The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 3
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 3
NEWS BRIEFS
WASHINGTON
Clinton: Israel
undermining U.S.
peacekeeping efforts
Secretary of State Hillary Rod-
ham Clinton accused Israel of
undermining U.S. credibility as a
Mideast peacemaker yesterday on
the eve of critical talks between
President Barack Obama and Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel recently announced new
housing plans for east Jerusa-
lem, an expansion that the Obama
administration has strongly criti-
cized. Clinton renewed that disap-
proval, telling a pro-Israel audience
that provocative Israeli land poli-
cies in areas claimed by the Pales-
tinians are not in Israel's long-term
interests.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu planned
to take a firm stand regarding Jeru-
salem, stressing in a speech last
night that the city is Israel's capi-
tal, "not a settlement," government
spokesman Mark Regev said.
CHICAGO
Court overturns
injunction request
for Asian Carp
The U.S. Supreme Court yes-
terday refused to order the emer-
gency closure of Chicago-area
shipping locks to prevent vora-
cious Asian carp from slipping
into the Great Lakes, leaving dis-
appointed environmentalists and
state officials vowing to continue
their fight.
In a one-line ruling, the nation's
highest court for the second time
rejected a request by Michigan and
several other Great Lakes states
to issue a preliminary injunction
shutting the locks in the increas-
ingly desperate battle against the
invasive fish, which have migrated
up the Mississippi and Illinois riv-
ers toward the lakes after escap-
ing from fish farms in the South
decades ago.
Asian carp often leap high
out of the water when boats are
near. They can weigh 100 pounds
and consume up to 40 percent of
their body weight daily in plank-
ton, the base of the food chain for
Great Lakes fish. Many fear that
if they reach the lakes, the invad-
ers could lay waste to a $7 billion
fishing industry by starving out
competitors such as salmon and
walleye.
LANSING
Granholm praises
state employees for
concession contract
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has
praised a union representing 17,000
Michigan employees for ratifying
a concessionary contract designed
to save the state $15.9 million this
year.
United Auto Workers Local 6000
says the agreement extends the
current contract to the end of 2011.
Under the deal, workers hired
starting April 1 will have higher
deductibles and copays for their
health insurance.
The union says the contract also
replaces previously announced
furlough days with a banked leave
program. It says employees will
lose one hour's pay a week for six
months, with the time going into a
leave bank for future use.
Granholm says Local 6000
members came up with their share
of the $50 million in concessions
she needs to help balance the bud-
get.
PARIS
Civil servants begin
strike in France
A strike today in France is
expected to disrupt trains, trans-
port, postal services and schools
as unions aim a new blow at Presi-
dent Nicolas Sarkozy following
his party's drubbing in regional
elections.
Train workers launched their
action yesterday evening. The
strike was expected to cancel about
a third of France's TGV fast trains,
the SNCF rail network said. Euro-
star trains to Britain and Thalys
trains to Belgium and the Nether-
lands would not be affected, the rail
network said.
Unions say Sarkozy's conser-
vative government hasn't offered
satisfactory plans on jobs, salaries,
purchasing power and working
conditions - and they hope to ham-
mer home that message in the wake
of Sunday's runoff elections.
-Compiled from
Daily wire reports
dents and accomplish the goals that
DEBATE MSA needs to do," he said. "MSA
From Page 1 and student organizations need to
collaborate."
over the past three years of MSA," Presidential candidates came
Raymond told the audience. "My next, starting with Chris Arm-
goal is to make MSA the center of strong, current LSA junior and
student advocacy." chair of MSA's LGBT Committee.
Raymond said MSA's attempts Armstrong said MSA currently
to solve issues like tuition hikes, "lacks a sense of leadership and
dorm life and the drop in minor- responsibility." MForward, he said,
ity enrollment has "lacked a sense wants to "make sure that there is a
of advocacy," adding that increas- community that is represented, that
ing advocacy is the main focus of is connected to student issues on
MForward, a party founded by Ray- campus."
mond and Armstrong. Ian Margolis, the presidential
Raymond said that currently, the candidate from MVP, countered
funding process confuses student Armstrong by saying that MSA
organizations. If elected, Raymond needs more than advocacy to
said he and Armstrong want to improve efficacy.
implement workshopsto help facili- "We need to provide tangible
tate the fundingprocess. things for students," he said. "We
During the debate, Raymond shouldn't limit ourselves to student
called the current funding process advocacy."
"broken." MVP vice presidential Margolis said that there's a lack
candidate Tom Stuckey retorted of communication between MSA
that the funding process is not bro- and the rest of the student body.
ken, but just needs to be revised. He said he wants students to know
Stuckey used his rebuttal time to what the $7.19 they give to MSA is
mention the universal funding being spent on, and that students
application that will be accessible to can see the results.
student organizations if he is elect- "The student body is going to fol-
ed as vice president. low us along, but they don't know
This universal funding applica- who we are or what we do," he said.
tion, he said, will allow students to In regards to Margolis'comment,
only apply once for the school year, Armstrong said it is an "inherent
whereas now student organizations contradiction" to attempt to pro-
must apply each semester. Stuckey vide students with tangible results,
said after a student organization but not stress advocacy.
applies for funding, the application "To say that pushing for student
would be forwarded to the funding issues isn't enough is like saying we
bodies of all student governments don't care," he said.
on campus. Right now, organiza- Stenvig agreed, saying that advo-
tions must apply for money from cacy projects are a "question of stu-
each body separately. dent power."
Stuckey is a sophomore and cur- Stenvig centered her debate on
rent MSA Business School repre- defending student accessibility to
sentative. He is the vice chair of the public education and making the
Campus Governance Committee. University an "open forum" for dis-
Sofia Bolanos, the DAAP vice cussion among students.
presidential candidate said her The newly proposed Students for
main concern, if elected, would be Progressive Governance Constitu-
ensuring the rights of minority stu- tion was a much-discussed topic.
dents. This all-campus constitution will
"I want to improve campus cli- take affect if approvedby a majority
mate here at this school because of voters in this week's election.
it affects everyone," she said. "We Stenvig was the only candidate
have the most power to make big that voiced opposition to the pro-
changes here." posed student constitution, describ-
When Singh asked whether MSA ing it as "elite" and "bureaucratic."
should support the University's "The new constitution gives the
Dearborn campus student govern- president a right to veto actions of
ment resolution to divest funds MSA," Stenvig said. "The new con-
from Israel, all of the candidates stitution will institutionalize the
agreed that MSA should work on kind of anti-democratic measures
campus life before they grapple that we have seen in MSA over the
with broader, international issues. pastyear."
In response, Raymond discussed Margolis disagreed, saying that
his support for the Good Samaritan under the newly proposed constitu-
Law, which he said would improve tion, the president will be held even
student life. The law, which is still more accountable.
awaiting a vote from the state Sen- "Under my presidency, the
ate, would mean that no student separation of power will allow for
could get a Minor In Possession a more effective student govern-
charge after calling an ambulance ment," Margolis said. "The power
for an intoxicated friend. of veto will allow for the power of
"We need to lead MSA to listen to impeachment."
the students, to provide to the stu- According to Margolis, the chief
nal matters - we can have a better
LSA-SG external government as well," he
From Page 1 said.
Benson said one area he hopes
LSA-SG, said LSA-SG's small budget to work on is keeping support for
forces the student government to be resolutions alive once they have
efficient in spending money, but that been proposed or passed at meet-
representatives could improve their ings, noting that once a resolution
budget allocation. passes, representatives often "hit a
"We just need to be a little bit brick wall."
more resourceful on how we give "We show our support, and then
out money and what we do on gov- they fizzle out a little bit," he said.
ernment," Benson said. To combat this and increase
Benson added that student gov- accountability, Benson said he and
ernment could do more to help stu- Goldberg plan to meet with the rep-
dents trust their representatives resentatives who draft resolutions
more. after the resolutions are passed so
"We throw these buzzwords out they can formulate concrete time-
in student government, like trans- lines to carry out propositions.
parency, accountability and con- "If you have someone to be there
stituency," Benson said. "But let's be to give you some sort of support and
real, I don't think we really do that tell you whattto do and help you out,
to the best of our ability." then there's a higher chance that
But Benson said there are "easy" there will be consistency and every-
ways for LSA-SG to improve on thing is goingto carry over," Benson
these issues, and he plans to imple- said.
ment those solutions. Goldberg, the current chair of the
"If we have a better internal gov- LSA-SG appointments committee,
ernment - if we improve our inter- said the quality of LSA-SG's projects
Blazey first began swerving a little
BUS bit in the right lane, he and Brockner
From Page 1 repeatedly asked Blazey to pull over
the bus.
"They came home safely," Rose Stark said Blazey eventually
said. "All isgood now." pulled over and steppedoff the bus
LSA sophomore Lucas Brockner, to check the tire pressure. When he
president of ZBT, said Blazey acted steppedback onthe bus, he stumbled
strangely throughout the bus ride, a couple oftimes and had trouble get-
though his driving did not become ting up the stairs.
scary until after crossing the border Brockner said that shortly before
into Canada. becoming unresponsive, Blazey told
"He was doing a lot of kooky stuff," him there was a problem, making it
Brockner said. "When someone difficult to switch the gears on the
called him'sir' he said, 'Sir is my dad's bus. However, at that point, Brockner
name.I'm Gerry, Ilike to party."' said he pointed out that the bus was
Brockner, who said he sat at the automatic.
front of the bus, said he observed Blazey then began swerving
more strange behavior from Blazey across the highway, Stark said,
throughout the ride, like when drifting to the left, then to the right.
the driver requested that passen- Blazey then went from the rightlane
gers turn off the lights because he all the way across to the highway
couldn't see despite the fact that no before coming back to the right lane,
lights were on. Stark said.
Brockner alsosaid whenthegroup Brockner said Blazey hit the
stopped to get food before crossing guardrail to the left of the highway a
the border into Canada, Blazey drove couple of times as he swerved.
away for about 20 minutes without "In the last five minutes, it was
telling anyone where he was going, the scariest," Brockner said. "I was
leaving all passengers at the stop.. directing him for a little bit because
Business sophomore Chad Stark, he said he couldn't see."
social chair for ZBT, said when Stark said that other drivers on
programming officer of MSA - a
position that will be instated with
the adoption of the proposed con-
stitution - will work to allow stu-
dent organizations to collaborate
with MSA and other student groups
to build programmingcohesion.
Armstrong said that the pro-
posed constitution will "build a
sense of connectedness." He said
that the proposed constitution
would help create a more diverse
student assembly.
The recent $9,000 expenditure
on a thrown-away MSA website
was another central topic for the
MSA candidates. They all agreed
that if elected, they would rely on
student skills to create an efficient
website that does not require such
an exorbitantbill.
"We need to make a website
that's more open and available to
students," Stenvig said. "We need
to do more to make sure student
groups know that they know how to
obtain those resources."
Margolis suggested a more con-
crete budget for all MSA actions in
the future.
"I was appalled about what hap-
pened to that website," Margolis
said. "We should have a set budget
for every action that MSA pays for."
In agreement with Margo-
lis, Armstrong said, "Although the
president was able to spear the ini-
tiative, there was no accountabil-
ity."
"MSA needs to make sure that
whatever initiative is going on,
that every body of the assembly is
aware," he said.
The candidates ended by
responding to a question that asked
them to tell the auditorium why
they are really running for presi-
dent of the central student govern-
ment - without using government
terms like accountability, commu-
nication, transparency, efficiency,
democracy, advocacy, or website.
Margolis said that he thinks that
students' apathy regarding student
government motivates him to run
for president.
"Students are fed up and they
don't know where their money is
going," Margolis said. "I am con-
fident that my party understands
what students want. That's why we
are in this: to take students vision
and make it a collective vision."
Stenvig said that her reason for
running is her hope that the assem-
bly could be a prominent influence
on the University as a whole.
"We can achieve great things,"
she said. "We can play a leading role
in defending public education."
Armstrong said that his involve-
ment in the LGBT community has
inspired his desire to run.
"I am running for president
because the University of Michi-
gan is the greatest place I have ever
been," he said. "I love the people at
this University."
should emphasized over quantity.
"We do have a good amount of
projects, but oftentimes it's the same
people taking then on," Goldberg
said. "We think it would be more
effective to spread out the leader-
ship and take advantage of everyone
who is there."
But Benson said the team's main
goal is to make University students
more involved in student govern-
ment, adding that detached LSA-
SG representatives are part of the
reason why students are apathetic
towards student government.
"We are a perfect match to bring
government to the next level,"
Benson said. "(LSA-SG) doesn't
reach out to (our constituents) well
enough."
In order to reach their constitu-
ents, Benson said he and Goldberg
will rely on the University's Direct
Constituency e-mails, which are
mass e-mails sent to students.
LSA-SG is awarded six DC
e-mails per year, but according
to Goldberg, the current LSA-SG
board only uses a few of them.
the highway honked and tried to get
Blazey's attention for him to pull over.
"Everyone on the bus was kind of
freaked out because we were swerv-
ing; cars were honking at us," Stark
said. "We tried to get him to pull
over, but he wasn't responding."
Stark said that after a few minutes
of swerving through all three lanes,
Blazey pulled the bus to a halt.
"Eventually, he stopped the bus,"
Stark said. "He didn't even pull over;
he juststopped on the highway."
Police were at the scene shortly
after the bus stopped. When police
asked Blazey questions, he would not
respond, Starksaid.
Canadian police reported that
Blazey had vicodin in his system at
the time he was arrested, according
to an article in the Toronto Star yes-
terday.
After Blazey was taken into cus-
tody, police called a city bus to take
the 34 passengers the rest of the way
to Toronto, Brockner said.
Rose, the dispatcher, said the
company sent another bus driver to
Toronto to bring the students back to
Ann Arbor on Saturday, adding that
as far as he knows Blazey is still in
custody.
HEALTH CARE
From Page 1
health insurance policies until
they reach their 26th birthday."
Dingell said the reform will
reduce costs for students, among
other benefits.
Dingell said many provisions
of the bill, which he described as
"enormously complex," will hope-
fully take effect by 2014.
General Surgery Prof. John
Birkmeyer wrote in an e-mail
interview that despite the com-
plexity of the bill, he felt "relief" at
the announcement that it passed.
"The Senate bill (approved by
the House Sunday night) has plen-
ty of warts, but the status quo - SO
million uninsured and unsustain-
able growth in health care costs -
is much worse," Birkmeyer wrote.
Brendan Campbell, chair of the
University's chapter of College
Democrats, echoed Birkmeyer's
sentiments, saying he was "ecstat-
ic" that the bill passed.
"I'm proud to say that we've
accomplished some of the best and
most aggressive legislation in the
past three years for a great soci-
ety and we've improved the lives
of billions and billions of Ameri-
cans," Campbell said.
Campbell added that the bill
will benefit students in other ways
besides offering them increased
coverage.
"The best part of this bill is not
the cost savings that will go into
student aid, but.rather that these
savings will be reinvested into
students through Pell Grants," he
said.
Charles Bogren, chairman of
the University's chapter of College
Republicans, wrote in an e-mail
interview that he was displeased
the legislation passed and that he
staunchly opposes it.
"My immediate reaction to the
SACUA
From Page 1
central administration.
Like Goldman, the second
newly elected member to SACUA,
Kearfott, is also from the School
of Engineering. Kearfott cited her
interest in academic freedom and
faculty governance as reasons she
would make a good SACUA mem-
ber. She recalled watching her
grandfather lose tenure for teach-
ing evolution in a religion class
and said the experience was one
of the reasons she wanted to join
the committee.
Kearfott said she has served on
many committees and believes
that she will be effective in nego-
tiating strategies on SACUA. She
added that she believes the job
of SACUA is to listen and repre-
sent faculty effectively, but also
to balance contemporary needs
with the tradition of the organi-
zation.
"I view the SACUA job as one
of addressing those modern con-
cerns while continuing to stick
with the principals of my grand-
father," Kearfott told Senate Ass-
sembly members.
The final new member to join
SACUA this spring will be Barald
who has been with the University
for 28 years. She has experience
with faculty governance, hav-
ing served on the committee that
helped to ensure written rules
were in place at all University
departments and schools for ten-
ure in 1995.
Barald also cited her experi-
ence with mentoring students
from ranging in experience the
undergraduate level all the way
through to post-doctoral fellows,
saying she was "very dedicated"
to mentoring. In her speech,
Barald also said she believed that
SACUA's role was to fairly repre-
sent the concerns of all faculty
members.
"I think the voice of SACUA is
essentially the voice of all the fac-
ulty, not any one school college or
group," Barald said.
SLOTTOW DISCUSSES
BUSINESS OF HIS OFFICE
After the voting finished at
yesterday's meeting, Tim Slot-
tow, the University's executive
vice president and chief financial
officer, presented information to
Senate Assembly members about
his office.
Slottow said that the Univer-
sity of Michigan is one of three
Universities, including Univer-
passing of the Senate bill was that
it was shameful and disgraceful,"
Bogren wrote. "This bill will do
far more harm than good; it will
drive premiums up, decrease con-
sumer choices in their medical
professionals as well as treatment
options, and place yet another
millstone around the neck of the
American taxpayer."
Bogren wrote that he doesn't
think the bill will help students
because it will create debt that
they will have to deal with in the
future.
"Conservative estimates are
that this will run up the deficit by
another half a trillion dollars" he
wrote. "Our generation should not
be forced to pay for the sins of our
fathers."
"Itwillbe manyyears before we
see any increased coverage for the
average American, but in the next
fiscal year increased tax rates will
be immediate," Bogren added.
Other students expressed sup-
port for the legislation.
School of Art & Design senior
Amariah Stepter said that though
she is unsure of how other stu-
dents are reacting to the legisla-
tion, she is in support of it.
"I thought it was a good move
and think it will be a positive move
for our country," she said.
LSA senior Coertney Vander-
hill said she's also in support of
the bill.
"I think we're the only indus-
trialized country that doesn't have
(national health care) yet, and for
me that doesn't make sense that
we don't," she said.
LSA junior Kunal Varna said
though the bill could have nega-
tive consequences he is in support
of it overall.
"Initially I think it's going to
be hard to adjust," he said. "There
might be some negative implica-
tions, but in the long run it should
help the nation as a whole."
sity of Texas and the University of
Virginia, that have a AAA credit
rating. He also told the Senate
Assembly that the total net assets
of the University are valued at
about $8.7 billion.
"That's one of the reasons that
even in the difficult financial
economy we find ourselves in,
we are still in a relatively strong
position, because so many of our
assets and our net assets and our
liabilities are relatively small,"
Slottow said at the meeting.
Slottow also discussed the 40
to 50 groups that work under the
office of Business and Finance to
provide services to faculty and
students across campus. Some of
these entities that are well known
around campus include Plant
Operations, Planet Blue and Uni-
versity of Michigan Parking and
Transportation Services, Slottow
said.
However, Slottow also stressed
the importance of other, less well-
known groups, including the
University's Upholstery Shop and
Furniture Repair and the Univer-
sity of Michigan Interior Design
Service.
Slottow discussed at length
the operating measures of these
smaller entities under his depart-
ment and the Business and Finan-
cial Office's commitment to
customer service, saying the bi-
annual survey given to faculty and
students is one of the most effec-
tive ways of measuring the quality
of service.
Slottow also briefly discussed
the condition of University Rec-
reational Sports facilities, say-
ing they are in the worst shape
in terms of facilities compared to
that of other recreational sports
facilities at schools around the
country.
In addition to discussing the
University's recreational facili-
ties, Slottow also talked about
the North Campus Research
Complex. He said a transporta-
tion technology forum was held
to allow companies to highlight
their ideas for new transportation
to and from the NCRC.
Slottow said that while no deci-
sions have been made, some sug-
gestions at the forum included
aerial gondolas, buses that look
and feel like light rail and smaller,
three to four person transporta-
tion methods.
He said the decision willbe made
as a part of the University's "inte-
grated master planning" and will
involve reconsidering how North
Campus will look in the future in
terms of housing and other compo-
nents of North Campus.
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