4A - Monday, March 14, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com A 4A - Monday, March 14, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom ~ U Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Four heroes STEPHANIE STEINBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF MICHELLE DEWITT and EMILY ORLEY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS KYLE SWANSON MANAGING EDITOR 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. 'Emergency power plav Michigan EFM legislation subverts voter will State Republicans silenced the outcries of opposition on Wednes- day when they passed emergency financial manager legislation, which grants exclusive powers to governor-appointed officials in emergency situations. The bill passed in the Senate and will go back to the House for minor changes before it's placed on Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's desk. The new bill far exceeds the level of control that a non-elected official should have, and with its passing there will be many decisions that Michigan voters won't have control over. devote this column to thank- ing four very special people: Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisc.), Rep. Michelle Bach- mann (R-Minn.) and former _ Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Our nation owes these IMRAN people a lot. We SYED owe to them the survival of the core of Ameri- can greatness - the vitality of our democracy. We should never forget what these special people did for our country in its time of need. Let me explain. America is great. Yes, the reces- sion was bad, but even at its deepest, 90 percent of us still had jobs. Yeah, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have been bloody and costly, but odds are that most of us were not personally affected enough to continually care. Even with all that going on, it's easy for the average American to just go home, turn on the game, grab a beer and forget everything. Let that apathy continue long enough, and this country would lose the last remaining tinges of demo- cratic activism and dialogue that its founding was rooted in. But fear not because four heroes have saved us from that awful fate. Thank you, King, for reminding America of what we cannot afford to become. It had been too long since we had a good, old-fashioned witch-hunt around here, and your congressional hearings on "the radicalization of American Muslims" really hit the spot. After years of subtly question- ing the loyalty of every American Muslim and the place of Islam in the pool .of possible life choices a freedom-loving American may make, the Right finally had the chance to spread its wings at those hearings. Turns out thatgiving Republicans control of the House (which made King chair of the Committee on Homeland Security) was just what we needed to do. The lunacy of the extreme Right's position on social issues will continue to be brought to the fore for the next few months. Thank you for lettingus voters take a good long look at what we cannot let this countrybecome. Thank you, Walker, for being the first of the Tea Party fundamental- ists to succeed at implementing the ludicrous agenda the crazies have been barking about for a couple years. You accepted no compro- mise from cowering Democrats, no matter how much they caved. You showed no mercy, and you won. Whereas your fellow Republicans only subtly blamed unions for every problem this country has had since the dawn of time, you are a man of action. Thank you for reinvigorating the working class and for waking up the sleeping giant that is labor vote - in Wisconsin, but also across the country and especially here in Mich- igan. Come election time, they'll be sure to pay you Tea Party folks back. My thank you to Bachmann could be for any number of things; no one has a more decorated record of obliviously invigorating the pro- gressive cause than the woman who never met an issue she couldn't mis- understand and misconstrue. This particular thank you, however, goes to Bachmann for introducing the "Lightbulb Freedom of Choice Act." Back in 2007, Congress imple- mented new standards for light bulbs; they had to meet a base level of efficiency, or they'd be phased out. But, as Bachmann pointed out, "The government has no business telling an individual what kind of lightbulb to buy." Never mind that the govern- ment isn't actually doing that. Never mind that using an efficient light bulb is a nearly effortless way to save money and the environment. Never mind that Bachmann is adding to the bureaucracy she claims to hate by proposing a useless bill. We owe them the survival of U.S. democracy. And finally, Huckabee. You lov- able teddy bear with the venomous fangs of a viper. Your contribution is the most direct to the immediate future of our democracy. By igno- rantly questioning and deriding President Barack Obama's multicul- tural background, you have made him - the most powerful man in the world - look like a victim. The Obama political machine didn't need any help, but thank you, Mike Huckabee, for reminding voters how much you and your party hate any- one who is a little different. These four individuals, and the hundreds of others in government, cable news and talk radio who spew similar evil, have saved this coun- try. The electorate might have been lulled into a blissful nap, but they have shaken us awake - just in time for the 2012 election. We owe them everything. -Imran Syed can be reached at galad@umich.edu. A 4 Once approved by Snyder, the EFM will have the ability to control a wide array of gov- ernment spending. According to a March 10 Detroit News article, among other powers, these one-year appointees will now be able to sell government assets, toss out local ordinanc- es and take total control of school curricula. Twenty amendments proposed by Democrats were rejected by Republicans, including an attempt to limit an EFM's salary to that of the governor's, which is $177,000. This bill further removes citizens from government and looks much less like democ- racy, especially the kind that Republicans espouse. These officials have one person to report to, and that's the governor. And while these positions may be in place for emergen- cy situations, the definition of such events is obviously subject to interpretation. There's no way to ensure that there will be no abuse of EFM power. Republicans may dictate that having to negotiate with a union qualifies as an emergency, and under this new legislation the EFM would be able to terminate union employee contracts. Iteexsn like the state-trgislature is trying- to avoid the turmoil that overcame Wiscon- sin's government in recent weeks and bypass the step in which citizens can try to influence government decisions. With EFMs, decisions would be made, and voters would have no choice but to sit back and deal with the conse- quences. Among the more alarming powers, EFMs will be able to undermine the decisions of local elected government officials. It is even more authoritarian for these EFMs to be able to con- trol school curricula, since there's no guaran- tee they will have a background in education. Detroit's EFM, Robert Bobb, has been an effec- tive adjudicator for Detroit and was appointed and reappointedby former Democrat Gov. Jen- nifer Granholm, but even an exemplary EFM should be barred from dictating what schools teach. Snyder has been comparing Michigan to Wisconsin and wants to prevent Wisconsin's recent crisis from manifesting here. This new bill may be a way to avert the same mess, but it is also avoiding a true democratic process. For appointed officials to be able to subvert the power of elected officials shows a disregard for the will of voters. Unfortunately, once the House finishes revising the bill, it will land on Snyder's desk -and-will-likely be signed into law. If the policy takes effect, Snyder needs to work with local governments and schools to make sure that implementation of an EFM is a mutual and beneficial decision. 4 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 -I DEANDREE WATSON | Why I want to be MSA president LETTERS TSEND L GEO isn't economically beneficial for GSRAs ETTERS TO: TOTHEDY ate students' coma include both a mi scale tied to the r pay and benefits a wonders how GEO TO THE DAILY: the federal govern The Graduate Employees' Organization is ment established t currently pushing for the unionization of grad- abuse of graduate uate student research assistants, but is this tions. GSRAs wou economically advantageous for the students? for GEO to bargai GEO promises three main potential benefits of ernment has alrea unionization. higher rate than G First, GEO will force the University to cover Student Instructo the one-time $200 Student and Exchange Visi- to pay out of poc tor Information System fee for international month for theoret students. However, GSRAs will get to pay GEO tle or no return? $260 per a two-term year for every year they According to d are at the University. Human Resources Second, GEO will provide mediation ser- average 2,000 GSI vices, but these services are already provided with a typical ap by the University's Human Resources depart- Using GEO's tablec ment. In addition, one wonders how often pay $132.12 per ter this benefit will be used considering there are year in dues. Multit layers of protection in place for GSRAs that and the union is lo minimize the need of mediation including the mum of a half a m rotation system, departmental committees and in forced dues. I sa the Rackham Academic Dispute Resolution every time GEO me Board. All of these are currently provided to rights of GSRAs." N GSRAs free of charge. from unionization? Third, GEO will be able to increase wages and benefits. GSRAs are usually paid by feder- Melinda Day al grants, which set clear standards for gradu- Rackham student AILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM pensation and benefits that nimum and maximum pay ate of inflation. Given that re federally mandated, one will be able to bargain with ment. The federal govern- hese regulations to prevent students at various institu- Ad have to pay $260 a year n for what the federal gov- dy dictated and has set at a EO's contract for Graduate rs. Do GSRAs really want ket more than 30 dollars a ical promises that yield lit- data from the University's department, there are on RA appointments per term pointment fraction of 0.5. of dues, a typical GSRA will m or $264.24 per two-term iply that by the 2,000 GSRAs, oking at bringing in a mini- illion dollars more per year ay remember that $500,000 entions, "standing up for the Who really stands to benefit Last spring, MForward emerged as a group of dedi- cated individuals united by a common aspiration to improve student governance on campus and commit- ment to making the Michigan Student Assembly a true advocate for students of this university. This spring, we're reaffirming our values with a new slate of indi- viduals determined to advance the MForward agenda of ideas, action and community. This is why I have decided to run for president with MForward, along with LSA Junior Brendan Campbell as my running mate and a phenomenal ticket of student leaders from across every section of campus. Collec- tively, we share the goal of re-energizing student par- ticipation in governance as a means of affecting change with benefits that will reach every corner of our campus community. Our work begins with establishing new forums for exchanging ideas. As a whole, we hope to create a more accessible, transparent and efficient coalition of student representatives. In order to better communicate with and assess the needs of our peers, we plan to broadcast MSA meetings, hold monthly presidential addresses and host frequent town hall gatherings that connect stu- dents with University administrators. In these settings, we can both express our ideas so that they may fall sub- ject to discussion and debate among the community, as well as elicit feedback and suggestions from those whose interests we're strivingto serve. We also would like to emphasize our relationship with other student-led organizations, as we consider them vital to the vibrancy of our campus fabric. By intro- ducing rolling funding opportunities and holding office hours in multiple locations around campus, organiza- tions will have increased access to our resources. Fur- thermore, we intend to open our legislative process to student groups by creating a system that allows student organizations to pass resolutions through MSA. Once we have implemented these tools for increasing our engagement with the student body, we will actively fight to enhance the campus community through our commitment to improving accessibility and affordabil- ity. Alongside student organizations, we intend to create new programming and outreach initiatives to connect with communities currently underrepresented at the University. By reaching out to high schools across the state, we will unify the voices of students to establish networks of peer support. Such dialogue, coupled with advocacy for more education grants for students of different minority groups, has the potential to diminish the gap between high school and college that can become insurmount- able to so many of our state's youth. In our actions, we hope not only to create opportunities of higher educa- tion thatpreviously didn't existbut also seek to diversify and enrich our campus culture. In terms of affordability, cuts to funding higher education have led to tuition hikes that hurt students across every demographic. Because the members of MForward believe so passionately in fighting for the needs of the students we represent, we see it as our responsibility to lead the effort of keeping these trends in check. While we will strive to use our institutional resources for the benefit of our peers, we also will not hesitate to take a stand against these institutions when students' academic careers become jeopardized by financial constraints. Finally, the overarching aspiration of MForward is to build a better and more cohesive campus community. All students deserveto feel included in the dynamic aca- demic, extracurricular and social environments around which our campus culture thrives, These initiatives begin with continuing MForward's efforts to implement open housing. While progress has been made on this issue in that transgender and gender non-conforming students will now be able to live in suites with other students of their E choosing - regardless of gender - much work still remains in advocating for a full open housing program. In a similar vein, we also will seek to establish a more comprehensive system to address incidents of bias. We see it as critical that students' safety and positive cam- pus experiences aren't threatened by intolerant atti- tudes toward different social identities. As part of the largest governing entity on campus, MForward members feel a compelling responsibility to use MSA resources only in ways that serve to unite students with each other, with their campus environ- ment, with their communities and with the tools they require for accomplishing their goals. By opening up waves of communication between students, student- led organizations and the administration, we have the unique potential to facilitate connections with new and enhanced educational and organizational opportunities. This is why Brendan Campbell, myself and all the MForward candidates have decided to seek positions on MSA this year. We're students, seeking the support of students, and promising to strengthen the student body. If we all work together as a united force, we can further define and embody the phrase "Leaders and the Best" - that ever-present classification to which we so firmly subscribe. DeAndree Watson is the MForward presidential candidate. He is an LSA junior. Responsible citizens should be allowed to carry guns TO THE DAILY: In Seth Soderborg's March 9 article (All guns were not created equal, (3/7/2011), he sug- gests that semi automatic pistols should be banned in favor of small revolvers with a short range and small cartridge capacity. However, former presidents Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt were all shot by small pistols with a short range and small cartridge capacity. Former President John F. Kennedy was killed with a hunting rifle, which Soder- borg would permit. We must realize that nearly all shootings occur in "gun-free" or gun- restricted zones. The bloodiest shootings have been at places like Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University and Fort Hood, all places where firearms are prohibited. This is no coincidence. A shooting is more likely to occur in a school than at a shooting range. Making the United States a gun-restrict- ed zone would put us all at risk. No law will ever be able to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people: It will only disarm respon- sible citizens. Soderborg is comfortable with police offi- cers carrying semi automatic pistols. Howev- er, we must remember that police officers are human, just like concealed pistol license hold- ers. Earlier this year, a middle school student - the son of a police officer - used his father's service weapon to kill the vice principal at his school. What is the difference between a police officer and a CPL holder? The only dif- ference is that police officers must take an oath. Would making CPL holders take an oath reassure the public? Most police officers do very little weapons training after certification. It's very easy for a private citizen to amass more trigger time than a police officer and thus be more profi- cient with his or her pistol. We can't put a cop on everycorner,but we have more thanenough responsible citizens. Peter Waszkiewicz Engineering junior 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 :0