November07 2012 Issue

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7, 201

MO’ day,

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BAMA Barack is back for four more years

By Justin David Tate etc4640@dcccd.edu

Barack Obama defeated Gov. Mitt Romney by a wide margin to win his second term despite a storm of controversy that plagued the election process.

Days before the election, Hurricane Sandy struck New York, damaging millions of homes, businesses and polling stations.

On Tuesday, a Pennsylvania voting machine was videotaped choosing Mitt Romney even as a voter tried to select Obama.

Through all the disputes and conflicts, Obama managed to become the third consecutive United States president to hold a second term in office.

See OBAMA, page 4 ➤ AP PHOTO/CAROLYN KASTER

2

SPECIAL EDITION

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

www.eastfieldnews.com

West elected to another term

By Jaenett Reyes etc4640@dcccd.edu

Royce West won the State Senate race once again on election night as Dallas remained a blue county.

West easily beat Republican John Lawson, earning 186,286 votes to 41,100 for Lawson.

He expressed his emotions about the victory Tuesday night after earning 81.93 percent of the vote to Lawson’s 18.07 percent. “[I’m] fired up,” West said, and that is how the crowd was all night at the Democratic watch party at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It was a noisy night in a room full of diversity, excitement and anticipation.

“The night is going to turn out great for the whole Democratic Party,” West said.

“I feel great we are going to win and Obama is going to ride with us,” said Leonard Long, West’s senior advisor. Long also said the last time he felt a unity as strong as tonight was back in 2008.

Democrats were hoping for a victory and were eager for results. They roared every time Obama won a state.

One of West’s supporters was Domingo Garcia, a former state representative in-

Texas who praised the senator.

“Royce is about bringing people together, black, white, brown, young, old, straight and gay, and that is what his campaign is about. That is why I have supported West for over 25 years. He’s our best state senator,” Garcia said.

Assistant District Attorney Brandon Birmingham also supported West.

“It’s inspiring Royce has been so fantastic for that area so long,” Birmingham said.

West addressed his plans in a speech.

“With the election of all of these democratic officials comes the responsibility of governing and doing what is in the best interest for citizens of Dallas County,” West said.

The issues that are a top priority for the senator are public school, finance, healthcare, senior care and discipline in schools.

On education, West said he will continue on the same path and build more coalitions. West is ready to go back and file bills.

This is the fourth time the Democrats have swept Dallas County. “In terms of Dallas County, I’m elated,” West said of the results.

“Tonight I am a Democrat.”

National U.S. SENATE

902 of 1000 Precincts reporti

Ted Cruz (REP).............

Paul Sadler (DEM)........

John Jay Myers (LIB)...

David B. Collins (GRN).

U.S. CONGRESS, DIS

104 of 131 Precincts reportin

Jeb Hensarling (REP)...

Linda S. Mrosko (DEM) Ken Ashby (LIB)............

U.S. CONGRESS, DIS

319 of 341 Precincts reportin

Travis Washington, Jr. Eddie Bernice Johnson Ed Rankin (LIB).............

State

STATE SENATE, DIST

172 of 172 Precincts reporting

Bob Duell (REP)............

STATE SENATE, DIST

348 of 376 Precincts reporting ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Democrat Royce West was all smiles Tuesday night after a resounding victory over John Lawson in the State Senate District 23 race.

Eastfield grad among state rep winners

By Melisa Joyce and Keturah Jones etc4640@dcccd.edu

ANGEL ABARCA/THE ET CETERA

Eastfield graduate Cindy Burkett rolled to a comfortable win over Angela Sarlay in the District 113 state representative race.

Despite losing the presidential race, Texas Republicans were happy they won two local races, while the Democrats were able to secure one.

The District 107 race went late into the night before Republican Kenneth Sheets was declared the winner. He received 50.89 percent of the vote, while Democratic opponent Robert Miklos earned 49.11 percent.

Republicans also cheered for Cindy Burkett, who easily won the race against Green Party candidate Angela Sarlay. Burkett had 27,072 votes and Sarlay 6,234. The incumbent Burkett won 81 percent of the votes.

Burkett thanked all the people who helped her campaign.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my spouse, that’s really important,” Burkett said.

Burkett said she wanted to

make sure schools are reformed and teachers get paid based on how well they are teaching their students. She is an Eastfield College alumna, and said community college serves a “definite need and is excellent for the community.”

“I’m happy Cindy won because I think she can really make a difference, and she seems to really care about our children, who are our future,” Republican supporter Amanda Johannes said.

Burkett also wants to address other issues.

“It’s my second term, I am going to continue working on the budget and education funding,” Burkett said. “It’s got a weird formula that I want to simplify. I also want to do some work with mental health issues, ensuring that people get proper housing and treatment.”

Democratic Rep. Eric Johnson from District 100 won in an uncontested race. Johnson wants to improve the quality and accessibility of a good education.

John Lawson (REP)......

Royce West (DEM)........

STATE REP., DIST. 10

83 of 83 Precincts reporting

Eric Johnson (REP)......

STATE REP., DIST. 10

59 of 59 Precincts reporting

Kenneth Sheets (REP)..

Robert Miklos (DEM)....

STATE REP., DIST. 11 66 of 66 Precincts reporting

Cindy Burkett (REP).....

Angela K. Sarlay (DEM)

Local COUNTY SHERIFF

902 of 1000 Precincts reporti

Kirk Launis (REP).........

Lupe Valdez (DEM).......

DALLAS PROPOSITI

STREET IMPROVEMENT BO

449 of 518 Precincts reportin

For.................................

Against..........................

DALLAS PROPOSITI

FLOOD PROTECTION BOND

For.................................

Against..........................

DALLAS PROPOSITI

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

For.................................

Against..........................

ELECTION 2012

3

The Et Cetera

l Races

ing

.........................56.9% .........................40.3% ...........................2.0% ...........................0.9%

ST. 5

ng

.........................65.8% )........................32.0% ...........................2.2%

ST. 30

ng

(REP)................18.4% n (DEM)............79.6% ...........................2.0%

Races

T. 2

g

............................100%

T. 23

g

.........................18.1% .........................81.9%

00

............................100%

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www.eastfieldnews.com

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Valdez earns easy win Briefs ELECTION

By Claudia Guerra and Anjulie Van Sickle etc4640@dcccd.edu

Sheriff Lupe Valdez was re-elected for a third term, beating Republican challenger Kirk Launius by a comfortable margin.

“Once again, the people of Dallas County have provided the vote, giving me the confidence to go forward,” Valdez said at the Democratic watch party at the Hyatt Regency Tuesday night.

With 902 out of 1,000 precincts reporting, Valdez had secured 58.7 percent of the votes, while Launius had 41.3 percent.

Valdez has been sheriff of Dallas County since Nov. 4, 2004. She took the title of highest-ranking law enforcement officer of Dallas County in Jan. 1, 2005, and has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years at the federal and state level.

Her opponent, Launius, had very different plans if he had been elected.

“Change number one would be increasing the moral of the department, which has been seriously damaged by the current sheriff,” he said. “We need to increase the enforcement of the law county-wide so that everyone in the county gets their value for their tax dollars, which will increase trust in the department. Visibility is important.”

In her term, Valdez said she has turned

........................50.9% .........................49.1%

Problems in Pennsylvania include voting machine glitch

GRISELDA TORRES/THE ET CETERA

Lupe Valdez, right, celebrated her re-election as Dallas County sheriff during the Democratic watch party Tuesday night at the Hyatt Regency.

the county jail around and will continue to do so, thanks to those who voted blue in this election.

During her victory speech, Valdez invited many law-enforcement personnel up to the stage to congratulate them for their hard work. She shook their hands and

smiled at the crowd.

The crowd cheered and applauded as Valdez walked off the stage and disappeared into the hectic atmosphere.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Valdez said.

“There’s nothing like getting a large vote in your favor.”

ELECTORAL MAP

13

..............................81% ).............................19%

Races

ing

.........................41.3% .........................58.7%

ION 1

OND

ng

President Barack Obama won the electoral votes in 26 states on election day, with Florida still being undecided at press time.

Alaska and Hawaii, which are not shown. Alaska voted Republican, and Hawaii went Democratic.

..........................88.3% ..........................11.7%

ION 2

D

..........................82.2% .........................17.8%

ION 3

T BOND

..........................78.8% ..........................21.2%

Republican Democrat

CHRIS GUERRA-YANGER/THE ET CETERA

Elections officials across Pennsylvania scrambled Tuesday to deal with a slew of voting problems, including an electronic voting machine that switched a vote from President Barack Obama to Mitt Romney, confusion over identification rules and concerns over a mural of Obama painted on the wall of a school being used as a polling location.

In central Pennsylvania, a voter trying to cast a ballot for Obama in Millerstown saw the machine switch his vote to Romney. The voter notified Perry County elections officials and posted video of it to YouTube, where it went viral.

“He alerted the elections official,” said Ron Ruman, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State. “They took that machine out of service, recalibrated it, and it’s working fine. It seems to have been a momentary glitch.”

More good news for Democrats in Senate races

Democrats won competitive Senate races in Wisconsin and New Mexico, two open seats they currently hold. Rep. Tammy Baldwin defeated former Gov. Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin on Tuesday, and Rep. Martin Heinrich beat former GOP Rep. Heather Wilson in New Mexico.

Democrats won competitive races in Virginia, Ohio and Florida and picked up Republican-held seats in Indiana and Massachusetts. Republicans also lost a seat to independent Angus King in Maine, a former Democratic governor.

As of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Democrats had locked up 52 seats.

Republicans locked up 44 seats, three fewer than they have now.

Maine votes to approve same-sex marriage

Maine residents have approved same-sex marriage, giving the gay rights movement a breakthrough victory.

Gay marriage is legal in six states and Washington, D.C., but those laws were either enacted by lawmakers or through court rulings. In popular votes, more than 30 states had previously held elections on same-sex marriage, with all losing.

— The Associated Press

4

SPECIAL EDITION

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

www.eastfieldnews.com

Cruz control

Tea Party favorite is state’s first Hispanic senator

By Morgan Corley etc4640@dcccd.edu

Republican Ted Cruz became the first Hispanic to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, replacing Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

“When we started, I was at 2 percent in the polls,” Cruz said in his victory speech. “They said it couldn’t be done. But when the people stand together nothing is impossible.”

Cruz’s opponent, Paul Sadler, delivered a short but congratulatory speech, speaking favorably of Cruz. Sadler said he was proud to announce Cruz as the new senator.

“We link arms together and go forward as a state, forward as a nation, because that’s who we are,” he said. “We are proud Democrats, but we are proud Texans … and proud Americans first.”

Cruz also spoke of his plans for Washington, D.C. Cruz told his supporters that his focus would be to cut spending, reform the regulatory system and seek fundamental tax reform.

Eddie Bernice Johnson was re-elected as representative for District 30. Johnson, 76, is a 20-year incumbent of the House of Representatives. With 319 of 341 precincts reporting, Johnson had claimed 79 percent of the vote.

Jeb Hensarling was also re-elected in the House of Representatives for District 5. Hensarling claimed 65.5 percent of the overall vote, but claimed only 49 percent in Dallas County.

“I feel great and it looks like clearly the American people want to keep the House in Republican control,” he said. “I feel good about that.”

Hensarling also spoke about the Republican Party and his belief that his party will help steer America back toward prosperity.

“I believe we’re the party who can help us quit spending money we don’t have, so that we can put America on the road to fiscal sustainability, so that we can save America for the next generation,” Hensarling said.

— Kevin Cushingberry Jr. contributed to this report.

ANGEL ABARCA/THE ET CETERA

Ted Cruz speaks about his goals after winning the U.S. Senate race over Paul Sadler with 56.9 percent of the vote.

Obama wins critical battleground states Continued from Page 1 “I think this is generally good news for community college students,” history professor Matt Hinckley said. “Obama has made community colleges a centerpiece of his agenda, in terms of job retraining and as a means of getting more students some college education by making student loans more affordable.”

The two candidates sparred vigorously over an assortment of topics throughout the campaign, but their most-visited topic was the economy.

Romney’s team focused his campaign on what it believed to be Obama’s lack of economic knowledge and credentials to solve America’s financial crisis. Romney cited his experience as a co-founder of the successful multi-billion dollar asset management company, Bain Capital.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Obama is the first president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to be reelected while unemployment rates are higher than 7.4 percent.

Obama initially won in states where he led in the early polls such as

ODESSA LEEPER/THE ET CETERA

Supporters of President Barack Obama at the Democratic watch party in Dallas react with joy after hearing news of his re-election.

New York, Maine and Illinois, while Romney took many historically red states such as Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Traditionally red state Florida was too close to call at press time.

“[Democrats] had what’s called a good ground game,” government professor Dr. Cindy Castañeda said.

“They registered a lot of new voters, particularly in Florida. … I think the Hispanic vote made a big difference.”

Battleground states such as Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina became the major deciders in the race. While Romney was able to take North Carolina, Obama won in Ohio and Virginia.

At almost midnight, Romney conceded the U.S. presidency to Obama as the electoral map began to reflect an impending loss. Romney was reserved as he wished the president and his family luck.

“This is a time of great challenges for America and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation,” Romney said. “Paul [Ryan] and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign. I so wish I had been able to fulfill your hopes.”

Although Eastfield Democrats cast their vote in a historically Republican state, professors encouraged their participation.

“Every single vote counts,” Castañeda said. “I was telling students in class today that while it may be true with Libertarians and Democrats in Texas that our vote doesn’t count in the electoral college, there are a lot of

races on the ballot. There’s still a lot of people running out there. We are more touched by state and local government than we are by the national government.”

As Obama delivered his speech and thanked his wife Michelle, his supporters and even his detractors, many pondered his next four years.

Dr. Glynn Newman, professor of government, is happy that Obama will remain in office, but he is concerned about how close the popular vote was. Nearly 50 percent of voters didn’t vote for Obama. With that kind of divide, Newman fears the president’s job will be that much harder. Despite those who may worry, Obama seems confident he can make the most of his next four years.

“But that common bond is where we must begin,” Obama said. “Our economy is recovering, a decade of war is ending, a long campaign is now over, and whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you have made me a better president. I have returned to the White House more determined than ever.”