Budget rally steals spotlight
TUESDAY December 6, 2011 Volume 97, Issue 54 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
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OPINION
San Diego’s college campus preacher stirs students into heated arguments on a regular basis, but yesterday’s demonstration made an unexpected turn. | ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR
Students shift focus from preacher to occupy and budget Jennifer Bowman web reporter &
Bill Crotty news editor What began as a heated debate between the infamous “street preacher” and a crowd of more than 100 students near the San Diego State Info Dome turned a protest against budget cuts. The preacher, Neal Konitshek, with his “Go to hell or repent” sign, drew attention around noon yesterday, a sighting that occurs several times per semester at SDSU and other San Diego colleges. Konitshek, despite the obvi-
ous hateful messages he preaches, said he is doing God’s work. While Konitshek argued with students, Sean A.., who graduated from SDSU last semester, decided that he had a golden opportunity to intervene and distract students. He stood in front of Konitshek and distribute Occupy Wall Street pamphlets to the crowd, to which Konitshek replied, “Yeah, occupy your mother.” Sean said he has seen Konitshek on campus numerous times before but never felt there was an appropriate time to stand up to him. “I have always wanted to say something to respond to him, but never thought it was the right moment,” he said. “There is a mass of people surrounding him and right now people are giving him this power. We can combat this discussion with what is happening right now.” Then, a chant of “Hey hey, ho ho, hate speech has got to go” started, led in part by Sean, before part of the
crowd was again distracted by another student looking to divert attention to another topic. Crystal Smith, an SDSU student, arrived with a megaphone to inform the crowd of an anti-budget cuts rally that was forming in front of Hepner Hall. She stressed there were several organizations involved with the budget cuts rally yesterday. “We‘re all very passionate about the budget cuts,” Smith said, urging students to pay attention to issues that are affecting students, and not the hatemongering displayed by Konitshek. Participants of the rally later marched back to East Commons holding a sign that read, “SDSU vs. Budget Cuts,” creating two crowds between the Love Library and East Commons, with two police officers from the SDSU Police Department standing between them. A bystander at the rally said it was put on by Fostering Activism for Community Transformation, an on-
campus organization formed this semester. Protesters passed around a petition that they plan to send to SDSU President Elliot Hirshman and the California State University Board of Trustees, according to a participant. “Would you like to see a stop to the fee increases and budget cuts?” the petition read. “How would you feel if you got cut?” One student asked Konitshek if he had a college degree. “Of course not,” he replied, and also said he did not get out of high school, but that he spent time surfing. “This is where the 7.8 percent that comes out of our paychecks for social security goes to,” someone in the crowd said. “To this guy.” Konitshek remained in front of the library’s dome after the budget cut protesters left. “Will you just leave?” one bystander asked Konitshek. But he did not respond.
Student Disability Services respond Stephanie Saccente staff writer
ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR
In an effort to assist students with disabilities and ensure their needs are met, San Diego State’s Student Disability Services and Physical Plant stress their determination to work with students on a case-by-case basis. Director of Student Disability Services Mary Shojai expressed her remorse for not being able to assist Angela Van Ostran, who experienced difficulties with the Storm Hall elevator. Shojai was unaware until recently of the problems. “Personally, I am disappointed that Student Disability Services has not had the opportunity to assist this student,” Shojai said. “We are here to help and if we had known about the situation we could have advocated on the student’s behalf – both with Physical Plant and with the student’s professor. However, we know that students also have the right to advocate on their own behalf and I respect the student’s right to do that as well.”
According to a representative from Physical Plant, all elevators on campus are inspected by the Division of Occupational Health and Safety every year, and also by Physical Plant once every month. A general inspection consists of door operability tests, lubrications, adjustments and riding the elevator to ensure safe stops at all landings. John Ferris, director of Physical Plant, stressed his concern for the safety of all students on campus. “SDSU Physical Plant is dedicated to serving all students safely and professionally. The safety and reliable operation of our campus elevators is a very high priority,” Ferris said. “This concern is evidenced by our service contract, state inspections and weekly conversations with the service vendor as to the current state of the elevators.” If a student encounters a problem with an elevator on campus, he or she should contact the Work Control Center, a division of Physical Plant. The call will generate a work order that will be acted upon immediately.
Congressional ratings have no effect on goings-on of Congress.
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“A man came in — dressed in a gray sweatshirt and filthy denim. He held a knife, I think, it was something sharp and I remember how the kitchen lights flashed off it ... I think I screamed. If not, I’m not sure how Tulsa knew I was afraid for my life.” B A C K PA G E
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W E AT H E R : PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH: 63 LOW: 36 SUNSET: 4:42PM
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D A I LY
AZTEC Tuesday, December 6, 2011
OPINION
Approval ratings fail to change status quo t took more than three decades but it has finally plunged into single digits and now sits at 9 percent. No, it’s not the likelihood of Herman Cain reaching another anniversary with his wife or the national unemployment rate (8.6 percent). It’s the Congressional approval rating. A tragic 9 percent of those polled in late October by CBS News and The New York Times actually approved of the job Congress was doing. This represents a historic low since the publications first started recording Congressional approval ratings in 1977. In addition to the woeful 9 percent, the polling supplied some more interesting voter perceptions: A lowly 10 percent trust the government’s ability to make the right decisions, members from all three political party classifications strongly disapprove of Congress (Republicans 83 percent, Democrats 83 percent, and Independents 85 percent) and since the start of the 112th Congress on Jan. 3, the approval rating has dropped an amazing 15 percentage points. Approval rates this dismal means one thing: It’s time to cue the parttime comedians and full time legislators for a response. Rep. John Larson went with obvious sarcasm for his retort“That high?”Meanwhile, Rep. Trey Gowdy supplied the zinger, “We’re below sharks and contract killers.” Sen. Lindsey Graham jested the following about his occupation: “It’s so bad sometimes I tell people I’m a lawyer ... I don’t want to be associated with a body that in the eyes of your fellow citizens seems to be dysfunctional. It matters to me.” But the top ranked of the comedian caucus is Sen. John McCain who delivered his 25th joke in five years, claiming those approving were “down to paid staffers and blood relatives.” Thanks McCain, really funny. The real joke of the situation is the fact a 9 percent approval rating will likely equate to only 80 percent being reelected. Maybe 85. Wait, no one’s still laughing? The voter approval rating is one of the oftencited statistics offered to assess the current political climate. One can regularly see it referenced, generally on a monthly basis, as pundits throughout the media will attempt to tap into the minds of the American voter. Real Clear Politics, a website that maintains a staggering database of various polling topics, has results from a plethora of distinct polls regarding the approval of Congress this year alone. Yet the one factor that is blatantly overlooked, which happens to be the most important of all, is the fact that it is all completely useless. Voter approval rates mean nothing. If congressional approval ratings mattered, they would be reflected in
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Brody Burns staff columnist the electoral results. Not even close. Take 2008 for instance, when the congressional approval rating hovered around 14 percent. Reelection in the Senate that year was 83 percent. In the House it was 94 percent. Or in 2006, when approval rating was 16 percent, reelection rates were 79 percent in the Senate and 94 percent in the House. Once a congressman is elected, they actually have to try to lose their seat, as was the case last year when a measly three senators lost their re-election bids. Voter apathy, incumbency advantage and a general acceptance of a corrupt political climate render approval ratings to be meaningless. The procedures of polling the entire voting-age population do not reflect the views of the minority that does vote. The opinions of those persons who do not vote, yet are capable of doing so, are irrelevant. They will freely exercise their right not to vote, therefore their feelings regarding Congress do not matter if attempting to assess the actual grading of the body. This would be like asking a 4-year-old how he or she feels about Congress — the child can’t vote, so his or her opinion, while highly valued, has no means to correct the problem. Thus, apathy wins. Next, the incredible incumbency advantage creates a system in which nearly everyone who tries, is reelected. If the advan-
MCT CAMPUS
Yes-9% No-84% Don’t Know-7% *Poll courtesy of CBS and The New York Times
tage is so high, then gauging the political gradient is a waste of time. If in 2006, 75 percent disapproved of Congress, then how did nearly everyone get reelected? In the end no one cares; not enough to find another candidate, not enough to actually vote and certainly not enough to create change. The other glaring problem with assessing the approval rating of the entire body of Congress is the fact that it paints our legislative body to be faceless. Sure, nearly the entire voting-age population disapproves of Congress as being some wretched body of old windbags, but what about the local congressmen? The ones who bring in millions in earmarks to build bridges to nowhere. Not likely, disapproval seems to be constrained to congressmen in other districts.
An actual system that would work, assuming somehow apathy could be reversed, would be a voter approval for each congressman and congresswoman on a continual basis. It would be an ongoing report card from only those within their voting districts. This would immediately supply infinitely more useful knowledge about approval and could potentially influence the actions of those “failing” congressmen to do more than offer terrible anecdotes about approval ratings. Mark Twain, the Jon Stewart of the late 1800s, once surmised the following of our legislative body: “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” In reality, Twain was insulting criminals, because we hold them in a much higher regard than Congress.
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D A I LY
AZTEC Tuesday, December 6, 2011
B AC K PAG E
FICTION
HOROSCOPE
Leaving it unlocked here were a few things I wanted to tell him but I didn’t have the chance. Sometimes that’s how endings work; the words you want just aren’t there. Here’s the thing: Jake loved his dog. Now that’s not something that usually bothers me. In fact, most times I think, “Good, a man should love his dog.” Not to say a man couldn’t love a cat, you understand, but it’s just not the same. Dogs and men, they’re identical. And I don’t mean that in a negative way, either. I’m stating fact. I’ll try to explain what links them. First things first: Both men and dogs love independence. Or, actually, they both love the delusion of independence. See, because both need masters. That’s not the best word. Let’s say both men and dogs need leashes. Yes, that’s it. They need tethers, boundaries, to make them happy. Open the door and let them patrol the yard. Let’s be honest, more often than not they’ll be afraid to cross the threshold alone (and even more afraid to cross the street). Let them go. This is not to say I let Jake date around. We were both faithful throughout the relationship, as far as I know ... No, the dog didn’t share the bed with us, so I can be thankful for that. But the dog always took the passenger seat when we would drive to the park, or a friend’s bar-
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Mason Schoen fiction writer becue or something. Imagine, me, a grown woman, in the backseat of Jake’s car with Tulsa in Tulsa’s seat, driving around like nothing was out of the ordinary. I think about all the people who laughed at that. Tulsa was nice enough. Friendly and obedient. Played with children gently and watched for danger. And she liked me, even though Jake said Tulsa usually hated women. Once, that dog saved me from a strong-arm robbery. It was a night Jake stayed late at work. I had just finished situating the bills and our account when I heard the handle on the front door move slightly. I guess I thought it was Jake fumbling around for his keys or something. I thought maybe he dropped them on the way from the car. It was dark out and they’d be hard to find, and anyway, who else could it be? I unlocked the door for him. A man came in — dressed in a gray sweatshirt and filthy denim. He held a knife, I think, it was something sharp and I remember how the kitchen lights flashed off it when he moved inside. I think I screamed. If not, I’m not sure how Tulsa knew I was afraid for my life. Maybe dogs actually can smell fear.
Anyway, Tulsa jumped up from the floor and bit the man’s forearm. Have you ever seen a dog bite? Most dogs just hold on after they’ve bitten something. Tulsa’s breed needs to scissor their teeth in over and over again. It’s instinct, at this point. Bred into them. I remember hearing the man’s blood pour hotly against the ground, and then he was gone, and Tulsa barked furiously after him. I remember once, after Jake and I finished brushing our teeth and he got into bed, Jake turned the lights off before I made it into the bedroom. I remember being in the hallway when everything went dark, and suddenly this house, which used to be ours together was his alone. I remember the darkness changed where things were. My body wanted to disappear altogether, fold itself into the night. Tulsa’s collar rattled, I distinctly remember that. It was like she was telling me the way, calling for me: “I know you’re lost out there. We are here.” I want to hear that collar again, but when he left, he left her collar and her leash. They’re out there somewhere. Something tells me they’ll be back. I can hear bodies moving when I’m alone at night, right before I fall asleep. They’re on their way home, and I’ve left the door unlocked for them.
— Mason Schoen is a creative writing graduate student.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (12/6/11) You're full of ideas for making more money. Get them down in writing, and develop the top three. A golden opportunity suddenly opens up; go ahead and say yes. Use your charm and your connections, and get what you ask for. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 9 It's getting easier to step forward. Deep breathing defeats what's overwhelming. Besides, what you have to say is important. Tap another income source. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8 - Your experience helps you avoid a mistake earlier in the day. Reject a farfetched scheme in favor of a practical solution. Give away something you don't need. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 5 You accomplish more in private. Defer to the budget, and stick tight to your list. There may be temptations! Pay the boring bills first. Consider travel and romance. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 7 When your standards get challenged, find support with friends to stand your ground. You can also reconsider; do those standards still serve you? LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 9 - Your career gets a boost for the next couple of days. Important folks watch. Handle your responsibilities and thrive. Dream big, or it could get boring. Shoot for the moon.
BY NANCY BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 You've got it all today. Conditions are good for travel and romance. There's been a philosophical shift. Make a change for the better. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 Avoid distractions, and increase your productivity in private. Discover buried treasure. Get better organized, and handle a thorny obstacle. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is an 8 - A person who could assist you in getting your house in order is closer than you think. A great partnership can help you see things from a different perspective. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 9 - Boost the action. Pay bills before you go shopping. Keep track of business expenses. Changes are happening in your career field. Read to stay current. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is an 8 - Love and creativity are all around you for the next two days. Complete a contract or other document. Investigate new options. Far horizons beckon. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an 8 - Cutting corners could cost you. Clarify instructions before doing the work. Home and domesticity call to you, so get into decorating and coziness. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 9 Take care not to double book. Reconfirm appointments, and call if you'll be late to dinner. It's easy to get lost in your research since it's so fascinating. ©2011, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.
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