Thursday, November 14, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Columnist is misled about education

Bryan Dahl needs to do his homework before criticizing teachers' unions and advocating school vouchers and charter schools ("Teacher's unions are to blame for lax improvement in public schools" SN 12/1). In 2000, 69 percent of Michigan voters convincingly defeated a ballot proposal that would have allowed school vouchers.

COMMENTARY

Charter schools do not outshine public

The Dec. 1 column lambasting teachers unions for holding back school improvement "Teacher's unions are to blame for lax improvement in public schools" (SN 12/1) was shoddy and irresponsible. While Bryan Dahl is entitled to his opinion, he is not entitled to lie - or to fail to check his facts. Among the many errors in the column is the statement that Gov.

COMMENTARY

Strike out

At this time last year, a federal grand jury was told what the rest of us had been wondering since home-run records began shattering seven seasons ago: Who in baseball is using performance enhancing drugs. In December 2003, some Major League Baseball players were subpoenaed to testify about their involvement with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative - known as BALCO, but better known for being to baseball what Enron Corp.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU regularly supports students

This is in response to Brandon Sethi's letter, "Student groups can benefit from funds," (SN 12/1). In your letter, you mentioned that you are not too familiar with how ASMSU does things, and clearly this is true.

COMMENTARY

Discriminatory

Michigan Rep. Ken Bradstreet, R-Gaylord, is calling for outright discrimination by moving to exclude domestic partner benefits from state employee contracts. Unfortunately, Proposal 2 passed in Michigan, but the exact language of the amendment is vague, leaving individual interpretations to determine if domestic partner benefits get thrown on the chopping block. A piece of legislation this vague might not have been the best thing to pass.

COMMENTARY

Ban the banner

A federal appeals court is barring the government from enforcing a law based on its potential to spur discrimination.

COMMENTARY

Disagreeing with government is key

Regarding Tim Phelps' request to return the $600,000 risk management fund to students in his letter, "Distribute ASMSU's funding to students," (SN 11/30) I would note that students can obtain a refund of their ASMSU tax ($13.75) - thereby making the suggested distribution unnecessary. Also, there already has been call within the assembly to drain the fund, using the money for what it was originally intended: Students.

COMMENTARY

Costly cocktail

In the name of all things sacred and good in this world, don't raise the price of hard liquor. We're talking to you, Quality Dairy, looking at you, Big Ten and Country Markett.

COMMENTARY

Distributing ASMSU funds is misplaced

This is in response to Tim Phelps' letter, "Distribute ASMSU's funding to students" (SN 11/30), regarding the $600,000 that ASMSU is "sitting" on. First of all, I am all in favor of receiving money, always.

COMMENTARY

'Legitimacy'

Right now, ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, stands as a house divided - literally. Under the current scheme, ASMSU has the Student Assembly and an Academic Assembly to deal with the off-campus issues such as tailgating and on-campus issues such as tuition, respectively.