Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Oct. 17, 2003, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2003 BOARD EDITORIALS WEEKEND OF FUN Tar Heel fans have plenty of opportunities to show their school spirit this weekend, including the much-anticipated “Late Night with Roy.” As the week of multiple midterms and papers winds down, people are calling for something to do to get their minds off school for the weekend. The call has been answered, as this weekend proves to be perhaps the most eventful of the semes ter. With this week being Homecoming, there are plenty of events to keep one’s mind off school work and to show that true Tar Heel spirit. Tonight, come support the UNC volleyball team (13-6,4-2 ACC) as they take on Duke (6-11,2-4 ACC) at 8 p.m. in the Smith Center. Traditionally, volleyball has not gotten as much attention as other sports such as basketball and foot ball. But with 13 wins so far, the women's volleyball team has been having an excellent season. They deserve as much support as anv other sports team at UNC-Chapel Hill. Besides, why wouldn’t anyone want to see the Tar Heels beat up on some Blue Devils? Afterward, stay for Late Night With Roy, which marks the opening of the much anticipated UNC basketball season and will introduce Tar Heel fans to new men’s basketball coach Roy Williams. UNC alumnus and ESPN Sports Center anchor Stuart Scott will be the event’s master of ceremonies. After a mediocre season last year and the drama surrounding the resignation of former coach Matt Doherty, which was worthy of a daytime soap A TEMPORARY FIX U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Doles proposal to enact tariffs against imported Chinese goods offer a short-term solution to curing the state economy. It’s comforting to know that someone is looking out for you, especially if you happen to be an unemployed North Carolina worker. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., recently spoke to members of the N.C. League of Municipalities concerning the state’s current economic situation. Dole lamented the significant number of lost jobs in several areas of the state, most notably in the tex tile industry. During her speech, Dole also proposed a plan to help ease the pressure on North Carolina’s economy, which would target the nation she and other politi cians believe has hurt the state the most economi cally: China. Dole said China is the culprit of many trade abus es, including currency devaluation, which she claims have led to an increase in Chinese imports, especial ly textile products, which have flooded the U.S. mar ket. In order to address these violations, Dole said she supports a wide variety of initiatives aimed at cre ating a more even playing field on which U.S. man ufacturing industries could compete. The major proposal on the table is a 27.5 percent tariff that would be placed on all Chinese products imported to the United States if trade abuses persist. No easy solution Dole’s plan to punish China for its misconduct raises doubts about its possible effects. Robert Connolly, a professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, said imposing tariffs is a different policy direction from the one in which the United States has been heading. Many trade agreements, including those with the World Trade Organization, lock the United States into gradually dissolving trade barriers such as tar iffs and quotas, Connolly said. Also, imposing tariffs raises the prices of import ed goods for consumers. It creates an equity concern because it affects the ability of low-income families to purchase goods. While the intent is to protect U.S. industries from damaging global forces, Dole’s plan only delays the inevitable market adjustments that will occur. EDITORS' NOTE: The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board, which were reached after open debate. The board consists of eight board members, the assistant editorial page editor, the editorial page editor and the DTH editor. The 2003-04 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. NOTABLE QUQTABLES “I can’t even tell you how good I feel. It would be X-rated.” JOHN BUNTING, UNC FOOTBALL COACH ON THE TEAM'S FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON. “Lo and behold, when I went to dinner on Sunday night, we were having steak and lobster. Man, that was terrific. I think I caught my wife sneaking an extra one down her pants the extra lobster, that is.” BUNTING ON THE TEAM'S VICTORY DINNER AFTER ITS WIN AGAINST EAST CAROLINA. “It makes me nervous. I check my e-mail six times a day, so when Ifound out that I couldn’t it made me upset. It drove me crazy.” LINDSAY ZASTROW, UNC FRESHMAN ON THIS WEEK'S GLITCH WITH CAMPUS E-MAIL. opera, the basketball team is ready to move on and show that it still is one of the best teams in the country. The women’s basketball team also will be fea tured in the event. The men’s basketball woes of last season overshadowed the success of the Lady Tar Heels, who made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Introductions of the men’s and women’s basket ball teams will begin at 10:30 p.m. It will be a night filled with energy and excite ment, showcasing both the men’s team and the women’s team. Both events are free with a UNC One Card, so there no is excuse not to be there. Friday night’s activities cap what has otherwise been an eventful Homecoming Week. Other weekend events include the football game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Arizona State, with the presentation of the 2003 Mr. and Mrs. UNC during halftime. After the game, Emma Gibbs Band will headline a concert on the lawn at the Carolina Inn. There is also the National Pan Hellenic Council Step Show in Carmichael Auditorium, featuring per formances by student groups Harmonvx and Opeyo that are sure to rock the night. On Sunday, fans can watch the field hockey team take on Wake Forest at 1 p.m. Take a break from the stresses of classwork. It’s the freakin’ weekend, so go have some fun. Forward Thinking Many see retraining workers for growing indus tries instead of supporting failing and inefficient industries as the road to North Carolina’s future Dole has lent her support to these efforts, espe cially after the closing of Pillowtex. The Kannapolis based textile mill closed its doors in August and laid off almost 5,000 workers across the state. If Dole insists on protecting North Carolina industries from global challenges, then she also should make sure to follow through with a strong domestic policy as well. If policy-makers focus only on China, they run the risk of leaving North Carolina in a worse situation if a tariff proposal fails. The benefit of retraining workers is that it creates a solution more amicable to all parties. The United States is able to enter into expanded trade agreements, while workers are able to gain employment in fields that can support them and their families. Sign of the times With North Carolina facing an uncertain eco nomic future, the state needs a political leader will ing to explore innovative methods to bring more jobs to the state and re-energize its ailing economy. With her national renown and rapport in the dominate Republican party, Dole could be just that leader. Jobs are very much needed in North Carolina in order to stimulate the economy, as its depressed state has led to a severe reduction in sendees, from health care to education. While Dole is a freshman politico, she soon will be the state’s senior senator, as Sen. John Edwards, D- N.C., has announced he will not seek re-election. It’s important that Dole begin assuming that vital role. Due to a high dependence on manufacturing, the state economy has very specific needs. Dole, soon to be the highest ranked North Carolina official in Washington, D.C., has an urgent responsibility to work hard for relief. The state will need her to be a louder voice as the battle for the economy gets under way. READERS 4 FORUM Forum to explore merits of raising UNC enrollment cap TO THE EDITOR: The UNC-system Board of Governors is considering an issue that could dramatically alter the constitution of the UNC student body: whether to raise the 18 per cent cap on out-of-state admis sions. The student body needs to be engaged in this debate in order to understand the impact of the pro posed changes. On Monday at 7 p.m. in Murphey 116, the executive branch of Student Government is spon soring a forum on this issue. Panelists include Student Body- President Matt Tepper, UNC- Chapel Hill Director of Admissions Jerry Lucido, Rep. Verla Insko, D- Orange, and former BOG member John Sanders. We encourage stu dents to attend this important event and educate themselves about this proposal. Matt Tepper Student Body President Frances Ferris Student Body Secretary Dean's fund-raising figures reflect campaign's strength TO THE EDITOR: On Thursday, The Daily Tar Heel reported that former Vermont Gov. Editorial Page Howard Dean led the Democratic pack in third quarter fund-raising, raking in a record-setting $14.8 million. No Democrat not even Bill Clinton as an incumbent has ever raised this much money in a single quarter. But there’s a more astounding reality to these impressive num bers. These fund-raising figures reflect the individual actions of 168,000 regular Americans who contributed an average of $73.69 per person. Meanwhile, over at President George W. Bush’s camp, The Washington Post reports that “the receipts... were driven in large part by just 285 men and women, who collected $38.5 million or more, which was at least 45 percent of Bush’s total take.” Which fund-raising method is more representative of true democ racy? The Dean campaign is doing something that has never been seen before in American politics. They are building the great grassroots campaign of the mod ern era, and they are doing it, as Dean says, from “mouse pads, shoe leather and hope.” Please join the 472,000 other Dean supporters nationally visit http://www.deanforamerica.com. To see how you can get involved with the campaign here on campus, visit http://www.carolina4dean.com. We hope you join us in the fight for a conscientious foreign policy, universal health care and econom ON THE DAY S NEWS “ There’s five fingers, but a fist is much stronger, and that’s what we’re going to be— five guys working together.” ROY WILLIAMS, unc men's basketball coach EDITORIAL CARTOON Coach ljillmms r.bcb/vbs a veLCove fkom STATE 8 NATIONAL Tariffs on Chinese goods no easy cure to economic woes On Tuesday U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., spoke at the N.C. League of Municipalities' annual conference in Winston-Salem, outlining what she believes is the major cause of our state’s financial problems. “Many of North Carolina’s eco nomic woes related to manufac turing can be summed up in one word,” Dole said, according to The (Raleigh) News & Observer reports. “One word. And I know you know what it is: China.” Wow. Take that, People’s Republic. She’s made a pretty harsh accusation. I'm inspired to write, for the first time in years, a letter. So far it’s looking some thing like this: Dear Chinn, How are you? I’m glad your astronaut made it home okay. Sen. Dole made a speech this week in which she said you’re the cause of most of our state’s money problems. She said you 're flood ing our market with illegal imports and \iolating trade laws by artificially keeping your cur rency low so that your goods will be cheap in the United States. I hope this isn’t true. More and more officials are taking her point of view, and Dole now is looking for ways to stymie the tide of Chinese goods coming into the country, particularly North Carolina. She wants to put a 27.5 percent tariff on imported Chinese goods if they continue pursuing “unfair trade practices.” Failing that, she’s also pushing for new ways of iden tifying illegal imports, as well as an additional $9.5 million from the Department of Homeland Security to hire customs agents to enforce “trade rules.” It’s that second part that’s par ticularly troubling. ic relief for working families. Together, we can take our coun try back from the special interests and put it back where it belongs in the hands of the people. Rachel Gurvich Carolina Students for Dean DTH article on DiPhi debate on Silent Sam one-sided TO THE EDITOR: On Tuesday night, the Campus Y co-sponsored a debate with the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies on the topic of Silent Sam. We, as members of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies and oppos ing participants in the event, feel that that debate was well-rounded and that it addressed almost all of the major issues associated with Sam. The coverage printed in Wednesday’s issue of The Daily Tar Heel, however, was extremely biased and poor. First, the arguments of the debaters in favor of keeping Silent Sam were addressed more com pletely by the authors; while the “pro-Sam” side received a full three paragraphs, the “anti-Sam” side was only recognized in one sen tence. For a supposedly objective news source, your coverage of the debate itself tended to be one MIKE GORMAN FOR THE PEOPLE Homeland Security is, loosely defined, a federal counter-terror ism department. Of all its “priori ties,” safeguarding the domestic economy could constitute “protect ing national infrastructure” only by very liberal interpretation. Her request has some pretty sinister implications. Sen. Dole wants to use our Homeland Security people to check your goods when they come into the country, China. Does this mean you’re terrorists? I hope not. We don’t like terrorists. A number of countries peg their currency against the U.S. dollar in order to get a financial edge. China’s held its exchange rate at about 8.3 Yuan per dollar since 1995, and with one of the highest projected 2003 economic growth forecasts, it’s probably not going to do anything to jeopardize its economy any time soon. What’s striking is that our lead ers are blaming everyone for our economic problems except our own businessmen. U.S. manufac turers have to make the initial decision to move labor overseas. Even then, it’s difficult to assign blame. More and more, domestic companies have to rely on cheap foreign labor to main tain profit margins threatened by developing global markets. It’s a truly vicious circle the stalemate of a global economy. More Pacific Rim nations are breaching international markets, sided. In addition, your newspa per took Adam Herring’s com ments in defense of Sam grossly out of context. Whether intentional or not, his comments were used in the article to portray him as naive and extremist in his views. Adam meant to merely make a comparison between the universi ty students of today and those of 140 years ago; he in no way meant that duty and honor should be blindly adhered to in all cases. Perhaps the DTH staff should pay more attention to keeping their work balanced and respectful of all parties involved. Clark Tew Freshman History Adam Herring Freshman International Studies TO SUBMIT A LETTER: The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone num ber. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaranteed. Bring let ters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail them to: editdesk@unc.edu. Slip Mppl By Andrew Stevens, crazyaj@email.unc.edu “Our leaders are blaming everyone for our economic problems except our own businessmen” and for many domestic compa nies to survive, they must manu facture abroad. Our work force has to either change or die, and the days of a strong U.S. textile industry are coming to an end. It’s likely that, eventually, our textile workers will make the shift from manufac turing jobs to white collar, con sumer or service positions, but the transition will be painful. We’re not really mad at you, China. We’re just frustrated because during the tech boom of the ’9os we fell behind in other areas. Now that other countries are manufacturing cheaper and more efficiently than we are, we don’t know what to do. Protectionism isn’t the answer. If we slap a tariff on China, they’re likely to do the same to us, potentially leading to higher prices for both nations. Instead, the state and federal government should focus funding not on punishing Asia, but on helping U.S. workers through the rough transitory times. After all, cheap imports aren’t just coming from China. We still want to be friends, China, but do me a favor, okay? After you ve read my letter, erase ‘‘China’’and write in India, Korea or Malaysia. They might need to see this too. Contact Mike Gorman atjhgorman@email.unc.edu. Established 1893 110 years of editorialfreedom ®ljp Soilii (Tar Hppl www.daiiytafheeixoni ELYSE ASHBURN EDITOR, 962 4086 OFFICE HOURS 2:15-3:15 PM MON., WED DANIEL THIGPEN MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 JENNIFER SAMUELS PROJECTS MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 APRIL BETHEA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR. 962 0750 BROOK R. CORWIN UNIVERSITY EDITOR, 962-0372 KATHRYN GRIM CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR. STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN MACPHERSON SPORTS EDITOR. 962-4710 MICHELLE JARBOE FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 NICK PARKER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 ALEX OBREGON COPY EDITOR. 962 4103 BRIAN CASSELLA PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 MICHELLE KUTTNER DESIGN EDITOR, 962-0750 MICHAELA IDHAMMAR GRAPHICS EDITOR, 962-0750 KRISTEN OLIVER ONLINE EDITOR. 962-0750 BEN COUCH SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR. 962-4710 JOHN FRANK PROJECTS TEAM LEADER, 962-0246 ERIC GAUTSCHI OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Eric Gautschi at gautschi©email.unc.edu or 918-1311.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 17, 2003, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75