U Law Student Seeking County Board Position

David' Cahill, a 29-year old - U-M law student, has been nominated for county commissioner from District 12 by the Human Rights Party. Cahill will compete for the post with Democrat Barbara Peacock and Republican incumbent O. Herbert Ellis in the November general elect i o n . The district includes parts of Ann Arbor Township and most of Ann Arbor Ward Five. Cahill was one of three faculty members who sued Eastern Michigan University in 1971 claiming they had been fired for political reasons. The suit was settled out of court and $38,000 awarded to the three. Cahill now works as a law clerk for a local firm and is a member of the city committee of the HRP. He is a gradúate of Indiana University and lives at 1309 Miller Ave. His opening statement in the campaign is : "The Human Rights Party is committed to fundamental economie and social change, and our representatives on the Board of Commissioners will act to further the party's program. They will not act solety in their own personal or class interest as is true of the present commissioners, but will be bound by the positions the party takes on issues - positions which are democratically arrived at in open meetings. "There are many are as of county government in which the HRP will push for change. The Sheriff's Department is an obvious place to start. Since Doug Harvey took office the budget has quadrupled to over $1.7 million. The department's priorities are completely wrong. Every couple of weeks or so we are treated to a dramatic 'dope ■ bust' while violent crimes increase and nothing at all is done about environmental or o t h e r corporate crimes or about combating the. basic causes of crime. The sheriff and his deputies are famous for terrorizing people whose life styles they don't like. The commissioners, by a firm exercise of the budgeting power could order all surveillance and undercover activities stopped and order the disposal of the expensive war equipment now rusting in various parking lots. It is also strange that a department of about 120 people can't put more than three patrol cars on the road at one time. "Jail and penal procedures also need to be redone completely. Prisoners can legally be released from jail under supervisión while awaiting trial and still be 'in the custody of the sheriff' and even after conviction work-release and halfway-house programs could reduce the jail population drastically. A reduction from the current population, fluctuating between 70 and 150, to about 20, would render unnecessary a new jail - the existingonecouldJixtÊn sively remodeled for more I rehabilitation and so that it I would meet legal I ments for the vastly fewer I prisoners still in jail. Visiting I and other procedures need I drastic changes to restore dignity to those in jail. "County government is now in the grip of a handful.of different conservatives, many of them retired or defeated politicians who by their nature cannot be interested in basic social change. They also show no originality in programs or practices. HRP will utilize fully the commissioners' powers, both legislative and investigative, and will seek community control at all levéis. "And 1 must say something about the c u r r e n t budget scandal. The county can no longer afford a group of fumbling power brokers who I make mistakes a first-year business student would not tolérate. The HRP will bring a breath of fresh air to a stagnant area of government which could play a powerful role in helping the oppressed and curbing the excesses of the rich and powerfuL" I