PERSPECTIVES
Paae 7
Friday, July 25, 1986
The Michigan Daily
i
Baker talks about candidacy
Dean Baker, a candidate for the the wealthier farmers, the top 15 per- D: Have other cities taken the same
Democratic congressional cent of farmers receive 60 percent of stand as Ann Arbor?
nomination in the second district all subsidies. I would redirect aid B: They've passed similar
toward middle class family farmers. proposals elsewhere. Eugene,
running against Don Grimes, D: How would your proposal to Oregon and Seattle, Washington have
spoke to Daily Opinion editor shorten the workweek succeed as a both passed resolutions against U.S.
Peter Mooney about his can- way to alleviate unemployment work. intervention in Central America.
didacy. Baker is currently a doc- B: France and Germany already
toral candidate in economics. have 38-39 hour work weeks. The U.S. D: American support for the Con-
used to have a 65 hour workweek but tras is still at a level that the U.S could
Daily: What made you decide to around the time of the Depression break off ties. But with U.S. troops
run? people realized that a change was stationed in Honduras and U.S. sup-
Baker: Primarily the Central needed. The best way to implement it pert propping up El Salvador, do you
America issue which came into the would be to institute gradually think it's possible that the U.S. will
forefront when Pursell voted in favor changes in pay and in the length of the comprehensively end intervention in
of aid to the Contras. There are a workweek until a healthy balance Central America?
number of other things I disagree with
1him on, though. B: It will be difficult to leave but our
D: What dohoughistaying longer will only make things
D: What do you think your chanceswrs.WewefalyetVenm
for success are in a district which worse. When we finally left Vietnam
outside of Ann Arbor, is largely con- one of the legacies of our involvement.
servative? was the rise of Pol Pot. This was a
B: Most people who call themselves reflection of all the problems we
- "'-" conservatives actually take liberal caused by staying so long in the first
RoNgLP REis iN positions on many issues. For exam- place.
ple, most people support less money D: What would you propose be done
Ease voter registration for military spending and more
E ca v t r r -l i t a i n resources for education, for housing, to encourage general economic
__________________ad orte oels. e o'ttinr revitalization?
and for the homeless. We don't think B: The U.S. should move toward an
By Peter Mooney left. A disproportionate number of the the district is as conservative as it is industrial policy. We should deter-
unregistered are poor and minorities reputed to be. mine car prices and steel prices and
who traditionally vote Democratic. D: Who is supporting you? allow communities to plan for change
Back in 1984 the media was full of Perry Bullard, state representative B: I've gotten a lot of support from instead of having situations like in
reports about the apathy of American from Ann Arbor, has sponsored members of peace groups, though Flint and Youngstown. Also, there
voters. The presidential election had legislation which would allow election their organizations do not give endor- should be negotiated trade relations
attracted barely more than 50 percent day registration and mail-in sements. There are people working on though this would in some sense be
of the eligible voters, a turnout which registrdtion. Similar reforms in other the campaign from the Michgian protectionism. It has worked effec-
compares unfavorably to Western states have allowed massive Alliance for Disarmament (MAD), tively for the Common Market
European countries. Attributing this registration campaigns in New York Interfaith Council for Peace, and nations.
low turnout to apathy misses the point city and in California. Opponents of Women's Action for Nuclear Disar- D: What do you think of tax reform?
however, which is that the difficulty in these reforms claim that they wilt mament (WAND). B: On the whole it's positive
undertaking voter registration cam- result in election fraud. D: Will the fact that you're a because it does away with a lot of
paigns is the problem. In fact there has been no evidence of student hurt your candidacy? / loopholes. It resurrects the corporate
In Michigan roadblocks to fraud in any of the states with election B: Grimes ran as a candidate two income tax. However, I don't like the
registration include requirements day or mail-in registration. years ago, in his literature he says he Dean Baker idea of cutting tax rates for the
that voters be registered 30 days What is more likely is that opponen- is still working on his doctorate thesis, wealthy.
before the election and that ts simply don't want a high turnout. so I don't think he is any more could be worked out.
registration be done by a person It's easier to vote for special interests qualified than I am. D: Other than the Peace in Central
deputized at the discretion of the city to the detriment of constituents when D: How would you deal with the America proposal which passed last
clerk or at a Secretary of State's of- half the constituents don't vote. Even problems farms face in the rural April and your candidacy, what other EMEEMEEM f |
fice. This makes it difficult for people under the current restrictive laws the areas of the district? tactics are you using to force change i
who do not have a Secretary of State's clerks often try to put illegal road- B: Most of the farmers who are in in our policy toward Central
office located near to them (like blocks in the way of those who try to trouble received loans during a period America?
University students) as well as those become deputy registrars. of high inflation and low interest B: Continuing what the ballot *C1 3 1
undertaking registration campaigns The United States takes pride in its rates. A sharp fall off in land values proposal has done by protesting and M o d
who can't get deputized. democratic heritage, our foreign means that many of these farmers holding sit-ins. We're going to stay af-
The extent to which this effects policy justifies interventionism can't renegotiate their loans for which ter him (current Representative Carl
electoral politics is illustrated by the beause it supposedly promotes their land would serve as collateral... Pursell) until he changes or loses his
50 million eligible voters who don't democracy. Before reforming the Farm policies currently are aimed at seat.
vote because they aren't registered. world the U.S. should reform itself, by ,
There are strong indications that if making it simple and convenient for
these people were registered, they everyone to register to vote.
would vote. If the unregistered 50 M C A T . L A
million voted they could move the peter Mooney is the Daily Now, Michigan Students have a Choice in Exam Preparation
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