The Freemen: Are they madmen or are they just misunderstood~
Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton are tornadochasers in 'Twister'
Athletic Department plans to start women's water polo team in fall
OPINION PAGE 14
SPORTS PAGE 20
THE
. . . . . . LESC Palomar College
Friday, May 10, 1996
San Marcos, CA
Volume 49, Number 22
Legal problems may invalidate election • 'Electioneering,· lack of polling rules threaten proposal for new Student Union Suzette Clark Staff Writer
A Telescope investigation has revealed that guidelines established by the California Education Code and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may not have been followed while the special election was conducted to enact a $1 per unit fee to pay for the construction of a new Student Union. The mandatory fee would require students taking classes at Palomar's main San Marcos campus to pay $1 per unit, not to exceed $10 per student per school year. Only those receiving financial assistance. like General Assistance, SSI or AFDC, would be exempt. Questions began to surface May 8, when students began inquiring about the legality of signs behind the Student Union polling site. There was a large poster above a polling site urging students to "vote yes" for the Student Union. In addition, there
were handbills on the voting table that encouraged students to vote in favor of the Student Union fee. In federal, state and local elections, this type of promotion for a specific side of an issue or candidate, "electioneering," is forbidden within I00 feet of polling sites. The ASG Constitution and Bylaws have a Regular Election Code but has none for socalled special elections such as the one held for the new Student Union. The Regular Election Code states, "no handbills, election badges or posters may be displayed or distributed or posted or any act of campaignmg engaged in by the candidates or committees within the boundaries of the Student Union." Although this is specific for officers' elections, this and the recall election code both forbid "electioneering" from taking place at polling sites. The penalty for
See ELECTION, Page 9
Ralph W. Lincoln I The Telescope
Miguel Rico votes on May 8 at the ASG Student Union election as poll operators Juan Velasquez and Erica Olvera look on. The sign in the background, encouraging students to 'Vote Yes,' was later removed because it was considered to be electioneering.
Club holds campus fiesta Instructor's parking suit rejected by court Linda Isakson Sttl{f Writer
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo. the club Movimento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan (MEChA) held "La Union Del Pueblo." a conference for local high school students, Friday May 3 from 8 a.m. to 2:30p.m. on the football field. ·· 'La Umon Del Pueblo' is an event designed to help educate high school students about the history of the Mexican I Chicano communities and encourage higher education. The kids benefitted from the information given at the confere nce, " said Pedro Silva, MEChA president. The conference featured workshops presented by a community based organization called 'Mex icanos Unidos in Dcfensa del El Pueblo ' (MUDP), as well as Palomar MEChA members. Other workshops included ·'Plan de Santa Barbara," "500 years of Chicano Struggle," "Chicana Issues," "Chicano Financial Issues" and "Barrio Arte." The final workshop presented was an informational and actiononented discussion on Affirmative Action programs and why those programs are needed on college campuses and in the workplace.
• Professor sought $5.000 over Palomar s replacement" parking permit policy Rob Denny Sw!f Wrrrer
Daniel Kwan I The Telescope
Students perform one of three traditional Mexican dances during MEChA's Cinco de Mayo celebration at Palomar May 3. The dancers performed to music provided by a live Mariachi band.
"Not everything that makes us mad in life is worth going out and filing a lawsuit over," San Diego County Commissioner Larry Jones told Palomar Business instructor John Leahy as he denied Leahy's lawsuit against the college regarding its parking policies. Leahy sued Palomar for $5,000 because he said the policy of making teachers pay $25 to replace lost parking permits was "making a presumption that teachers had done something mischievous." Once in court, Leahy lowered his lawsuit to $25. Jones denied the lawsuit, saying the school was simply following set policies. He said the policy was clearly stated in Leahy 's contract with the school as well as the Faculty Manual, that any faculty member who loses their parking permit is required to pay a $25 replacement fee. ''We're just glad it's over," said Mike Gregoryk. vice president of Administrative Services, who represented Palomar in court. "It's time to move forward." Gregoryksaid the rule was implemented to discourage faculty members from giving parking permits to relatives or friends.
Though Gregoryk said Leahy could have resolved the matter by gomg m front of a college panel, Leahy decided to take the matter to court. If he won the lawsuit, Leahy had planned to go before Palomar's Governing Board to have the rule changed. Leahy said he does not intend to pursue the matter any further. "Once you get employed by Palomar College, according to the law, you are stuck with whatever policies they choose to set up, no matter how arbitrary, no matter how egregious," said Leahy. Leahy cited policies of other colleges in pointing out that Palomar charges an excess amount to replace parking permits. Mira Costa allows faculty members one free replacement and charges $8.50 for any additional replacement. This lawsuit marked the second time Leahy had sued Palomar over its parking policies. In 1986, he won a suit claiming it was an invasion of his privacy for Palomar to make him place a parking sticker on the bumper of his car.