8A - Wednesday, October 21, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com fiA - Wednesday, October 21, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom CITY COUNCIL From Page 1A of solid data proving the dam cur- rently disrupts the natural flow of the Huron River. "We rely on the Huron River to serve as a crown jewel of Washt- enaw County's natural environ- ment," Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, wrote in an e-mail to City Council. "It is therefore especially distressing year by year to witness degradation of the river's health with the increasing growth of slimy, unsightly aquatic plant life." Resolution supporters also came prepared with their own scientific evidence,whichtheysayconfirmed the contrary. Ann Arbor resident Jeff DeBoer addressed the council, arguing that the river would revert to its natural course if Argo Dam is removed but that it would not be a good thing. He said this natural course would take the river through what he calls the toxic property of nearby DTE Energy Company, which would be bad for the water. DeBoer said that if the dam was removed it might be possible to reroute the river to take a differ- ent path, but he said this would be expensive. Joe O'Neal, owner of O'Neal Construction Company, whose company oversaw the construc- tion of Argo Dam, estimated that removing the dam will cost $1 mil- lion in addition to $750,000 to $1 million to train the river to flow a different course. He explained that removal of the dam itself is not a large expense, but training the river and convert- ing the river to a recreation area will surpass the cost of a yearly maintenance fee of $100,000 for the dam. Another speaker Ron Wood- man provided what he presented as scientific evidence of his own - drinking water from Argo Pond out of a clear Starbucks coffee cup - to demonstrate that the water was clean and capable of sustaining a healthy environment. Rubin, on the other hand, said she was not convinced. "I don't think there's any valid- ity to it," she said after the meeting. "The irony is we're here to protect the river and the watershed. The last thing we want to do is have it run through the most contaminat- ed site in the city." Supporters of the "dam-in" reso- lution also argued that removing the dam would destroy a recreation area enjoyed by many who canoe, kayak or fish on the river. of spe- cial interest in the pond's preserva- tion are members of local rowing teams. Crew members from Huron High School and Pioneer High school appeared in their uniforms to sup- port the resolution. Many supports also held signs that read "Save Argo Pond." Susan Washabaugh, a teacher at Pioneer High School, said in her address to the council that row- ers rely on Argo Pond as a practice venue. The council's final decision to table the issue left supporters of the resolution frustrated. "I think it's really unfortunate." DeBoer said. "The council as we saw again last night is doing the public a real disservice by not addressing this issue head-on and making some decisions and direct- ing city staff to take action." In her initial speech, Rubin had vied for tabling the resolution until further information is obtained and more investigations are conducted. "I was very happy with the out- come," Rubin said. "I think it was a premature decision to vote on Argo 'dam-in' or Argo 'dam-out.' I think there are many questions that the city staff has not answered in terms of if the dam were to stay or go how will some of these costs be funded, where will they come out of, what are the options for recre- ation, what are options for rowing and what are the environmental benefits." For now, the resolution to main- tain Argo Dam is still up in the air until City Council settles the issue. But many council members were pleased with the debate. "Both sides have a clear vision," Briere said. "They both have pas- sion and they both have evidence to support their viewpoint." Michigan Senate sends six budget bills to governor Budget bills contain more than $1 billion in cuts LANSING, Mich.(AP) - Repub- lican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop sent the final six budget bills to Gov. Jennifer Granholm yesterday with a warning not to expect any additional money for programs she wants to restore. Michigan lawmakers have passed a series of budget bills containing more than $1 billion in cuts to address a projected $2.8 billion shortfall in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. I 0 ~~CEVEY 3 ECOS... A UPF The9 lkdur of dating isnin danger as guys' hakr is timing girls off by the minute.ft's tme to take acton to get acton- saw the gam before it's too late. RU H W 'v .,c .. 1 f IAX //AAlCRSI RELIED AXE Hair is offering o M guys FREE HAIRCWS, SHAMPOOS & SWUNUS atoLgginz Nairs hop hlm Oct 26th- 3Wh e:lRS - you know the guys we're talking abouLtiUrge them to aftend. GUYS-a few minutes of your time could improveyour game foreve, Granholm has signed all the other budget bills and vetoed spending in some of them. She has said she may veto portions of the remaining six as well, although she hasn't given specifics. Bishop told her that would be unwise. "Do not veto portions of these budgets with the expectation that money will be reappropriated at a later date to fund the vetoed programs," he wrote in a letter to the Denocratic governor. "There is not sufficient support in the Senate Republican caucus for tax increases and for you to think oth- erwise is a mistake." The state is operating under an interim budget that expires Oct. 31, and Granholm must act on the bills by then or risk another gov- ernment shutdown. The six bills submitted yester- day cover general government expenses, human services, state police, community health, higher education, and energy, labor and economic growth. They passed both the House and Senate 20 days ago but were put on hold in a parliamentary move by Republi- cans who control the Senate. Bishopsaidheheld onto thebills because he didn't want Granholm to veto portions and leave the state with a deficit that could require tax increases. But Granholm said Bishop needs to compromise to save important programs. "I would ask him to not be rigid and that he be willing to compro- mise so we can bring this awful budget year to a conclusion," she told reporters after receiving Bishop's letter. Granholm wants limited tax and fee increases to pay for pro- grams that were eliminated or severely cut, such as the Michi- gan Promise Grant scholarships, Medicaid, public schools and money local governments use for police and fire protection. She said yesterday she would support a new license for bars and restaurants thatwantto sell alcohol until 4 a.m. or on Sunday mornings, higher taxes on tobacco products other than cigarettes, smaller busi- ness tax exemptions and a freeze on an inflationary increase in the state income tax personal exemp- tion - or any changes Republicans would support. But Bishop said he and other Senate Republicans see no need to raise taxes, especially since the state will face a shortfall next year as well. He wants Granholm to abide by the budget cuts that passed the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-con- trolled House. During a news conference yesterday, the governor said the Senate must put more money into the public schools budget, since it doesn't include enough revenue to cover its costs. On Monday, she vetoed $54 million from the $12.9 billion bud- get bill because she said there's a shortfall of as much as $264 million in the pian. Most of the vetoed funds would have gone to 39 school districts that get among the highest per-pupil payments in the state - some nearly $4,000 more than the lowest per-pupil grant. Suburban Detroit districts such as Livonia, Dearborn and Walled Lake would take the big- gest hits, losing more than $4.7 million each. The budget slashing angered Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Many of the affected districts are in Michi- gan's wealthiest county north and west of Detroit. "In one fell swoop, Granholm has gone from the 'Education Gov- ernor' to the 'Eradication Gover- nor,"' Patterson said in a Tuesday statement. "The gurgling you'll hear during this fiscal year will be the sound ofschool districts across our region going under." Bishop said there was no short- fall in the public schools budget and called the veto "extortion." He pointed out the Senate has passed a bill canceling a scheduled increase in a tax credit for low- income workers that would raise $100 million more for schools. "The veto clearly was done toget areaction from the Legislature,"he told reporters. "The only reaction she wants is a tax increase." Some House Democrats oppose freezing the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the House has not acted on the Senate measure. But Gra- nholmsaid the bill doesn't solve the deficit because all Bishop did was move money around, using money saved to pay for a partial rollback of a business taxsurcharge. a 6 I -77 0'