Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Young Activists Conference

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 15. June 2004

A friend of mine is helping organize a conference targeting young people in the State of Michigan. Titled “Living into the Uprising: Sustaining Ourselves, Building Community – A Gathering of Young Activists,” the conference is scheduled from June 24 through the 27th at the Leaven Center in Lyons Michigan.

UM drug den

Posted by dilleym on 14. June 2004

“From the outside, the white stucco house on Packard Street in Ann Arbor looks like many student apartment houses near the University of Michigan campus, a little shabby with peeling paint and sparse shrubbery.

But inside the house, located less than three blocks from two of U-M’s biggest dorms, Ann Arbor police say a Detroit drug crew has set up a sophisticated heroin and crack operation targeting students. After years of frustration, police and city officials have launched a sweeping effort to shut down the house and the dealers.”

read more

Fulbright Scholarships

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 13. June 2004

The University of Michigan has 29 winners of Fullbright scholarships this year, which the administration is eager to point out is more than either Harvard or Cornell.

Also, the U-M National Poverty Center is sponsoring a public symposium on poverty this week.

Comment [1]

U-M Prof Discusses Intifada in Iraq

Posted by Ari Paul on 13. June 2004

Juan Cole, Professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian History at the University of Michigan, sheds his insights on the Shiite rebellion against occupation forces in Iraq for In These Times

He writes, “Given the drumbeat of bombings and assassinations, most recently of Izzedine Salim, president of the interim government of Iraq, the country cannot take much more instability. The transfer of sovereignty scheduled for June 30 is not in doubt, since it simply requires some appointments and paperwork. But endowing the new government with any popular support and political reality will be difficult if the country is in flames. By mid-May, the Najaf home of the preeminent mainstream Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, was being sprayed by machine gun fire from unknown assailants. This raises the specter of his loss to assassination, as well, which could further radicalize the Shiites.”

Juan Cole also scribes a blog Informed Comment.

Race Warriors Get Go-Ahead from State

Posted by Ari Paul on 13. June 2004

The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative gained a major victory last Friday when the Court of Appeals of Michigan overturned an Ingham County court’s decision that the wording in their petition was illegal.

From the Ann Arbor News: “The ruling could clear the way for a statewide vote in November on use of racial preferences in university admissions and government hiring, although opponents and some supporters of the petition drive doubt they can gather enough signatures to meet a July 6 deadline to get it on the ballot this year.”

However, sources from the MCRI have also said that they may wait until 2006 to try to put the anti-affirmative action question on the ballot. As of now, the MCRI lacks support from the state GOP and local corporations, primarily out of fear that the issue of affirmative action would lose minority voters, costing Bush the state in the presidential election.

2006 would be a much more political practical year for the GOP to throw its weight behind an anti-affirmative action army in a statewide electorial race war.

Michigan Late-term Abortion Ban Passes, Veto-Proof

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 11. June 2004

From the Detroit News: Late-term abortions banned: Legislature vote bypasses governor’s veto; court challenge is promised by opponents

Comment [46]

School Board and Bond Vote, MONDAY

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 11. June 2004

The Ann Arbor School Board elections are on Monday, June 14. A bond issue and sinking fund levy will also be on the ballot. Incumbents Helen Gates-Bryant and Theresa Han-Markey are competing for one open seat. Last year, the school board voted to reduce the board from nine seats to seven, resulting in two three expired terms, but only one available seat (incumbent Bob Rasmussen chose not to run). The bond issue will raise $205 million to build a new high school and fund other large purchases and building improvements. The $35 million sinking fund levy will raise funds for building repairs and renovations. Last time the school bond issue for a new high school for expansions of Huron and Pioneer was on the ballot it faced significant local opposition and failed. The new millage taxes will take effect when the current school taxes expire. If the bond issue does not pass, property taxes will be reduced significantly. If it does past, property taxes will still be less than they are now.

> See: Links to Ann Arbor News coverage and school district site

Michael Betzold sent us a great opinion piece on the school bond issue: Super Size Me: The Gluttonous High School Bond

The problem: Ann Arbor’s big high schools are too crowded.

The solution: Build another big high school.

It’s a typical American solution: More. Like building more roads because the roads are too crowded. Like building another mall across the street because the parking lot at the old mall is full.

Read on for more.

UPDATE 6-11-04: I’ve made some corrections to some factual errors above. Stay tuned for more on the election.

Comment [3]

Notes from New York

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 10. June 2004

I recently attended a screening of the newly released documentary The Control Room, which I heard was set to open in 40 cities nationwide this Friday. This excellent documentary examined the operations of the Al Jazeera satallite news network during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 1993. The screening I attended featured a question and answer session with Hassan Ibrahim, a journalist with Al Jazeera featured in the documentary. “You have the most dangerous weapon in the world,” he admonished the theatre’s overflow crowd, “the ballot box. Use it.” More coverage will be forthcoming.

Also, apparently the Republicans are struggling to find art which won’t offend the conservative sensibilities of RNC delegates, which will come to New York in late August: Reuters: “Broadway’s Best Shows Too Risque for Republicans”

Comment [3]

SAPAC ACTION

Posted by on 10. June 2004

Show your support for stopping the SAPAC plan at the…

BOARD OF REGENTS MEETING

Thurs, June 17th at 1:30pm

Great Lakes Room

Palmer Drive Commons Bldg

SHOW UP DRESSED IN BLACK

  • Do you remember the feeling in the room at the first Our Voices Count meeting in the MSA chambers?
  • Do you remember the power of so many people coming together to talk about the importance of SAPAC on our campus?

We plan to re-create that atmosphere for the Board of Regents at their next meeting!

OVC has several powerful speakers lined up. Now we NEED YOU!
We need to pack the room to show that students still care about saving SAPAC.

COME AND BRING ALL YOUR FRIENDS ON JUNE 17th.
COME DRESSED IN BLACK TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!

email

Comment [25]

Cowherd Gets the Boot from City Council

Posted by Ari Paul on 9. June 2004

The Ann Arbor News reports that prominant Treetown environmental activists who were originally supposed to be nominated for a government advisory board were denied yesterday.

“Doug Cowherd, co-chairman of the Sierra Club-Huron Valley group, and Bill Hanson, executive director of the Washtenaw Land Trust, were both originally nominated to serve on the nine-member Greenbelt Advisory Commission. Their names were left off the list of nominees approved Monday night by the council, with almost no public comment.

“Both men are recognized as playing a big role in helping win approval from city voters in November for the 30-year, half-mill property tax. Cowherd loaned the pro-greenbelt campaign $60,000 of his own money.”

Several months ago, the Ann Arbor Observer ran a feature on Cowherd and the Sierra Club-Huron Valley group. The article spectulates that Cowherd, a former Republican, has a tight grip on city politics, and could be responsible for the NIMBYist qualitys that come with Ann Arbor City Council regulations.

So will the snubbing of Cowherd and Hanson be a defeat for environmentalism in Ann Arbor politics, or will be a break away from homeowner-centerist NIMBYism and elitism?

Comment [4]

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