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Men’s soccer team blasts Concordia University 12-0
perspectives: Bad starts do not 5 nalways mean a failing grade in class ROTC cadets joined to practice 9 nforNEWS: upcoming Ranger Challenge
—see Sports page 7
W e d n e s d ay
Vo l u m e 7 1 , I s s u e 3 2
nPOLITICS: The initiative is a statewide school voucher program that has raised some controversy By Marlayna Slaughterbeck
Daily Titan Staff Writer High school dropouts commit 80,000 crimes against senior citizens every year, or so say proponents of Proposition 38 in their television commercials. “ I cannot tell you how much my ire is aroused when I see those ads,” said Lloyd Porter, a teacher from La Entrada High School. “Statements like that arise not from fact, but from desperation.” Proposition 38 is a statewide voucher program designed to provide $4,000 per student to parents who enroll their children in private schools. Entrada, along with Mary Sosa from the National Education Association, spoke out against the proposition at Associated Students’ Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday as part of an effort to inform students about what they see as a deceptive campaign. Entrada and Sosa told the board that the true aim of Proposition 38 is not to give parents a choice, but to take money out of taxpayers’ pockets to line the coffers of wealthy private schools. Referring to supporters of the proposition’s claims that it will give parents the benefit of sending their children to the school of their choice, Porter told the board that in fact, the schools will choose the students, not the other way around. “Their commercials are very misleading,” Porter said. “They lead you to believe that racial discrimination will not
be a factor but the truth is, they can reject applicants for any number of reasons, including gender and physical abilities.” Porter continued his assault on the validity of the proposition by saying that the voucher initiative could jeopardize government funds normally allocated for local police and fire departments, as well as community colleges and state-funded universities like CSU. Porter said that although Gov. Gray Davis has made a certain amount of positive impact since his election, state funding for public schools in California is nonetheless too low. He argued that while California public schools face issues other than those of a purely financial nature, the voucher program will not address them and will only make the overall situation worse. “I’m not saying you can just throw money at the problem and make it completely go away, but money certainly does help,” Porter said. Sosa then took the floor, emphasizing that the public education system is part of the nation’s democratic heritage and that it is the public’s responsibility to support it, regardless if some parents choose to send their children to private schools. “What is at stake here is whether or not our democracy can sustain the public education system,” Sosa said. She then added that, as with everything, there are two sides to the issue, and that the most important thing was that students were well-informed and that they do, in fact, vote. “Whatever your decision is — whatever your opinion in the matter — it is important that you do vote,” Sosa said. Commenting on the initiative, president of the Student California Teachers Association on campus, Roy Bird said that he too was opposed to the initiative. “It will hurt our schools and our communities,” American studies major Bird said. “It will cut funding for police and fire and will also affect the Cal Grant.”
Trick-or-treat!
Political funds initiative spurs debate nPROPOSITION: Bill aims to curb campaign contributions for election and political parties By Cindy Bertea
Daily Titan Staff Writer Proposition 34 seeks to limit individual campaign contributions in elections and establish voluntary spending limits, but political science Professor Bruce Wright said he believes this won’t change the importance of money in campaigning.
“Until there’s full funding of all campaigns, we won’t limit the role money plays,” he said. “Whatever you do, money will have a very large place in politics.” Currently, California is one of six states that does not limit state office candidate collections or expenditures for campaigns. The measure’s background began in 1974 when California voters approved the Political Reform Act, which established campaign finance disclosure requirements. The act required candidates for state and local offices and other campaign organizations to report campaign contributions and expenditures. In 1996, California voters passed
Proposition 208, which set limits on these contributions. A lawsuit challenging 208 and a subsequent court order blocked the enforcement. Political Science Professor Barbara Stone said the courts view the proposition as a violation of free speech via spending restrictions. Stone said the guidelines detailed in 208 were “fairly Draconian,” since the limits were set so low. Under 208, individual contributions for Assembly and Senate campaigns were set at $250. For statewide offices and governor, the limit was $500 for individuals. She also noted that the current measure, Proposition 34, is a legisla-
tive initiative amendment that was passed for the ballot without the chance of a public hearing. “Some politicians can’t live with the 208 limitations,” she said. “They would collapse if they had to live with those provisions.” Stone also said she believes that sponsors of the measure who hope to curb the practice of special interests buying candidates are naïve. Somehow, the money will reach a candidate’s campaign. “Candidates will find ways to reach voters, no matter what money is involved,” she said. With the 1996 proposition in limbo, the current ballot measure seeks reform in several ways.
PROPOSITION/ 6
34
Campaign Contributions and Spending, Limits, Disclosure
Official summary prepared by the attorney general
-Limits individual campaign contribution per election: statewide elective office, $5,000 (small contributor commit tees may double these limits); governor, $20,000. Limits contributions to political parties/political committees for pur pose of making contributions for support or defeat of candi dates. -Establishes voluntary spending limits, requires ballot pamphlet to list candidates who agree to limit campaign spend ing. -Expands public disclosure requirements, increases penal ties for violations. -Prohibits lobbyists’ contributions to officals they lobby. -Limits campaign fund transfers between candidates, regu lates use of surplus campaign funds .
Graduate fair helps students in preparation for the future nEDUCATION: Many universities were present for students interested in obtaining their master’s degree By Samantha Gonzaga Daily Titan Staff Writer
mayra beltran/Daily Titan
Seniors Erica Lopez and Lissette Martinez looked at pamphlets set aside by Staci Jung Kamey from Cal State Los Angeles.
mayra beltran/Daily Titan
Children from the Children’s Center trick-or-treated inside the Titan Student Union on Tuesday.
PROP
AS discusses Proposition 38
N o v e m b e r 1, 2000
By the time 9:30 a.m. came, Tom Smith had secured a parking space and was preparing to set up his booth. It would be one among the 102 university booths present for the Graduate and Professional Fair aimed at students — seniors, in particular — interested in pursuing a master’s degree. Though the fair did not start until 11 a.m., he and other college representatives were advised to arrive early.
Smith, an associate vice president for La Sierra University’s enrollment services figured it beats setting up at night. “The last time I was here, the fair was scheduled late into the early evening hours,” he said. “It was to fill the din of activity during such hours, I was told.” Smith surveys the students milling around the white train of booths and continued, “But I much prefer this. The numbers [of students] that have showed up are excellent.” Sponsored by the Career Planning and Placement Center, the Graduate and Professional Fair is held every fall. California universities along with institutions as far as the University of Michigan and Hawaii Pacific University had pamphlets, name cards and answers ready for students.
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“Other campuses hold similar events,” said CSUF Student Service Specialist Christina Alvarado. “This is a good opportunity for students, in terms of having more accessibility. “It gives them a chance to get more insight on what it’s like to be in a master’s program.” Scheduling the fair in late fall proved to have its advantages. With deadlines for spring admission approaching, the information each university representative provided can help an undecided student. For senior Sam Lee, meeting it was the determining factor for an educational future. “I was unsure if I wanted to go one step further by getting a master’s,” he said. “I had worries about distance, tuition costs, and the job market out there for someone like
FAIR/ 6
Titan
extras online n
Check out the Daily Titan online this year at http:// dailytitan.fullerton.edu. New features and sections will be available this year!
u p co m i n g n
Chinese martial arts class to open next semester at Cal State Fullerton. Read about it in Thursday’s Daily Titan