Letters to the Editor

Hideki shouldn't criticize activists

To the Daily:

What is MSA President Hideki Tsutsumi doing criticizing student activists (MSA participates in Big Ten conference," 10/30/00)? When he was bothering everyone 24 hours a day with his sandwich-board signs for his campaign, wasn't he an "activist," if just for his own self-serving cause? Isn't he responsible for representing all of us, even the activists? Maybe he isn't experienced enough for the job after all.

David Boyle

Second-year law student

Vouchers proposal is a good idea

To the Daily:

I was disappointed by the recent editorial that discouraged people from supporting school vouchers ("No on Proposal 1," 11/1/00). I believe the editorial staff was misguided in its argument against school vouchers.

Every child in this country should have the right to a first-class education. By not allowing parents the choice to remove their children from the "sub-standard education they were receiving in the public schools," these children must suffer while children who live in more privileged environments benefit from solid public education programs. It is abhorrent to think that many children do not have the opportunity to receive a quality education because of where they live.

Poorly performing public schools should raise their standards in order to better compete with private schools. Mandatory teacher and student testing, better salaries for new teachers and new technologies should all be employed in order to enhance the performance of public schools. And failing schools should be held accountable for poor student performance. These schools should not receive any additional funding unless an increase in the quality of student performance is demonstrated. Giving more money to failing schools is cheating taxpayers and children alike. Most taxpayers would probably rather give their money to a new system that will give more children the opportunity to shine.

Ari Faneuil

LSA senior

Drivers should plan ahead, not complain

To the Daily:

I would like to respond to Jonathan Janego's complaints regarding Parking Services ("Parking deters students from class," 11/2/00). He states that there is a shortage of parking spaces reserved for students, while there seems to be an excess of faculty and staff reserved parking. While there are more spots reserved for those willing to purchase a Blue pass, there are also more employees who commute to the University. After a certain time in the morning, those wishing to park in Blue lots are required to drive around "like vultures" just like students. In short, a permit does not guarantee a parking space - student or otherwise.

Janego also states that it is the students who "pay the salaries of all of the staff, researchers, parking attendants and everyone else at the University." No doubt he means that student tuitions pay University salaries. This is factually incorrect. University salaries come from a variety of sources including tuitions and donations to the University. Many researchers, like myself, are paid entirely from third-party grants and do not receive a dime of student tuition money.

I will admit that there is a shortage of spaces available to those with a definite need for them (i.e. those who commute from a considerable distance) and that the buses are not always the most convenient method of travel. On the other hand the University would be no better served by turning the entire campus into one giant parking lot. Furthermore, University employees have a responsibility to show up on time just like students do. The grass is no greener in the permit-restricted lots. I would suggest that, until a better solution is proposed, Janego and the like-minded plan ahead and allow extra travel and parking time like the rest of us rather than leave at the last minute and hope to find a spot.

Melissa Kovach

University hospitals

'Red market' ideas ridiculous, immoral

To the Daily:

After reading Nick Woomer's column "Tangible Visions of Red Markets" (10/31/00), I have to admit I wanted to wretch. After reading Paul Howard's response in Wednesday's paper ("Capitalism should be fixed, not abolished"), I wanted to scream. The "solutions" proposed by the two are truly ridiculous, not to mention immoral. For one, money, to be worth anything, has to have something backing it, some ultimate product or quantity that is worth something. It is impossible to simply create "vouchers" from out of thin air so that everyone of our 300,000,00-odd citizens can commonly own property. That's like trying to give every citizen thousands of dollars without anyone working for it, without anyone producing it. This is impossible and would destroy our economy.

Moreover, if somehow the Woomers of the future could cook up some ridiculous scheme to "redistribute" the wealth in this nation in the form of vouchers to the poor, it would have to come from somewhere and that would most likely be the pockets of the middle and upper classes. That too would destroy our economy.

Finally, I must also say that I am not pleased with the way things work in this country because I am a capitalist, and this is not a capitalist society. We in fact have a mixed economy. The only difference between this nation and Communist China, for example, is the degree to which the government intervenes in the market. I say, if the market and the people are left to function on their own and the greedy, intrusive hands of people like Woomer are kept out of the wallets of the people, then you would see freedom, liberty and justice for all. Until then, this nation will be dominated by special interests and schemers of all kinds trying to steal from the people for their own benefit. Keep the government out and limit its power, and these abuses will stop.

Geoffrey Stanton

LSA junior

Green party is also wasting paper

To the Daily:

I would like to ask Scott Trudeau and the Green Party to explain a sentence in his letter to the editor ("Flyers do not agree with Scott" 10/2/2000). In his letter he bemoans a gross misuse of resources by the persons responsible for the "Do You Agree With Scott?" postings.

I urge him to take a look at the Student Greens or associated individuals who have xeroxed and pasted thousands of flyers with pictures of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader all over the campus. I question the pro-environment stance of a Green Party that would waste so much paper to advertise their cause. I'm going to vote my environmental conscience: Democrat.

Jeremy J. Peters

Music sophomore