21

Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Cable merger will
have minimal effect

City council approves
'15 fiscal year budget

Thursday, May 22, 2014I(
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Taylor Hasselbach's victory lap

AT&T, DirectTV
alliance won't likely
alter service in the
city of Ann Arbor
By IAN DILLINGHAM
Editor in Chief
This weekend, AT&T
announced plans to acquire
the satellite television provider
DirectTV for nearly $50 billion.
This follows just a few months
after Comcast, the Internet and
television provider for most of
Ann Arbor, announced a $45 bil-
lion merger with Time Warner
Cable.
Amanda Lotz, associate pro-
fessor of Communication Stud-
ies, said residents of Ann Arbor
should not expect any changes in
service due to the recent moves.
While many areas of the city,
such as the residential areas on
the West Side, are covered sole-
ly by Comcast, there are select
areas, such as those immedi-
ately north or south of Central
Campus, which receive coverage

through Comcast and AT&T. Lotz
said these areas, where consum-
ers have the option of choosing
between two providers, are a rare
occurrence in the cable industry.
"The cable industry basi-
cally operates as a monopoly in
any given area," Lotz said. "In
any given place, you don't have a
choice."
Television providers argue that
mergers are necessary to increase
bargaining power with media
companies - such as Disney, CBS,
Fox and others - that provide
programming for their consum-
ers. They claim that, by increasing
their markets, they can decrease
costs when bidding for programs.
Lotz contended that this argu-
ment lacks substantiation. While
the companies may gain greater
bargaining power, she said those
savings have not been passed on
to customers.
"It could easily be argued that
this monopolistic structure isn't
so great for consumers," she said.
Constant mergers and monopo-
listic practices also pr ovide such
companies with very little moti-
vation to improve service, Lotz
See CABLE PAGE 8

Debate centers
on sustainability
and police funding
amendments
By MATT JACKONEN
Daily StaffReporter
This year proved once again that
the process to debate and sign a
budget for the city of Ann Arbor is
not an easy one.
City council had seventeen sepa-
rate amendments to the $334 mil-
lion fiscal year 2015 city budget on
its plate Monday night.
Of the numerous amendments,
two focused on police funding.
Councilmember Chuck Warpe-
hoski (D-Ward 5) sponsored the
first of the two, which asked to
reallocate $95,000 of the com-
munity engagement police budget
toward programs to prevent and
treat drug usage and addiction.
The amendment would have
reduced the proposed increase
in police staffing to provide addi-
tional funding to drug treatment
programs.
However, the amendment was
rejected with only Warpehoski and
Margie Teall (D-Ward 4) voting in
its favor.
Warpehoski said many ex-drug
addicts told him that because many
ex-drug addicts told him getting
treatment was the most important
step in moving forward.
"I saw the increase in police
(in the budget) at a time when our
crime rates are at historic lows,"
Warpehoski said. "I did not see
that as the best allocation of public
resources to promote public health,
safety and welfare."
Councilmember Stephen Kun-
selman (D-Ward 3) said simply
increasing funding for treatment
would not necessarily spark
change, and reducing the suggest-
ed increase in policemen would
hinder the goal of creating a more
proactive police force.
"It seems kind of naive to think
that if we just gave more money to
treatment, people are just going to
walk in the door and ask voluntari-
ly for help with their heroin abuse,"
Kunselman said.
Councilmember Sally Hart
Petersen (D-Ward 2) agreed that

additional policemen are a more
pressing need for the city at this
point.
"I want there to be more funds
available for mental health issues
and addiction issues," Petersen
said. "I just don't want them to
come from additional policemen."
Councilmembers Jane Lumm
(I-Ward 2), Jack Eaton (D-Ward 4)
and Sumi Kailasapathy (D-Ward
1) sponsored an amendment to add
two more officers to the already
three additional officers proposed
in the fiscal year 2015 budget.
The amendment was voted
down, and only Councilmembers
Mike Anglin (D-Ward 5), Lumm,
Kailasapathy and Eaton voted in
favor of it.
Lumm said that the police force
has seen a dramatic decrease in the
last few decades, and thus argued
the city should attempt to increase
the amount of policemen in order
to create more "proactive" crime
prevention.
However, Mayor John Hieftje
said he doesn't see a need for the
increase in police. He also said in
response to an earlier argument by
Lumm in the 1980s and 1990s there
was a police build-up due to a crime
problem that is no longer present.
He noted that the University
also now has a significant 55-offi-
cer force that effectively promotes
public safety on campus.
Eaton said city council should
need the advice of John Seto, the
city's chief of police, by adding
these additional officers. He spe-
cifically mentioned that it does not
take the city back to staffing levels
in the 1980s and 1990s, but offers a
small increase.
"We have to trust the profes-
sional that we hired," Eaton said.
City council discuss ways to
decrease emissions
Councilmember Christopher
Taylor (D-Ward 3) along with
Mayor John Hieftje, Teall and
Warpehoski sponsored an amend-
ment to take $50,000 from the
proposed Ellsworth Road study as
well as an added $75,000 from fund
reserves in an attempt to decrease
the city's emissions.
The amendment will invest the
money in areas such as renewable
energy, energy efficiency and con-
servation.
Lumm, Kunselman, Eaton,
See BUDGET, Page 3

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By JAKE LOURIM
Managing Sports Editor
Taylor Hasselbach stepped into
the batter's box in her 74th game
started for her 189th career at-bat,
though those who saw her when
she was growing up would have
expected 200 starts and 700 at-
bats from her.
Coming into Ann Arbor as a
freshman, even Hasselbach did
- why wouldn't she, after a high-
school senior season in which she
hit .593 and slugged 1.017, with 10
home runs, 49 RBI and 21 steals?
Still, when Hasselbach got to
Ann Arbor, she found herself on
the bench more often than not. The
adjustment to college softball, both
mentally and physically, was hard-
er than she ever imagined.
Sunday, she stepped in and
stared down Arizona State right-
hander Dallas Escobedo. When she
talks about her career, the word
"journey" comes up a lot. In a 4-4
elimination game in the regional
tournament, this could be the end
of it.
She never thought she'd get
here this way, but she stood there
that night in the hot Arizona sun,
getting the chance she always
wanted.
That at-bat was Sunday, in
a winner-take-all elimination
game against Arizona State in the
NCAA Tournament. Escobedo had
allowed only one run in her first 14
innings against Michigan this sea-
son, but the Wolverines got to her
for four runs in the first game Sun-
day to stay alive.
When Hasselbach came up,
Escobedo appeared still reeling
from the previous pitch, when she
gave up a game-tying solo home
run to sophomore outfielder Sierra
Lawrence. She left a fastball belt-
high on the outside part of the
plate.
The Taylor Hasselbach who
rarely played in her first three
years might have let that pitch go,
trying to settle into the biggest at-
bat of her life.
But Hasselbach has since
learned never to turn back, never
to have any regrets. She picked her
bat off her shoulder and turned on
the outside pitch, sending a no-
doubter to dead-center field.
Escobedo looked up at it imme-
diately, as did the rest of the field-
ers. Center fielder Alix Johnson
took three steps to her left before

watching it fly. This one wr
and there was no bringing i
Of course, her teammate
it too, and they came jump
of the dugout to greet her. I
ter Hasselbach's role, hitti
or .350, one home run or nit
were always there for her.
She never wanted it to b
this, this career-defining n
for better or worse. But
stepped on first and headed
ond, everyone knew it was.
As Hasselbach rounde
an astonished grin sprea
her face. If she looked surp
might have been because s
Hasselbach said last week
you told her before the sea
would be starting on Seni
she wouldn't believe it.
This wasn't Senior Day. T
the NCAA Tournament.
Never in her
wildest dreams _
could Hassel-
bach have imag- -
ined a finish like h
this, and she was ho
OK with that.
She came into
the season with
low expectations
- she wouldn't
get down on herself if she
play enough or if she didr
form well.
She started just 14 game
first three years, rarelyc
more than a pinch-hit appe
And that took a toll on her.
"Before that, I never fac
ure," she said. "For the firs
I had something I was str
with. Softball-wise, it affect
formingbecause I didn't kn
to handle failure."
Learning to handle failu
a major overhaul. It took
improvements like her pitc
tion, sure, but that was pa
bigger test, one that made
look easy. She had to learn
Michigan softball.
If Hasselbach showed on
this season, it was that s
never down for long.
In an April weekend
against Ohio State, Hasselb
the start in the series open
went 0-for-3 with three stri
But the next day, Michigan
Carol Hutchins put the bat
hands again in a doublehead
Hasselbach didn't disappoi
going5-for-7with three hor
and eight RBI.

as gone, For the final game last Sun-
t back. day night, Hutchins put Has-
s knew selbach back in, and the senior
ring out came through again. Now she was
No mat- approaching her coach as she head-
.ng .150 ed for third, and the astonished
ne, they look had turned into a smile of pure
joy.
e about On Senior Day, May 4, Has-
noment, selbach's father, Todd, hugged
as she Hutchins and thanked her. The
for sec- Michigan softball program had
done far more for Taylor than a few
d first, home runs could ever do.
d over "She has humbled herself, and I
rised, it saw a balance when she found that
he was: - a balance in life," he said. "She
that if was at peace. Her last two years,
son she she has just been at peace."
or Day, That peace started late last
summer, when Taylor Hasselbach
his was asked Hutchins to meet with her.
Before her last go-round, she want-
ed to put the past
in the past and
get ready for
didn't know the season. She
said the meeting
w to handle helped both her
and Hutchins,
failure." and she thrived
off that relation-
ship.
So it was only
didn't fitting that she passed Hutchins
n't per- again when she stepped on third
and headed for home.
s in her It would be unfair to say that
earning Hasselbach's struggles this year
arance. haven't bothered her at all. They
have.
ed fail- But her teammates were always
st time, there for her.
uggling "There's been times when you
ed per- kind of get down on yourself, but
ow how that's when you have your team-
mates," she said. "They remind you
re took why you're here, or your coaches
k small remind you why you're doing this.
h selec- This year, I've proven to myself
ert of a that it's all been worth it."
softball All the players circle around the
to play plate every time a player homers,
but this mob was especially enthu-
e thing siastic. They came out with their
he was rally-caps and backward helmets,
waiting for Hasselbach near the
series end of the journey she always knew
ach got would come.
ner and They would have been there
keouts. for her no matter the outcome, but
n coach this ending made it more special.
in her It never happened the way she
ler, and thought it would, but Taylor Has-
int her, selbach ended up with the outcome
oe runs she was always hoping for. That's
what she'll remember.

RUBYWALLAU/Daily
Taylor Hasselbach struggled for three years but became a regular starter this year. am

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