money would come with too many
strings attached, but Clyburn said
he was particularly taken aback

by southern governors who said
they might decline it.
"These four governors repre-
sent states that are in the prover-
bial black belt," Clyburn said.
A spokesman for South Caro-
lina Gov. Mark Sanford accused
Clyburn of playing the race card.
"Spending money at the federal
level that we do not have repre-
sents a future tax increase on all
South Carolinians, regardless of
their color," Sanford spokesman
Joel Sawyer said in an e-mail
statement.

(