Daily Titan October 21, 2010

Page 1

Vol. 88 Issue 29

TE S

TE VO

S

VO

TE

S

S

VO

TE

S

VO

VO

S E T

VO TE S

October 21, 2010

VOT ES

VOTES

VOT ES

VO

TE

ELeCTION NEArINg or

W NG

KI

O PE M NS EX DEIO

REBUILD CaliFoRNia

CL S

AS

REPUBlIcAN MONeY Tax REFORM

N

IO

cr

nS

PE

CE

EN

RI

UN

BUsINESS

aT

RM

FO

RE

JONATHAN GIBBY / Graphics Editor

Mixed student reactions to upcoming elections Students weigh in on political choices despite young voter apathy FRANCINE RIOS Staff Writer

While a recent Pew research poll showed that young voter apathy is up, a finding which could influence the impending California midterm election, it seems that Cal State Fullerton students are divided between those who care and those who do not. The poll, which was taken in September, found that 53 percent of voters over age 30 have given a great deal of thought to the 2010 midterm elections, while only 31 percent of voters under the age of 30 have taken elections into account. Nolan Halasz, an 18-year-old kinesiology major, plans to vote and has very strong ideas behind his decisions. “For governor, I’m leaning towards Jerry Brown,” said Halasz, who also proclaimed his affiliation with the Republican Party. “He seems like the better candidate, and he has already done this before, and he did a good job while he was in office. I think he will be a positive influence for getting Cali-

fornia out of debt,” Halasz said. The most prominent propositions for all students interviewed were Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana, and Proposition 23, which would overturn the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 until California’s unemployment rate reaches 5.5 percent for a year’s time, according to the Huffington Post. “I’m going to vote ‘no’ on 19, just because of the fact that I don’t want to be around a bunch of stoned people,” Halasz said. “Medical reasons are OK, but we all know that it will really lead to people taking advantage of it.” Liz Gonzalez, an undeclared major, is also against Prop. 19. “I’m voting ‘no’ on Prop. 19 because I don’t like drugs; it’s not really something I’m into,” Gonzalez said. Louise Jones, a 35-year-old nursing major, said that although she is ineligible to vote, she would vote for Prop. 19 if she could. “I think it should be legalized,” Jones said. “It’s a good source of funding, and it will be good for the environment. But they have to legalize marijuana intelligently and with regulations.” Most students also seem to be against Prop. 23 because they believe the environment should be protected. See STUDENTS, page 3

Contact Us at dtnewsdesk@gmail.com

Candidates’ stance Choices for California on higher education WILLIAM CHEN For the Daily Titan

Gubernatorial hopefuls positions on key issues in election discussed CYNTHIA RODRIGUEZ For the Daily Titan

California’s education system is envied across the nation, but with the cuts in State budget and fee increases, the once-envied system is slowly crumbling. There are six candidates running for governor; the top two contenders are Democratic candidate Jerry Brown and Republican candidate Meg Whitman. The class cuts and fee raises started when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut funding to 110 community colleges, 23 CSUs and 10 UC campuses to close the $19 billion deficit caused by declining tax revenue. Depending on who is voted in, a difference could be made in how funds will be distributed in California. More than 30,000 Cal State Fullerton students have the ability to make a difference through their vote.

Jerry Brown

Jerry Brown was governor of California in 1974 and re-elected in 1978, which is experience he will rely on to help California’s economic crisis. Raphael Sonenshein, CSUF’s department head of political science, said this will be beneficial for him considering “he has seen this all before.” During a debate, Capital Public Radio’s Marianne Russ asked if Brown would roll back all funding cuts to higher education on CSU, UC and community colleges. Brown said he wouldn’t during his first year because it would be unrealistic and would only cause the deficit to rise. Anthony Giordano, 18, an undeclared freshman, said Brown’s realistic approach is a “smart move.” “It makes sense. You can’t fix everything in a day,” Giordano said. See RACE, page 2

The midterm elections are quickly arriving in less than two weeks, but many students are still perplexed about the benefits and consequences of each proposition. CaliforniaChoices.org resolves to cut through this thick cloud. Students are generally caught in a whirl of confusion when attempting to make an informed decision. Many propositions are introduced to students by corresponding support groups through advertisements or campaign stickers. Arguments for or against propositions are usually load-

ed with opinions and rarely discuss both the pros and cons of each side. CaliforniaChoices.org seeks to objectively present the ballot measures in a way that is understandable to the average citizen, including students.

See WEB, page 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.