The Paisano Volume 47 Issue 19

Page 1

Indivisible: Page 6

Frat life off campus: Page 5

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

September 25, 2012

Volume 47

news@paisano-online.com With the upcoming presidential elections in November, prospects are not looking so promising for Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Following the release of a video from one of Romney’s private events earlier this year, a Gallup poll has found that Independents are less likely to vote for Romney by a wide margin. Polls this year have shown that most voters have already made up their minds ahead of the election in November, and any shift towards either candidate could have huge implications, according to Nate Silver of the New York Times. Romney, who was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, gave a speech on May, 17, 2012 at a fundraiser held at a private residence in Boca Raton, Fla. In his speech, Romney allegedly commented that, “47 percent of the country are people who are dependent upon the government, who believe they are victims, who believe the government has the responsibility to take care of them, who believe they are entitled to health care, food, housing, you name it,” Romney said. “My job is not to worry about people who won’t take personal responsibility and care for themselves.” Romney’s speech was recorded and leaked to Mother Jones, a nonprofit magazine. It can be found on a multitude of internet sites including USA Today. “Obama and his campaign officials

call Romney’s remarks, ‘Callous and shocking,’” said USA Today reporters. Since its release the video has caused a storm of controversy, as Mitt Romney has had to defend his remarks referring to the 47 percent of Americans who do not pay income taxes. A Gallup Poll conducted by USA Today stated, “Over half of the independents say the video won’t make a difference in their vote. Those who say it will have an effect by 2-to-1; 29 percent to 15 percent say it makes them less likely rather than more likely to support the GOP Presidential nominee.” Due to his remarks, Romney appears to be a person “who only cares for the rich,” said BusinessWeek. “Romney implies that the 47 percent in question did not pay income tax.” According to Joshue Green of BusinessWeek this is misleading because only about ten percent of people did not pay taxes, mostly retires. Green argued, “Another reason fewer Americans are paying taxes is because they are unemployed.” Green refers to the Earned Income Tax Credit created in 1975 by Democratic Senator Russell Long of Louisiana as another reason some Americans are not paying in when tax season rolls around. EITC is a wage subsidy for the working poor. “It functions as an offset to income tax in order to offer an incentive to work. See Romney, Page 2

Freshman wide receiver Kenny Bias eludes a defender as the Roadrunners improved to 4-0 this season, the best start in program history. See Page 7 for full story.

Proposed 85 mph speed limit w o u l d b e n a t i o n ’s f a s t e s t David Smith Intern

Alyssa Gonzales/The Paisano

news@paisano-online.com

The pool at the UTSA recreation center has been closed since Dec. 3, 2011.

Rec pool to remain closed until pipes are fixed David Glickman Contributing Writer

news@paisano-online.com Any students who have visited the recreation center have been greeted with a “closed” sign next to the barren cement. The pool at the UTSA recreation center has been closed since Dec. 3 of last year. No formal explanation for the closure was ever given, but student speculation have ranged from pipe problems to the Texas drought. The truth, however, is a bit more complicated. “The pool was losing an average of 30,000 gallons of water per day,” said Laura Monroe, director of UTSA campus recreation. This massive water loss forced the university to shut down the pool until

a contractor could fix and repair the problem. However, problems arose as the contractor declared part-way through their repairs to the pool’s pipes that they were not going to continue at no cost to the university. This, in turn, caused all repair to be halted until an independent firm could finish an investigation of the area. New repairs on the pool or its pipe system have yet to begin. Monroe, however, remains hopeful for future repairs. “The campus recreation center will have a solution within the next few months,” Monroe said. “I am hopeful that a resolution will occur soon and Campus Recreation is able to move forward with a plan so that the students and members can once again enjoy the aquatics program.”

Controversy has erupted over the Texas Legislature’s decision to endorse an 85 mph speed limit, the highest in the nation, for the newly developed State Highway 130 tollway. The road stretches 41 miles between Seguin, TX and Georgetown, TX. SH 130 is a state owned toll road developed by the SH 130 Concession Company, part of a consortium of companies headed by the Spanish firm Cintra. The concession agreement grants the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) a share of the profits and control of the road after 50 years. TxDOT plans to use its share for “regional mobility improvements.” The agreement also stipulates that TxDOT will receive an additional $33 million if the state agreed to raise the speed limit from 80 to 85 mph; the idea is that the higher speed limit will attract more drivers, increasing the road’s profitability. Higher speeds have been a part of the plan since it began in 2006. Tests conducted just before the new speed limits were approved

“have shown the designated speed is a safe one,” claimed TxDOT spokeswoman Kelli Reyna, according to the New York Times. Many studies have been conducted on the issue of whether or not faster speeds can really be as safe as slower speeds. The state of Indiana, for example, commissioned civil engineer Nataliya V. Malyshkina to review the statistics of previous

speed increases in the state—first from 55 to 65 mph, and again from 65 to 75 mph—to help determine whether an 80 mph limit would be safe. Malyshkina’s study showed a three percent increase in the accident rate when increasing the speed limit to 65, but only a 0.64 percent increase when the speed was raised to 75 mph. See Speed Limit, Page 2

The Texas Legislature has decided to endorse an 85 mph speed limit on the newly developed State Highway 130 tollway.

AP Photo

Intern

Alyssa Gonzales/The Paisano

Runners easily cruise past Northwestern Oklahoma State 56-3, stay undefeated

Leaked video, tax returns still creating controversy for Mitt Romney Lorilee Merchant

Issue 19


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