The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS GREEN
From Page 1
Friday, January 8, 2010 - 3
WASHINGTON
Obama takes full
responsibility for
attempted attack
President Barack Obama sug-
gested yesterday he would not fire
anyone for the attempted Christ-
mas airline attack, saying it appears
the security lapses that led to the
near-disaster were not the fault of
a single individual or institution.
"Ultimately the buck stops with
me," said the commander in chief.
He declared anew that the gov-
ernmenthadtheinformationtopre-
vent the botched attack but failed
to piece it together. He announced
a range of changes designed to fix
that, including wider and quicker
distribution of intelligence reports,
stronger analysis of them and new
terror watch list rules.
But, added Obama, "When the
system fails, it is my responsibility."
He spoke from the State Dining
Room, his remarks delayed twice
as officials scrambled to declassify
a report on the failures. That report
was released immediately after he
spoke.
DETROIT
Last ditch offer
from Spyker not
likely to save Saab
Hopes to keep Swedish car com-
pany Saab alive flickered yesterday
as Dutch exotic automaker Spyk-
er Cars made another bid to buy
the troubled brand from General
Motors, but a person briefed on the
dealings said GM remains skeptical
that Saab can be saved.
Spyker confirmed in a statement
issued yesterday evening that it
made the last-minute offer, which
came a day after GM's interim CEO,
Ed Whitacre Jr., said he was not
optimistic about Saab's survival
and the Detroit automaker would
begin closing factories later in the
week.
"We believe the Saab brand has
lots of potential and would be keen
to close a deal as quickly as possi-
Ible," Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker,
said inthe statement.
The statement gave no financial
details of the bid, but said Spyker
has had a "constructive dialogue"
with GM.
UNITED NATIONS
h UN forces find
buried explosives
in Lebanon
Israel says 300 kilograms (660
pounds) of buried explosives dis-
covered by U.N. forces in southern
Lebanon were likely planted by
Hezbollah operatives.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gabri-
ela Shalev says the government
believes the explosives were an
advanced type, possibly produced
in Iran or Syria.
In letters to Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon and the Security
Council late yesterday, Shalev said
the explosives were another seri-
ous violation of the 2006 council
resolution that ended the 34-day
Israeli-Hezbollah war.
The buried explosives were dis-
covered near Lebanon's border
with Israel by a U.N. peacekeep-
ing patrol when they searched the
area after suspicious figures fled
the scene, Shalev said. She did not
say how Israel was informed of the
discovery.
GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP
Israeli aircrafts fire
on Hamas targets
Witnesses say Israeli aircraft
fired missiles at smuggling tunnels
and other Hamas targets in Gaza.
Hospital doctors say one man
was killed in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military had no
immediate comment.
The strikes early today came
after Gaza militants fired a rocket
at the Israeli city of Ashkelon, caus-
ing no damage.
Yesterday, Israeli aircraft
dropped leaflets over Gaza, warn-
ing residents to stay away from
tunnels and border areas. The tun-
nels run under Gaza's border with
Israel.
The Israel-Gaza border has
been relatively calm since Israel's
military offensive in Gaza a year
ago. However, low-level friction
persists, with Gaza militants fir-
ing some rockets and mortars, and
Israel responding with air strikes.
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
In addition to her 25-year legal
career, Green also has a record of
volunteering to protect the envi-
ronment and provide services to
disadvantaged citizens.
Green's prior government expe-
rience includes working on the
Scio Township Board of Trustees
which she was elected to in 2008
and being a member of the Scio
Township Planning Commission.
According to the press
release, if elected, Green hopes
to improve the state's troubled
economy and education sys-
tem and work toward making
health care more accessible to
the state's residents. Green also
hopes to increase jobs in the
state and provide innovative
ideas for farmers if elected.
"We must establish a new
economy - now," Green wrote
in the statement. "And we must
VACANCIES
From Page 1
budgets, leaving many expensive
homes near campus unused.
"This year was different than
in past years because we had diffi-
culty getting rid of some of our top
locations," Clark said. "If you were
to rank the units on a grading scale
from 'A-E' we had difficulty getting
rid of our 'A minus' locations."
Peter Allen, adjunct faculty
at the A. Alfred Taubman Medi-
cal Research Institute and Ross
School of Business, wrote in an
e-mail interview that while the
last two years have been the worst
the local real estate market has
seen in the last three decades, he
expects the market to turn around
in the near future.
Allen, who teaches a course
titled "How to Develop a Lively
Downtown," added that many
local areas have already begun to
AAPS
From Page 1
Additionally, Roberts said that
the district is discussing a poten-
tial $5 million cut in employee
salaries and benefits for the next
school year.
"We haven't gone into nego-
tiations about it with teachers or
other staff groups yet, but we'll
begin those conversations soon,"
Roberts said.
Roberts went on to discuss
additional cuts that will absorb the
roughly $18 to $21 million short-
fall. He said the district plans to
reduce the cost of textbooks and
summer school, and to decrease
the salaries of athletic and substi-
tute teachers. Another substantial
cut - projected at $700,000 -
would limit the "overtime" costs
incurred when district schools
remain open for special events on
non-school days by limiting these
events.
Roberts also discussed the pos-
sibility of offering more online
classes at the high school level in
order to reduce staffing costs.
"This is something we've been
building toward for a number of
years," Roberts said.
He pointed out that the state
of Michigan already requires
one "online learning experience"
beginning with students graduat-
ing in 2011.
Roberts said the district is also
prepare our citizens to take part
in this new economy. In reaching
these goals, I pledge to protect our
unmatched water, forest, and land
resources which make Michigan a
unique place to live and work."
As an extension of her work
in environmental protection,
Green also hopes to work toward
conserving Michigan's natural
resources, increasing the alterna-
tive energy economy and rejuve-
natingMichigan's cities,according
to the press release.
Republican candidate Mark
Ouimet, Vice Chair of the Washt-
enaw County Board of Commis-
sioners, who will be competing
for the seat, told The Michigan
Daily in an interview yesterday
that many people are considering
running for the position.
"I think there's a high level of
interest in a lot of people for the
52nd district, and obviouslyChris-
tine Green is someone who's now
taking the next step to get into the
race," Ouiment said.
see increased rental rates, largely
due to their proximity to the Uni-
versity.
"Retail, office and residen-
tial vacancies downtown or near
downtown are [now] basically
near normal and the healthiest in
the state,"Allen wrote in ane-mail
to The Michigan Daily.
Stacy Greggorio, general man-
ager of 4 Eleven Lofts, wrote in an
e-mail interview that though the
complex had some trouble leasing
its units for 2009, which was its
first year in business, she expects
occupancy to increase in the next
couple of years.
"Students have less fear about
making financial decisions than
in 2008-09, when everyone was
very apprehensive," she wrote in
the e-mail. "As of the end of 2008,
we had leased 4 Eleven Lofts to
approximately 45 percent for the
2009-10 term, but by the end of
2009'we have already reached 65
percent occupancy for 2010-11."
examining ways to increase stu-
dent enrollment, which would
bring in more money from the
state to the district, to help deal
with the shortfall. As part of this
effort, AAPS may open 150 "school
of choice" seats-a move allowing
students in neighboring districts
to attend Ann Arbor schools.
Additionally, Roberts discussed
expanding the district's magnet
program by encouraging students
within the district who are either
home-schooled or take classes
in other non-traditional ways to
enroll in the magnet program,
which would again bring in more
money from the state.
Roberts said the district is try-
ing to deal with the cuts by looking
at what makes the most sense edu-
cationally.
The crowd's response was
largely positive, with several audi-
ence members praising the plan's
structure.
"This (plan) is comprehensive,"
said Wayne Baker, an AAPS par-
ent. "It looks like the right thing
to do."
Dedrick Martin, superintendent
of Ypsilanti Public Schools, attend-
ed the meeting to help prepare for
cuts in his own district.
Martin emphasized his dis-
trict's similar budget situation in
an interview after the meeting.
"We are looking at a lot of the
same things, making cuts that are
not directly in the classroom," he
said.
DILLON
From Page 1
"We can't exclude government
from innovations embraced by
the private sector. We can't foster
a mindset that says 'I'll get mine,
no matter what the cost.' Win-
ning a bigger piece of a shrinking
pie won't matter if the pie disap-
pears."
He continued, "We must
understand that we will only lift
ourselves up by working together
- Republicans and Democrats,
business and labor, cities and
small towns and suburbs."
Dillon said he will soon decide
whether or not he is going to for-
mally enter the gubernatorial
race.
"Over the next few weeks, I'll
be talking to people across our
state, listening to your concerns
and your ideas for the future," Dil-
lon said in the video.
It is widely believed Dillon's
exploratory committee is the first
step the speaker is taking to start
his campaign for governor, and
that he will soon enter the race.
"(Dillon) says he's explor-
ing, but I know he's running,"
state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith
(D-Salem), who is also running
for the Democratic nomination
for governor, said in a phone inter-
view last night.
According to a Jan. 7 article
in The Detroit Free Press, Dillon
told the Democratic Caucus of his
plans to form an exploratory com-
mittee Wednesday afternoon via
teleconference. He emphasized
he would remain devoted to his
position as speaker of the House
FELLOWSHIP
From Page 1
Arthur Levine, president of the
Woodrow WilsonFoundation, said
the six universities were chosen to
participate in the program after a
comprehensive and rigorous eval-
uation process.
"Above all, we sought universi-
ties with the capacity to build the
models to prepare new generations
of teachers for the most diverse
students in U.S. history (and) to
meet the highest set of standards
ever demanded by our students,"
he said.
In November, the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation Awarded the Wood-
row Wilson National Fellowship
Foundation a grant of $16.7 mil-
lion, which was used to establish
the fellowship. Part of the money
will provide a $30,000 stipend to
fellows, in addition to funding the
special master's program at each
university.
Coleman emphasized the fel-
lowship's symbolic importance
as a vote of confidence for college
graduates interested in coming to
and staying in Michigan.
Coleman added that the men-
torship component will give
participants the opportunity to
participate in a program that is
for the time being and said he was
committed to maintaining the
Democratic majority in the House
in the November 2010 elections,
according to the article.
Smith and possible fellow Dem-
ocratic candidate, Lansing Mayor
Virg Bernero, both said they have
received more support since Cher-
ry ended his campaign.
"My fundraising was steady,
but not terrific, because the Lt.
Governor being in the race and
being the front-runner sort of
dampened people's willingness
to spend big money on my race,"
Smith said. "But his departure
from the campaign has made
a difference. People who have
invested a few hundred dollars
have now turned around and, in
some cases, put the full amount
into the campaign."
Dillon is seen as the more
moderate Democratic candidate
compared to the rest of the field.
He was instrumental in creating
state-wide tax increases in 2007
and upset many labor leaders last
year when he proposed a plan to
have all public employees in the
state be insured by one statewide
health care program.
Smith said Dillon's moderation
sets him apart from the more lib-
eral candidates.
"Philosophically I think the
majority of the field represents
solid Democratic values that
reflect our base," Smith said.
"Speaker Dillon, on the other
hand, is right-to-life, he refused to
allow a vote on stem cell research,
he isn't anti-labor, but he doesn't
think labor first and I don't think
he understands the environment
and its importance here in Michi-
different from traditional teacher
education.
"What's happening with new
teachers is that unless you're
extraordinarily strong, you'll be
socialized to the way people have
been doing things," she said. "The
idea of the mentorship is that
it will keep you engaged with
these new ways for your three-
year commitment and in the long
run."
Coleman continued, "We
believe very strongly that this kind
of approach is the way to go."
The master's programs will be
more intense than typical educa-
tion graduate programs and will
include more supervised work
Deborah Ball, dean of the Univer-
sity's School of Education, said in
an interview yesterday.
"Having the resources that
will enable us to pay for that kind
of close mentoring will be a big
change," she said.
Ball also said the participation
in the fellowship will benefit the
School of Education because of its
similarity to the Teacher Educa-
tion Initiative, a project already
underway at the University. The
TEI, like the fellowship, is a shift
to a more monitored, clinically-
based teacher education like the
teaching processes of medical
schools.
gan and the peril we face if we
don't dramatically control climate
change."
Because he holds more tradi-
tional Democratic ideals than Dil-
lon, Bernero said that more people
have been coming out in support
of his campaign since Dillon's
announcement.
"We're picking up huge support
fromtheentrance ofAndyDillon,"
Bernero said. "People are running
in the opposite direction."
Michael Traugott, research
professor at the University's Cen-
ter for Political Studies, said it is
going to be a tough year for Demo-
crats nationally - and especially
in Michigan, because ofthe state's
stagnant economy. But he said
Dillon gives the Democrats a bet-
ter chance of retaining the gover-
norship than Cherry did.
"Cherry didn't have very much
independent kind of name recog-
nition or a well-established base
in the state," Traugott said. "He
suffered from the negatives asso-
ciated with Jennifer Granholm
and the Granholm administration
for the last two terms. There's a
sense in which anybody but Cher-
ry would've been a better candi-
date."
Traugott said there are rumors
that AKPD Message and Media
- the Chicago-based consulting
firm that ran President Barack
Obama's 2008 presidential cam-
paign - will run Dillon's cam-
paign if he enters the race.
Gubernatorial candidates have
until May 11, 2010 to formally
announce their candidacy and
file nominating petitions with the
Secretary of State for the Aug. 3,
2010 primary elections.
"We're going to become much
more outcome-oriented on teach-
ers," Ball said. "Instead of sitting
through seat time in certain cours-
es, they'll actually have to demon-
strate that they do the key things
that help kids learn."
Both Coleman and Ball said the
fellowship will provide the Uni-
versity with the financial means
to accelerate new educational
tools.
"The fellowship will allow us to
expand quickerthan we could have
in the past because of the money
that will be available to recruit the
fellows," Coleman said.
Ball added that the School of
Education aims to implement the
fellowship's preparation methods
in areas beyond what the fellowship
covers, like elementary education.
President Barack Obama high-
lighted the fellowship as part of
his "Educate to Innovate" cam-
paign - through which he hopes to
improve STEM education nation-
wide - at the Science, Teaching
and Mentoring awards in Wash-
ington on Wednesday.
Ball said she expects the appli-
cation process for the fellowship
- which will first be available to
students entering graduate pro-
grams in the summer of 2011 - to
be competitive, especially because
of the available funding.
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