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Did you miss some of the Gubernatorial profiles? Check them out online Thursday, February 25, 2010
Issue 101, Volume 75
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Prof hopes students change voting trends By Jared Luck THE DAILY COUGAR The March 2 preliminary gubernatorial race will place particular scrutiny on how Texans cast their ballots. According to Texas Politics, an online textbook maintained by the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, Texans are most likely to vote if they are white, a female who’s older than 40, or an affluent college graduate. In the 2000 presidential election, more than 80 percent of Texans with advanced degrees voted. Nearly 75 percent of those with family incomes of more than $75,000 also cast a
Group to focus on good diet, recycling By Matthew Keever THE DAILY COUGAR The Food Advisory Committee has taken a proactive stance in students’ eating habits and is awaiting their response. While focusing on meeting students’ dietary needs, the Committee has also pledged to make a positive impact on the Earth. “You’re going to see a totally new Moody Towers dining hall,” Dining Services program coordinator Jonas Chin said. “We’re going to have eight different concepts for this dining hall … we’re going to have 50 percent more seating and no more back kitchen. (Students are) going to know where their food is coming from.” Chin said the Committee has received positive feedback from students, though he hopes for more. He believes the University can make a positive impact on the environment while still meeting students’ needs. “I think everyone is very supportive,” Chin said. “Everyone is encouraged by it.” On Monday, during a busy dinnertime at the Moody Towers dinning hall, members of the Committee spoke to students about proposed and recent changes to their meal plans, options and cafeteria. “It’s a Benihana-style of doing things,” Chin said. “Let’s cook the food in front of you, and maybe you’ll even get a show.” Floor designs for a proposed see DINING, page 3
ballot. In contrast, people who didn’t graduate from high school voted at a rate of 32 percent. Those with family incomes of less than $25,000 voted at a rate of only 42 percent. Over the last 40 years, voter turnout in Texas has consistently remained around 20 percent lower for gubernatorial elections than presidential elections, according to figures available on the Web site of Texas Secretary of State Esperanaza “Hope” Andrade. Jennifer Clark, an assistant professor of political science at UH, said one explanation for low turnouts is the lack of competition in gubernatorial elections.
“Texas is generally a stronghold for the Republican Party, and gubernatorial elections are not highly competitive,” Clark said via e-mail. “That has an effect of depressing both conservative and liberal turnout.” According to a Rasmussen Reports poll published on Feb. 23, seven percent of Texas voters are still undecided about who they want as their next governor. Rasmussen also reported that male voters prefer the Republican candidates to Bill White — the favorite for the Democratic nomination — by more than 10 percent. Women support U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison over White, but White has an 18-point lead with
women over Republican Debra Medina. Texas Politics says Republican and Democratic voters possess differing views as to what is the biggest problem facing the state of Texas. A quarter of Texas Democrats believe high unemployment is the biggest problem, while a quarter of Republicans think immigration is the most urgent issue. Political corruption troubles Independents most. According to the Rasmussen poll, 63 percent of respondents said the state government needs to cut spending. Eighty percent believe President Barack Obama’s proposed freeze on spending will do little
or nothing to reduce the national deficit. If trends hold true, the number of UH students heading to the polls will be low. Clark hopes that trend will disappear soon. “Students should be involved and actively follow state politics — not just national politics — because the issues that directly affect them are not just federal,” Clark said. “The state budget has a significant effect on education. Although the budgetary process is often the class material that gets students the least excited, creating a state budget, in essence, is setting policy priorities.” news@thedailycougar.com
GUBERNATORIAL PROFILE
Governor vies to keep seat By Giselle Bueno THE DAILY COUGAR Incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry has been in office since 2000 and doesn’t plan on relinquishing his seat any time soon. If elected governor in the Nov. 2 election, Perry will serve his third four- year term as the states leader. In the upcoming March 2 primary for gubernatorial race, he will receive competition from fellow republican candidates Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Debra Medina. According to the latest polls from pollster.com, Perry leads all candidates with 40 percent of the early votes. If re-elected, Perry has a set of priorities that have been developing for the last nine years including, the economy, fiscal responsibility, helping small business and education. Perry’s campaign deputy secretary Catherine Frazier said Perry’s main focus during this term will be the economy. “Governor Perry’s priority is to keep Texas moving forward and maintain our state’s comparative COURTESY OF TEXANS FOR PERRY economic strength to the rest of the Gov. Rick Perry said his agenda, if elected for a third term, would focus on job creation and the state’s economy and education. nation,” Frazier said via e-mail. According to Perry’s campaign Web site, Texas has gained more than of opportunities. People move here Frazier said in order to uphold said Perry wants to expand the Uteach 630,000 new jobs over the last three that there is something special going fiscal responsibility Perry proposed Program, to include five or more years, and shows no sign of slowing on in Texas.” that the Texas constitution be universities, in order to recruit more down. Frazier said amended, to require two-thirds of the university students earning degrees in During a debate Perry will not over Legislature to approve tax increases science and math into teaching. Upcoming profiles earlier this year, tax entrepreneurs and to limit spending growth to the He is also looking to expand Friday: Republican Debra Medina Perry said one of his so they can rates of the population and inflation. the state’s Virtual School Network, main focuses will be succeed “by their “Such approaches to fiscal which allows high school students to to continue to create more jobs for own merits.” responsibility will empower Texas take courses online. Frazier said this Texans. “Because of conservative to weather the challenging global program bring backs students who “We have people without work in leadership, entrepreneurs know that economy and stand against the have dropped out. Texas and we have to work every day they can succeed on their own merits misguided and out of control Another way Perry wants to to make sure every Texans who wants in Texas without being over taxed, spending coming out of Washington,” improve education is make it a a job has a job,” he said. “The other over regulated or frivolously sued out she said. simple truth is that Texas is the land of existence,” she said. In regards to education, Frazier see PERRY, page 3