4 - Tuesday, April 3, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - Tuesday, April 3, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com 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 I 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. 01 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 Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Both must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. Send submissions to tothedaily@michigandaily.com 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. 01 e I