The Michigan Daily -Monday, January 14, 1991 - Page 3
.. .
11
1
* 2.
$1 billion state
budget cuts to
hit Ann Arbor
MICHELLE iUY/uany
'Anti-war protest
bMona Cavazos of Community High School leads an anti-war march from the Diag to the Federal Building on E. Liberty. Students and local residents
,participated in the march, which began Saturday at noon.
i
*Federal ruling won't cut
minority
scholarships, administrators say
by Lynne Cohn
Daily City Reporter
Ann Arbor city officials are step-
ping carefully. Recent state budget
cuts have increased the need for
caution.
Governor John Engler has decided
to double his proposal for state bud-
get cuts, a plan which will slash the
state budget by $1 billion. Ann Ar-
bor officials say the cuts will hurt
municipal projects.
"From experience, I would say
that budget cuts almost always affect
local municipalities," City Finance
Director Dean Moore said. "At this
point, Ann Arbor is struggling to
recover from 1987-88 layoffs. De-
partments still complain that they
are understaffed, and their services
suffer."
Engler's first wave of budget cuts
will reduce funding in every state de-
partment by 9.2 percent. Ann Arbor
receives almost $10 million annu-
ally from the state.
"State-shared revenues compose
the second largest portion of Ann
Arbor's assets," Moore said. "Losing
nine percent would mean close to $1
million."
These cuts have not yet hurt Ann
Arbor, city officials say, but may
eventually affect some projects
within the city and surrounding
areas.
"I don't know of any impact that
these cuts will have directly on us,"
City Attorney Bruce Laidlaw said.
"However, closing the Ypsilanti
State Hospital is one of Engler's
proposals."
During the past few years, the
Ann Arbor street department staff
has decreased from 30 to 15 employ-
ees. With the cuts, the number could
decrease further, Moore said.
"Cities can plan for cuts rather
than assuming growth," Moore said.
"We are already seeing proposals
from the state that would directly af-
fect Ann Arbor locally," City Coun-
cilmember Liz Brater (D-Third Ward)
said. "Engler proposed to shut down
state prisons and transfer the respon-
sibilities to local counties. There is
no way that a county budget could
handle such a large responsibility."
The state reimburses cities like
Ann Arbor for exempt property -
real estate that does not generate
property tax revenues. University
buildings are Ann Arbor's primary
exempt properties.
"The City has a certain depen-
dency on state reimbursement," City
Councilmember Terry Martin (R-
Second Ward) said. "As far as Ann
Arbor is concerned, we've seemed to
weather economical crises very
well."
"The City faces challenges... tQ
meet its obligations to the human
needs that are critical to the quality
of life," Former City Administrator.
Del Borgsdorf said in his Executive
Summary of the City's 1990-91
Budget Document.
State-shared taxes on income,;
sales, gasoline, and state grants are
revenue sources that meet these
needs. The budget cuts could elimi-
nate this necessary revenue.
"The state provides the city witfi
money through a number of different
means, including gas tax and money
for roads," Laidlaw said. "To lose
that money would mean bigy
trouble."
If there is war in the Persian
Gulf, some optimism exists m
Lansing that Michigan's economy
will improve. Brater said increased
defense spending would take away
from housing, gas and other neces-t
sary state-shared revenues in Ann;
Arbor.
"Stimulation of manufacturing
does bolster the economy," Brater
said. "It would be unfortunate if that
is the way that the city had to stabi-
lize the economy. I don't want a war
in the Gulf."
Budget cuts create a new issug
that will be important to the upcom,
ing mayoral race. The stability of
Ann Arbor's economy in the next
few years will depend on the quality
of local leadership, Brater said.
"It is unfortunate if the state is
going to cut back expenditures be-
cause we do not want to further bur-
den our property tax payers," Brater
said.
by-Shalini Patel
and Bethany Robertson
Daily Staff Reporters
University officials assured mi-
*mority students that current and
prospective scholarships will be
honored despite a recent announce-
ntnt by the Bush administration
which questioned the legality of race-
exclusive financial aid.
"The University wants to reaf-
fium ir commitment to already en-
rolled and prospective students," said
Ir. Robert Holmes, University as-
*jstant vice president for academic af-
fairs. "We are conducting business as
usual."
Education Department Assistant
4ecretary for Civil Rights Michael
Williams announced Dec. 12 that the
department would prohibit c ylleges
ad universities from awarding
cli-arships on the basis of a stu-
pnt s race, labeling such scholar-
ips as discriminatory.
The Bush administration later
softened the statement, announcing
that universities would be permitted
to award race-exclusive scholarships
funded privately, but that federally-
funded schools would not be allowed
to designate scholarships for minori-
ties from their own funds. A four-
year waiting period was also an-
nounced to allow universities to re-
view their policies.
Although there has been no
change in policy, there is a concern
that the confusion will create mis-
conceptions about the availability of
money for minority students.
"This has sent out a message to
minorities that scholarship money is
not available for higher education.
It's completely untrue; nothing has
changed," said Tom Wolanin, aide to
William Ford (D-Mich.), the com-
mittee chair of the House Education
and Labor Committee.
Director of the Office of Minority
Affairs John Matlock said his office
has received several calls from stu-
dents worried about their scholar-
ships. But Tom Butts, executive di-
rector of the University's Washing-
ton D.C. office, said University stu-
dents will not be affected by the ad-
ministration's announcements.
Williams made his announcement
in response to Fiesta Bowl organiz-
ers' decision to donate $100,000 for
minority scholarships to each uni-
versity competing in the bowl. Bowl
officials made the offer in an attempt
to neutralize the furor over Arizona's
decision not to declare Martin Luther
King day a state holiday.
Wolanin said Williams' state-
ment is invalid because it is only
Williams' interpretation of current
policy. The announcement was made
without the approval of the Bush
Administration.
"Official policy is laid down ei-
ther by law or regulation, and there's
certainly been no change in the law
itself," Wolanin said.
Wolanin questioned the adminis-
tration's decision to impose a four-
year reviewing period. "They're just
trying to get off the hook."
Wolanin said the administration
will not follow the situation proac-
tively until the four year period has
passed. If questions or challenges are
brought before the department, they
will be addressed.
Confirmation hearings for the
newly designated Secretary of Educa-
tion, Lamar Alexander, will include
more discussion about race-exclusive
scholarships. Wolanin said Alexan-
der will be closely examined about
the scholarship issue and that spe-
cific policies may evolve during the
interviews.
"The issue is obviously out there
to be discussed again," Butts said. "If
changes are to occur, it is still
somewhat of an open question," he
i
4 A"
Guerilla theater' tactics strike classes
You can make a difference
and Earn Credit!
by Lisa Sanchez
Daily Staff Reporter
A group of students concerned
about the potential horrors of a Per-
lian Gulf war briefly took over
lassrooms last week with their ver-
sion of "guerilla" theater.
* In History Prof. Tom Collier's
class on. twentieth century American
wars, a lecture on the Spanish-Amer-
lban War was interrupted.
4 "Excuse me, but we're about to
gb to war in five days, and the crisis
ig now," said one of the students
§tging the event. "Isn't that more
Important than what happened in
Cuba nearly a hundred years ago?"
Next, the lights were turned off,
and students performed a skit describ-
ing the potential effects of war. A
handful of students reading by flash-
light dictated statistics about the
number of casualties a war would in-
cur; other students questioned what
those statistics meant to them.
Finally, someone asked, "But
how will this war affect me here at
the University?" In response, the
student at the head of the auditorium
chalked "Teach-in" on the black-
board.
After the performance, Collier
and his class began discussing the
possible war.
The twelve students who orga-
nized the guerilla theater say they are
concerned with the prospect of war
and worked with LSA Professor
Buzz Alexander to compose the
skits. Performances were held in at
least three LSA classes.
Despite the lecturers' look of
surprise, students conducting the
show received prior permission for
the announcements.
LSA senior and troupe member
Lydia Peterson said, "Our basic mis-
sion was to advertise for the teach-
in. Afterwards, several people
thanked us." Peterson said she was
pleased that the performance was
able to start important discussions
about the Persian Gulf.
Collier's discussion was origi-
nally going to be held later in his
lecture. Although he felt that it was
successful, he said he "couldn't say
whether the discussion was im-
proved" by the dramatic prelude. He
E now
added that "it certainly didn't make it
worse."
Student reaction to the action
theater was mixed. LSA senior Jeff
Hartgen expressed dissatisfaction to
the interruption. Lecture is "not the
appropriate place for protest, " he
said.
Others found the theatrics worth-
while.
"Considering it was only five
minutes ... they had a point to make
and they made it quickly," said LSA
senior Ajay Mehrotra. He added, "I
had no trouble with it especially
since it was the first day of class."
The Homeless Project
The Adult Literacy Project
The Elderly Project
The Youth at Risk.
Project
A 2-4 credit service learning course.
-A
Trained Volunteer Corps
Trained Volunteer Corps
Room 2205, Michigan Union
763-3548
UNION
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LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
I(EY
WEST!
All groups
appear In the
There will be
We apologize
who wish to have their weekly meetings
List must resubmit their announcements.
no automatic carry-overs from last term.
for the inconvenience.
Meetings
Students Fighting Anti-semi-
Iism. Hillel, 7:00.
Arts Chorale and All-Campus
Choir, mass meeting. Bell Tower,
'Rm. 506, 7:00.
Smoke Free, a Stop Smoking Pro-
gram sponsored by Health Services.
Call 763-1320 for info. Health Ser-
vice, 3rd floor conf. rm., 12-1:00.
Speakers
"The Coordinatin Chemistry of
Boron Hydrides: Another Type of
Coordinate Bond," Prof. Robert
Parry of University of Utah, speaker.
Chem Bldg., Rm. 1640, 4:00.
1Furthermore
WALK or stop by 2333 Bursley.
ECB Peer Writing Tutors avali-
ble to help with your papers Sunday-
Thursday, Angell/Haven Computing
Center, 7-11:00.
U . of M Shorin-Ryu Karate-do
Club. For info call 994-3620. Every
Monday, CCRB, Small Gym, 8-9:00.
U of M Tae Kwon Do Club.
Every Monday, CCRB Martial Arts
Rm., 7-8:30.
"Arab and Jew: Wounded Spir-
its In the Promised Land," a
film examining relations between A-
rabs and Jews, followed by dis-
cussion. Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 7:30.
"Let It Begin Here," a Peace
Corps movie about the experiences of
For Reservations,
call 1-800-228-5150
or 1-305-294-3773
h ere to find
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