4 -- The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 18, 2001 Edited and managed by JACQUELYN NiXON AUBREY HENRETTY Students at the Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editor University of Michigan Jt n eEta gE I Stee Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the 420 Maynard Street1 majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and Ann Arbor, MI 48109 cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily If you are a state senator or representa- tive and would like a pay raise, you can get one by doing absolutely noth- ing. That is, you have to show up for work, do your legislative branch thing and not et kicked out of the Senate; if you ful fll these minor obligations, a raise will creep its way into your pay- check without any extra effort on your part. For instance, let's say the State Offi- cers Compensation Commission - which recommends raises for elected state officials - suggests a pay increase of 38 percent. If you find it too high, too low or you just don't want it, you can vote against it. Under the present sys- tem, 2/3 of both houses of the Legisla- ture must reject the pay raise in order for it not to take effect. Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow (R-Port Huron) refused to bring a bill to reject the pro- posed pay raises to a vote, rendering rejection of it impossible. This allowed House members to emptily vote against it, knowing that they would get the raise anyway while still appearing as though Rarse Craze Legislators entitled to cost-of-living raises they didn't want it, A few weeks later, the Senate passed a proposal to reform this system. The largest change this proposal included was requiring both houses of the Legis- lature to vote in favor of a pay raise in order to get it, Now legislators who are campaigning for re-election will no longer be able to claim that they were one of the unselfish souls who voted against their own pay raise while fully knowing that the raise would go through anyway. Also, counting votes by those in favor puts more control in the hands of the legislators who could make the best decision concerning what is necessary for them. A suggested pay raise by the SOCC for the governor, lieutenant gov- ernor, Supreme Court justices and state legislators can be lowered; previously it was a matter of considering only what was suggested and accepting it be as long as there wasn't a 2/3 majority in opposition. Moreover, this proposal requires the Legislature to vote on any pay increase recommended by the SOCC before it can take effect. This gives more power to the Legisla- ture to decide whether or not its pocket- books take precedence over other budgetary items, but we must not be too quick to condemn senators for affording themselves a little extra cash; we must also consider cost-of-living increases. The rate of inflation and increasing liv- ing standards affect pay rates and costs all over; senators should not be excluded and have to vote on an adjustment that is made automatically all over the country. The House proposed an amendment to the reform bill that would allow for reasonable raises comparable to the rate of inflation without all the politicking. But on Tuesday, the Senate rejected the House amendment to vote only whe a proposed raise exceeds the averag~ increase allocated for state civil service workers. They also withdrew an amend- ment to vote on anything greater than the annual rate of inflation. Obviously, they feel that their jobs are different than state civil service workers and that the raises could become an unnecessary part of the budget. But per- haps by allowing a standard adjustment, less attention, time and effort will be needed for making the pay raise decision and the payment will correctly refle any economic change. Overall, the Le, islature's goal of adjusting how the money for their paychecks is allocated is well sought and will hopefully take effect soon. While legislators should not be denied pay increases comparable to those given to other civil servants, they should also not be able to recklessly give themselves raises without being held accountable. Pub ic schoo . powyer Congress correct to reject school voucher plan W hat does public education mean contend that a mass Exodus of students to you? For some, it's a source would be good for public schools of pride: Small communities because it would leave them no choice coming together to form Parent Teacher but to improve or lose the rest of their Associations, kickball games, screechy pupils. This argument is flawed; imple- fifth-grade violin concerts and field menting a voucher system would make days. Sure, their social studies textbooks it nearly impossible for ailing public might say Hawaii and Alaska will make schools to get much-needed state dol- fine states some day. But hey, they turn lars. out alright. For others, public school is The reasoning goes something like no place to grow up: Underpaid teachers this: The amount of money afforded to a with few resources, textbooks a rarity, given school district is based largely on broken tiles in the halls and no toilet the size of its student population. The paper to go with the toilets. The sounds more students in a district, the more of violence - not violins - fill their money that district gets from the state. ears. In order to attract students, a district What's to be done about this dispari- must have an impressive array of dedi- ty? Some give up on public schools alto- cated teachers, state-of-the-art technolo- gether, whisking away their kids in gy and curricula rigorous enough to Sport Utility Vehicles to the local pri- prepare students for college. To hire col- vate or Parochial schools. Not me, they 1ege prep-quality teachers and buy fancy say. Not my children. Not my problem. computers takes money, which the poor- Thankfully, the United States Con- est schools wouldn't get because they gress has opted for a more hands-on wouldn't have any students; the students approach. they did have would take their vouchers The U.S. Senate voted 58to41 Tues- and flee to better schools. day to reject an amendment to President Ultimately, a voucher system would Bush's education bill calling for federal- force penniless public schools to shut ly funded school vouchers for children down while channeling more and more in poorly performing school districts; money into wealthy private schools. Stu- the House also rejected this amendment dents not lucky enough to be selected to last month. Despite the noble intentions receive vouchers would be in quite a of this bill's supporters, Congress made bind when their already bad schools got the right decision. In the words of Sena- worse and were eventually forced to tor Hillary Clinton (D-New York), the close down. Private schools would over- idea of federally funded school vouchers crowd, their preciously low student-to- "sounds so good but it has a number of teacher ratio skyrocketing , the serious flaws that doom it." resources depleting and the quality of At first glance, it does seem like a education steadily declining until they great idea: Give disadvantaged children were no better than the poor schools a chance to escape the horrors of their their students were trying to escape in substandard public schools, a chance to the first place. go to college. Make the federal govern- Congress' rejection of this amend- ment pick up the tab. ment is encouraging; hopefully, it is also Unfortunately, it's just not that sim- indicative of a genuine desire to find ple. real, long-term solutions to all that Proponents of the voucher system plagues our public schools. Just saMy yes Legalizing marijuana would benefit many Just one month ago, the U.S. Supreme sense that these proven-harmful sub- Court ruled unanimously to ax yet stances remain legal and widely adver- another proposal to legalize medici- tised while marijuana is illegal and nal marijuana, with Justice Clarence condemned. Thomas boldly stating that the plant has Secondly, contrary to the opinion of no valid medicinal uses; at the American Justice Thomas, evidence suggests tht Medical Association's annual policy-set- marijuana does have valid medicinaT* ting meeting in Chicago last week, the applications. It has enabled many cancer AMA was urged by one of its own com- patients ravaged by chemotherapy and mittees to support the "compassionate AIDS patients on numerous nauseating use" of the drug. Hopefully, the AMA medications to eat again, preventing will adopt this proposal, thus lending their weakened bodies from consuming some credibility to the many patients themselves. It has been used to ease the who've found it helpful. Lawmakers in pains of quadriplegia, to soothe the Canada are well on their way to decrimi- seizures of epilepsy and the pain of mul- nalizing the wacky weed. Terminally ill tiple sclerosis. People unfortunate patients all over the country are able to enough to be stricken with terminal disc live more comfortably by smoking a.bit eases should not also be denied their of illegal pot. Public support is growing sole relief or sent to jail for trying to faster than cinnabis in a closet. It's time lessen this pain through marijuana use. for the U.S. government to get off its This brings us to the next contentions high - or rather, decidedly not high - in the case for legalization: Possession horse and legalize marijuana. arrests and prison overcrowding. About So far, all the federal government has 85 percent of marijuana-related arrests done is spout rhetoric about marijuana: are possession arrests. Every day, law Their propaganda tells us that it is dan- enforcement officials waste their time gerous, often laced with deadly sub- and our tax dollars by arresting people stances and leads inevitably to hard drug merely for possessing the drug. Addi- use. They ignore the facts that legaliza- tionally, U.S. prisons are just teemin tion and minimal regulations would with marijuana offenders, people wh nearly destroy the possibility of acciden- have never done anything to harm any- tally purchasing spiked marijuana and one else. If marijuana was decriminal- that just because many hard-drug users ized and these "offenders" set free, there also use or once used marijuana doesn't would be more space in our prisons for mean that most marijuana users move dangerous, violent criminals (e.g. on to harder drugs. In fact, most of them rapists, child molesters, murderers, etc.) don't. who pose an actual threat to society. First, marijuana appears to be less The public may never know why the harmful than some other legal drugs. federal government is so insistent about Unlike the nicotine found in cigarettes, keeping pot illegal, why it insists upoi THC, the active chemical in marijuana, wasting its scarce prison space on crea has never been proven to be physically tures as harmless as marijuana smokers addictive. While the alcohol found in or why it refuses to acknowledge the beer, wine and other such beverages has plant's potential benefits. At least not caused many deaths-by-overdose, there until some prominent lawmaker iinds have been no documented cases of fatal him or herself afflicted with a terminal marijuana overdoses. It makes little disease.