4- Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4 - Tuesday, March 8, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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ELAINE MORTON
E-MAIL ELAINE AT EMORT@UMICF-LEDU
STEPHANIE STEINBERG
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MICHELLE DEWITT
and EMILY ORLEY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
U4M~v lY1 } t ooetsloU la S4we to 'toyPA
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It's not the economy, stupi
KYLE SWANSON
MANAGING EDITOR
0
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Don't share the sacrifice
Snyder shouldn't make drastic cuts to education
There are few things college students hate more than
tuition increases. But as the University tries to cope
with Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed cuts to
higher education funding, students may be in store for disap-
pointment.
The premise behind Snyder's budget pro-,
posal was all about "shared sacrifice." The
state is facing major budget shortfalls, and
changes need to be made to ensure that Michi-
gan has a healthy economic future. This is a
pointthatmoststateleaders agree on.Another
point of agreement is the importance of help-
ing Michigan businesses succeed in order to
foster job production and bring innovative
minds to the state. State leaders, including
University President Mary Sue Coleman, also
believe strong education systems are impor-
tant for the future of the state.
When it comes to budget cuts, there are
clear financial priorities and places that need
to be "sacrificed," but universities should not
be one of them.
Whereas Snyder cut taxes for businesses by
more than $1 billion, he also cut funding for
Universities by 15 percent - with the poten-
tial for more cuts if schools don't keep tuition
increases under 7.1 percent. Businesses see
huge financial relief, and schools see major
financial setbacks - not quite the attitude of
"shared sacrifice" that Snyder likes to discuss.
Cuts need to be made and spending needs
to be controlled, but it's difficult to listen to
speeches about the importance of education
when the state's true attitude about what's
will be below the 7.1percent mark when tuition
is decided this summer. An increase of that
magnitude would translate to a tuition hike
of $827 for in-state students and $2,542.66 for
out-of-state students paying lower division
LSA tuition, according to a March 7 Michi-
gan Daily article. While testifying before the
state Senate and House Appropriations Sub-
committees on Higher Education last week,
Coleman discussed the University's value to
the state and the importance of education. But
for students and parents facingthe potentially
staggering tuition increases, her words are
takenwith a grain of salt.
When 2011-2012 tuition rates become avail-
able for public universities throughout the
state, some students will be forced to take out
additional loans, place an even heavier finan-
cial burden on their parents or decide that
higher education is simply not a viable option.
Either way, students will certainly feel their
share of the sacrifice.
The University - and all 15 public univer-
sities in Michigan - need to be recognized as
an asset to the state, not an undue expense.
For businesses to fill the new jobs that their
tax breaks will hopefully allow them to cre-
ate, they will need a well-educated Michigan
work force, and those people should come
n rsssn~ras xiroveita ihie~rnt
During the November 2010
midterm election cycle, we
Americans found out that
Republicans are
serious about
reducing the def-
icit. Of course,
the GOP must
have decided
on this position
only after former
president George DAR-WEI
W. Bush left CHEN
office because
he ran up record
deficits by engaging in two wars and
not raising taxes - but that's a story
for another time. This new com-
mitment to fiscal responsibility has
materialized in Wisconsin where
Republican Gov. Scott Walker wants
to force public sector unions to pay
more for their benefits and to receive
pay cuts. Sounds good, right? Unions
should have to pitch in like everyone
else to help the state and the country
weather this recession.
As it turns out, the unions agree.
In fact, they have made all the
financial concessions that Walker
has asked for in his new bill. So,
what is the ruckus about? Appar-
ently, Walker also wants to strip
unions of collective bargaining
rights. Financial benefits for the
state from doing this would be...
almost nothing. So, why does Walk-
er want to do this to unions that are
important to average working-class
Americans? Wasn't this bill sup-
posed to be concerned only with
fiscal issues? Good question.
The fact, thatWalkr insists on
stripping --tnion-of collective-bar-
gaining rights even when his
financial derhands are met - shows
that he isn't actually concerned
about deficit reduction. His goal,
deep inside, is to bust the unions.
He might say this bill isn't about
our cherished unions and that it's
all about budget, but that mantra is
a facade. Busting the Democratic-
leaning public sector unions would
be a huge political boon for the GOP
because unions are the last reli-
ably liberal group that can compete
with typically conservative bigbusi-
nesses interms of political influence.
For Walker, this move is a political
"power grab" that has'nothing to do
with the deficit.
Even if you believe Walker is
really only concerned about the
deficit and that he sees breaking
up unions as a necessary evil, this
move seems to be antithetical to
GOP "principles." When President
Barack Obama was trying to pass
his health care reform law, Repub-
licans complained loudly about how
the bill was being "jammed down
our throats" against the will of the
people. Their point was that Wash-
ington shouldn't legislate without
consent of the governed, and aver-
age Americans should have a say
- a very American idea indeed.
But when it comes to those same
average Americans union work-
ers, the GOP suddenly doesn't want
the voices of those workers to be
heard anymore. Instead, Republi-
cans would prefer that they be run
over roughshod without the right to
collectively bargain. By the way, if
you still believe Walker is a deficit
hawk, please know that he recently
passed tax cuts that would add $100
million to Wisconsin's projected
budget deficit.
Perhaps one of the worst things
t, pome, Put,.f,,theWisconsin
union battle is th desonization
of teachers as people who live off
the proverbial "gravy train." When
did America get the reputation of
treating its public school teachers
extremely well? One of the reasons
that American students are lagging
behind their counterparts in other
countries is that teaching isn't avery
appealingjob, leadingtotoptalentin
America often looking elsewhere for
work. That's not to say we don't have
great teachers - the point is that
their lifestyles are nowhere close
to lavish. But for the sake of debate,
let's say that teachers have extrava-
gant livelihoods that the GOP feels
should be limited. Then why do
they say in the next breath that we
need to protect the people making
more than $250,000 per year and
that they should receive bigger tax
breaks than everyone else in this
economic climate? According to Fox
News, those top 2 percent of house-
holds aren't as well to do as many
think and need help. But teachers?
Let's take down those fat cats.
Walker isn't
concerned about
deficit reductions.
Republicans dream of cycles
like these: lowering taxes for the
wealthy, running up deficits and
then cutting benefits for the mid-
dle and lower class in the name of
deficit reduction. It's unpatriotic,
and now the GOP isn't even being
honest about it. Using deficit reduc-
tion to disguise their union-crush-
ing power grabs is clever, but that
doesn'tjake it right The American
pedplesee that it's dt the ecnomy,
stupid Itfs about killing the unions.
And unions are as American as
apple pie.
-Dar-Wei Chen can be reached
at chendw@umich.edu.
0
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impogtapt,,4.evgent in the bjudget.,A ad wip .:rom iwicnigan univer~sities. tifstuaentsare
the state and~thT University e tryingmi - being'priced out of higher edtcation;that goal
age thei iies, students are struggling to will not become a reality. The state and the
manage theirs. University Board of Regents - who ultimately
Coleman recently spoke with The Michigan decide tuition increases - need to make sure
Daily about the University's tuition increases they prioritize education and make it finan-
and said she can't guarantee that the figure cially accessible for all Michigan students.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer,
Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley,
Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER V E 0 NT
Adderall isn't harmless
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300
words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous
letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com
WILL BUTLER |VIP0
9
Import to Detroit
It's midterm season, and every student's life
has been a little hectic lately. When it comes
time for finals, we don't have class during
the week, allowing more time for students to
study. During midterms, however, students
still have to attend regularly scheduled class-
es, on top of participating in extracurriculars
and other activities. I can understand it's very
difficult and stressful to squeeze in study time
during all these things. But many students still
manage to do so successfully and pass their
exams with flying colors.
So how do they do it? They know that school
is a priority and sometimes that means making
sacrifices like staying in on a Friday night or
skipping this week's episode of "Jersey Shore."
But some students still can't seem to find time
to adequately prepare for their tests, so they
end up cramming the night before - or even
the day of - their exam. Thankfully, I've never
had to do this. I've been able to find additional
time to study well in advance for my tests so
I'm not stressing right before. But students
who do end up cramming obviously need some
sort of artificial help to stay focused and stay
awake. For many, the solution to this problem
is caffeine, whether it be in the form of coffee
or Pepsi Max. Some will take small breaks, lis-
tening to music to refocus, or watch a funny
You-tube video before they go back to study-
ing. But what if you wait so long to study for an
exam that you don't even have time for that?
Well, there is one other solution that is becom-
ing increasingly popular - Adderall.
Adderall - originally a drug prescribed to
patients with attention deficit hyperactiv-
ity disorder (ADHD) - is now being used by
college students who need to sit down for six
hours or more and cram for an exam. Accord-
ing to a 2006-2007 National Survey on Drug
Use and Health, 7 percent of full-time college
students are using Adderall illegally. This
number may not seem like a lot, but in my
freshman class of about 6,000, that means 420
students are abusing Adderall. And college
students ages 18 to 22 are twice as likelyto use
the drug illegally than those not enrolled in
college. Though not expensive - pills sold at
the University of Oregon have been reported
to go for $5 to $15 per pill - this drugcan lead
down a dangerous path.
Adderall is perceived as a quick fix to stay
awake and get some work done. And it seems
harmless - after all, it's legally prescribed
to many people - but it has the potential to
further an individual's drug use. There have
been multiple depictions in the media of a
Wall Street banker snorting a line of cocaine
in the bathroom to stay up all night and party
after working an 18-hour day. That person
didn't walk into his job thinking, "I'm going
to need to become a coke user to get through
these next few years." He started out think-
ing he would be able to handle it, and when
he became overworked and was left with no
other option, he turned to drug use. Cocaine
might be a bit of an extreme example, but it
has the same basis as using Adderall. Stu-
dents who feel like they have no other option
will turn to this drug to get them through
midterms and finals. It may prove to be a
good idea in the short-run, but drugs are
never a good idea in the long-run.
If students can't be successful at the Uni-
versity without using artificial means, will
they be able to be successful in life? It's
unrealistic to think that you can depend on
Adderall to get you through a particularly
busy week of work or a long meeting you need
to focus on. Students shouldn't use this drug
as a quick-fix. In the real world, drugs can't
solve your problems - they will only make
them worse.
Ashley Griesshammer is a
senior editorial page editor.
It might be a little too early to call, but I'm saying it
anyway: Detroit has officially become cool. It must have
happened somewhere in between Eminem driving with
the guitar track to "8 Mile" playing, a gospel choir sign-
ing powerful chords in the background and the news
that a Robocop statue would indeedbe coming to Detroit
(If you think I'm kidding, look it up. It's happening, get
excited). But despite the new post-industrial, resilient
and rugged makeover the city received from Chrysler's
Super Bowl commercial, Detroit still faces major struc-
tural and planning problems. And while the stylistic
remake is nice, and certainly is a necessity to the overall
reinvention of Detroit, it doesn't solve the material prob-
lems that Detroit faces - specifically population decline
and abandoned neighborhoods.
The Chrysler commercial ends with what should
become an iconic phrase: imported from Detroit. But
what Detroit needs to concern itself with is how to also
import people into Detroit. That is, how to make equi-
librium in a region that essentially is a donut - a met-
ropolitan area without a hub city. Michigan residents
overwhelmingly choose to live in the suburbs, and those
who do reside in Detroit only find work outside its city
limits. But Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Republican
Gov. Rick Snyder have introduced new programs to help
solve that problem and entice more residents to live in
the city.
If you have ever played Sim City, you'll recognize that
municipal and citywide issues usually have a cyclical
effect, and just like your virtual city, the same is true
for Detroit. Population decline causes the loss of the
tax base and tax revenue. This in turn causes a dip in
city services, which causes more population decline.
When population declines, businesses leave. When busi-
nesses leave, jobs leave. With no employment in the city,
residents default on their homes, and neighborhoods
become abandoned. Abandoned neighborhoods cause
a decrease in property value, leaving no incentive for
people to return to the city. It's a complex succession
of events that would probably better be described in an
ever useful flowchart. What Bing and Snyder's plans
attempt to do is to break the cycle by providing financial
incentives for buying homes in specific neighborhoods
that have the greatest chance of development.
Bing's plan, entitled Project 14, has received a lot of
criticism from Detroit's City Council, but is actually a
valid and beneficial program. Project 14, using funds
from the Federal Neighborhood Revitalization Initia-
tive given to Detroit, plans to renovate 200 homes in the
Boston-Edison and East English Village and then offer
them to the 53 percent of Detroit police officers who
don't live in the city at reduced costs. The genius of the
plan comes in its ability to address two problems atonce.
Not only does Project 14 work to bring in more residents
to Detroit - specifically financially stable and middle
class residents - but since the incentive is for police
officers, Bing is also addressing the problem of crime.
Having police officers live and work in those neighbor-
hoods fosters community and an environment of safety
- something that would certainly incentivize others to
move as well.
Snyder also mentioned in his State of the State
address a new initiative called "Live Midtown." The
project is part of a greater program called 15x15, which
is designed to get 15,000 young people to move to Detroit
by 2015. "Live Midtown" offers incentives to employees
of the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit Medical Cen-
ter and Wayne State University to buy apartments or
homes in the Midtown Detroit area, another burgeoning
neighborhood in the city. The hope is that these financial
incentives will encourage young professionals who work
for those employers to move to Midtown. The program
has been highly touted and has high expectations for
being successful.
Detroit had previously tried a residency requirement
for public employees that ended up causing strife, anger
and tension between the suburbs and Detroit until its
repeal in1999. So, it'sgood to see the leaders of this state,
Bing and Snyder, recognize bad policy and take a differ-
ent approach to entice people to live in Detroit. If the
Robocop statue or Eminem's sleek driving skills weren't
enough, programs like Project 14 and "Live Midtown"
will work to incentivize moving to Detroit and further
a professional youth movement to move back to the
city and help with its revitalization. For me personally,
though, they had me at Robocop.
WillButler is an LSA sophomore.*
I
a