vide students with information 
on federal student aid, like AOTC 
and Pell grants.

The combined impact of the 

president’s tax benefit propos-
als would provide students with 
$2,500 in educational aid per 
year for up to five years, accord-
ing to a White House release.

Along with tax credits, the 

president also touched on a pro-
posal announced earlier this 
month: to make two years of 
community college free for most 
students.

“By the end of this decade, two 

in three job openings will require 
some higher education,” Obama 
said. “Two in three. And yet, we 
still live in a country where too 
many bright, striving Americans 
are priced out of the education 
they need. It’s not fair to them, 
and it’s not smart for our future.”

Students across the politi-

cal spectrum at several watch 
parties 
Tuesday 
evening 
all 

expressed enthusiasm for the 
college-related proposals.

LSA 
sophomore 
Daniel 

Karr, president of the Univer-
sity’s chapter of Common Sense 
Action, said the discussion of 
higher education costs and com-
munity college affordability were 
key parts of Obama’s speech.

“They are both policies that 

will make the U.S. more competi-

tive in the global economy and 
will specifically help millenni-
als,” Karr said. “One of the most 
important issues he addressed 
was reducing the debt burden 
that college students face.”

LSA senior Trevor Dolan, pres-

ident of the University’s chapter 
of the College Democrats, also 
said the policy was a big step for-
ward for economic revitalization 
in the United States.

LSA senior Gabe Leaf, presi-

dent of the University’s chap-
ter of College Republicans said 
Obama’s plan for free two-year 
community college is unlikely 
within two years, yet Obama 
pushed it in effort to gain public 
support and approval.

“He can get the PR out of it 

without having to really work 
through the rest of the plan,” 
Leaf said.

In an interview after the 

speech, Communications Assis-
tant Prof. Josh Pasek said though 
the president attempted to find 
bipartisan support on issues like 
his community college proposal, 
conservatives will view the ini-
tiative as a predominantly Dem-
ocratic issue. He said the GOP 
would instead view the proposal 
as a “tax burden” and therefore 
in direct opposition to their core 
values.

“Right now, at a moment, there 

is very little that the parties are 
willing to have serious discus-
sions on,” Pasek said.

Obama also pushed for sev-

eral other economic measures, 
including paid sick days, pay 
equity between men and women 
and a raise to the minimum 
wage, all ideas he’s pushed for 
throughout his tenure.

“These 
ideas 
won’t 
make 

everybody rich, or relieve every 
hardship,” Obama said. “That’s 
not the job of government… but 
things like child care and sick 
leave and equal pay; things like 
lower mortgage premiums and a 
higher minimum wage — these 
ideas will make a meaningful dif-
ference in the lives of millions of 
families.That is a fact.”

In an interview after the 

speech, Michael Heaney, assis-
tant professor of organizational 
studies, said these kinds of eco-
nomic issues, such as minimum 
wage and pay equity for women, 
are core Democratic principles 
that are often reiterated despite 
GOP opposition.

“The Democratic agenda just 

always persists,” Heaney said. 
“Something like paid sick leave 
for women is something that 
the United States stand behind 
most other developed countries. 
So it’s the kind of thing (where) 
you have strong resistance to 
these kind of policies, but if you 
support them, you have to keep 
pushing them.”

Along with economic issues, 

the president also called for sev-
eral significant foreign policy 
shifts, namely a resolution from 
Congress to authorize force 

against the Islamic State of Iraq 
and Syria, a terrorist group.

He also touched on recent 

moves his administration has 
made to improve diplomatic rela-
tions with Cuba, namely making 
it easier for Americans to travel 
there, and called upon Congress 
to fully remove the United State’s 
trade embargo against the coun-
try.

Heaney said Obama’s decision 

to talk about Cuba was a political 
maneuver.

“I think that a number of 

people see that as an accomplish-
ment for the Obama adminis-
tration,” he said. “He definitely 
wants to remind people he did 
that.”

In response to the State of the 

Union address at large, Aaron 
Kall, the University’s direc-
tor of debate and an expert on 
election politics, said many of 
Obama’s initiatives would not 
pass through Congress. How-
ever, he said the fact the presi-
dent outlined such bold reforms 
would introduce the topic to 
legislatures and citizens for 
debate.

“The 
president 
used 
the 

speech tonight that was roughly 
watched by tens of thousands of 
people to start this conversa-
tion and this dialogue,” Kall 
said. “And so if there were to 
be some room for compromise, 
things would look differently.”

Katie Penrod and Jing Jing 

Ma contributed to this report.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 — 3A

event last year as well, when it 
was focused on graduate stu-
dents, and noted that this year 
there was a wider variety of 
employers present.

According to Selvin, Stu-

dents for Clean Energy and Net 
Impact Undergrad began orga-
nizing the fair at the beginning 
of the semester. They used a 
poll to gauge student interest, 
and received favorable results. 
Their goal was to increase stu-
dent awareness of opportunities 

related to the environment and 
sustainability.

Selvin said he hopes the 

Green Career Fair becomes an 
annual event, with even more 
employers and opportunities 
available to students next year.

“This year we were just sort 

of figuring out, testing the 
water, seeing if any students 
would be interested at all, and 
we had over 500 students reg-
istered,” Selvin said. “And all 
over campus people have heard 
about it, and that’s a really good, 
encouraging sign.”

GREEN
From Page 1A

tional investment of $130 million 
for preschool programs in his 
upcoming budget.

“We need to raise the bar and 

standard on every educational 
institution,” he said.

Though Snyder did not men-

tion the state’s four-year public 
institutions of higher education, 
he touched on several career edu-
cation programs he’s promoted 
throughout his tenure, namely 
apprenticeships.

Last May, Snyder announced 

the Michigan Advanced Tech-
nician Training Program, an 
apprenticeship program.

This year, in a continuation of 

that effort, Snyder said he aims 
to make Michigan the number 
one state for skilled trades, an 
idea President Barack Obama 
echoed during his speech at the 
Michigan Assembly Plant earlier 
this month where he discussed 
plans to increase apprenticeships 
nationally.

Along with apprenticeships, 

Snyder also promoted alternative 
forms of getting credit for higher 
education, namely dual enroll-
ment, a policy the governor has 
heavily promoted throughout his 
tenure in office.

During the address, Snyder 

emphasized what he character-
ized as the bipartisan nature of his 
education initiatives, highlight-
ing the work of state Rep. Adam 
Zemke (D–Ann Arbor) for his 
help passing education bills.

Snyder also signed this year 

the National Guard Tuition Assis-
tance Act, a bill that would provide 
tuition assistance to members of 
the Michigan National Guard.

In an interview after the event, 

Zemke said while there have been 
some efforts on which Snyder and 
the Democratic caucus worked 
together, that wasn’t the case for 
every policy.

“There are certain policies 

that we’ve worked very well in a 
bipartisan fashion on, working to 
support our teachers and teacher 
effectiveness, administrator effec-
tiveness,” he said. “But there’s also 
been a lot of negative policies that 
have been put forward under this 
administration.”

Another key point of the address 

was Snyder’s support for the bipar-
tisan roads comprise passed dur-
ing the lame-duck session last 
month. The plan has the poten-
tial to impact education funding 

as well, by moving funding for 
the state’s universities out of the 
School Aid Fund, which also sup-
ports K-12 schools and community 
colleges.

“No one in Michigan likes our 

roads and bridges,” Snyder said. 
“We got that work done, but our 
work isn’t done. Now we need to 
ask our citizens to support that 
effort in May on the ballot.”

He urged Michigan citizens to 

vote yes on the proposal for safety 
concerns, and said one out of nine 
bridges in Michigan is structurally 
deficient.

As part of his pitch to voters to 

vote yes in May, he paralleled the 
safety of roads to the better schools 
and local governments.

Overall, Snyder noted that the 

budget would be difficult to bal-
ance due to an unexpectedly high 
number of businesses cashing in 
tax credits from the past several 
years, which has resulted in an 
estimated $325 million deficit for 
the upcoming fiscal year.

However, he said he felt confi-

dent in “getting a budget done, five 
years in a row, on time, done well, 
and balanced.”

Snyder also very briefly stated 

the need for a continuing dialogue 
on the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights 
Act. Earlier this year during the 
lame-duck session, the Republican 
Party state legislative caucus was 
split over two different proposed 
changes to the act, one that sug-
gested the inclusion of sexual ori-
entation and gender identity, and 
one that only suggested the inclu-
sion of sexual orientation. The 
state legislature did not pass either 
proposed amendment to the law.

Though Snyder only touched on 

the topic, it did not go unnoticed by 
Democrats.

During a press conference after 

the speech, state Rep. Tim Gre-
imel (D–Auburn Hills), House 
Democratic Leader, said while he 
welcomed Snyder’s interest in the 
continuation of the conversation, 
he didn’t think it went far enough.

“I would have liked a little more 

boldness from the governor,” he 
said. “I wish that he had gone 
before simply calling for a continu-
ation of the discussion and had 
specifically asked for specific lan-
guage in the Elliott-Larsen Civil 
Rights act to protect both folks 
based on sexual orientation and 
gender identity, which has been a 
point of contention.”

Zemke said he also felt encour-

aged by the discussion of the 
ELCRA, but wasn’t sure anything 
would come from it.

SNYDER
From Page 1A

tor.

According to finance com-

mittee chair Jacob Ruby, an LSA 
junior, CSG evaluated the needs 
of Hatcher Graduate Library 
and the Art, Architecture and 
Engineering Library as well as 
the UGLi before picking a final 
destination for the funding.

The UGLi was ultimately 

chosen because feedback from 
students and library staff indi-
cated that Shapiro had a greater 
need for more power outlets 

and charging stations than the 
other libraries.

Ruby said the resolution spe-

cifically mentions Moiré power 
stations, designed by Byrne 
Electrical Specialists, because 
these are best fit for students’ 
needs.

“We do have other budgets 

based on other power outlets,” 
Ruby said. “We thought that 
these would be the best so that 
people wouldn’t steal them, 
they look good and they’re very 
easy to use.”

The assembly also voted to 

fund last week’s police brutality 
speak out. The resolution, intro-

duced at the last CSG meeting, 
passed with 34 voting in favor, 
two against and two abstaining.

The 
legislation 
requested 

$300 from CSG’s Legislative 
Discretionary account to fund 
the speak out. CSG, the Black 
Student Union and Students of 
Color of Rackham co-sponsored 
the event; the money was for 
the room rental, audio-visual 
equipment and refreshments.

Additionally, 
new 
leaders 

were elected to the CSG Rules 
Committee and Ethics Commit-
tee Tuesday night.

Rackham 
representative 

Jared Ferguson was selected 

as the new chair for the rules 
committee, the CSG commit-
tee responsible for writing and 
reviewing resolutions related to 
rules and elections.

Engineering 
representa-

tive Andy Modell, a senior, was 
elected as rules committee vice 
chair and Engineering repre-
sentative Zachary Prebay, a 
junior, was chosen as the vice 
chair of the ethics committee. 
The 
committee 
investigates 

CSG ethical violations and has 
the ability to recommend the 
removal of a CSG member if 
ethical violations are found.

OUTLETS
From Page 1A

version of preexisting legislation, 
Resolution DC-1, “to support best 
practices in response to homeless 
camps in the city of Ann Arbor.”

In response to complaints of 

homeless encampments on both 
private and public property, the 
resolution states that humane 
displacement of homeless camps 
on both private and public prop-
erty is an appropriate response to 
private property owner and resi-
dent complaints.

However, the new version of 

the resolution seeks consultation 
from Washtenaw County’s Con-
tinuum of Care Board to ensure 
humane displacement to better 
accommodate 
individuals 
not 

currently served by the shelter 
system.

By contrast, the old version 

called exclusively for consulta-

tion with “key stakeholders” in 
the homeless community — a pro-
vision still included in the final 
legislation.

The resolution also states that 

“it is not the practice of the City 
of Ann Arbor to proactively seek 
out homeless camps for removal, 
nor to broadly deploy strategies 
to render areas used as campsites 
unusable.”

Approval for the resolution 

came after much discussion and 
debate on the issue from mem-
bers of the council.

Councilmember 
Sabra 
Bri-

ere (D-Ward 1) called for fur-
ther development of policy and 
reforms to address Ann Arbor’s 
homeless issue.

“This deals with the people 

who are camping outside,” she 
said. “It does not begin to address 
the crying need for additional 
alternatives — not just additional 
housing, but additional services.”

For this reason, Kunselman 

touted a more strong-armed 
effort, arguing that ignoring 
homeless camps fosters crime 
and ignores the greater issue of 
a need for permanent affordable 
housing for homeless people in 
Ann Arbor.

“The way that this resolution 

is designed, we’re asking the 
police to turn a blind eye to ille-
gal action ... and I really have a 
problem with that,” Kunselman 
said. “I think that turning a blind 
eye to camp sites is allowing us to 
ignore our homeless problem.”

In response to the resolution’s 

non-proactive approach to abol-
ishing homeless encampments, 
Councilmember Chuck Warpe-
hoski (D-Ward 5) said camps 
should not be outlawed if mem-
bers of the camps neither violate 
the law nor disturb other Ann 
Arbor residents.

“I do not believe that this is 

a case where we should be on a 
seek out and destroy mission,” 

Warpehoski said.

Overall, Kunselman said in an 

interview that he was pleased 
with the approval of Resolution 
DC-1.

“It illustrates the unity on 

council in dealing with a diffi-
cult topic and it was a discussion 
that had to happen and we did,” 
he said. “It (doesn’t) mean that 
we’ve solved anything, but that 
hard work is still ahead of us.”

Apart from this discussion, the 

Council also passed an ordinance 
Tuesday evening allowing chick-
ens to roam the backyards of Ann 
Arbor locals, provided that their 
owners don’t slaughter their 
birds at home.

The adopted resolution per-

taining to chickens — an amend-
ed version of chapter 107, section 
9:42 of City Code — allows resi-
dents with a standard permit to 
keep four to six chickens, while 
residents with a provisional per-
mit may keep no more than two.

HOMELESS
From Page 1A

POTUS
From Page 1A

come to our mass meetings

THERE’S ONE TONIGHT AT 7:30 P.M.
AT 420 MAYNARD. SEE YOU THERE!

