4A - Wednesday, October 24, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Wednesday, October 24, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom I he WlchiQan:43at*lv l Four years is not enough A Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com TIMOTHY RABB JOSEPH LICHTERMAN and ADRIENNE ROBERTS ANDREW WEINER 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. F ROM T HE DA ILY RateMyHousing Creative solutions for off-campus housing espite the pressure of midterms weighing on the minds of students, the word "housing" is what truly strikes fear in the hearts of many unassuming students. For upperclass- men, it's that dreaded time of year when Friday afternoons are filled with begrudged house hunting. For freshmen, this concept may be unwelcome news. Adding to the hassle, Ann Arbor's housing market is dominated by a few realty companies, which dictate not only prices, but also living conditions. In order to improve off-campus housing in Ann Arbor, it's up to students to create a community where off-campus properties are peer-reviewed and tenant rights are well-known. The city of Ann Arbor needs to do more to ensure that landlords have less opportunity to take advantage of students. There have been a lot of dis- tractions during this elec- tion cycle. But with less than two weeks until Election Day on Nov. 6, let's take a step back and think about what this race is really about. I A lot of people MICHAEL aren't feeling the SPAETH effects ofthe eco- nomic recovery yet. They're still unemployed and can't find a job. They're fatigued and impatient. They want jobs immedi- ately, and that's completely under- standable. As a result, they blame President Barack Obama for their economic miseries. It's important to understand that no matter which economic policies are implemented, recoveries from financial crises simply take a long time - particularly the recovery from the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression. "This is what normally happens after a severe financial crisis," Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman explained in his latest column in The New York Times. On the night of Obama's inaugu- ration, before he had done anything, Republicans plotted to obstruct his agenda, according to Robert Draper, author of "Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives" - and they have done so relentlessly ever since. Today, they gleefully castigate the president for not turning this economy around. Despite the fact that financial recoveries take a long time and Obama's dealt with con- stant Republican opposition, he has still managed to create approxi- mately 3.6-million private-sector jobs since the start of the recovery in June 2009, according to PolitiFact. com, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checkingunit of The Tampa Bay Times. We definitely need more jobs than that, but it's still an impressive feat, under the circumstances. Can a conservative economic approach improve the economy more than Obama's approach? Republican presidents have cre- ated far fewer jobs than Democratic presidents in recent decades. At the Democratic National Convention in September, former President Bill Clinton said - and FactCheck.org verified - that since 1961, Repub- licans have occupied the White House for 28 years and created 24-million private-sector jobs. In contrast, Democrats have occupied the White House for only 24 years since 1961 but created 42-million private-sector jobs. Republicans forcefully advo- tate for slashing the budget using austerity policies, but these poli- cies can devastate fragile, recover- ing economies. An article in The Guardian describes how in 1937, during the recovery after the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt also decided to enact austerity measures. As a result, the United States was thrown back into a recession and it took a world war to enable us to fully recover. In the past few years, auster- ity policies have caused or wors- ened recessions across Europe in countries including Britain, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal and possibly Germany in the near future. "Germany's insistence on cut- ting public budgets has led Europe into a recession swamp," Robert Reich, former secretary of labor, stated in April. Republican policies have made the deficit skyrocket. Today's Republican Party doesn't mention the fact that conservative president Ronald Rea- gan nearly tripled the deficit during his eight years as president. Repub- lican presidential nominee Mitt Romney claims that unlike former President George W. Bush - who replaced Bill Clinton's surplus with large deficits every year since 2002 - he will balance the budget. Yet, as Ezra Klein wrote in the Washington Post last week, Bush also "endorsed amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget. But, like Romney, he wasspecific about his tax cuts and increases in military spending, but vague about his spending cuts. The result was much higher deficits." Why will this time be any different? If we give Romney a chance, who are we electing? It's hard to say, because Romney has repeatedly refused to reveal the details of his economic plan. David Leonhardt wrote in The New York Times in September that Romney "will not say which tax breaks he would reduce, andthe large ones,like the mortgage-interest deduction, are all popular." Leonhardt cited a detailed analysis by the Tax Policy Center that, in his words, "showed that achieving all of Mr. Romney's top-line goals - a revenue-neutral overhaul that does not increase the tax burden of the middle class - is not arithmetically possible." Even if Americans decide to give Romney a chance, it's difficult to know which Romney they're elect- ing, since he has changed his posi- tions on issues so frequently. But chances are, to ensure his politi- cal survival as president, Romney would have to support conserva- tive economic policies that satisfy a Republican base that's influencedby the uncompromising Tea Party. His- tory isn't kind to these policies. The President certainly hasn't had perfect economic policies. Some economists like Krugman believe the 2009 stimulus should have been bigger. But Obama's plan for increasing the number of manu- facturing jobs, investing in clean energy, focusing on innovation and investing in education are steps in the right direction. Let's give the president enough time to finish the job he started. - Michael Spaeth can be reached micspa@umich.edu. 4 Many searching for off-campus proper- ties are doing so with little house or apart- ment hunting experience. Usually, students hear about living conditions and landlords from their friends or by word of mouth. This is only slightly effective - the information students receive is limited by who they know and what properties their friends are familiar with. Most students, therefore, aren't fully informed about what to expect upon signing a lease. To counteract this problem and edu- cate students about landlords and properties, a universal housing database should be creat- ed, where current tenants can rate properties and landlords - the RateMyProfessors.com of housing. This won't just give students more infor- mation to make better decisions, but it will also keep monopolizing landlords in check. Bad reviews would deter students from sign- ing leases at those properties, detracting poorly rated landlords' business. This will provide incentive for rental companies and landlords to better accommodate students's needs and keep properties desirable and prices competitive - capitalism that actually works for students. Major complaints regarding rental proper- ties in Ann Arbor include condition and main- tenance of the properties. Some landlords ignore maintenance requests and allow prob- lems to develop until conditions are practi- cally unlivable. City ordinances state that rental houses in Ann Arbor must be inspected every 30 months. This time period allows for about two 12 month leases to expire before another inspection. The time allotment needs to be shortened by the city to ensure safe liv- ing conditions for students. When houses are not properly maintained, students need to be informed about avail- able legal actions to be levied against their landlords and realty companies. Lawyers are available to students in serious incidences that require court cases filings. Ann Arbor must also take initiative and help students fight unfair housing practices. Students, the city and landlords, with the University's help, must collaborate to reach an agreement to improve off-campus housing conditions. The first steps can include creating a housing review website to inform potential tenants aboutthe pros and cons of each property, insisting on more fre- quent and thorough housing inspections and pressuring landlords to stop taking advantage. of students. Plausible solutions exist for the housing problems in Ann Arbor and must be implemented immediately. 6 U 6 INTERESTED IN CAMPUS ISSUES? POLITICS? SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK'N'ROLL? Check out The Michigan Daily's editorial board meetings. Every Monday and Thursday at 6pm, the Daily's opinion staff meets to discuss both University and national affairs and write editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Eli Cahan, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Gus Turner Benefits beyond clean energy LE T TE R TO T HE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM Engage in political science, licans raises a larger issue, claiming that the not political silence panel was fallacious. We might ask, "Does the Republican party wish to reduce a woman's TO THE DAILY: control over her own body?" Indeed, we can The University's chapter of the College answer this factually: yes. The GOP platform, Republicans would have you believe that approved at the Republican National Conven- Monday's panel titled, "Republican War on tion in Tampa, explicitly opposes all acts of Women," was "blatantly fallacious," parti- abortion and silent on exceptions. san and offensive. I wholeheartedly disagree. The question that follows, then, is "why?" First, a disclaimer: I identify as liberal, as a Answering this question may, for some, be male and as a feminist. If my political affili- informed by moral or religious beliefs. Attempt- ation, sexual identity or intellectual position ingtorespondtothisquestion fromanormative offends you, perhaps you aren't prepared for position is, necessarily, partisan. But answering my opinion. the firstquestion requires only observation. First, the panel sought to discuss the media's As a student, I am grateful that the Univer- portrayal of the political treatment of women's sity hosted the panel and others like it. If, as a bodies, not debate the legality of abortion. campus, we only discuss issues that are apo- One might claim that the panel was partisan litical, little else remains to be discussed. Our for lack of a Republican journalist, but none professors and invited lecturers should be paid seem to be writing about this issue. It's also to discuss such issues from the perspective of offensive to group the panelists as "feminist scientific observation. In this sense, we might journalists" occupying the same perspective. engage in political science, not political silence. While each may be a feminist, this doesn't guarantee a shared partisan stance. William Rogers But RachelJankowski of the College Repub- LSA Junior LETTER TO THE EDITOR SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM 'U'should utilize sustainable the UM Sustainable Food Program unites all student groups interested in, you guessed it, opportunities on campus sustainable food. This includes a wide range of possible ways to get involved, you can sell TO THE DAILY: food (Brassica), farm food (Friends of the In 2010, President Mary Sue Coleman Campus Farm; Cultivating Community) and created the Environmental Sustainability celebrate food (Harvest Festival). Cultivating Executive Council and the Office of Campus Community educates students about leader- Sustainability. This was a huge step for the ship in community food systems. The garden University, however, Michigan has a long way is located near the Gingsberg Center right on to go. The way to get there is with us, the stu- campus. You can get your hands dirty and dents. We are the movers and shakers of this learn about what it takes to farm and grow university. This school exists to serve the stu- your own organic produce. dent body. Without us, it would cease to exist. With such a wide range of opportuni- It's up to us to determine what programs ties, there's a place for any student looking Michigan will support and the next steps we to get involved in making the campus more will take towards toward sustainability. sustainable, all it takes is passion. Without Ample opportunities exist that allow stu- students acting as drivers and triggers of dents to get more educated or involved in change, actions and plans will not be able to sustainable practices: EarthFest, Graham take shape. We need to lead the university Environmental Sustainability Institute, to action. Planet Blue, Student Sustainability Initiative and the University of Michigan Sustainable Michelle Busch Food Program are just a few. For example, LSA Junior Presidential elections tend to draw a higher percentage of the population to the bal- lot box, which makes this an important year for other issues that Michigan residents will vote on. Proposal 3 might be the most important MARY of this year's six GALLAGHER ballot propos- als. It would increase the renewable energy standard in Michigan to 25 per- cent by 2025. This would raise our state's current goal of 10 percent renewable energy by 2015, a stan- dard approved by the state legisla- ture in 2008.' I spent last semester interning for one of the groups advocating for this ballot initiative - the Michi- gan League of Conservation Voters - so I have a strong bias toward the approval of Proposal 3. MLCV is an Ann Arbor-based organization that describes itself as "the leading non- partisan political voice for protect- ing Michigan's land, air, and water," and has offered its support for Prop 3 because "in-state renewable ener- gy production means thousands of new in-state jobs." Whenever I bring up Proposal 3 - yeah, I'm a lot of fun at parties - the most common concern is if the cost of expanding renewable energy would go straightto our energy bills. Fortunately, the proposal specifies that companies can't increase their electric utility rate any more than 1 percent per year solely to comply with the standard. If it's truly impos- sible to achieve compliance with- out increasing rates, the proposal allows for deadline extensions. How- ever, that shouldn't be too much of a problem, considering that a total of 20 states have already passed simi- lar initiatives "without significant increases in utility costs for consum- ers," including three other Great Lakes states - Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio. After they find the cost isn't going toward consumers, people are gen- erally concerned that the increased requirement will lead to job cuts within energy companies. Howev- er, the proposal mandates that the legislature "enact additional laws to encourage the use of Michigan- made equipment and employment of Michigan residents," which would actually lead to the creation of more jobs in Michigan rather than relying on outside labor and resources to supply our energy. Currently, 60 percent of Michi- gan's energy is provided by out-of- state coal supply. Out of the $31.3 billion Michigan spent on energy in 2009, $22.6 billion was sent to other states and countries for their energy resources. This is an unacceptable waste of Michigan's incredible manufactur- ing capacity. The manufacturing capacity is what built our state in the first place. That's why Proposal 3 was endorsed by the United Auto Workers, whose president, Bob King said, "Proposal 3 will help put our state's manufacturing tal- ent to work, will help to preserve a healthy environment for Michi- gan citizens while reining in rising energy costs for businesses." Many people perceive renewable energy as a highly partisan concept, a pet project of the hippie tree-hug- gers on the left. However, even con- servative business leaders like Steve Linder, president of the Republican consulting firm Sterling Corpora- tion, support the initiative. As Linder pointed out in a May 2012 inter- view, "While we don't like govern- ment mandates, this allows us to use manufacturing capacity in Michigan rather than bringing in $1.6 billion worth of coal from West Virginiaand Pennsylvania." 0 Renewable energy is wrongly perceived as partisan. Since the bill was passed in 2008 to mandate 10 percent renewable energy by 2015 in the state legisla- ture, there has been some confu- sion. Why is this new initiative, so similar to the last one, being voted on by the general population rath- er than by state representatives? This is because the political envi- ronment in Lansing has changed drastically since that time. In the past few years, the legislature has become increasingly partisan, making it harder and harder to get any bill passed, no matter how ben- eficial it is to Michigan's economy, environment or public health. That's why we're lucky that the reform is being brought up as a bal- lot proposal. Instead of relying on our legislators to listen to their con- stituents and come together to serve the commongood,we're ableto show up at the voting booth and make that change happen for ourselves. - Mary Gallagher can be reached at mkgall@umich.edu.