4 - Tuesday, September 24, 2013 ;, _ The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com c I 4cfirlchiaan4:3ailu 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. 6 0 I