1978-10-04; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 60 No. 16
1«7» CMrtral WeUfan UR
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Wednesday, 0«?t. 4,197ff
Tax limit efforts
to hike tuition?
byTONYDEARING
LIFE Editor
Tax limitation, a state and nationwide rage this
election year, could have crushing impact on
higher education, driving tuition costs sky high.
At least that's what a group of college faculty
have concluded from a State Fiscal Agency
report analyzing the three tax limiting proposals
on Michigan's Nov. 7 ballot.
Association of Michigan Collegiate Faculty
member Kendall Folkert told Academic Senate
Tuesday that after studying the Fiscal Agency
report, AMCF agreed "there is no tax limitation
proposal we can live with."
He said any of the three proposals - usually
refered to as the Hedlee, Tisch and voucher
amendments - could potentially throw the state's
budget "out of whack," with higher education one
of the first areas to suffer.
"Passage of any one alone would be unpleasant,
and passage of any combination of the three
would be disasterous," Folkert, Religion
Department chairperson, told reporters after the
meeting.
According to the State Fiscal Agency report,
any of the tax limitation proposals would sharply
reduce or limit the state budget. Folkert said this
in turn will limit money CMU and other colleges
receive from the state each year.
As a result, Folkert said, when colleges get less
money from the state, they must make up the
difference by raising tuition.
"The general philosophy in Lansing is that if
any of these proposals pass, it will be appropriate
or necessary for students to carry a much larger,
share of the cost of higher education," he said.  ^ "^
"The fear is that this will necessitate steep
tuition rises and then enrollment declines with
the flight of students to colleges in other states,"
Folkert told Academic Senators.
The Tisch Amendment (Proposal J) would cut
(See "Tax Cut- "page 2)
initial study suggests
realignment need/ess
byPETEENGARDIO
LIFE Ass't. News Editor
After thoroughly studying
possible reorganization of CMU
all summer, a committee appointed by President Harold
Abel has suggested no academic
restructuring is needed. > *->?•,
In a preliminary draff df its
recommendations, the 20-
member President's Select
Committee lists various reasons
why academic restructuring
would not be advantageous, and
in some cases detrimental, to the
University community.
The preliminary document,
obtained Tuesday by CM LIFE,
now is being studied by committees in each academic school,
Henry Fulton, Select Committee
chairperson, said. Recommendations by the school
committees will be forwarded
this month to the Select Committee, which will revise its
proposal.
Fulton would not comment on
the preliminary report's contents.
The committee studied a
position paper issued by Provost
John Cantelon last ' year
suggesting Central's academic
structure be altered in light of
projected social changes and
enrollment declines. Cantelon
included a possible realignment
of schools.
Although the committee
recommended     some     ad
ministrative alterations and a
"Center for Program and
Faculty Development" be
established, the group states
major academic change "was
viewed as disruputive, and
having a major negative impact
on faculty rqorale,"^,,.,
In supporting ^'evolutional
change rather than
revolutionary change" in
academic structure, the
preliminary draft states:
- "Academic reorganization
is likely to .increase anxiety and
may well generate problems in
faculty morale, not the opposite."
Several faculty concerns with
"administrative hierarchy"
were noted in the document,
including "unilateral decisionmaking," "arbitrary initiation of
new programs" and "careless
circumvention of the five-year
planning process."
Reorganization would not likely
improve these problems, the
report states.
-There is neither a "sufficient or logical" reason to
change academic structure
because of projected declining
enrollments.
Although predicted and actual
enrollment dips should be
closely monitored, "taken alone,
the impending decline in
enrollment, does not dictate
major reorganization at this
time."
- Central would not
necessarily enhance its position
for state funding by
reorganizing. State funds for
CMU are based on student
credit hour production in certain
classification? of programs and
previous allocations, . the
preliminary document states.
The structure has little impact.
Although the University may
(See "Shift—" page 2)
CM LIFE PHOTO BY OAVID C. FRITZ
Under the wire
More than 75 CMU students dropped by the Towers lobby Tuesday afternoon to take
advantage of one of the final days of the Student Association's voter registration drive.
Squeezing in under Tuesday's 6 p.m. deadline today Was the application of Pam Tobias,
Davison freshman, The SA drive concludes today.
Cause includes Proposition 13
Tax cut expert talks Friday
Inside,
Arthur Laffer, whose economic theories are
being echoed by leaders of the tax revolt
throughout the country, will explain his controversial views Friday at 8 p.m. in Warriner
Auditorium.
Sponsored by University Events, the speech is
open to the public free of charge.
Laffer, a professor of business economics at the
University of Southern California, contends that
government can* cut taxes without losing
revenue.
This theory follows closely with the rationale
behind California's controversial Proposition 13
property tax-cut bill and Michigan's proposed
Tisch amendment. The Tisch proposal would cut
property taxes in half and permit a hike in the
income tax to replace part of the revenue.
Tax reductions would actually result in higher
government revenues in the long run, Laffer
says, because both companies and consumers
would have greater incentives to invest and
spend.
Many economists counter that massive tax
cuts would create virulent inflation because
economic stimulation would not match the
resulting government deficit.
While campaigning for the contoversial
Proposition 13 in California, Laffer argued that
cutting the state's property taxes would encourage businesses to relocate there and thus
result in more tax revenue.
Laffer also has been criticized by minority
groups who say that cutting taxes will produce
cutbacks in social programs for the poor. Laffer
counters that by saying economic expansion will
result in less unemployment and thus less need
for welfare payments.
"With the...Tisch amendment on the ballot, we
wanted to get someone that speaks on the tax
issue," said Jim Lombard, University Events
coordinator. ■:-.■•■'-. .'    ■•..'■
Arthur Laffer
.
The idea of using
woodchlps for generating
electricity is an idea that
was sparked at Morbark
industries, located south
of nearby Winn. The
plant covering 14 acres of
farmland, is one of the
world's foremost
manufacturers of
equipment used to
. transform wood into
energy. The Morbark
brainstorm of using trees
for electricity is the topic
of a story on page 8 of
today's CM UFE.
- Tenant bill targets unenforceable leases,   .
page 3
—DPS arrests two for unpaid fines, page 7
-Fraternity rush draw* to end as 106 men
sign bids, page 8       ''
-Chip grtdders must regroup, page 10
Organizations dispense i nfo;
recruit, during activity fair
by TOM HENRY
LIFE Staff Writer
At least 60 student
organizations will be available to
distribute information and
encourage membership today at
this year's Student Activities
Fair.
Honorary and ' professional
societies, general interest,
recreational and service groups
will meet students from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. in the University
Center Ballroom.,
The   fair,   sponsored    by.
Student Association  and   the
Office of Student Affair., "will
be the only opportunity this
■ year for CMU organizations to
meet with the student body on a
one-to-one basis,!' Bob Parsons,
SA Department of Communications' director, said.
Sixty groups presently have
:made  reservations  to set up
',booths, but arrangements can be
v made for any other organization
as late as 10 a.m. today, Parsons,
Rogers City senior, said.
Participating    groups    are
required to have at least one
member at their booth at all
times/  ,
SA   will   .maintain   an   in
formation, desk
assist students
at the fair to
in finding the
organization they are looking
for.
SA also will conclude its voter
registration drive today at 6
p.m. ..-„. :'
With the help of various
student organizations, SA has
assisted approximately 800
students through the drive by
either registering them or
giving them applications for
absentee ballots for the Nov. 7
general election.
Students may participate in
the drive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
the UC Reservation or 11 a.m. to
1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. *i all
dormitory food commons."
After today, students who
have not registered to vote will
have until Oct. 10 to apply at the
Mount Pleasant's City Clerk
office, 120 S. University Ave.
In other S A action, the Board
of Directors may decide .whether
they should' take a formal
political stand on the Tisch tax
amendment referendum today.
Members postponed a
decision last week upon learning
comprehensive reports detailing
both sides of the proposal would
be made available by Ombudsman Publicity Coordinator
(See "SA board-" page 2)
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