Sunspots

SUNSPOTS

"Rent Control comes down to whether you are going to believe in a capitalistic society. "-- Republican City Council Candidate Robert L. Henry, Jr.

Well, not quite, Robert, but the proposal will certainly help put a damper on the grossly overspeculative Ann Arbor housing market and lessen the profits of those landlords reaping too much money for too little work. It has the potential of at least checking rents at their current level here in a town where student and youth rental properties are a huge, largely monopolized business. The rent control proposal is but one of several critical choices that will be staring voters in the face when and if they go to the polls on Monday, April 7. Ann Arbor also has a unique opportunity to guarantee the stability and growth of essential Day Care services, without which many women cannot be free to pursue their own lives while raising the next generation. Voters can also pass a charter amendment which would make it possible to get large numbers of progressive people registered to vote in town, mostly students. The Republicans oppose the amendment precisely because they know its passage would help seal their doom as a majority party. But by far the most urgent overall goal of this election is the final overthrow of the Ann Arbor GOP regime of bankers, landlords, University administrators and big business golf partners. If Stephenson's majority is replaced with a coalition of Democrats and HRPers, we can expect legislation along the lines of strict housing laws and day care funding -- legislation in the tradition begun under that coalition in 1972. The list of how the Republicans have stunted the growth of this community, or, more aptly, perverted it, is well known, but in case you want to brush up we take a deep look at them inside...

Unfortunately, while April 7 could prove a historical turning point for this town, there's been very little excitement about the election. The scenario behind this is interesting indeed. The Republican dominated Ann Arbor News has apparently been purposefully blacking out the election, or at least largely ignoring it compared to past Mayoral election years. They've refused to send reporters to cover candidate debates and appearances. This seems to fit in very neatly with the least visible city-wide Republican election campaign this community has ever seen. While the Repubs go about organizing the conservative stronghold wards very selectively, there's been almost no radio, newspaper or street advertising. Not even a Jim Stephenson bumper sticker has yet to appear. Do the Repubs think that the more their image is spread city-wide the more progressive voters are going to turn out to vote against them? Also keeping the turnout low is the vitriolic campaign of accusations, suits, counter-suits and in-fighting going on between certain Democrats and HRPers. If there's anything that turns people off to voting, it's the impression that those directly involved are only politicians bickering with each other more than they're working on common problems

"Now you can try and ignore these problems if you want to, Republicans, Democrats -- you can say that shit just doesn't exist, I'm not going to vote or respond to none of that. But nevertheless, every time they pass a law, have a debate, every time they relate to giving this money here and this money there, we as individuals are affected." --Gil Scott Heron in the last SUN.

In parting, take note that there were several bits of misinformation in last issue's "The Greening of the Record Business." First of all, a gold record is so certified when it has reached $I million in sales at the manufacturers level, and not. as reported, at the retailer's. Secondly, Discount Records is not, as stated, owned by Columbia Records. They're owned by CBS Inc. Our apologies. Thirdly, the Grateful Dead's independent record company is Round records, not Rounder which is a small company that distributes high-quality discs of traditional American folk music.