The Beacon - Election issue

THE BEACON NOVEMBER 2012

ELECTION ISSUE

BARACK OBAMA vs

MITT ROMNEY

ISSUE 2

Portsmouth Abbey School 285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) 683-2000 www.portsmouthabbey.org

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Own the Vote

By Kilian White Staff Writer

For some of you, this year is a big year. This is the year when you are first able to cast a vote in a US presidential election. If you did not know already, this is a big year. This is the year you stand up and shoulder the responsibilities of citizenship. This is the year when you first have a say in your country’s future. So what do you need to know about

VOTE

this newfound power before you use it?

The most important thing you should know about your voting power is that it is just that, a power. The vote you cast is meaningful. You are deciding who leads our country in the next four years. You have just been given a say in the future of America.

That is a weighty responsibility to take on, but take it on you must. It is your solemn duty to those who have given so much to preserve this gift for you, and to those who have yet to receive it.

So, having established that you have

been called upon to fulfill an important duty for your country, what can you do to make sure that you cast a vote that is meaningful, thoughtful, and responsible? Well, you can know where you stand. You can understand the stakes. You can know the issues. You can know the candidates. You can know the ideologies. You can know the talking points.

You can know the consequences. You can make sure that you are informed enough to make the right decision, to the best of your ability, for your country.

The challenges America faces today are

enormous. As a voter, your responsibility is to decide how we face those challenges.

The decision made on November 6th will have consequences for years to come. As a citizen of the United States of America it is your obligation to make the right choice.

For those of you voting, this is the year you are given the greatest responsibility an American citizen can have. This is the year you are given the greatest gift an American citizen can have. This is the year you own the vote.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island Ballot Measures

By Kelsi Harper Staff Writer

In addition to voting for a President, each state has a number of measures to vote yes or no on. This year, Rhode Island citizens will vote on seven questions:

1. Shall an act be approved which would authorize the

facility known as “Twin River” in the town of Lincoln to add state-operated casino gaming, such as table games, to the types of gambling it offers?

2. Shall an act be approved which would authorize the

facility known as “Newport Grand” in the city of Newport to add state-operated casino gaming, such as table games, to the types of gambling it offers?

3. Approval of this question will allow the State of

Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) for renovations and modernization of academic buildings at Rhode Island College including renovation, upgrade and expansion of health and nursing facilities on the campus of Rhode Island College.

4. Approval of this question will allow the State of

Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed ninety-four million dollars ($94,000,000) for the construction of a new Veterans’ Home and renovations to existing facilities. Any funding amount from federal sources received for these purposes will be used to reduce the amount of borrowed funds

5. Approval of this question will authorize the State of

Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) to be leveraged with federal and state capitalization grants to finance wastewater infrastructure projects and eight million dollars ($8,000,000) to be leveraged with federal and state capitalization grants to finance drinking water infrastructure projects.

6. Approval of this question will allow the State of

Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes for environmental and recreational purposes to be allotted as follows:

a. b. c. d. e. f.

Narragansett Bay and Watershed Restoration State Land Acquisition - Open Space Farmland Development Rights Local Land Acquisition Grants Local Recreation Grants Historic/Passive Parks

7. Approval of this question will allow the State of

Rhode Island to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes in an amount not to exceed twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) for affordable housing.

Most of Rhode Islands voting issues have to do with economic problems. Questions 3-7 give the state the ability to issue and handle bonds for in-state projects. The state issues bonds when it has a long-term project that does not need to be paid for in advance but over time. Because the bonds are paid through the general tax fund, the taxpayer votes for or against the project or the dollar amount. Question 1-2 have to do with allowing casino table games, such as poker or blackjack, to enter the already existent gambling facilities in Rhode Island, whose primary business is slot and gaming machines.

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Martha Washington

FIRST LADY

Eleanor Roosevelt

Ann Romney

Our First Lady of the Land

By Kimberly Mehrtens Editor in Chief

With the upcoming election underway, many people have begun to compare the different stances and promises of the Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney. However, one of the many questions arising from the 2012 election is who will be the next First Lady? Will it be veteran Michelle Obama or Ann Romney? Though, more importantly, what is the significance of the First Lady and should they influence your vote?

“First Lady” was not always the accepted title for the wife of the president.

Generally, the wife of the president would choose to be addressed according to their preference with titles ranging from “Lady” to “Mrs. President” to “Mrs. Presidentress.” Legend has it that the term “First Lady” first arose during the funeral of Dolley Madison in 1849 when President Zachary Taylor read her eulogy. The eulogy was not documented, so the earliest

written evidence of the title was in 1863 by William Howard Russell when in his diary he referred to Mary Todd Lincoln as “the First Lady in the Land.” The title did not gain national recognition until 1877, when used in a newspaper for the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hares, and was not majorly used until the 1930s. Nowadays the title has spread from the United States to other countries.

The First Lady, despite acting as a national figure in the U.S. government actually carries no official duties and receives no salary. She is not elected and acts primarily as the “hostess” of the White House, organizing and attending official ceremonies with, or sometimes in the place of, the president. Yet, the First Ladies have often risen above their roles as “political celebrities” to becoming political activists for individual causes. Some examples include: Lady Bird Johnson, who sought to protect

Jacqueline Kennedy

Nancy Reagan

Michelle Obama the environment and its beauty; Pat Nixon, urged volunteerism in the U.S. and traveled abroad as much as she could; Betty Ford was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights; Rosalynn Carter supported aid for those with medical disabilities through awareness and health legislation; Nancy Reagan famously founded the Just Say No drug awareness campaign; Barbara Bush promoted literacy; Hillary Rodham Clinton focused on reforming our healthcare system; and Laura Bush involved herself in issues regarding children and women, both nationally and internationally.

Most recently, First Lady Michelle Obama has become famous for her efforts in the movement against childhood obesity, which she has named “Let’s Move!” In addition to her goal to reverse the 21st century trend of childhood obesity—childhood obesity affects approximately 17% of children and teens, with growing numbers every year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)—Michelle Obama also works to support military families, help working women balance career and family, encourage national service, and promote the arts

and art education. So, what cause would Ann Romney back? Would she try to bring awareness to multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 1997? Or, perhaps, she will continue her work with the Operation Kids, a foundation that provides customized philanthropic services for individuals, families, and companies.

As Hilary Rodham Clinton once said, “The American people have made the role of the First Lady one of the most important jobs in the country... It is a tribute to American women that, coming from different social and economic backgrounds, from many different geographical regions, and with diverse educational preparation, each First Lady served our country so well.

Each left her own mark, and each teaches us something special about our history.”

So, with the election drawing nearer and nearer, remember to take note of Michelle Obama and Ann Romney. The First Lady stands as a significant role, providing a platform for awareness and activism in important national issues.

THE INCUMBENT

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The Incumbent

By Annie Zhao Staff Writer

F

act-gobbling monsters hide between words and figures in both Obama and Romney’s campaigns. Trying to dig out the truth is about as impossible as aligning yourself with the candidate who you don’t agree with (which is to say pretty impossible). Go to your favorite national news outlet online and peruse through the comments section on a political update. You’ll find things take a quick turn towards painfully farcical regardless of affiliation. For that reason, this article’s aim is informative and any persuasive qualities, hopefully, are due to fact.

Presidents, generally speaking, receive most of the credit when the economy is doing well and take most of the blame when things go wrong. Save for Roosevelt and Reagan, presidents have historically had little influence in actual economic guidance. Congress and the Federal Reserve are just as influential, if not more so. To make the great blame game even harder to decipher, policies set by one president often remain in effect over the course of the next presidency.

While many will agree that recovery was a far cry from the hopeful—and now in hindsight, highly unlikely—promise to bring America back to being a well-oiled economic machine, Obama’s lackluster results were not for a lack of trying. The fact remains that Obama took hold of the country from Bush while it was still hurtling into the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The economy shrank 4.7% in the period between December 2007 and July 2009 according to the Department of Commerce. The following recovery was modest; 5.8% from July 2009 to December 2011. Obama has been the best president for corporate profits since 1900, with average annual average profit growth standing at 6.8% starting from January 2008, pre-recession, 77.9% starting from January 2009, mid-recession. Unemployment rates ended their downswing in October 2009 and as of September 2012 figures have dropped to 7.8%, the number when Obama first took office.

Recovery efforts were stuttered by his campaign promise for bipartisan cooperation; practical implementation of this ideal hit a block just eight days after Obama was put into office. The House approved stimulus package found not a single favorable Republican vote in the Senate.

According to the Economist, “Sluggish growth since 2009 has fed opposing assessments of the $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvest-

ment Act. Conservatives say stimulus does not work, or that Mr. Obama’s was badly designed.

Most impartial work suggests they are wrong.”

Even when he pushed for policies historically Republican led—a cap-and-trade proposal for carbon emissions or comprehensive immigration reform—he found a wall of GOP opposition.

When Obama put forth health care expansion as Romney had implemented in Massachusetts, he still found no traction among Republicans.

But Obama’s list of accomplishments is still quite staggering, and his campaign promises for the 2012 election intend to continue the list.

For the economy, the stimulus plan kept liquidity in the economy during the financial meltdown. Whether the plan was too much money and did not do enough or if it was too little money and did not do enough remains difficult to decide but the plan did create a lasting legacy. Projects on infrastructure and clean energy that were included in the stimulus often take decades to complete. Additionally, the percentage of national debt due to the stimulus tapers once past the initial glut of spending, whereas Bushera tax cuts remains one of the greatest sources.

He put in new regulations of Wall Street and the Dodd-Frank Reform with the Consumer Protection Act, tightening requirements on large banks with regards to capital. He cracked down on abusive lending. He made a deal allowing the US to access records of Swiss banks, which are often used as offshore tax evasion havens. He turned around the failing auto-industry with the Big Three once against profitable, adding more than 100,000 jobs since hitting bottom. His promises this election include taking away tax breaks for outsourcing companies, giving tax breaks to those companies that do hire American workers, rebuild roads, bridges, schools and renovate buildings for energy efficiency. He aims to create one million manufacturing jobs over the next four years by lowering rates on domestic manufacturers and investing in aiding worker training. He will continue to push for middle-class tax cuts, but is not considering a new plan for further tax cuts. Obama holds onto his principle to increase taxes on the wealthy, presumably implementing the Buffett Rule, which states that incomes over $1 million would be taxed at least 30%.

Cont’d Page 7

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THE CHALLENGER The Challenger

By Kilian White Staff Writer

M

itt Romney’s vision for the United States of America is one defined by purpose, responsibility, and freedom. His synthesis of conservative values and capitalist virtues point the country towards a bright future of defined by economic stability, freedom, and peace. How does he plan to do this?

Well first, let’s address foreign policy. America, to Mitt Romney, has been the great propagator of freedom in the 20th century. In order to continue this admirable record, our military, diplomatic, and economic resources must be put to effective use. In the Middle East, Romney plans to push the creation of a unified diplomatic command for the region, with the ability to levy the fiscal, military, and diplomatic pressure needed to preserve peace in the region. America’s relationship with Israel, which is languishing under our current president, must be reaffirmed. Regional forces for instability, especially Iran, whose quest for nuclear weapons and decidedly unsubtle support of terrorist organizatons in the region has brought the country into global disrepute, must be reined in. This Mitt Romney wants to see accomplished by bringing a credible threat of military action to the table should Iran not stand down its aggressive activities. The fledgling nations reborn during the “Arab Spring” must be fostered into free, modern, and open societies. In Southwest Asia, Mr. Romney wants to guide the fledgling government Afghanistan to a safe, free and stable future. To be able to do this, our country needs not just the will of the American people but the will of the Afghan people as well. Romney would put pressure on the government of Afghanistan to take the initiative in fighting corruption, tyranny, and drug trafficking in their own country. At the same time, in Pakistan, Romney, if elected, would be working to ensure stability, peace, and freedom with the goal of keeping Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal safe. Hopefully American troop presence in the region would end by 2014, but our mutual economic and diplomatic relationship would carry on for years to come. In Africa, Mitt Romney wants to see American interests and those of her allies firmly protected. To this end, he would promote economic and government reform, to try to encourage stability and democracy in a region long bereft of either. Human rights in Africa would be a major issue for Romney as president, and he would do everything in his power to ensure that freedom from fear and tyranny were being preserved on that continent. In Cen-

tral and Southeastern Asia, Romney would maintain and expand American naval presence to keep peace amid territorial disputes and trade issues.

Under Romney, American economic ties would be strengthened and preserved, in order to help maintain the freedom and security of all of the nations in the region. America would be adamant that abusers of civil rights and those that threaten the safety and freedom of their citizens and neighbors would not be tolerated. In Latin America, economic partnership with democratic nations would be used to help counter the growing sphere of influence of the authoritarian governments of Chavez and Castro.

These partnerships would extend also to antidrug and counterterrorism operations in the region.

In terms of government spending, Mitt Romney believes that nothing less than the wholesale restructuring of our country’s government is in order. America’s military and defense agencies, while receiving a budget of almost a trillion dollars, are stuck with outdated equipment and aging hardware that, while still powerful, is fast being made obsolescent by technological advancement. Romney firmly believes that the United States’ military is one of America’s most important assets, and indeed one of the most important forces for peace around the world. However, there is no denying that the military budget is wracked by graft and corruption.

To this end, Romney wants to institute reforms with the objective of cutting back on waste and mismanagement of taxpayer money. In terms of concrete goals for America’s military, Romney wants to see the aging United States Air Force modernized for warfare in the 21st century and significant growth in the size of the United States Navy, with a tentative goal of 15 new ships per year by the end of his first term.

Regulation is another key issue this election.

America in this day and age is burdened with mountains of red tape, government intervention, and redundant rules and laws. Simplicity is the word of the day, in this case. Mitt Romney sees government’s role as one of oversight, not involvement, in the American economy. To this end, Romney wants to encourage privatization, choice, and competition wherever it is possible, and to simplify and streamline laws where it is not. Energy poses serious short- and long-term challenges for America.

In terms of security, we are reliant on nations with feeling ambivalent at best, hostile at worst, towards our country, for a large part of our fuel. Romney wants to approach this problem from several different angles. Firstly, he wants to create a regional energy partnership with Canada and Mexico to keep production in our country. He would authorize the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to help

CHALLENGER / INCUMBENT bring oil into our country. America’s immediate problems with energy, Romney believes, can be addressed in the confines of our own continent. However, Mitt Romney is still very much aware of the need for alternative fuel sources.

Oil is relatively cheap and still quite plentiful, but its supply is limited and it is an ecologically unsound option. To this end, Romney’s government would encourage the development of alternative energy resources. However, unlike his predecessor, Romney’s government would have a more passive approach, aiding in research and development and easing regulations across the board for the development of alternative energy. The recent healthcare mandate passed under Obama, must, in Romney’s opinion, be repealed immediately. The economic implications of such government interventionism are unhealthy and thus inappropriate in the grand scheme of things.

The burden of federal intervention is driving up insurance premiums and destroying competition across the board, and thus cannot be allowed to stand. Likewise, the recently passed Dodd-Frank bill must be similarly repealed, as it places an incredible onus on the already-troubled American financial system, layering on expensive government regulation and red tape without helping to fix the broken parts of our banking system. Romney wants to see it replaced by a law with a more defined purpose and less regulatory agencies.

Environmental regulations also must be similarly reformed, as they create a convoluted and murky system that freely interferes with economic activity in America without yielding credible or desirable benefits. This system, too, needs an overhaul in the eyes of Mitt. In terms of labor relations, Romney would work his hardest to break the chokehold unions have on government and private enterprise by making membership optional for public sector unions and by requiring more latitude for employees who for whatever reason are disinterested in joining unions. Labor relations under Romney would have all sides of the issue represented, not just that of the unions but also that of employers, consumers, and regulators. The ultimate goal of this simplification of American regulation should be the cutting in government expenditure by eliminating redundant, outdated, and wasteful government regulations.

Fiscal policy is a major issue in the upcoming election. Our country’s finances are out of balance, with $16 trillion and mounting in public debt, a serious reformation must occur in the very near future. As president, Romney would start by instituting one simple precept: that America’s government expenditures not exceed

twenty percent of our gross domestic product.

In terms of specifics, Romney wants to progressively raise the retirement age for Social Security to adjust for increases in longevity (when the Social Security Administration was founded the average lifespan for Americans was the same as the age at which you started receiving Social Security benefits; the system was not designed to provide coverage for everyone.) Medicare would be directed less towards insurance provision and more towards premium support, with interested insurers required to put in place equivalent plans at the same price. This would give those who wished the opportunity to buy into more expensive plans while retaining Medicare financial support and paying the difference out of their own pocket. The price of the federal government, Mr. Romney believes, needs to be slashed dramatically. To this end, Romney wishes to enact a zero-cost policy towards regulatory commissions, basically requiring that new regulation cannot impose financial burdens on the America taxpayer in terms of taxation and economic impact. The government workforce, Mitt believes, needs to be shrunk, and he plans to accomplish this via attrition, while at the same time decreasing pay across the board for government employees. Taxation is another major issue.

The America taxpayer, Mr. Romney believes, is overburdened by unreasonable and unfair taxes that damage America’s ability to compete in foreign markets. For private citizens, taxes would be cut for those with adjust gross incomes below $200,000. Corporate income taxes would be cut, permanently, to twenty-five percent, in order to restore American economic viability.

Mitt Romney envisions a country where government is smaller, more efficient, and less burdensome for its citizens. He believes that government is there to serve the people, and not vice versa. Mitt Romney wishes to create an America that is ruled by the American citizen, representing his interests, his wishes, and his views. Our president for the past four years has done little to address these problems, and arguably a lot to make them worse. If you want four more years of that, so be it. But if you want a bright future, an American future, a future where hope is more than an audacious rhetorical flourish, than you want Mitt Romney as the next president of the United States of America.

Zhao, Cont’d from Page 5 For the social services sector, Obama passed the Affordable Care Act, which includes all the provisions in the Patient Bill of Rights that Clinton had failed to pass. These provisions include coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, capping out-of-pocket expenses to prevent people from bankrupting under their medical costs, providing tax credits to help small businesses and the poor to pay for now required medical insurance. In addition to increasing competition between insurance companies and upping pressure to offer more plans, the act establishes an independent commission of doctors to find fraud and abuse in the medical system. He signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which would allow the FDA to regulate tobacco for the first time. He also gave the FDA new authority for recalls on unsafe food and inspections of facilities accounting for one-sixth of the United States’ food. His promises include improving any aspect of Obamacare needed, focusing on bringing down healthcare costs while engaging in more preventative measures. His main method on reducing cost in the system is by cutting waste and eliminating abuse and fraud. With regards to abortion, Obama wants women to have the right to “control their own health choices.”

For the educational system, Obama provided funding for more high-speed Internet access to K-12 schools as well as construction of new schools. He removed banks from the student loan equation, moving towards expanding Pell Grants and increasing regulation on how the grants would be distributed only to students who were on track for graduation.

He created Race to the Top, providing states with incentives to make changes in their educational systems, such as the institution of a common K-12 standard for 48 states. His goal is to hire more teachers, especially in the subjects of math and science and bring tuition down, now that he has expanded student aid.

He promises to continue to invest in the education and in doing so provide the American workforce with a “gateway of opportunity.”

His campaign goal is to halve the growth of college tuition costs over the next decade using a program similar to Race to the Top. For the military and foreign relations, Obama ended media blackout on war casu-

7 alties, pulled out all troops from Iraq, ordered a raid on Osama bin Laden that successfully captured him as well as signed the repeal of the DADT. Obama has also spent more time in his first six months of office traveling abroad and improving America’s image diplomatically with an average increase of 26%. He promises to end the war in Afghanistan by 2014 and add more jobs for veterans using money that would have been spent on war. For Iran, Obama believes that a nuclear arms race would be disastrous and commits to having the strongest military in the world, but wants to lead with diplomacy whenever possible. With regards to China, Obama regards diplomatic pressure better than declaring China a currency manipulator because of the possibility of inciting a trade war, but has increased punitive trade measures on China in an attempt to make the nation into a more responsible economic player. Obama believes balance to be the key to China’s human-rights record, believing it counterproductive to embarrass the nation.

For research sectors, such as medical, clean energy put in new federal funding for new biomedical research, such as stem cells and expanded vaccination programs. He restarted talks of treaties on protecting the Antarctic and greenhouse gas emissions. After Obama’s cap-and-trade failed to pass the Senate, the EPA issued the first standards on limiting mercury emissions from coal power plants. Despite the deep-water drilling disaster from Deepwater Horizon, Obama followed through with his plans to boost offshore drilling. He promises a 10-year goal to develop clean coal technology. He plans to develop use of nuclear power and supports tax credits and loans to help development of wind and solar technologies. His new energy policy is to cut oil imports in half by 2020 by doubling fuel efficiency standards, and expanding biofuels.

Obama certainly fits into the mold of plenty of liberal things, but his performance in the past term did its job in saving the economy from further spiral. But the measures he put into place afterwards, as well as his landmark healthcare bill, have shown that Obama is not a slacker when it comes to getting things done. Obama places a focus on diplomacy for international affairs and moving “forward”, educating Americans and building inroads into clean energy and domestic job growth that are hopefully here to stay.

8 Editors-In-Chief Katherine Haines Kimberly Mehrtens Michelle Mehrtens Layout Editor MinJae (Steve) Cho Photo Editor HyungSeok (Toby) Yun FAculty Advisor Mr. Cowan

STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGraphers Antonia Ambrose Matthew Benevides Fletcher Bonin

Brian Fredericks YueLin Guo Abby Hackl

Rhoads MacGuire Em Magnifico Julian Minondo

Lucy Ferry

Douglas Lebo

Erin Shaw

David M. Brower Emma Butler Zoe Butler Melanie Camacho Minqian Chen Seha Choi Tim Cunningham Siddharth D'Silva Nicholas DeLieto Eden Franz

From the Editor

By Michelle Mehrtens Editor in Chief

November 6 is the day millions of people will cast their votes in the U.S. presidential election. This is also the first year I can vote. Hurrah for me! No longer will I have to lurk by the sidelines, or engage in questionable mock elections. No sir! I can cast my ballot and make my choice—my voice— heard. Of course, making such a decision requires research and personal examination. Where do I stand on the economy, the war in Afghanistan, women’s rights, gay rights, education, and healthcare? No, I will not make my decision based on who has the prettier smile or the more fashionable wardrobe. No, I will not make my decision based on who acts the least like a bizarre robot. To be a savvy voter, here is a brief rundown of the candidates’ stances.

The United States has been undergoing a major recession and high unemployment. At the height of the recession, unemployment peaked at over 10%. Obama’s term will end with a 7.8% unemployment rate—114,000 jobs were added in September. Obama recommends tax breaks for American manufacturers that provide jobs within the United States and tax penalties for those who outsource their jobs. Romney supports lowering taxes and removing strict regulations on the financial industry, and hopes to balance the budget.

Here are some facts. Look up some of your own. And if you can, vote!

Gerrard Hanly Kelsi Harper Meredith Horan Xuanqing (Amy) Huang Liam Kelly Isabel Keogh Mary-Frances Kielb Jake Kim Mossiah Kouassi-Brou JooSeung Lee

Justin Mistikawy Melody Mo Helen Nelson Hannah Niles Rory O'Connor Madeleine O'Shea Paulina Power Peter Russell Patrick Ruvane Brigid Shea

Julia Slupska Rachel Sousa Lauren Thompson

Peter Vergara Stephen Vye Yazhen (Alex) Wang Winslow Wawro Kilian White Patrick Wilks Yanqi Zhang Annie Zhao