Vol. 107, Iss. 21 | Tuesday, October 31, 2017
The Flat Hat The Weekly Student Newspaper
of The College of William and Mary
GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
Flathatnews.com | Follow us:
GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
Ed Gillespie (R)
Ralph Northam (D)
NIA KITCHIN FLAT HAT NEWS EDITOR
MEILAN SOLLY FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER
From his humble beginning as a Senate parking lot attendant to his election as the Republican candidate running for governor of Virginia, Ed Gillespie has climbed the political ladder. He is also a former chair of the Republican National Committee, owns a lobbying firm, and was a counselor to former U.S. President George W. Bush and aide to Mitt Romney. During his campaign Gillespie has emphasized the importance of creating jobs and reviving the economy. He plans to accomplish these goals through principles of conservative limited government and tax reform. As part of his aggressive tax reform, Gillespie plans to institute a cut on individual income tax by 10 percent across the board. He also plans to implement a policy that requires agencies to repeal or modernize two regulations for every new one created. These policies are part of a broader goal of natural economic growth through the expansion of existing businesses in Virginia. He aims to reduce the cost of dealing with government by 50 percent for citizens of Virginia. Chairman of Ed Gillespie’s campaign for governor of Virginia Pete Snyder ’94 said that Gillespie is a better choice for Virginians and especially for students at the College of William and Mary. “Our economy in Virginia is flatlining right now,” Snyder said. “We need to rev it up and we need to make sure that the terrific graduates of William and Mary actually have jobs and remain in the Commonwealth instead of have brain drain and move to places like Texas and California and Florida and economies that have been outperforming Virginia.” Gillespie also plans to address issues that threaten the safety of Virginians, and specifically the opioid crisis. Gillespie’s plan centers on the fact that addiction is a disease and not a moral failing. Therefore, his plans do not focus on incarceration for drug use but rather intervention and recovery. “Thousands of Virginians are facing challenges with mental illness and addiction, and too many of them are struggling to find treatment and recovery,” Gillespie said to ABC News. “My plan will strengthen our mental and behavioral health services and fight the opioid epidemic that has swept across our Commonwealth.” Gillespie also breaks with U.S. President Donald Trump on certain immigration issues involving DACA Dreamers. As the son of immigrants himself, Gillespie believes DACA should be saved. “I’m the son of an immigrant,” Gillespie said to the Washington Post. “My father came here as a child from Ireland. He was eight years old. … Now, they came here legally. He was processed through Ellis Island. But obviously, it wasn’t his choice to move to America and in the case of these dreamers, it wasn’t their choice either. And so, I think that clearly is a factor and I do not think they should be deported. And I hope Congress takes action to make sure that they’re not.” When addressing minimum wage, an important issue all the way down the ticket this race, Snyder said that Gillespie does not believe in increasing the wage to $15. He believes that this would be backbreaking for small businesses and that businesses would flee areas where this is imposed. He plans to create a growth economy by ridding regulations on small businesses and imposing his 10 percent blanket tax cut. “[This tax cut] wouldn’t come from anywhere,” Snyder said. “It is dependent on our economy continuing to grow. If we have a massive downturn, we’re not going to be cutting essential services. If we have slower growth you won’t see that tax relief.” Snyder emphasized that Gillespie is the better choice for Virginia and for students at the College because he plans to bring jobs back to the Commonwealth. “William and Mary students, if they want to remain in the Commonwealth, they’re going to want to graduate and they’re going to want to have a job,” Snyder said. “Ed Gillespie, when it comes to his plan for jobs and the economy, hands down is far superior to the one that Ralph Northam has really presided over.”
When it comes to politics, Ralph Northam doesn’t mince words. In June, the Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate garnered widespread attention after referring to U.S. President Donald Trump as a “narcissistic maniac,” and earlier this month, his campaign sent out flyers comparing Trump and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie to the neo-Nazis who rallied in Charlottesville in August. Despite his knack for levying candid criticism, Northam’s message throughout the Virginia gubernatorial race has been one of progression, inclusivity and collaboration. Northam served in the Virginia Senate between 2007 and 2014, when he assumed the role of lieutenant governor. He is also a pediatric neurologist and said that his time in the medical field inspired him to enter politics, as he found himself constantly frustrated by the complexities of the insurance industry. During his years in the state senate, Northam successfully spearheaded a ban on smoking in restaurants. He also promoted physical education in public schools and supported legislation protecting student-athletes, particularly those at risk of sustaining concussions. Moving forward, Northam said he hopes to prioritize economic and workforce development, as well as health care. One of his proposed initiatives, the G3, which means “Get Skilled — Get a Job — Give Back” would allow Virginians to obtain a free associate’s degree or workforce training credential in “new collar” fields such as cybersecurity, healthcare and clean energy. Upon completion of their degree or training credential, students would be required to commit to a year of public service in local or state government, a non-profit organization or a small business. Essentially, Northam said, students will be able to access higher education without incurring debt, and they will simultaneously give back to their communities. In addition to voicing concerns about college affordability, Northam said that millennials have advocated for more attention on the issue of diversity. “We want to make sure that we’re inclusive and that we welcome people to the Commonwealth of Virginia,” he said. “That’s in stark contrast to my opponent and our president.” Northam cited his statements regarding the Charlottesville riots earlier this year as proof of his support for inclusivity, and he readily labeled the individuals who provoked the incident as “supremacists.” In contrast, Trump laid the blame for the event on “both sides” and did not call the protestors neo-Nazis or white supremacists. Gillespie has stated that there is no moral equivalence between the white supremacists and the counter protestors. He also said that the white supremacist protestors were not representatives of the “alt-right” and did not, in fact, fall anywhere on the political spectrum. “Inclusivity starts with leadership,” Northam said. “People listen and follow our leadership, so it’s very important that the governor of Virginia is able to stand up and tell people that we are inclusive, we don’t condone hatred and bigotry and we do live in a very diverse society.” Northam added that the same logic applies to campus sexual assault, another issue commonly raised by millennial voters. If elected, Northam plans to supplement his economic and health care initiatives with projects related to renewable energy, gun violence and criminal justice — including the state opioid crisis, which he deemed the “largest challenge in Virginia.” Although Northam has been a vocal critic of prominent Republicans, he said that his years in Richmond have taught him the importance of working with individuals on both sides of the aisle. “We can agree to disagree, but at the end of the day, we work together to do the best for Virginia,” Northam said. “That’s what we refer to as ‘the Virginia way.’”
HEATHER CORDASCO
MARK HERRING
VOTE ED GILLESPIE
JOHN ADAMS
RALPH NORTHAM
JILL VOGEL
MIKE MULLIN
CLIFFORD HYRA
RAY ARMSTEAD
LARA OVERY
GRAPHIC BY MEILAN SOLLY / THE FLAT HAT
Tackling the opioid crisis Candidate proposals highlight coordinated treatment, education MEILAN SOLLY // FLAT HAT CHIEF STAFF WRITER The Republicans and Democrats vying for victory in Virginia’s key statewide races — governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general — share little common ground on most policy issues, but the state’s ongoing opioid addiction crisis is different. Although the six candidates offer varying proposals for tackling the epidemic, all recognize its prevalence. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam deemed the crisis “the largest challenge in Virginia” right now, and Republican attorney general candidate John Adams said that if elected, his top priority would be establishing a substance abuse coordination center. The number of drug overdoses in Virginia has risen dramatically in recent years, and in November 2016, State Health Commissioner Marissa Levine declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.
“
Why is this a law enforcement issue? Why are we not treating this as a public health crisis and trying to get people into treatment and out of jail?
“
Today’s Weather
Index Profile News Opinions Variety Sports
JUSTIN FAIRFAX
Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jill Vogel
Between 2015 and 2016, the percentage of deadly drug overdoses in the Commonwealth rose by 38 percent, and in 2016, individual fatalities numbered an estimated 1,420. Since 2013, drug overdoses have topped Virginia’s list of unnatural causes of death, surpassing both motor vehicle and gun-related deaths. Opioids are a category of drugs that dull the nervous system’s opioid receptors. Some opioids, including oxycodone and codeine, are commonly prescribed as strong pain relievers. Others, including heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil, are illegal and highly potent. Carfentanil, a synthetic
form of fentanyl, is 100 times more powerful than pure fentanyl and is used to tranquilize large animals. Although prescription opioids used to be the prime culprit in fatal drug overdoses, heroin and fentanyl have become increasingly present in Virginia. Last year, 803 of the state’s overdose deaths stemmed from fentanyl and/or heroin abuse, while 465 were the result of prescription opioid abuse. A key development in the state’s fight against opioid addiction was the Virginia General Assembly’s passage earlier this year of HB 1750, a bill that allows pharmacies to dispense the lifesaving drug naloxone without a prescription. The legislation built on a standing prescription issued by Levine as part of her declaration of a public health emergency and essentially made the drug’s widespread availability a permanent measure. During emergency situations, naloxone can block or reverse the effects of opioids and prevent a fatal overdose. Increased accessibility to naloxone has helped law enforcement officers and first responders treat addicts, but the drug is only one element of a complex solution. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie and his opponent, current Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam, have both released multi-step plans for tackling the opioid epidemic. Gillespie’s proposal emphasizes coordinated treatment efforts, drug abuse education for middle and high school students and teachers and the designation of a long-term recovery official to provide guidance on recovery systems across Virginia. The plan also outlines five guiding principles for fighting drug abuse: recognize addiction is a disease rather than a moral failing, focus on intervention, realize the state cannot “arrest our way out” of the current crisis, recognize multiple pathways to recovery and offer immediate help. Comparatively, Northam offers a sevenpronged plan with goals including providing treatment and resources for all Virginians
Inside Variety
Inside Opinions
A religious perspective on our political differences
2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10
Sunny, High 68, Low 47
See OPIOID page 3
Reverend Tyler Montgomery discusses the ways that religious fundamentalism contributes to increasing political polarization in America. page 5
A night of gunfire and treason
The origin story of the UK’s Guy Fawkes Day and how the holiday is celebrated now. page 7