4 - The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly - Wednesday, June 17, 1992
EDITOR IN CHIEF
ANDREW M. LEVY
OPINION EDITORS
GIL RENBERG
____________________ DAVID SHEPARDSON
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion
of a majority of the Daily's editorial
board. All other cartoons, signed articles,
and letters do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of the Daily.
A t the University of Michigan Board of
Regents meeting last week, the regents set
the Michigan Student Assembly's fee - it
remained $6.27 -and decided toeliminate the
$35 assessment for the Michigan Collegiate
Coalition (MCC), the Lansing-based lobbying
organization that represents all college students
in Michigan. Both the regents and MSA's Pro-
gressive Party acted disappointingly. The re-
gents killed student funding for the students'
lobbying armand the Progressive Party flubbed
its first chance to demonstrate competence.
Roundly dismissed by the regents, Progres-
sive Party members requested an increase in the
mandatory fee to $7.05, despite the fact that an
overwhelming number of students had previ-
ously voted in favor of a fee cap which would
require a majority vote of the students to raise
the MSA fee, which is included in everyone's
tuition bill. MSA Vice President Hunter Van
Valkenberg presented no pressing reasons why
the regents should have raised the fee cap.
Thedebateseemstrivialinlightofthe tuition
increase which the regents are expected to en-
Regental mistake
The regents' decision to eliminate funding for the
Michigan Collegiate Coalition is unwarranted
dorse next month. The regents argued about
$.40, when the overall tuition increase will cost
students millions of dollars.
The decision to eliminate funding for the
MCC is a study in how to subvert the process.
Only two days before the meeting, Maureen
Hartford, the University Vice President for Stu-
dent Affairs, informed MSA President Ede Fox
that she was planning not to ask the regents to
fund MCC. Not requesting this funding was the
administration's underhanded way of pulling
the rug outfrom under MCC, since little student
input would be heard, allowing MCC funding to
die quietly. It is ironic that the Student Affairs
vice president would deliberately limit the
amount of student input on a fee that a majority
of students have voted for and supported.
The regents decided to kill funding because
of only one controversialiposition MCC took -
it supported the proposed amendment to the
Michigan Constiution to limit tuition increases
to the rate of inflation. While the amendment
was not an ideal solution to the problem of
spiralingtuition rates, the overwhelming major-
ity of students were in favor of the proposal and
MCC reflected this sentiment.
Regent Paul Brown (D-Mackinac Island)
called MCC's support for the proposed amend-
ment "a fatal mistake." What did the Regents
expect MCC to do? Parrot the views of an
administration that deems tuition increases as
the most expedient way of increasing general
revenues? Students desperately need an
independant student voice to lobby the state for
pro-student legislation because the administra-
tion uses our tuition dollars to lobby for legisla-
tion which isn't always in the best interest of
students. MSA passed aresolution last Tuesday
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
764-0552
Edited and Managed by
Students at the
University of Michigan
reaffirming the student commitment to MCC.
Withoutregental-approved funding ofMCC,
MSA should do one of the following: either
support MCC by using the general fund - or
even dip into its $70,000"rainy-day fund"-or,
like many other colleges, MSA should create a
separate student-run organization to lobby on
behalf of students in Lansing.
While the regents should approve this fee to
ensure oversight of MSA, it should not take
these steps in response to the expenditure of a
small percentage of MSA's funds for lobbying;
rather, the regents should only intervene in cases
ofgrossneglience. In the case of MCC, itisclear
that the punitive cut was a direct result of the
administration's attempt to limit student input
and remove lobbying groups opposed to the
high-tuition policies of the regents.
The Progressive Party misread the political
situation by asking for a fee increase and then
saw student funding for MCC stripped away.
Students must demand leadership from and
limited autonomy for astudent government that
is in desperate need of both.
0
Successful summit Artistic expression
0
The first Earth Summit produced hope of an improv-
ing environment, no thanks to President Bush
For days this month, the leaders of 178 Some leaderscould use such speeches more
tions met at the Earth Summit in Rio de than others. Upon leaving Rio, Bush defended
Janeiro in what turned out to be the biggest the U.S. role at the summit by saying that
meeting in history of presidents, prime minis- Americansare"theleaders,notthe followers"in
ters, dictators, monarchs, cabinet members, dealing with environmental issues. In a way, he
sheiks and other rulers. President George Bush is correct. This country has always been at the
had the chance last week to be the most promi- forefront in researching environmental prob-
nent of theseleadersbuthe failed- failed to be lems and implementing solutions. However,
the "environmental president," and to take a Bush has no business counting himself among
leading role in combating ecologicalproblems, those "leaders" of whom he spoke. Bush's ad-
failed to represent the best interests of his coun- ministration has been done little to halt the
try or his species. destruction of the Earth, and has often encour-
IndescribingtheeventsinRio,onecouldtell agedit.InenvironmentalmattersBushisneither
a tale of two summits. The first and far more aleader nor a follower: he is out of step with his
important tale is the success of the summit; the country.
second tale is of Bush's failures. The Earth For centuries, we humans have been pollut-
Summit, a massive event whose significance ing the environment and thus digging our own
should not be overlooked, provided a forum for grave. The Earth Summit was just the ftrst step
discussion of the world's ecological problems. in a long climb out of the hole we have dug for
The focus was the environment, but the partici- ourselves. Responsible nations should use a
pants discussed important issues such as Third two-pronged attack: while trying to undo and
World poverty and overpopulation. As we are a stave off further damage to the environment,
part of the ecological "web of life," many of there is a need to attack the underlying causes of
humanity's problems are inextricably linked these problems. Unfortunately, many of these
with the planet's. problems are economic in nature and are due to
The Earth Summit must be viewed as the the general lack of wealth of the southern hemi-
beginning of a concerted effortby all nations to sphere or the reluctance of industrialized coun-
protect the planet; those who expected immedi- tries to clean up their act because they fear that
ate panaceaswereunrealistic.Participantssigned doing sowoulddecreasetheirproductivity.This
major treaties, such as the climate treaty - problem, above all others,amust be solved -the
whichseekstoreduceemissionsofcarbon diox- nations must rise above economics and realize
ide and other gasses that could lead to further that without a world there willbe neither people
global warming - and the ozone-layer treaty. nor economies.
They agreed in principle to protect the world's We will probably have to wait many years
forests, which is welcome news for South before being sufficiently informed to judge to
America's dwindling rain forests.In addition to whatextent the Earth Summitachieveditsgoals.
the treaties, the world witnessedtheunveiling of Still, the fact that so many countries and world
Agenda 21, a non-binding guideline for the leaders devoted so much effort to discussing
nations of the earth to follow when dealing with these issues should not be underestimated. The
ecological matters. The conference also pro- policiesand treatiesinstitutedin Riomayormay
vided an important opportunity for noted envi- notbe aspotentas wehope;butgardlessof the
ronmentalists such as Jacques Cousteau and conference's degree of success, it should be
Carl Sagan to address the world's leaders. viewed as a giant step for mankind.
A federal judge in Atlanta overturns the "decency
clause" and allows artists freedom of speech
T his past Tuesday, a federal judge in Los
Angeles rejected a law that required the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to
apply generalstandards of"decency"inmaking
grants. This ruling reaffirms the importance of
the First Amendment for performance artists,
even if the government gives them money.
The ruling was handed down in response to
alawsuit filed by four performance artists whose
grants were revoked by the NEA because their
acts contained allegedly offensive and indecent
content. The "decency clause" giving the NEA
authorization to was proposed by the White
House and approved by the Democratic Con-
gress.
U.S. District Judge A. Wallace Tashima's
ruling states that the NEA should award grants
based on artistic grounds, not vague moral or
political standards. Tashima argued that the
government does not have the right to impose
content restrictions as it sees fit. In court, the
government argued thatsthe decency clause was
necessary to determine which grants should
receive funding. Tashima dismissed this argu-
ment, saying thatnfunding should notbe based on
"whatever content restrictions it chooses."
Tashima's ruling is a welcome victory in a
continuous battle that carries over into other
areas of our society, including literature and
music. Our cultural diversity is celebrated as a
symbol of freedom in this country, but some
people and organizations have no qualms about
attempting to control diverse viewpoints by
imposing their standards on the country.
Notsurprisingly, afew of these peoplework
within the Executive Branch and are using their
positions to force artists to adhere to their own
highly questionable values and views on de-
cency. The NEA, historically, has fought to
deny grants to artists who exercise their First
Amendment rights in an unconventional man-
ner. Citizens must be free to read, practice or
create art that is different from the "accepted
norm." Restrictivecthinking of the sortexhibited
by those who jerk the NEA's budget strings
begets restrictive polices that stifle creativity.
Weneedmore people like Judge Tashima in
governmentinorderto protect therights of those
whose artistic efforts stimulate discussion, dis-
course, and even controversy. It is sometimes
very hard for people to understand and accept
concepts that are radically different from those
with which they are familiar. It is the responsi-
bility of the NEAto provide the means for artists
to perpetuate the artistic diversity that repre-
sents the people of this country. Unfortunately,
it took a federaljudge to remind the NEA of this.
Quayle's Agenda
ThisweekVice-PresidentDanQuayletalked
about"family values," despite the ridi-
cule of the "media elite," "cultural elite," and
the "sophisticates." His recent speeches sug-
gest that he is pandering to a non-inclusive
electorate. It is a blatant attempt to polarize
elements within our society that don't fit
Vice President Quayle's definition of "us"
versus an unknown "them."
Quayle's definition of a family with fam-
ily values is one ofatraditional family that has
a mother, father and children. And yet, 25
percent of all children in this country live in a
single-parentfamily.More thanonehalfofall
single-parent children live in poverty.
As the self-appointed hatchetman in the
Bush-Quayle '92 campaign, Quayle has in-
vokedsuchthemesbeforeconservativegroups
throughoutthis country. Itis convenient to be
in favor of family values, while ignoring the
country's real problems. From poverty to
homelessness, to address these problems
wouldrequire genuineleadership,rather than
election-year politics. Itis easier to divide the
countrytoachievepoliticalgainsthantowork
toward bringing America together: