The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, May 11, 1982-Page 3 Brickley backs tax hike proposal By BILL SPINDLE Lt. Gov. James Brickley, a Republican frontrunner in this year's gubernatorial race, defended the Milliken administration's proposed tax hike yesterday during an Ann Arbor luncheon address. "If there is anything I am an enemy of, it's taxes," Brickley said ina speech to local business leaders at the Briar- wood Sheraton Hotel. "The trouble is that in order to have tax relief in the future, we have to re-tool the economy now." BRICKLEY, the only gubernatorial candidate to support the proposed tax increase, has been the target of sharp criticism from other candidates for his stand. Brickley, however, said Michigan's proposal is not out of the ordinary when compared to other states. More than 30 states raised taxes last year when Michigan didn't, according to Brickley, and 26-including Michigan-are con- sidering tax hikes this year. "We don't stand out because we are raising revenues," Brickley said. What does make this state stand out, he ad- ded, is that the state's tax hike will be temporary. BRICKLEY ALSO went out of his way to assert his independence from Gov. Milliken, denying he accepts the tax hike blindly, and at one point saying, "I do have ideas of my own." Brickley, who rushed to make the speech between emergency sessions of the state legislature, cited recent changes in the economy that have af- fected the state's government. "For the first time in thirty years, we have the politics of the shrinking pie," said Brickley. "Politicians have to do the hardest thing ... say no." Brickley, who is chairman of the governor's High Technology Task For- ce, said the state is taking a big step toward a much-needed economic diver- sification with its commitment to high techonology. At the same time he asserted that the state must preserve its educational resources, because the emphasis on high technology will require "job training and retraining that will stagger the imagination." Brickley is one of four candidates campaigning for the Republican nomination in the August 3 primary election. The other candidates are state Sen. Jack Welborn of Kalamazoo, Oakland County Prosecutor L. Brooks Patterson, and tax limitation figure and insurance executive Richard Headlee. Daily Photo by DEBORAH LEWIS LT. GOV. JAMES BRICKLEY SPEAKS AT THE Sheraton yesterday, praising the state's movement toward establishing high technology as one of Michigan's major industries. 'U' survey finds consumers pessimistic ANN ARBOR (UPI) - American consumers generally are pessimistic about the economy and wary of going into debt or dipping into their savings to make major purchases, University of Michigan economic researchers reported yesterday. The University's quarterly Survey of Consumer Attitudes found no evidence of the traditional signs of economic recovery-consumer interest in home, car and major consumer good purchases. RESEARCHERS based their conclusions on sur- veys of 2,000 representative consumers from across the country during the first quarter of 1982. Gay student wins case at MSU EAST LANSING (UPI) - A Michigan State University student ousted from his fraternity when mem- bers learned he was gay has been or- dered reinstated by a university civil rights panel. "I'm very glad to see the university stand behind its anti-discrimination policy - that it's not just mouthing the words," said Matt Gatson, director of the MSU Lesbian-Gay Council. THE MSU Anti-Discrimination Judicial Board said John Nowak of Westland, who also is active in the Lesbian-Gay Council, was suspended by the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity because of his sexual preferences - a violation of university policy. Nowak, who said he left the fraternity last November because of harassment The b by other members said he does not plan asking to move back into the house. They also determined that consumer confidence in government's ability to reduce inflation and unem- ployment dropped to the lowest point recorded since President Reagan took office. Among all families responding to the survey 29 percent thought the government was doing a poor job, while 23 percent thought the government was doing a good job, the survey said. SEVENTY PERCENT of all respondents said they were reluctant to draw on accumulated savings to make large purchases - up sharply from 54 percent two years ago. Only 13 percent of all families said they were not reluctant to incur new debt. Richard Curtain, director of the survey conducted through the Michigan Institute for Social Research, said high interest rates are clearly behind the lack of consumer confidence in the economy. "Currently, one-third of all households reported tht they had postponed purchases due to high interest rates," Curtin said. "Consumers remain unwilling to incur new debt or to draw on past savings to make major purchases." Whiat's new Pussycat?~~., .- ig news for this 10-month-old kitten is that he is up for sale. The price owner/breeder/trainer Keith Byron was g on thePiag yesterday: A good home and a name for the cowering kitty.