City Council Rundown

During the last two crowded and exciting City Council Meetings on April 17th and on April 24th, the Human Rights Party Council members, Nancy Wechsler and Jerry DeGrieck, have continued to introduce legislation in the interests of the people of Ann Arbor. They have exposed the limited visioned, ineffectual programs of the Democrats as being impediments to the progress of the community, while the Republicans don't seem to need any help as they expose their narrow class interests themselves every time they speak or introduce legislation. The HRP ordinances concerning the Air War, marijuana, and strikebreaking have sparked heavy debate of immense educational value in examining the contradictions in a system which is supposed to serve the people of the city but cannot serve their needs because it is powerless n the face of its own confining rules plus those of state and federal law.

At the April 17th council meeting Rusty LaValle was denied his right to speak to council because his name hadn't been entered on the agenda as an alternate for a Tenant's Union speaker. Although it was clear to everyone that he did represent the Tenant's Union, which had reserved five minutes of audience participation time, May or Harris used council rules to stop Rusty from addressing his elected representatives. The HRP Ordinance Restricting City Services for firms supporting Viet Nam Air War through Federal Contracts was scheduled under first reading of ordinances, but during Communications from Mayor Harris, over objections from Nancy Wechsler, chose to monopolize 15 minutes of council time with irresponsible and non-productive allegations that the ordinance was "totalitarian." After having earlier refused to discuss the ordinance with concerned citizens on that same Monday afternoon, he took advantage of its vague wording (not unusual for a 1st reading of an ordinance) to say, "this smacks of Hitler and Mussolino," and to read off lists of rights that would be denied to workers of the firms in question, when punishing workers for the crimes of the Corporation was obviously not the intention of the HRP ordinance. Harris finished by saying the questions of the war would be settled in national elections as Jerry DeGneck countered with, "where ever we are we can't ignore thousands of people being slaughtered by machines in the Air War." The ordinance was defeated 9-2, but a Public Hearing is set for May 17th at 7 30 in City Council Chambers.

Next on the agenda were three marijuana ordinances, one from each party. The Republican's withdrew their ordinance which was of course just a reiteration of the state law, while 2nd Ward Councilman Faber, for the Democrats, proposed an S11.00 fine tor possession or use of marijuana, S11.00 being so far the lowest fine for a minor misdemeanor. He felt this would encourage the courts to see the legislation as "legitimate instead of trivial." Also, state law requires S4.00 of every fine go to the state, so Nancy Wechsler in speaking on HRP's proposal of a 25¢ fine said "If the state needs $4.00, charge a 25¢ fine and let the city make up the difference, making this an initiative for the city to stop busting people." The Public Hearing on the marijuana laws is on May 8th at 7:30 in City Council Chambers.

During Motions and Resolutions, Jerry and Nancy introduced a resolution which would create as new Ward Boundary Commission, which is now all Democratic, (the Republicans having boycotted it because of unfair representation), and which has come up with a plan that would gerrymander HRP out of the running in the City Council race next year by dividing up the precincts supporting HRP into different wards. The plan also makes a special point of putting the Rainbow House in the second ward eliminating its geographical and political position at the head of the 3rd Ward. The Republicans proposed eleven representatives on the Commission, corresponding to representation of the political parties on city Council. After telling Nancy Wechsler that the commission wasn't an immediate or important issue to discourage her from putting it on the agenda, Mayor Harris said he wouldn't insult the commission a week before it reports and he was going to veto the resolution anyway. On April 26th, there is a public hearing on the Ward Boundary Commission Report which is now on display on the 1st floor of City Hall. Check it out, see what the Democrat's plans are, and come to the hearing.

The April 24th City Council Meeting got off to a rousing start as all the Democratic regulars, including losing council candidates Mike Morris and Ulrich Stol!, trooped up to the mike to speak against the Subdivision and Land Use Control Ordinance, which as it is now makes no provisions for public hearings on city planning. It was a safe stand to take as everyone on council agreed that the people in Ann Arbor should have a voice in the planning of their city. Jerry DeGrieck proposed the amendments that; all plans be on display as public information, there would be hearings held before council and the planning commission, and notices of the hearings be in the Sun, Michigan Daily, and Ann Arbor News. After passing the amended parts, Richard Hadier, a stone age 4th Ward Republican who contributes little to city council except no votes, said "the only problem with the ordinance was that notice of hearings is going to be printed in the Ann Arbor Sun." He then motioned to postpone the decision until Monday which passed, 9-2, the HRP council people being the dissenting votes.

Two different sets of amendments to Ann Arbor's present Anti-strike breaker ordinance were presented to city council, one by the Democrats and one by HRP. The Democratic amendments prohibit any outside agency from procuring people to work for a company involved in a labor dispute and require that the firms being struck tell the person being hired personally and through their advertising that he or she is a scab replacing a striking employee. The HRP amendments include the two Democratic provisions plus statements that: No company involved in labor disputes should employ anyone in place of employees involved in the dispute. No person who offers him or herself for employment shall take the place of employees involved in the dispute. No one should hire scabs from outside the city, and the firm hiring the scab must furnish to the City Clerk's Office the scab's name, address and the hiring date. The penalty in both sets of amendments is not more than a $100 fine or not more than ninety days in jail.

Both versions were passed by the council on a first reading and were sent to an ad hoc committee for further work, but only after the section on the company giving the scab's name and address to City Clerk was deleted from the HRP amendments. Jerry DeGrieck explained that the reason for the list was to enforce other parts of the ordinance and another way of doing this would be as acceptable. He and Nancy agreed to its deletion. Speaking against making the list of scabs public knowledge, Mayor Harris had a hit with "No one likes a scab" and then did an encore of his Anti-War Ordinance performance of the previous week by erroniously calling the report a "blacklist" reminiscent of the McCarthy era, which would "leave to private persons, social and economic sanctions against scabs." Fourth Ward Republican Councilman Richard Hadier expressed concern for the employers who, after all, pay the wages. The Republicans, all except 3rd Ward Councilman Colburn, voiced no on the Democrats amendments and all of them voted no on the HRP amendments. Both versions are under consideration by a committee until next week and the Public Hearing on the whole Anti-strike breaking Ordinance will be on May 8th.

A presentation was made to council on the repaving and widening of Hill St. at its intersection with Main, S. Division, Packard and State. The cost would be removal of two trees and encouragement of greater traffic flow. Two-thirds of this would be paid for by the federal governments through the Concentrated Code Enforcement Program. The concensus of the council was that people wanted repaving, gutter work and bicycle and wheel chair path cuts, but no widening of the street, so the City Administrator will get more data on what the people of Hill St. want and will be back next week.

A report on the University's and city's plans for Hill St. done by William F. Bunting and his University graduate archetectural class was given out at the end of the meeting. It seems the city and the University of Michigan have a plan to eventually widen it to a four lane highway which would mean cutting down all the trees and eliminating people's front yards. There will be more on this in future issues. Although the actual workings of city council may seem tedious at times, it's exciting that issues such as the war and marijuana penalties, which people have been working on for years, are being brought up for discussion and action by City Council, mostly because of the presence of HRP. In the next few weeks we may have a very low monetary fine for the possession and use of marijuana. This means we have greater control over our own lives and every day we learn more about the way the government functions so we can use it to our advantage instead of having it used against us.

GET OUT TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TELL YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES WHAT YOU THINK!!!

 May 8- Public Hearing on Anti-Strike-breaking Ordinances

May 8- Public Hearing on Marijuana Ordinances

May 17- Public Hearing on Viet Nam Air War

All hearings held at 7:30 in City Council Chanbers.