4 - Tuesday, September 24, 2013
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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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VIRGINIA EASTHOPE
E-MAIL VIIRGINIAAT VCEHOPE@UMICH.EDU.
Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
MELANIE KRUVELIS
and ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
ANDREW WEINER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
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.
(Don't) shut it down
Political ultimatums are a poor excuse for politics and governance
n Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill
that would defund the Affordable Care Act - or not pass
a budget, causing a shut down of the federal government.
With the end of the fiscal year coming up on Sept. 30, House Repub-
licans are trying to gain Senate support for stopgap spending bills
that would allow money to keep flowing to federal agencies past the
deadline - but only if Obamacare is scraped from the budget. The
partisan-fueled plan, approved by all nine of Michigan's Republican
representatives, should not receive approval from the Senate. Moti-
vated by political gains, the only beneficiaries to this bill are Repub-
licans seeking re-election by any means necessary this November,
and they do so by keeping uninsured Americans down.
Insuring the future
The GOP plan would attach to a continu-
ing resolution, or a temporary federal budget,
that allows the government to maintain a cer-
tain level of spending while Congress works
out a permanent solution. This particular bill,
proposed by Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), offers
a purely partisan approach to spending - one
which ultimately places political ambition over
good policy. After the House voted yes to the
bill onFriday - split between the partieswith a
230-to-189 vote - House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor (R-Va.) started naming off the House
Democrats running for re-election in red states,
warning them that by not voting to defund the
health-care law, they risk losing their seat. This
approach toward legislatingsuggests that these
representatives are more interested in keeping
their title than governing effectively.
Even Republicans in the Senate recognize
the harm this political theater could bring.
When asked about the possibility of shutting
down the government in an attempt to end
Obamacare, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) argued
that this political ultimatum was bad politics.
"Let me say that I have heard so much con-
cern about Obamacare, and I have supported
repealing it," Ayotte said. "But I don't think
shutting down the government is productive."
If the plan does go through and the gov-
ernment is indeed shut down - for the first
time since 1996 - the ramifications for Mich-
igan could be detrimental for the state's low-
income residents. Under a shutdown, only the
most "essential" federal employees continue
to work - without pay. The lack of employ-
ees may mean "the flow of federal money to
Michigan will slow to a trickle." The popu-
lation that could be most harmed by this
slowdown are those enrolled in Medicaid,
receiving food stamps and others who rely on
social services.
Saturday, at the Mackinac Republican
Leadership Conference, GOP strategist Karl
Rove said it was time for Republicans to offer
a new solution to the country's health care
problems, rather than just shutting down
Obamacare ad infinitum. "We're really good
at describing what's wrong with Obamacare,"
Rove said. "But there's one thing that we're
lousy at and we need to get better at and that
is describing what we are for." Rove is right.
If Republicans truly want a shot at a suc-
cessful election this November - and more
importantly, offering effective healthcare
to Americans - it's time for a solid plan, not
stopgap politicking.
et's talk about climate
change.
There's an extremely
large and cohe-
sive amount of
scientific data
suggesting that
our planet is
warming at a
faster rate than
ever recorded
in human his- KATE
tory. Globally, LARAMIE
the first decade
of the 21st cen-
tury was the "warmest on record"
with surface temperatures rising
steadily by .14 degrees Fahrenheit
per decade since 1901.
This temperature increase may
seem insignificant, yet our planet is
a delicately balanced ecological sys-
tem that is greatly affected by even
the slightest environmental shift.
The acting administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Kathryn D. Sul-
livan, stated that " ... carbon levels
are climbing, sea levels are rising,
Arctic sea ice is melting, and our
planet as a whole is becoming a
warmer place."
While there will always be skep-
tics who believe that global warming
is a complete hoax, the current con-
troversy among the scientific com-
munity is the human impact have
had on our changing climate and
exactly what we should do about it.
The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change - a group com-
prised of scientists from around
the world - has stated in a draft
of their most recent that "more
than half of the observed increase
in global average surface tempera-
ture" has been caused by human
forces. When discussingthe effects
of climate change on massive tropi-
cal storms seen in recent years, the
NOAA acknowled;
storms ... the a
'compelling evide
caused climate ch;
ters worse."
In spite of cle
humans are at leas
for our changing
in both national
politics, as well as
mega-corporation
to latch on to con
the possibility th
climate change i
skeptics argue tha
changed in the pa
isn't enough evide
industrialized soc
force behind toda
ing. They say it's s
to measure exactl
humans have, the
need to change the
Now, let's talk a
Loss or harm
aren't guaran-
teed to occur in
the future, nor
are they expect-
ed to. However,
the purchase of
home, health
and car insur-
ance gives
peace of mind th
lost in the event
We, as Americar
a car, own a hom
ity health carem
a monthly bill fro
company that we
another. We sleel
that in the event
we're insured - n
and we'll recover.
tf we're willing
money insuringa
and health again
events, why arev
take the same ste
ged that, "in some planet against the ravages of a
nalyses revealed warming earth? I argue to those of
once' that human- you who are skeptics to ask your-
ange ... made mat- self: Why, when we live in a society
in which we hope for the best, yet
ar evidence that insure ourselves for the worst, do
t in part to blame we not approach global warming in
climate, voices the same way?
and international Paying a little now in order to
industrial (read: protect us in case the worst should
) leaders, like happen is preferable to paying a
flicting data and whole lot later when we lack the
at anthropogenic resources to do so. Whether or
s untrue. These not one believes in the science of
at the climate has anthropogenically induced climate
st, and that there change, wouldn't it be prudent to
nce to prove that insure the future of our planet by
iety is the driving investing a little upfront just in
ty's global warm- case?
imply too difficult So, maybe you don't think there
y how much effect is a clear causation between green-
refore we do not house-gas emissions and global
status quo. warming. Maybe you think there
bout insurance. should be more research done before
we jump in head-
first and blame
If our environment does humanity for cli-
collapse, the price o mate change. But
of what if you're
it all may be far too wrong? With-
out an upfront
steep to pay. investment in
'Climate Change
Insurance' by
at all will not be
of a catastrophe.
ns, cannot drive
e or expect qual-
without receiving
im our insurance
pay one way or
p better knowing
of a catastrophe
tot all will be lost
to spend so much
our cars, homes
tst unforeseeable
we not willing to
ps to protect our
limiting GHGs, promoting renew-
ables, lessoning our dependence
on fossil fuels and moving toward
a society with a smaller ecologi-
cal footprint, we might not need to
worry about insuring our cars or
homes anymore.
If the worst were to happen, if
our industrialized society were to
cause the collapse of our environ-
ment as our icecaps melt and tem-
peratures rise, the price of it all may
be far too steep to pay.
- Kate Laramie can be reached
at Iaramiek@umich.edu.
JOHN KOSTER I
A station, now lost
People walk by it every day, a great levia- man. And with that misunderstanding of the
than sprawled upon the tarnished earth. It's opportunity at hand, the residents of Detroit
a smudge. It's a wound. Or perhaps it's dying, went about muddling the behemoth with
waiting for the final blow, begging as it lay bland perceptions of proper form.
pondering inevitability. Do those watching What could've been a monument to Detroit
confirm the weary suspicion of termination? became a train station and only that. What
Some may differ to that belief, but what of the could've been a casino or a hotel or a restau-
optimistic? The inverse is not preposterous, rant became the shell of former optimism,
but superfluous? barren and unwanted. And now barbed wire
This melancholy description serves the encompasses it, hinting at failure.
decaying Michigan Central Station in Detroit. It's the way of the Midwest. Cut out the inef-
A feat of neoclassical architecture, it was ficiencies - make it quick and make it snappy.
built much like New York's Grand Central Lackluster motions in dull and modestly heat-
Station: immodest and with the luxury of the ed rooms are all we think is necessary. Let's
East. Its 18 stories stands 230-feet high; every not indulge. Let's not enjoy. Let's be mundane.
corner a testament to the ludicrous detailing Let's get it done. Let's work monotonously.
set in concrete by an audacious man with an Let's not.
idea. The structure - the sharp angles with Work is a means to an end - dues paid to
meaningful boundaries, the concrete seem- make happiness attainable. As we all endeavor
ingly chiseled into form - emphasizes the to revel, so now must Detroit. If reconstructed
belief that it was built to last. with features of recreation, Michigan Central
But now, only the structure lasts. Station could become this end, the reason for
In 1988, Michigan Central Station was shut which this Detroit works, living in dichotomy:
down after being sold for a transportation working, playing. Detroit needs a bastion of
project that fell through, and little has hap- relief in this conundrum of reconstruction.
pened since. Take this - this luxury - and enjoy something,
Still, they don't know what to do with it. anything. For if not, what are people to do as
For all its life, the upper stories of the station they become but ants, running to and fro with
were practically never used; often times, they the job at hand? Ants: beckoning tasks for sim-
were left abandoned and untouched in the ple occupation. They live. They work. They die.
shadow of the business beneath. It was as if But Detroit's not as simple as that.
the benefactor gave a gift its receiver could
not use - like giving a computer to a cave- John Koster is an Engineering freshman.
N OT A BI Q0 TA BLE
There's just a lot of enthusiasm
and a lot of people out here excited
about the message of how we grow
the Republican Party."
- Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul told Politico Sunday at a GOP policy conference at Mackinac
Island. The senator won the 2016 GOP presidential straw poll at the conference.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan, Eric Ferguson, Jesse Klein, Melanie
Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Patrick Maillet, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Harsha Nahata,
Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
MICHAEL PROPPE I
Make your voice heard
Should the next University presi-
dent focus on lowering the cost
of attendance? Launching envi-
ronmental sustainability initia-
tives? Being personally accessible
to students? Increasing diversity
on campus? Where should the next
president focus their fundraising
efforts? What can the next president
do to improve the student experi-
ence at the University? What aspects
of the student experience should the
next president preserve? These are
questions the University's Board
of Regents need to answer as they
search for President Mary Sue Cole-
man's successor. Without a student
in the room as the board reviews
candidates, we need to take it upon
ourselves to give them the answers
from outside the room - and we
need to speak loudly.
Atthe Julymeetingofthe Boardof
Regents, the regents announced the
formation of a Presidential Search
Advisory Committee, which is made
up of the eight regents and seven
members of the faculty. The make-
up of this committee represented
a notable departure from the last
search that began in 2001, which had
an advisory committee that included
representatives from the faculty,
staff, Dearborn and Flint campuses
and most importantly, two students.
Many, including myself,
expressed disappointment at the
regents' decision to leave student
representatives off the Search
Advisory Committee. After several
conversations with members of the
Board of Regents over the summer,
it became clear the decision would
not be reversed. This is concerning.
Students are very important
stakeholders in the future of the
University of Michigan - perhaps
the most important stakeholders.
Without students, there is no Uni-
versity. We live here. We learn here.
We will graduate from here and
carry the experiences and memo-
ries from Michigan with us for the
rest of our lives. The next president
will play a pivotal role in shaping
the student experience. If the next
president fails, the University fails.
The Central Student Govern-
ment recognized this, and the Uni-
versity Council - a body made up
of heads of each school's student
governments - voted on Sept. 9 to
form a student committee tasked
with seeking and providing a stu-
dent perspective to the regents and
the Presidential Search Advisory
Committee through the search and
eventual transition process.
This student committee, madeup
of a diverse group of student lead-
ers from some of the largest student
organizations on campus, has been
working diligently to solicit feed-
back from students. The committee
put together a survey, which was
sent out Sept. 18, that will help get
a pulse on what qualities, experi-
ences and values students desire
in the next president. There's still
time to take this survey and make
your voice heard.
Additionally, the Board of Regents
and the Central Student Govern-
ment will be co-hosting a forum
for students to give our input as the
regents search for the next leader
of Michigan. Students will have the
opportunity to give remarks to the
regents on what qualities you seek in
the next president.
From my conversations with
the regents, it's clear they take the
input they get at these forums very
seriously. One remark you make
could sway the discussion in a new
direction as the regents assess the
qualities of finalist candidates. You
can sign up to speak through the
link provided in the e-mail all stu-
dents received from me last week.
Even if you don't want to speak,
your attendance speaks volumes to
the importance the student body
places on this search.
We need a president who will
value the concerns students have.
But the first step in that process
is making sure the regents under-
stand what our concerns are. We
all get to play a key role in selecting
the next president who will shape
the future of Michigan. Let's take
advantage of this opportunity. Let
the regents know just how serious-
ly they need to take our voices. It's
the only way the next leader of the
Leaders and Best can succeed.
Michael Proppe is a Business
senior and CSG president.
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