C a l i f o r n i a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y, F u l l e r t o n
DAILY TITAN
Tu e s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 6 , 2 0 0 5
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This Issue News
Chief Justice Rehnquist dies
w w w. d a i l y t i t a n . c o m
Vo l u m e 8 1 , I s s u e 3
Bush approval rating capsizes Presidentʼs lack of immediate response in Gulf, War in Iraq raise questions of competency By NICOLE M. SMITH Daily Titan Executive Editor
Bush feels pressure to select woman or minority to fill rare second seat on Supreme Court 5
News Campus’ semiannual Discoverfest encourages student involvement 4
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On The Web News
CSUF Anime Club convenes for first meeting of the year
www.dailytitan.com
Surf Report Huntington
3-4 ft. waist to shoulder high with occasional 5 ft. and fair conditions.
San Clemente
3-4 ft. waist to shoulder high and fair conditions. Compiled from www.surfline.com
Weather Tuesday September 6 Sunny 86º/60º Wednesday, September 7 Mostly Sunny 82º/58º Thursday, September 8 Sunny 77º/58º Friday, September 9 Sunny 76º/58º Saturday, September 10 Mostly Cloudy 74º/58º Compiled from The Weather Channel
Last week, President Bushʼs approval ratings sunk to an all-time low just as the waters of Lake Ponchatrain submerged the city of New Orleans under billions of gallons of water. In the coming days, the presidentʼs ability to expedite relief and recovery efforts in the weather-beaten Gulf Coast region could impact whether or not he can salvage his own leadership image. “Thereʼs a lot of aid surging toward those who have been affected: millions of gallons of water, millions of tons of food,” Bush said Friday during a South Lawn press conference before he traveled into Louisiana. “Weʼre making progress,” he said. Over 15,000 National Guardsmen; 7,800 U.S. Military; 4,000 Coast Guard personnel; more than 400 federal law enforcement officers; and 61 FEMA response teams have been deployed, according to a statement issued late last week by the Department of Homeland Security. Also, upward of 22,000 refugees have been evacuated and over 30,000 people have received assistance. Despite government efforts to provide assistance to refugees, some experts argue that Bushʼs slow reaction time coupled with the publicʼs dissenting views on the war in Iraq may hurt the president. “[The presidentʼs] lack of immediate and good response in taking care of New Orleans refugees will boomerang back on him,” said Alana Northrop, a Cal State Fullerton political science professor who specializes in polls and statistical interpretations. Northrop said the war in Iraq has diverted many U.S. military troops overseas, which is why their presence has not been felt in the Gulf Coast region. “The lack of national guardsmen, and [U.S. troops] coming in late, too, may also play a role in hurting [Bush] as the war in Iraq has become a negative stain on [Bushʼs] presidency,” Northrop said. Although Bushʼs allegedly slow reaction time to the Gulf Coast crisis has earned him much criticism, Northrop said she believes the country will band together just as it has during past APPROVAL
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All photos by GABRIEL FENOY/Daily Titan
Top left: Brian Hayes expresses rage about president Bush and his policies during Bush’s visit to Rancho Cucamonga last week. Top right: President Bush gives a talk on his new Medicare prescription drug plan at the James L. Brulte Senior Center in Rancho Cucamonga last week. Bottom left: Bush supporters gather in Rancho Cucamonga during President Bush’s visit last week. Bottom right: Police restrain an anti-Bush demonstrator who refused to get out of the street in Rancho Cucamonga last week.
Anti-war protests spread across Southland Code Pink, among other organizations gather to demonstrate By CARMELLIA MUNGUIA Daily Titan Staff
A few stand poised in bewilderment and intrigue. Others walk by without curiosity. Cars honk and traffic slows. A man driving a shiny red pick-up curses and flips his
middle finger as he speeds by. Handwritten large white and pink signs read, “Honk for Peace” and “Support troops bring ʻem home.” Curious teens dressed in gothic clothes pick up extra signs in support of the movement. As more onlookers join the protesters, the group of nine becomes 40 – and increases by the hour. Activists in different shades of pink and black stand before the west side of the Public Plaza in
downtown Orange hoping to bring awareness to an increasing antiwar movement to bring the troops home and promote peace. A war supporter also joins on the opposite side of the street to voice his support. As anti-war sentiments increase, different Southland organizations have been organizing en masse protests against the Iraq war. A Gallup Poll conducted in August asked 1,007 adult Americans if they are satisfied
with the way things are going in this country. The results indicate a 12 percent decrease in satisfaction amongst participants. While polls measure the mood of the country, increasing numbers of supporters in downtown Orange – since February – reflect the numbers in a more tangible way. Every Wednesday between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., activists meet at the same spot in Orange to partake and remain loyal to the anti-war cause. They encourage passers-by
and drivers to participate by honking their horns or showing some sign of support. Their nationwide organization is called Code Pink. Sue Guliford, a member of the Orange Chapter of Code Pink, hopes to make a difference by joining on this mission. “I always had misgivings about the war,” Guliford said. “We have created a terrible situation. Americans are less safe because of PROTEST 6
Stories behind local crime unearthed
Katrina causes fuel cost to spike
Numchucks, frozen rabbits housed in police evidence room
The Associated Press
Holiday travel slows as higher gas prices squeeze consumers
MARISSA WELTMER/Daily Titan
Daily Titan Staff
The evidence room at the Fullerton Police Department contains many different items. Here is a bicycle from a traffic accident, a stolen guitar, and a computer used confiscated in a idenity theft investigation.
Walking into the Fullerton Police Department property room, a childsize cherry red bike stands out. It is not the bent tire or the hanging chain that make it eye-catching, but rather the large tag covering the seat that reads “fatal.” Every item in the room tells a story; some are funny, some are sad and some, like the red bike that took a Fullerton girlʼs life when she was hit in a traffic accident, are fatal.
April Baughman, a property and evidence technician has worked in the property room for 10 years and said every time she thinks she has seen it all, something strange comes along. “One time, I had two frozen rabbits in my freezer and couldnʼt get rid of them,” Baughman said. “A homeless lady was living in a tent and the tent caught on fire. The rabbits were lying next to the tent, so they brought those in for
By JENNIFER BELLENDIR
evidence.” Most of the items are not as bizarre as frozen animals. Property is stored mostly in the main property room, but there is also a gunroom as well as a drug room. “We just did a big drug burn,” Baughman said. “Right now itʼs still evidence, but once the case is cleared it goes to court, thereʼs a disposition and if we no longer EVIDENCE 4
NEW YORK – Labor Day traffic slowed around the country as drivers lucky to find gas stations open paid over 30 percent more than before Hurricane Katrina disrupted Gulf Coast refinery and pipeline operations a week ago. Pump prices are starting to level off, but analysts say the dramatic rise in gasoline costs has forced consumers to begin rethinking everything from vacation travel plans to how much they can afford to spend for food, clothing and restaurant meals. Drivers paid an average of about $3.20 a gallon for unleaded regular on Monday, up $1.35 from a year ago, and 75 cents more than they
did before the hurricane, according to Randy Bly, director of community relations for AAA Auto Club South. The federation of motor clubs had originally forecast that 34.5 million Americans would travel 50 miles or more this Labor Day weekend. But Bly thinks that estimate was too high as drivers were spooked by the spike in gas prices and reports of shortages at gas stations in midwestern, southern and northeast states. “We feel very certain Hurricane Katrina will bring this (original estimate) lower,” Bly said. In Georgia, a moratorium on gas taxes and a slight dip in wholesale prices helped level fuel prices to an average of $3.05. On Friday, Gov. Sonny Perdue ordered a monthlong moratorium on state gas taxes and called legislators into a special session Tuesday to ratify the deciGASOLINE 3