4 - Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4 - Tuesday, April 3, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER
JOSEPH LICHTERMAN and ANDREW WEINER JOSH HEALY
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS 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.
Imran Syed is the public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@michigandaily.com.
Reject Ryan's budget
Federal budget shouldn't hurt groups of citizens
ast Thursday, a proposed budget plan crafted by U.S. Rep
Paul Ryan (R - Wisc.), chairman of the House Budget Com-
mittee, was approved by the House of Representatives. In
a mostly party line vote, the plan passed 228-191. Though the plan
will likely be voted down by the Democrat-controlled Senate, Ryan's
proposed budget, which empowers the already wealthy, lays out
plans that could hurt lower income citizens. Congress must craft a
federal budget that will be suitable for all economic backgrounds,
and Republicans and Democrats must come to an agreement on the
country's fiscal situation.
TAB QUOTABLE
It's the fact that for three days, the daydreaming time
about what I would do if I won [was] great
entertainment and, frankly, a very nice release
from a normal day"'
- Nebraska lawyer David Kramer said about why he bought a mega millions lottery ticket last week
when the pot reached a world-record $656 million according to Time.com.
0
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I am blessed
Ryan's plan, called "The Path to Pros-
perity: A Blueprint for American Renewal"
largely focuses on spending cuts. It will lower
the discretionary spending cap from $1.047
trillion to $1.028 trillion in the 2013 fiscal
year, basically reducing the amount of debt
our country can have. While this reduction
may seem like a good thing at first glance, it's
important to dig into the details of the plan.
Ryan's budget calls for an end to the Medi-
care guarantee for senior citizens. Current
seniors who have planned and budgeted
their lives around receiving Medicare will
continue to receive the help. However, those
citizens not of senior status will not be grant-
ed the automatic health care. Instead, they
will be given options as they are planning
for retirement, one of which include a "fee-
for-service traditional option within a pre-
mium support system," as stated by Ryan. All
Americans are entitled to Medicare, as they
have dedicated their lives to careers within
our nation. Cutting Medicare may reduce the
budget deficit, but it will come at the cost of
some senior's lives.
The plan calls for six independent adviso-
ry panels that will determine places that the
budget can be cut to reduce the overall defi-
cit. These panels will make cuts respective to
their committee and hopefully, achieve these
lofty goals. But many of the numbers outlined
in the plan could be unattainable, and these
panel members may be pressured to make
harmful cuts. It's important to realize the
benefits and drawbacks of spending cuts. If
the cut has the potential to influence or hurt
thousands of people, it shouldn't be made
under any circumstance.
The "Path to Prosperity" also includes tax
breaks for the wealthy. The plan will reduce
the corporate tax rate from 35 to 25 percent,
while also ending the alternative minimum
tax credit. Our country currently has six dif-
ferent federal tax brackets, and the proposed
plan would reduce those groupings to just
two brackets with rates of 10 and 25 percent.
These tax reforms are expected to raise $2.73
trillion in tax revenue in 2013. If the taxes for
the wealthy are being cut, it's the middle and
lower class individuals who will pay the high
price for this revenue, even though they're in
the worst position to pay the extra taxes.
A new budget plan needs to be created, but
not one that has the potential to hurt millions
of middle and lower class Americans. Repub-
licans and Democrats need to craft a legiti-
mate proposal that would appease both sides
instead of creating partisan budgets.
am blessed. Blessed to be here
writingthis article. To go to this
University. To get an education.
I'm blessed that
I grew up in a
household where
going to college
was not only a
priority, but also
a financially via-
ble option - an
option actually
had the means HARSHA
and resources to NAHATA
pursue.
Last Tuesday,
the Coalition for Tuition Equality
held a forum. Being unfamiliar with
the CTE, I thought I'd check it out,
and I left amazed at what I heard
and what I learned.
The CTE is behind a push to
have the University charge undocu-
mented students who are Michigan
residents in-state tuition. For many,
college is already expensive, and
having to pay out-of-state tuition
only makes it further out of reach.
What impacted me the most from
the forum was how prevalent inac-
cessibility to college was and what
it truly meant. Beyond the statistics
and rhetorical political speeches
surrounding higher education is the
reality of not being able to attend
college. It seems obvious, but what
it means to not be able to go to col-
lege finally hit me.
We all grow up dreaming of what
we want to be when we're older -
whether it's a doctor, a teacher or
an astronaut. From then on, every-
thing we do, in some way, works
toward that dream. We go to school
and work hard so we can go to col-
lege. We go to college so we can get
jobs. In today's economy and job
market, not having a college degree
means not being able to fulfill those
childhood dreams. It means not
having a career or a final goal to
work towards. It means not being
able to dream.
And it's not just undocumented
immigrants that are struggling.
While they are at the forefront of
this issue, college accessibility is
important to a wide group of indi-
viduals. It affects the veteran from
Michigan who, because of his over-
seas service, is now forced to pay
out-of-state tuition, though he grew
up in the state. It affects the child
of an immigrant here on a work
visa - fully documented - who
has lived here all of his or her life,
but because he or she doesn't have
a green card, the child still pays
out-of-state tuition. It affects those
fromlow-income backgrounds who,
even though they're in-state, can't
afford the rising costs of tuition.
Many will argue that there are
scholarships, federal programs and
financial aid in place to take care
of cases like this. But, it's nowhere
near enough. College costs are so
high that the current national aver-
age for one year of study at a public
university is $16,410. For private
colleges, this number is more than
doubled, reaching $37,000. And the
effects of this are showing. Stud-
ies show that only 10 percent of
freshmen entering high school go
straight to college and graduate
with a degree before the age of 24.
The Brookings Institution found
that 79 percent of students in the
highest income bracket go to col-
lege, while only 34 percent in the
lowest income bracket attend. The
divide is growing, and it's growing
purely along economic and finan-
cial lines.
With the unemployment rate
almost twice as high among those
without a college degree, it's easy to
conclude that college is essential in
order to get a job. Without college,
students not only lose the possibil-
ity of getting an education, but they
also lose the prospects of having a
sustainable career. The economic
environment today dictates that
without a college degree, it's nearly
impossible to have a solid future.
And the problem is that if kids
don't have a future to look forward
to, they will soon lose motivation to
perform. What's the point of work-
ing tirelessly throughout middle
school and high school if there is no
reward or point to your effort? In a
culture in which so much of what
students do is geared toward getting
into college, not having this option
takes away motivation to work.
In the discussion following the
CTE panel, LSA freshman Xochitl
Calix-Ulloa, brought up a good
point. She came from a high school
where many students were undoc-
umented, and she reiterated that
going back, she has found that many
of the older kids are apathetic to
school. Not because they're stupid
or lazy, but because they have no
option beyond high school anyway,
and thus, no reason to work toward
anything.
Too many people
are unable to
afford college.
The more inaccessible college
becomes, the more it validates this
mindset and apathy in students.
What is the point of working hard in
school when you know that your fate
has been decided for you, when you
know that you won't be able to go
anywhere after you earn your diplo-
ma? College is a way to fulfill your
career goals and dreams. Taking
away that resource, for many, takes
away the ability to work toward
those goals. And that is where the
true failure of our public education
system lies.
College accessibility isn't just
about finding a way for kids to go to
college. Every conversation about
improving K-12 student achieve-
ment, about decreasing unemploy-
ment rates, about income inequality
and improving low-income quality
of life begins with college accessi-
bility. America is a nation of dream-
ers - after all, the staple of success
here is achieving the American
Dream. When our social and politi-
cal structure is set up in a way that
snatches this very dream from chil-
dren, it's needless to say that some-
thing isn't being done right.
- Harsha Nahata can be reached
at hnahata@umich.edu. Follow her
on Twitter at @harshanahata.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Kaan Avdan, Eli Cahan, Ashley Griesshammer, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein,
Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Harsha Panduranga, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne
Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Seth Soderborg, Caroline Syms, Andrew Weiner
I @OikosUniversity Our thoughts and
prayers go out to students and families
#stoptheviolence
" U""#needguncontrolnow
-@michdailyoped
MICHELLE FEDOROWICZ| W
Protect all women
CONTRIBUTE TO THE COVERSATION
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DENARD ROBINSON AND ADITYA SATH I W
An avenue for change in Detroit
Since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act
has been reauthorized by Congress without too
many hitches. The act has historically fund-
ed investigations into violent crimes against
women. However, this time, the act arrived
in the Senate with a less unified vote between
both parties. Republicans and Democrats have
rewritten their own versions of the act to be
considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
After reviewing both versions of the act, the
committee voted on party lines for their respec-
tive versions of the bill. A decision has still not
been reached about the renewal of the act.
The existing act has three parts with which
Republicans do not agree.
The first gives Native-American tribal
courts jurisdiction over non-tribe members
who have committed crimes of domestic abuse
against Native Americans. Supporters of the
bill describe the Republicans' rationale asbeing
similar to saying that a woman who is abused
in Michigan by someone from Ohio could not
appeal to courts in Michigan.
Next, Republicans have qualms with the
wording on LGBTQ rights. The bill, as it is writ-
ten now, says organizations that receive federal
grant funding should not discriminate against
anyone on the grounds of sexual orientation.
While Senate Republicans say they agree with
this statement, they do not think that it needs to
be written into the bill.
The third reason for Republican aversion to
the bill is the stipulation for immigrants. Cur-
rently, the bill states that undocumented vic-
tims of domestic abuse can apply for a visa to
obtain legal status. Having this status allows
victims to work in the United States, becom-
ing independent of their abuser. In the past two
years, the Obama administration has met the
limit of 10,000 visas per year, which shows the
effectiveness of the act to give victims opportu-
nity and a chance at survival.
Over spring break, I had the opportunity to
travel to San Juan, Texas and visit many dif-
ferent community grassroots organizations
that campaign for immigrants' rights. One
of the agencies I visited was the South Texas
Civil Rights Project. Their mission is to pro-
mote social, economic and racial equality in
educational and social services for those who
are least able to defend themselves. The South
Texas Civil Rights Project conducts much of its
work through the VAWA.
While in San Juan, I heard the stories of
women who had survived horrible, life-threat-
ening situations because of the VAWA. I heard
testimonies from women who had been physi-
cally or sexually abused, or who had experi-
enced human trafficking. With the VAWA,
these women were able to seek the legal help
they needed to become legal residents, with-
out the knowledge or approval of their abusers.
The South Texas Civil Rights Project, just one
of many organizations of its kind, has helped
hundreds of women to seek the assistance they
needed to escape an abusive relationship.
The VAWA is still under debate for reautho-
rization. However, if Senate Republicans strike
down the bill, thousands of victims of domes-
tic violence each year will continue to suffer in
their current state. It's important for this bill
to be passed to ensure continuous protection
of the women who need help the most. While
these women may not have the voice to defend
themselves, it's necessary for those of us with a
voice to show our support for the VAWA.
Michelle Fedorowicz is an LSA freshman.
How many times have you heard people complain
about the socioeconomic state of Detroit? How many
times have you heard people propose ideas to revital-
ize the city, but never take action on these ideas? The
Detroit Action Commonwealth is not just an organiza-
tion that talks the talk - it's an organization that has
made significant positive change in the lives of many.
The DAC is a non-partisan, non-profit organization
that has chapters located at the Capuchin Soup Kitch-
ens in Detroit. The purpose of this organization, as
taken from its website, is "to organize poor and home-
less persons and families, provide opportunities and
workshops to help them improve their lives, develop
leadership capacities, advocate for better and more
humane services, and educate and mobilize around
issues of social and economic justice."
You might ask, "What has the DAC accomplished
in the past to make it a legitimate organization?" The
short answer to this question is that it has worked on
issues related to employment, neighborhood safety,
shelters and housing and voter registration, just to
name a few. To elaborate on some of these issues, the
DAC has worked to get community members a form of
state identification. Having a state ID is the first step
to receiving state assistance and potentially finding a
form of employment. The organization also met with
Melvin Gupton, the director of Work Force Develop-
ment in the City of Detroit, and helped 25 young people
on the city's east side find work. In terms of safety, the
DAC has gotten the city of Detroit to commit to tear-
ing down a list of 40 burned and dilapidated houses
on Detroit's east side. A list of even more accomplish-
ments made by the DAC can be found on tubmanorga-
nizing.org under their affiliates.
As for housing, the leaders of the DAC have worked
with the landlords of various shelters to ensure that the
establishment is accountable for proper facilities and the
cleanup of bed bugs. The organization also emphasizes
the importance of civic participation by registering an
average of 30 members a month to vote. These are just a
few of the many accomplishments that have come from
the work of the DAC over the course of the last few years.
If you want to make a positive difference in the
world, then I suggest that you support the DAC - there
are many ways that you can do so. If you are interested
in learning about organizingthe DAC, then take Politi-
cal Science 389: Theory and the Practice of Communi-
ty Organizing with Prof. Gregory Markus. On campus,
you have the option of joining the student organization
Students for the Detroit Action Commonwealth to help
organize workshops, hold fundraisers and educate
students about the work of the commonwealth. At the
very least, take a second and show your support for the
organization by liking their Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/DetroitActionCommonwealth.
It's not often that you come across a strong avenue
for positive socioeconomic change, but if you have read
this viewpoint, then it's safe to say that you just did.
Find a way to contribute to the DAC so that you, too,
can make a difference.
Denard Robinson and Aditya Sathi are LSA juniors.
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