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: