the clarion, oct. 31
DESCRIPTION
Special election issue.TRANSCRIPT
MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE • THEONLINECLARION.COMVOLUME 43, ISSUE 6 • OCTOBER 31, 2012
» SEE ACTION PAGE 5
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE TREVIRANUS AND ELLIE DAHLQUIST / CLARION
Students must get active in researching and taking part in the election, making their voice heard
JOELLE DE LA PENAStaff Writer
Voters are almost ready to go through the motions of cast their ballots. There are just a
few more days of dealing with the barrage of campaign ads and emails that we can’t wait to delete.
Minus these annoying campaign ads and emails, I find much excite-ment in these upcoming elections because it will be my first time vot-ing in a Presidential election.
Four years ago, I remember and being a little jealous of my friends that got to vote because I wanted so badly.
At that time, the “Rock the Vote” marketing campaign was huge. Getting the youth vote was one of the big focuses of both parties. They’re trying extra hard to recog-nize that demographic, notorious for low voter turnout.
This current election seems to have a different tone.
Young voters between ages 18-29 have been neglected this year and have responded by not wanting to vote. I have mvany friends who say they that they have no intention of voting in this election because they feel that candidates have not spoken to their needs or answered any of their questions.
Of course the candidates have touched on issues, such as health care, financial aid and jobs after college, but both major candidates
COMMENTARY
SOU
RCE: PEOPLEPRESS.O
RG
SOU
RCE: PEOPLEPRESS.O
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18-39Obama SupportersMcCain/Romney Supp.
40-64Obama SupportersMcCain/Romney Supp.
65+Obama SupportersMcCain/Romney Supp.
%7075
8685
7580
%3841
5857
5855
%5859
7477
7578
%2626
5048
5958
%-12-16
-12-8
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%-12-15
-8-9
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SEPT.2008
SEPT.2008
SEPT.2012
SEPT.2012CHANGE CHANGE
Youth engagement has gone down significantly since the 2008 election; senior engagement on the rise
Given a lot of thought to election Following campaign news closelyYOUTH ENGAGEMENT DOWN AMONG BOTH CANDIDATES
VOTENOV. 6
By SARAH WEATHERBEECopy Editor
D ays away from the 2012 election, presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Barack Obama still struggle to engage young voters.
The outcome is expected to be tight. The excitement that surrounded the 2008 election, particularly over Obama’s message of hope and change, isn’t present among young voters this election year.
In late September, the Pew Research Center reported figures that paint a striking picture
of the struggle to engage voters. “The share of voters younger than 30 who
are following campaign news very closely is roughly half of what it was at this point four years ago,” the report said.
In observing young voters over the course of 2012, Pew Research Center poll results revealed that only 50 percent of eligible vot-ers aged 30 and under were sure they were
» SEE ENGAGEMENT PAGE 5
ELECTION
2012
STILL NEED TO REGISTER?Voters can register to vote at
their polling place on Election Day. Proof of residence must be shown in order to register. Approved forms include but are not limited to: valid Wisconsin driver liscense or I.D. card, bank statement or paycheck. A full list can be found at gab.wi.gov.
NAME RECENTLY CHANGED?Voters who are regesitered and
recently changed their name must re-resgister. In addition to proof of
residence a valid Wisconsin driver license or, state ID card or Social Security card with your new name on it must be presented. If the name change occured recently enough for these items to not yet be available, voters can still vote using their for-mer name.
HOMELESS VOTERSProof of residence is still required,
and can be in the form of a letter from a shelter or other organization providing services to the homeless.
WHERE TO VOTEInformation on where to vote can
be found online at myvote.wi.gov.All other information pertaining
to voting can be found online at gab.wi.gov/voters.
GEO
RGE TREV
IRAN
US / CLA
RION
NEWS ROOM
George TreviranusEDITOR IN CHIEF
Jacob EnnisMANAGING EDITOR
Jason CuevasNEWS EDITOR
Ellie DahlquistOPINION EDITOR
Callie VaseyARTS EDITOR
Troy BruzewskiSPORTS EDITOR
Jenna SprattlerMULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Evan HalpopPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
clarionphoto@ madisoncollege.edu
Daniel SchottBUSINESS DIRECTOR
Robin GeeLea Landwehr
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Jennifer JohnsonOUTREACH COORDINATOR
Mario RicoILLUSTRATORS
Sarah WeatherbeeLeona Bergmann
Shia Aaron Lloyd FisherCOPY EDITORS
Doug KirchbergADVISOR
Joelle De La Pena Lauren Sutter
Brandon Allen-Trick Karen Cass
Nicholas Garton Sylvia LimMike Wang
Robert WhiteJoshua D. Lynch
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTACT US
NEWSPHONE: (608) 246-6809ADVERTISINGPHONE:(608) 243-4809FAX: (608) 246-6488
THE STUDENT VOICE OF MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
2012-2013
SUBMISSIONSTo submit an item for publication, drop it off at The Clarion office, Room 130 Truax and Room D237 Downtown, or e-mail it to [email protected]. The Clarion reserves the right to refuse to publish any editorial submission or advertisement, which may be edited for length, taste and grammar. All opinions expressed in editorials and advertisements do not necessarily represent those of the Madison College administration, faculty, the student body or the Clarion staff.
CORRECTIONSThe Clarion strives for accuracy in all of its articles. If you have questions or concerns, please call us at (608) 246-6809 or e-mail:[email protected].
MEMBERSHIPSAssociated Collegiate PressWisconsin Newspaper Association
REMEMBERINGAdam Lee Suby, 1987-2009
FOLLOWUSFollow us on one or all of our social media platforms for exclusives & daily updates! Visit our website for more at theonlineclarion.com.
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CAMPUSUPDATESCompiled by Clarion Staff.
OFFTHESHELFBy Jennifer Kasch, Madison College Libraries.
Things are happening around here, namely the election. You prob-
ably noticed by the cover of this issue. We went ahead and helped out by throwing polling place and registration informa-tion on the front page, instead of the usual inside-flashes.
As you can no doubt tell, the election is pretty important. No matter which poison (can-didate) you prefer, make sure
you’re informed and ready.Some of you are opting not
to vote. That’s fine, I considered doing the same thing given the options. The only thing stopping me was knowing that voting is really my only major influence in politics. You know, besides the newspaper thing.
We have fairly detailed information on Senate, Congress... and of course, the presidential candidates.
Take a gander here, or research it further yourself. We by no means have a complete and perfect list.
Also, by the time you read this issue, the staff and myself will be somewhere in Chicago, attempting to learn something from professional journalists. Wish us luck.
We’ll be back Nov. 6 hashing out the next issue, which is set to hit stands Nov. 14. Adios.
LETTERFROMTHEEDITORA quick word from George Treviranus.
ELECTION
20122 THE CLARION
Looking for a place to work collab-oratively on a group project or study as a group? Or conversely, looking for a little peace and quiet while working indepen-dently? Madison College Libraries have a variety of unique study spaces available to suit a range of study styles and study needs.
While the school’s libraries are already fairly quiet, complete silence while study-ing is the preference of some. For those interested in a silent environment there are quiet study rooms at both the Truax and West campus. Both rooms have study carrels, as well as some comfy seating for those who like to study a little more casu-ally. Our West campus library study rooms also have an amazing view. The Truax library has three large study rooms avail-able for student with group work to com-plete. The Reedsburg Library and Student Achievement Center (SAC), Watertown
Library and SAC, and Fort Atkinson Library and SAC all have two group study rooms each. These rooms are for student use only.
Also, all of our group study rooms can now be reserved online up to two weeks in advance. Rooms can be reserved at libreser-vations.madisoncollege.edu at any time of the day. Jus t select your campus, click on the timeslots you’d like to reserve and fill out a short, simple form. On the day of your reservation, pick up the key at the library desk when your reservation starts with your student ID or other valid identifica-tion. You may reserve up to two hours per day and four hours per week. Our rooms are very popular, so we definitely recom-mend reserving in advance.
Each group study room seats up to six people and has a white board. All rooms, with the exception of one Truax room with an iMac, also have 47” monitors that can
be connected to a laptop via an HDMI cord. This makes collaborative work on presenta-tions easy, eliminating the need for group members to huddle around one small com-puter screen. Our Truax library also has multimedia equipment that can be checked out and used in the rooms. Equipment avail-able for in-library use includes flipcams, iPads, Nook Colors, Kindle Fires, webcams, USB microphones, laptops that can be con-nected to the study room monitors, and more. Ask at your regional library about equipment that is available there for check out.
Whether you enjoy studying in silence or need to work on a project collaboratively, the libraries have unique study spaces that suit your needs. If you have any questions, ask your regional librarian or call the Truax main desk at (608)-246-6646.
Reserve a library group study room online
LAUREN SUTTERStaff Writer
T he Electoral College was originally put into our constitution by our
founding fathers. In fear of groups conspiring, they wanted to make sure there was a con-sistent, educated-hand leading the Presidential elections. They also wanted to ensure that each state had an equal voice.
The number of state senate and congressional representa-tives combined determines how many electors each state has. When people vote in the national popular vote; they are actually voting for electors. These electors will then make the official vote for the presi-dential election. In order to win the one candidate must have 270 electoral votes.
There are both people who are in favor of the Electoral College and against it. Those who are in support it claim that since it requires a distribution for, ensures sure that states with large populations don’t have an advantage. They also believe that it maintains the fed-
eral representation laid out in our constitution.
Those that disagree with the Electoral College argue that the winner-take-all system makes it difficult for third parties or independent candidates to get electoral votes to be in the run-ning for President. Many also do not agree with the fact that a candidate does not have to win the national popular vote to become President. If a candi-date wins solely based on elec-toral votes, then that candidate becomes President.
We have seen some cam-paigns come very close because of this system. In 2000 Al Gore won the nation’s population vote, and it came down to the electoral votes of one state, Florida. That election opened the eyes of the public to the real-ity of our voting system.
The Electoral College has been around for over 200 years, and no changes have occured thus far. There is no question that the 2012 election will be extremely close. Make sure you are educated on and aware of the voting system and the can-didates.
The electoral college versus the popular vote
GEORGE TREVIRANUS / CLARION
RALLYING FOR SOCIAL CHANGESarah Blaskey and Brandon Larson address a class of students on the International Socialist Organization on Oct. 24 at Truax Campus. For more information, visit internationsocialist.org.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
COMMENTARY
Decision time: China, energy among key issues facing presidential candidates
JACOB ENNISManaging Editor
CHINAObama
President Obama has drawn criti-cism from the Romney campaign for not being tough enough on China. The Obama Administration has actually made diplomatic moves such as secur-ing passage for Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng when he escaped house arrest and made it to the U.S. Embassy.
Military presence in the Asia-Pacific has been beefed up including an increased navy presence and a planned deployment of 2,500 troops in Australia for joint training exercises.
Obama also mentioned policies for companies with Chinese interests in his 2012 State of the Union address.
“From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic min-imum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America,” he said.
The Obama administration is tak-ing steps on cracking down on illegal trade stemming from China.
“We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration,” Obama said in his 2012 State of the Union address. “Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading prac-tices in countries like China.”
In September Obama ordered a Chinese company, Ralls Corp., to divest its interest in four wind farms in north-ern Oregon citing national security concerns. The last instance a president made a decision like this was in 1990.
RomneyRomney agrees with a stronger mili-
tary presence in the Asia-Pacific, but is calling for an even stronger position than the Obama Administration.
In the second Presidential debate Romney voiced a strong opinion toward China.
“China’s been cheating over the years, one, by holding down the value of their currency, number two, by stealing our intellectual property, our designs, our patents, our technology,” he said.
Romney said that on day one he would label China as a currency manipu-lator. In the final debate, moderator Bob Schieffer asked if that would start a trade war.
“There’s one going on right now that we don’t know about. It’s a silent one, and they’re winning,” Romney said.
Both candidates want to be tough on China, but Obama’s stance is a little more diplomatic and delicate, while Romney’s is more of a crackdown.
ENERGY Obama
President Obama promotes energy independence by investing in clean-energy jobs and taking steps to improve the quality of our air and water. The administration says investment in clean energy will create jobs, help protect the environment and reduce national dependence on foreign oil.
(SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.BARACKOBAMA.COM/RECORD/ENVIRONMENT)
RomneyMitt Romney seeks regulatory
reform of the energy industry to facili-tate progress in the development of domestic reserves of oil and natural gas. He also wants more investment in nucle-ar power. Some regulatory changes would include:
• Fast-track procedures for firms with strong safety records.
• Change environmental laws so that cost is taken into account.
• Amend the Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide from its jurisdiction.
• Open the nation’s energy reserves for more development.
• Eliminate or reduce government funding for wind and solar energy proj-ects.
• Focus alternative energy funding on research.
(SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.MITTROMNEY.COM/JOBS/ENERGY.)
ELECTION
2012 3THE CLARION
Getting facts, policies straight
with presidential candidates
JACOB ENNISManaging Editor
There are some claims about Obama and Romney that may be true, may be false or may just be confusing.
ROMNEY SAID “OBAMA HASN’T EVEN PASSED A BUDGET”
This is somewhat true, since the President doesn’t pass a budget, Congress does. What Romney was referring to with this statement is the fact that Obama’s FY2013 budget hadn’t been passed by Congress yet.
According to 31 U.S.C. 1105 the President must submit their budget to Congress no later than the first Monday in February every year. This budget con-tains budget numbers for the coming fis-cal year, along with the four years after. Once passed by Congress, the budget takes place in October of that year.
So in October of 2009 is when the FY2010 budget began – the Obama Administration’s first budget.
SPEAKING OF BUDGETS, ROMNEY HAS MADE CLAIMS ABOUT OUT OF CON-TROL GOVERNMENT SPENDING
With the most up-to-date numbers from the FY2013 mid-session review taken from the Office of Management and Budget, government spending actually went down with the Obama Administration’s first budget. The last time this happened was with the 1955 budget.
• 2010 spending fell 1.8 percent.• 2011 spending rose 4.1 percent.• 2012 latest numbers show a 1.4 per-
cent increase.• 2013 latest numbers show a 2.7 per-
cent increase.When compared to inflation num-
bers taken from the Congressional Budget Office, government spending actually has decreased while the Obama Administration’s budgets have been in effect.
• 2009 – 2.63 percent• 2010 – 1.63 percent• 2011 – 2.93 percent• 2012 as of Aug. 1 – 1.69 percentWhile it’s true that the deficit is cur-
rently running at over a trillion dol-lars, it was at its highest with the Bush Administration’s last budget in FY2009 when it increased by just under $1 trillion from FY2008. Government spending for the same time period also increased by 15.34 percent.
OBAMA SAID THAT ROMNEY IS CALL-ING FOR A $5 TRILLION TAX CUT
This number comes from taking the 20 percent tax cut Romney has promised, along with extending the 2001-2003 tax cuts, and adding it all up over 10 years. Also, according to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, Romney’s tax plan calls for the top income-earning tax bracket to be reduced from 35 to 25 percent, which is a 3 percent larger cut than the rest of the five tax brackets.
While a 20 percent tax cut sounds great, it leaves the question of how the lost tax income will be made up. Romney’s plan calls for cutting back tax preferences, but no specific ones are men-tioned except the ones in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is the 2009 stimulus. These include educa-tion credits, earned-income credits and child credits – credits that will affect low and middle-income earning families.
It’s important to make an informed vote.
presidential raceBARAK OBAMA, MITT ROMNEY differing on variety of issues,they battle in a tight campaign
Campaign trail comes to close
MCT CAMPUS
MCT CAMPUS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
ELECTION
20124 THE CLARION
Positions of Thompson, Baldwin and other Senate candidates outlined
KAREN CASSStaff Writer
Vying for public approval this elec-tion are four U.S. Senate candidates: Former Governor Tommy Thompson, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Nimrod Y. U. Allen III and Joseph Kexel.
Tommy Thompson, the Republican candidate, was born and raised in Elroy, Wis. where he still operates his family’s farm. He also practices law for Akin Gump, a firm based in Washington D.C. He holds a law degree from UW-Madison and is a former captain in the U.S. Army.
Thompson served as Governor of Wisconsin for four terms, from 1987-2001. He also served under President George Bush as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001-2005. He feels that his budget reduction and welfare reform accomplishments while serving in these positions qualify him to lead Wisconsin toward a free-market, budget-balanced future.
If elected Thompson plans to help replace Obamacare with his own policy of Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration, which provides reim-bursement to hospitals based on qual-ity outcomes. He supports a reform of Medicaid to focus more on private sector involvement and less on government subsidies.
Thompson approves of the govern-ment’s intervention in building the Keystone Pipeline as a means of gaining independence from foreign oil. He feels that the government should not regulate
the development of alternative energy sources. Thompson also proposes to align federal employee pay and benefits more closely with private sector pay and ben-efits. More on his proposed solutions can be found at tommyforwisconsin.com.
The Democratic candidate, Tammy Baldwin, was born and raised in Madison, Wis. where she still resides. She holds a law degree from UW-Madison. Baldwin served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors from 1986-1994 and held a position in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1993-1999. During that time, she fought for equal rights for women and the legal-ization of gay marriage.
Baldwin currently serves in congress, where she has enacted many laws that support government-funded health care. She has voted for more affordable educa-tion, regulation of banks and oil compa-nies and increased fees for companies who outsource labor.
Baldwin strongly believes in afford-able health care for all and if elected Senator she promises to continue protect-ing the rights of veterans and seniors. She believes that the wealthy should be taxed at the same rate as the middle class and that this will help balance the budget. Baldwin also plans to help bring jobs
back to the U.S. from overseas through tax break incentives for small businesses. Find more detailed information on Baldwin’s website at tammybaldwin.com.
Running as the Libertarian candi-date, Joseph Kexel hails from Kenosha, Wis. where he still resides. He attended UW-Parkside. He has worked in many fields, including factory assembly and information technology, and cur-rently runs his own IT support company, Vikkex.
Kexel believes that his experiences as a former union worker, small busi-ness owner and father have given him insight into the needs of the average Wisconsinite. He feels the keys to success are a reduced role of the federal govern-ment and a return to the ideals of the Constitution. Kexel also states that the only way to balance the budget is through the reformation of entitlement programs and military expenses. To learn more about Kexel and his ideas, visit kexel2012.com.
Running as an independent is Nimrod Y. U. Allen III. Allen was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis. where he still lives. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and holds a degree from the University of Hawaii.
Allen created the Independent Democratic Enforcement Alliance party based on the concept of turning politi-cal focus away from special interest and toward the wellbeing of the people. He is passionate about many issues, from preserving veteran rights to cultivat-ing urban agriculture. Allen also feels that federal aid is needed to encourage businesses to hire, which will lessen the number of citizens needing financial aid. Visit yuallen.com for more information on Allen’s proposed solutions.
BRANDON ALLEN-TRICKStaff Writer
It seems as though in every elec-tion cycle this same debate arises. Is it worthwhile to vote for a third
party candidate, or is it just throwing your vote away? The truth, as in many things, lies in the middle. At the heart of this debate is really the conflict of two values: voting one’s conscience and having one’s voice heard. Local elections are the place for activism; national elections are the place for compromise.
Third parties have a reputation for being spoilers for major party candidates. Ross Perot in 1992, Ralph Nader in 2000; each contributed to the ultimate success of the candidate most dissimilar to their ideology by siphon-ing votes. Votes that went to these candidates would likely have gone to one of the two party candidates. In a first-past-the-post system like ours, where the winner takes all, its natural evolution is into a two party system, both sides competing for the middle.
Inevitably, some individuals do not feel adequately represented by the major party candidates. Third parties and independents bring fresh ideas to the table and are a vital part of politi-cal discourse in our country. Despite this, very few have been successful on the national stage. Only when there are sufficient numbers of individu-als disenchanted by the elephant and the donkey do new movements begin. Until that time comes, however, we may all have to settle for the major party candidate that best represents us.
Let’s face facts. Not every ballot weighs the same. This year, voters in swing states like Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin will likely decide the presi-dential race.
As a voter in Wisconsin, your voice has never mattered more, so it’s important to make it count. Neither Jill Stein of the Green Party or Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party is going to be inaugurated in January, and they have the most visible third party campaigns. Voting for them may feel right, but it’s a raindrop in the ocean. Whether you feel the system is just or not, either Barack Obama or Willard “Mitt” Romney will be the President for the next four years.
There are still ways to affect change. Nearly all politicians start locally and this is where your individ-ual voice is best heard. Furthermore, the voting regulations that allow the two-party system to perpetuate are largely state laws.
If supporting a third party candi-date is important to you, local elec-tions are where to start. The state of Vermont, for example, has more than five independents in the state legisla-ture, and one of the two independent U.S. Senators. In more ways than people realize, local politics drive national agendas.
This election is important. As a voter you have to ask yourself: is it more important to make a sym-bolic gesture against the system as it stands, or to participate in it? Whatever you decide, remember: the only wasted vote is the one not cast.
u.s. senateWHAT’S IN A NAME?Democrat Tammy Baldwin, Republican Tommy Thompson and two third-party candidates compete
Third party candidates:How do they impact races?
COMMENTARY
MCT CAMPUS
Democratic candidate Tammy Baldwin, right, and Republican candidate Tommy Thompson spar during their Senate debate at the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service at UWMC in Wausau on Oct. 18.
Where they stand
JOSEPHKEXELLibertarian
NIMROD Y.U.ALLEN IIIIndependent
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
registered.Several Madison College students
shared their perspectives on the race thus far. Across the political spectrum, their reactions revealed many of the indicators of disengagement.
Matthew Neri, 22, is a member of the International Socialist Organization on campus. His political outlook has changed significantly since 2008, when he came to the conclusion that mainstream politics didn’t come with truthful intentions. Although he voted for Obama in 2008, over the past four years, he has become increasingly turned off by his policies and the two-party system.
“The reason I’m less enthusiastic to vote this year is because I understand that, as far as working class interests are concerned, there’s not that huge of a dif-ference between Obama and Romney,” Neri said.
He explained that he is disappointed in Obama’s use of drone strikes overseas and his attacks on civil liberties and union rights at home.
He will likely vote for Green Party can-didate Jill Stein.
“You have two political parties compet-ing for money and favors and the same interest groups, for the most part,” Neri said.
Jonathan Correa, 22, also feels discon-tentment with the two-party system. Like
Neri, he has green party leanings, but considers himself an independent. He’s unsure about whether or not he will vote this year. He said he’s been watching the debates a little but hasn’t really been keeping track of politics.
“I really do feel like my voice doesn’t count so I feel like it’s hard for me to support either person because I feel like they are saying the same things, but just in a different way,” Correa said.
Some students still maintain their confidence in Obama. Anna Miller,18, and Chris President-Brown, 19, are both registered voters and plan to cast their votes, for the first time in their lives, for the incumbent on Nov. 6. However, their support doesn’t come without certain reservations.
“I don’t like the fact that the govern-ment is trying to take control of every-thing. The Obamacare thing, I’m not really a fan of it,” Miller said
President-Brown explained that it will take time for Obama to see results from his plan.
“You can’t really do it all over one term, you need more than one,” he said.
David Canon, Political Science profes-sor at UW-Madison, believes that young voters who previously propelled Obama to victory, will also follow through this year. One the enthusiasm gap, Canon said, “There was one earlier in the year due to the rough economy, but the economy is improving.”
“Voting preferences remain largely the same as 2008,” Canon said.
On the other side of the political divide, Romney also struggles to attract young voters. Although the Pew Research center indicates that “registered voters under 30 favored Obama over Romney 59% to 33%,” those young voters that do support Romney are less engaged in the electoral process.
Brooke DeArmond, 19, is one such stu-dent. She has not followed the presiden-tial debates much this year. She feels con-fident in her choice for Romney because of his priorities on reviving the economy and healthcare.
“I know that Obama is helping people who don’t have the money, but I don’t agree with him taking money from people for other people who don’t work,” DeArmond said.
Her mother works in the health insur-ance industry and DeArmond saw her face hardship last year when she had to switch the family’s insurance plan due to rising expenses. Ones her mother feels were brought on by his new healthcare
legislation. The Pew Research Center report noted
that young voters register in increasing numbers as the months of an election year pass. Yet given the lack of engage-ment thus far, candidates may be in for a lower turnout on election day.
Luke Niesen, 18, has not registered to vote yet, but he plans to cast his vote for Romney.
“Obama had four years and made all these promises and we are worse off than we were before,” he said.
He worries about growing national debt and the fragile economy. Currently active duty in the Army, he thinks Romney will help create jobs and keep the military safe through increased defense spending.
While poll results may portray Niesen and others in his age group as disengaged voters, presidential hopefuls may find that a surge in excitement could come just in time from young voters like him.
“It’s my first time voting so I’m excited about that,” Niesen said.
basically just bounced around ideas, not telling us what exactly was going to be done to ensure we have these things. This frustrates voters in general, especially
the younger ones.As voters, doing research into the
candidate’s policies to get a better under-standing of their intentions is a must. Not everyone thinks like me though. Candidates shouldn’t count out the youth vote. Obama knows from the previous
election how powerful we really are. Knowledge is power, so use yours and make a statement by casting an indepen-dent or third party vote.
The candidates should give us more attention. However, we can’t neglect the fact that together, we can still make our
voices heard.It’s important to let the candidates
know that our voice is significant. We have just as much at stake as other
voters. I don’t appreciate the annoying two-party game, but I still intend on casting my vote in this election.
ACTIONCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ENGAGEMENTCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ELECTION
2012 5THE CLARION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
CHRIS PRESIDENT-
BROWN
LUKE NIESENANNA MILLER MATTHEW NERI
BROOK DEARMOND
JONATHAN CORREA
THEBUZZQuestions asked to you, our readers.
WHAT POLITICAL ISSUE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO
YOU IN THIS ELECTION?
ELECTION
2012 7THE CLARION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
Women’s issues in gen-eral. Equal pay. Equal access to healthcare and contraception.
— KATIE LAMBERTON, PARALEGAL PROGRAM
Healthcare. With the new healthcare laws, I’ve been able to stay on my parents’ insurance.
— NATHAN BOUSKA,SMALL BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Education. Obama seems like he’s more for education with the DREAM Act and such.”
— MIRKO CANNICOBA, GRAPHIC DESIGN
The economy and LGBT issues. With-out the economy being in shape, people can’t retire which locks young people out of jobs.
— JOSE FORTIN, BUSINESS MANAGEMENTThe middle class,
making sure they have all the things they need.
— CHRISTINA WARD,ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Jobs. Hiring people based on their ex-perience.
— LOURETHA BEAN, COSMETOLOGY
I haven’t been fol-lowing that much, but medicare and school funding.
— MARIO LEWIS,PHYSICAL THERAPY
OURVIEWPerspective of The Clarion Editorial Board
George TreviranusEDITOR IN CHIEF
Jacob EnnisMANAGING EDITOR
Jason CuevasNEWS EDITOR
Callie VaseyARTS EDITOR
Ellie DahlquistOPINION EDITOR
The views expressed by The Clarion editorial board do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Madison College, it’s student body or any faculty therein. They are comprised of the writers listed above and/or of those who write for the Opinion section.
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CLARION EDITORIAL BOARD 2012-2013
MARIO RICO / CLARION
ELECTION
20128 THE CLARIONWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
After an economic crisis in 2008 our country is still suffering from a severe lack of employment.
Unemployment continues to sit around 8 percent and while the economy is recov-ering it is at a very slow pace. This has led to a very close election where either candidate has a very legitimate chance of winning the Presidency. We believe that President Obama is the best candidate to continue working through this crisis and push our nation forward.
President Obama was able to pass a stimulus that kept unemployment from raging into the double digits. He success-fully saved the U.S. automobile industry and has invested in clean energy and high speed rail to keep our country up to date in the future. He also passed a healthcare bill that will give insurance to millions of previously uninsured citi-zens. While he deserves praise for these actions, he is not without fault.
The stimulus was simply too small
to get the country back to the level of employment it actually needs. We are still millions of jobs short of where the country was before the economic crisis. His obsession with making the deficit a priority while the country was still in the middle of a crisis was misguided and ulti-mately failed to provide any kind of real legislation other than a financial cliff that will lead to even more partisan nego-tiating. Despite these misgiving, we feel the policies of Governor Romney would cause even greater problems.
Romney’s solution of tax cuts for the wealthy and business will do nothing but bring back the same issues that are hurt-ing this country. His five point economic plan has no details of any kind. There is not a single reputable source that is willing to vouch for the numbers in his plan having any possible way of working. Romney has also changed positions so often it is hard to know what he actually believes. Unfortunately, both parties
have a host of issues they won’t discuss at all. Neither party wants to discuss a war on drugs that is putting millions in prison for non-violent crimes. They also want to steer clear of discussing why we have private companies build-ing prisons that are guaranteed to hold a certain capacity. We feel that the goal should be to have less Americans in prison, not making it certain we will have even more. The drone strikes in the Middle East killing innocent civilians have had no discussion in this election at all. Neither has a kill list the President employs, giving him power far beyond what the constitution deems appropriate.
It is our hope that in the future more political parties will have their voice in the elections. We cannot truly solve our problems until we honestly consider all the choices out there. The are many flaws in the current two party system, however in the confines of this system we feel that Obama is the best choice going forward.
Obama deserves a second term
More money being thrown into the election now, more than any election in history
JASON CUEVASNews Editor
When the Supreme Court rules in favor of Citizens United in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, it completely changed the way money used in elec-tions. The country is in the midst of the greatest amount of spending ever produced in an election.
According to opensecrets.org esti-mates there will be a total of almost $6 billion spent on the current elec-tion. Those in swing states are often unable to go even a single commercial brake without seeing a political ad.
The Obama campaign has raised $631 million from individual contrib-utors. $214 million is from small con-tributions. Romney has raised $384
million with $70 million coming from small contributions. Both candidates continue to hold fundraisers even as the race comes down the final weeks.
What the ruling in the Citizens United case changed was declaring that it was unconstitutional to ban free speech from corporations and unions. This ruling also means that money is equal to speech. Unions and corporations may spend as much as they like in order to support or oppose political candidates. They are supposed to do this independently from the campaign. These new politi-cal action committees, often referred to as Super PACs are still banned from working directly with the cam-paign.
It is very hard to tell how much separation there really is between the campaigns and these super PACs. Restore Our Future which supports Romney and Priorities USA Action both seem to do advertising that goes hand in hand with the campaigns that
they support. Restore Our Future has taken in
over $118 million dollars from the current campaign according to the New York Times. They have spent 88 percent of that money on attack ads against President Obama.
The New York Times reports Priorities USA Action has taken in $55 million dollars itself during the election. 100 percent of that money has been spent on attack ads against Romney.
High spending in the election is not just limited to the national race. In Wisconsin both Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson are spending large amount of money. Baldwin has raised over $11 million dollars while Thompson has raised over $7 million. In Wisconsin most of the majority of the money has been from donors and not PACs.
Baldwin has received $875 thou-sand in PAC support while Thompson has received just over $1 million.
NICHOLAS GARTONStaff Writer
ELECTION
2012 9THE CLARION
Maybe we’ve all had it wrong the entire time. Ever since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, our focus as a
nation has been on preventing another assault on our soil and bringing the perpetrators to some kind of justice. We have had the Patriot Act imposed upon us. We have fought two wars for eleven years. We have engaged in diplomacy, economic sanctions, governmental apolo-gies, drone strikes and killed Osama Bin Laden, questioning whether or not those things have been right.
Vice Presidential candi-date Paul Ryan has an even further-reaching solution: flex our muscles. During the Vice Presidential debate, Ryan lambasted President Obamaʼs approach as making America look weak. He asserted, that if America is to stay safe in times of global crisis, we need to grow our military and not take compromising positions in regards to foreign policy.
As Vice President Joe Biden sat aghast, Paul Ryan laid out his plan that basi-cally entailed the idea that might, makes right. Tossing diplomacy and care aside, the Romney/Ryan ticket would have us believe that the only way to prevent future war is to look invincible to the rest of the world. Ryan said that relax-ing extreme, dehumanizing sanctions on Iran would only embolden their efforts towards nuclear capability. When asked to elaborate on precisely how he and Mitt Romney would execute their plan of avoiding things like a nuclear Iran, he merely reasserted his belief that we must not appear weak. Diplomacy, apparently, is the weakest possible strategy.
Let us reason together for a moment here. If we as a nation take up arms, build our military to new heights and take a standoffish position towards our enemies, we will not succeed. We will feel strong. We will use tough language. But, ultimately, we will be weaker than ever.
It does not take strength to take up arms. It is not tough to threaten countries
that already fear us. It is certainly not a representation of our moral author-ity or righteous indignation to impose horrific economic sanctions against another nation – sanctions that do noth-ing but harm the poor of that country and strengthen the resolve of its leaders against us.
A quick look at Americas history shows us what true strength is. Rather
than start a second Civil War, men like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. decided to reveal the content of good character by being firm, but peaceful, in the face of those threatening to use extreme violence. In doing so he showed us all that the weak ones were the people commit-ting the violence, not those being victimized by it.
President Kennedy, when threatened with nuclear attack, did not go on the offen-sive but drew a line in the sand
(or ocean rather) and said, “donʼt cross it”. Every single member of the Joint Chiefs opposed him saying he was pathetically weak. But he stood firm, and as it turns out, if he had listened to any of them, we would be dead. Paul Ryan would have rushed in, guns blazing.
More recently, President Obama portrayed the meaning of a true leader’s power. He inherited America at a time when the country faced daunting pover-ty, joblessness, security concerns abroad, soldiers dying in not one but two foreign lands and disgusting racially motivated backlash against his Presidency. At any point during the past four years President Obama would have been well within his rights to have a massive chip on his shoulder and, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in world history, take it out on some poor unsuspecting Middle Eastern soul. We know Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney would have applauded his display of strength, values and power. But he did not. He chose to embrace a doctrine of inclusion, compromise, coolness and control.
As things began to melt down in
Egypt, Libya and Syria, President Obama took a deep breath and allowed things to play out. He offered apologies to Muslims for any perceived slights on the part of the American Government. He refused to escalate the situation with Iran even as Benjamin Netanyahu became ever more agitated. Deep breaths.
In between those deep breaths President Obama shattered Al Qaeda. He brought the Taliban to its knees. He killed Osama Bin Laden. He put Iran on an island isolated from the rest of the world. He ended the war in Iraq and prepared an exit strategy for Afghanistan.
It takes more strength to win a star-ing contest against someone than to just punch them in the face. Obama wins staring contests. This takes self-control, self-esteem and moxie. When you add up those qualities they form a word called strength.
Insecure, feeble-minded, weak people talk tough and loud and rush into fights. Thatʼs how Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney would govern.
So, America, which one of those peo-ple do you want holding your life in their hands? This isnʼt a Sly Stallone movie where we can just flex testosterone, grunt really loud and just beat everyone up. Big guns and steroid muscles arenʼt scaring Al Qaeda. People who have those things are just itching for a reason to use them. That may work in Hollywood but in foreign affairs itʼs a good way to end up dead.
President Clinton said he wants a President who is cool on the outside but burns for America on the inside. Thatʼs what we have now in Barack Obama. The alternative, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are all heat on the outside. But, rest assured if they are elected America will burn from the inside.
With the presidential election just around the corner, talks of international interests
and foreign policy are of high priority. Something very few citizens seem to look at, is whether or not we should be involved with these countries in the first place. If another country’s citizens came to our land and forcefully tried to control how our country should be governed, they would be met with rage. It would simply be unacceptable. Yet we feel the need to impose democracy upon other countries, discontinuing the way they have been doing things for hundreds of years.
Western civilization feels as though
every country desires what we have. Regardless of whether it’s our ties with the Middle East, or our views on the inequality in third world countries, it all comes down to whether or not it is our place to tell other countries what to do.
Most of the countries we deploy to are nation states. When the United States enters their territory and tells them how to conduct their society, the citizen’s sov-ereignty is threatened. By no means am I saying that it is right to have children
serving in armies, or that it is acceptable for men to domi-nate women. Just because many traditions and beliefs held by other countries seem strange and unfavorable to us, doesn’t mean we have the right to tell them how to act, be and lead. If this were to happen in the United States there would be no discussion, only action. As we begin a new era, it is important that we think about what our position is in their eyes.
We cannot simply fix everyone’s prob-lems; we have our own problems that
need fixing. Sometimes, countries come to us for help in times of need and more recently they have been ignored in their desperation. So what is it that decides our occupation of other lands?
We must first fix ourselves; only then should we discuss how and if other countries want our western influence. We cannot just assume that countries desire to be like the red, white, and blue. Sometimes the American people forget how connected we truly are to other countries, and what type of influence we have. It is important that the candi-dates are cautious when discussing, and especially when acting in, international affairs.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
America: are we in the right or wrong?
Paul Ryan: Diplomacy like
a ‘Stallone’ movie
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
VICE PRESIDENT’S LAMENT
Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MCT
Vice presidential candidante Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) campaigns at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Monday, October 15, 2012.
LAUREN SUTTERStaff Writer
ELECTION
201210 THE CLARION
Foreign policy controversy and what is expectedThe U.S. presidential election is the center of atten-
tion in international media because U.S. foreign pol-icies are far-reaching. The U.S. is a powerful player
on the world stage. The Indonesia-U.S. connection is criti-cal, and deserves clear policy direction in this election.
But is that what the world is hearing? For many Indonesians paying close attention to the debates and other discourse, a vote for Mitt Romney is viewed as a step backwards in regards to U.S.-Indonesia relations. If that happens, it could result in a ripple effect around the world.
According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the number of visa applications by Indonesians has increased in America by one-third. Direct, person-to-person ties are critical to deepening the friendship between American and Indonesian people.
“That is something President Obama is personally very committed to, based on his own relationships,” Clinton said when she addressed the third annual U.S.-Indonesian Joint Commission Meeting.
Ali Salmande Harahap, a law journalist from Jakarta said, “Although I am Indonesian, I don’t care about Obama’s background, when he spent his childhood in Indonesia. I just want to see his international policy objectively.”
“Obama uses a dialogue approach in his foreign policy. He tries to start a dialogue between the west and Muslim majority countries,” Harahap said. “It was different with the Republican foreign policy that I saw in the George W. Bush era which resulted in horrible wars. I see Romney as not different from George W. Bush.”
In a recent presidential debate, Mitt Romney has admitted that America needs to strengthen relationships with countries like India and Indonesia. “Our objec-tive is not to build an anti-China coalition. Rather it is to strengthen cooperation among countries with which we share a concern about China’s growing power and increasing assertiveness and with whom we also share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and ensur-ing that disputes over resources are resolved by peaceful means. It is yet another way of closing off China’s option of expanding its influence through coercion,” Romney said on his campaign website.
But the statements are confusing. Romney doesn’t want to “build an anti-China coalition,” but favors ways of “closing off China.” It’s this type of mixed messages that leaves the world confused about his true intentions.
Romney said, “Look at Indonesia in the 60s. We helped them move toward modernity.” This controversial claim was made would be a good model for how the United States should engage Pakistan today.
For many Indonesian people, what Romney refers to as a good model led to the most painful decades in Indonesian history. In 1965, Indonesia’s first President, Sukarno was deposed in a coup. The truth behind the coup is still hotly debated. General Suharto, supported by the United States at that time, became Indonesia’s presi-dent for 32 years. It came at the cost of military dictator-ship, long jail terms without fair trials and targeted kill-ings. Roughly 500,000 Indonesians were mass murdered in 1966.
The Indonesian people hope that the U.S. election result will lead to positive impacts around the world. Ari Mustikawati, a journalist from Bali, said she wants the next President to treat Asian countries fairly, as equals. “For example, the contract with Freeport, the biggest gold mining company in Papua, should be renewed since the existing one gives little benefit to the Indonesian govern-ment and the local community in Papua, which finally triggered unsolvable conflict,” Mustikawati said.
Eliyan Umamy, a student from Pierce College, added, “In the case of relationship with Asian countries, we can build a better mutual understanding. Hopefully the next president will spread the spirit of peace, not war, which means no more military attacks.”
Although international students can’t vote in the U.S. Presidential election, we are watching. The world is watching, as there is much at stake. Rather than roll the dice and see where they land, the United States would do well to elect a leader who has a clear direction.
Just when you think that we the people have evolved culturally and morally, and have come to embrace a multi-racial nation built on open-
mindedness and peace, an insidious trait still presents itself in 2012’s American society. The ugly devil, rac-ism, rears its head and taps you on the back. You need not look any farther than our home state of Wisconsin to witness racism in all of its nastiness.
Playing the race card in politics is noth-ing new. Jason Thompson, son of Senate candidate Tommy Thompson, reminded us of this at a GOP brunch. He publically declared, “We have an opportunity to send President Barack Obama back to Chicago - or Kenya.” Right after Thompson’s com-ment, a woman was heard stating, “I’m taking dona-tions for that Kenya trip.” Now if those comments aren’t considered race baiting and racist, I don’t know what is.
RNC Chairman Reince Pribus was there and all he said was that Thompson’s comments were “out of line.” Tommy Thompson apologized on his son’s behalf. You have to wonder, however, about the level of sincerity in his apology.
A Redgranite, Wis. man claiming to be an Obama supporter, made the news for displaying a sign that had an outline of a noose and stated, “Hang in there Obama.” Thomas Savka told WLUK-TV that the sign had “nothing to do with color.” Neighbors said that the sign was in poor taste. The Obama campaign stated that the sign was “inappropriate and has no place in
public discourse around elections.”Another horrifying example of racism in politics
is of a photograph going around the internet. It’s of a white man with a shaved head, wearing a t-shirt that states, “Romney/Ryan: Put the white back in the White House.” After seeing this at a Romney rally, I was speechless.
On Fox News, Newt Gingrich stated, “I’m assuming that there’s some rhythm to Barack Obama that the rest of us don’t understand. Whether he needs more rest, whether he needs to go play basketball or watch ESPN, I mean I don’t quite know what his rhythm is.” I could go on, but it just gets more ridiculous. Bringing up
rhythm and basketball, seriously, why didn’t he just go ahead and call the President a racial slur? Gingrich’s comments were transparently racist, and ignorant.
There are countless tactics of racism. All you need to do is Google “racism in politics 2012.” A racially coded TV ad by Karl Rove asks the President to show up for work. In the end, the best thing that can be done is to bring racism out into the limelight. For every veiled insult, inappropriate sign, and political hack talking racist smack, call them out on it. What does racism gain? Is racism going to lift this country up? I think not. Does race play a role in this election? I say yes. History keeps repeating itself, and that is a shame. Americans, especially government officials, need to represent themselves by the principals of the U.S. Constitution.
Election Day is fast approaching. Students around Madison College are gearing up to make their voices heard by casting their ballot in the presi-
dential election, for many it’s their first. You’ve been bombarded by campaign ads, of which have quickly turned negative as Nov. 6 draws nearer.
Watching President Obama and Governor Romney trading barbs and cir-cling each other was like watching a couple of profes-sional wrestlers in the ring. I couldn’t help but wonder, not who I was going to vote for, but why I was even vot-ing in the first place.
Are their fans casting a vote because they believe in these politician’s principles, or are they voting just to stick it to the other side? While I am sure there are many students out there undecided about who to vote for, I wonder how many are asking, “Why vote?”
Every four years it is the same. Both sides attack the other’s abilities. Clean campaigning quickly gives way to attacks, spins and half-truths.
What about the undecided voter? The one being wooed by each side with promises of change, and half-hearted explanations of what went wrong, or how we
will get out of this debt. They say the undecided voter is important to the outcome of this election. Well is it?
I am one of these undecided voters. I voted inde-pendent in my first election, but it’s said that instead, it was actually a vote for the Republicans. People say that voting inde-pendent is hopeless, well isn’t hope what voting is about? If my vote is a wasted one, then I won’t waste my time on voting.
If these candidates would spend their time cam-paigning the fundamental values and policies they will work towards, this would be a different story. However, as Election Day draws nearer, both seem far more concerned with winning over fans. In the last stretch, politicians often show who they really are.
It’s commonly publicized that voting is a privilege; your civic duty. Voting is your right. Don’t be bullied or guilted into voting on Election Day. Don’t let anyone guilt you into voting. If you feel both candidates are unqualified for the job, then it is your right to not cast a vote.
Voting is a right. So is the right to bear arms. I choose not to own a gun, and I will also exercise my right not to submit a vote.
SYLVIA LIMStaff Writer
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
FOREIGN POLICY CAMPAIGN TRAIL
RACE IN POLITICS
Racism in politics is a post-Racist America
Don’t let campaign ads beat you up
MIKE WANGStaff Writer
ROBERT WHITEStaff Writer
ELECTION
2012 11THE CLARION
NICHOLAS GARTONStaff WRiter
One important issue in the 2012 presidential elec-tion is the economy. Candidates have voiced their opin-ions for how to do this..
However it is not just the presidential candidates who are under fiscal fire. State Rep. Mark Pocan laid out his plan for turning the economy around locally. Pocan is running for the Second District Congressional seat being vacated as incumbent Tammy Baldwin runs for Herb Kohl’s Senate seat.
Pocan believes education is the key to spurring change in our economy.
“We need to have the resources for people to have job training. Technical colleges are crucial to develop-ing that training,” Pocan said.
For many, just getting into school to begin with is a challenge. Finding affordable tuition during this economic slump has been a barrier to many who are trying to find ways to better themselves so they can find steadier jobs. During his tenure as a State Representative, Pocan helped raise over $80 million for student financial aid in Wisconsin. Yet Pocan says there is opposition to the concept of federally funded student loans.
“Some of the folks in the tea party want to cut back on pell grants and raise the rate on grants and cut down on the availability of funds for college. Those who can least afford it should not be barred from getting an education. Financial ability should not be a barrier to education,” he said.
What is the point if a thousand more students grad-uate if there are not enough jobs to support them?
“The economy has been changing thanks to glo-balization,” Pocan said. “We need to focus on making sure we’re incentivizing and investing in research in technology. A lot of jobs are going to be in the energy field for people in Wisconsin. Many of those jobs are going overseas. We need small business to have access
to capital so they can hire more workers.” The battle over school affordability and availabil-
ity is more tied to globalization and job outsourcing overseas than many realize. Pocan theorizes a boost in small businesses as well as jobs returning from over-seas may give the economy a boost.
Some college students are laid off workers looking for an education to propel them towards better oppor-tunity. The children of undocumented workers or ille-gal immigrants are in a similar situation, searching for opportunities that are not available to them elsewhere.
Legislation has been discussed by Republicans to cut federal funding for universities who allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition costs forcing taxpay-ers must pay the difference that would otherwise be covered as an out-of-state student.
Many Republicans feel that to give an in-state rate to an illegal immigrant is like rewarding illegal immigration. It is one more way in which Republicans are turning up the heat on states to adopt more strict anti-immigration laws that would effect education and the economy. Cutting off federal funding for universi-ties who offer in-state tuition for illegal immigrants would mean the loss of things such as Pell Grants and research funding.
Wisconsin has passed laws to approve in-state tuition for illegal immi-grants.
“We need to pass the Dream Act to find a path to citizenship for people who have been here all their lives,” Pocan said
JOSHUA D. LYNCHStaff Writer
Running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin’s 2nd District is Chad Lee. Lee is an advocate of our Constitution and believes that the solutions to our problems lie in the free market, not big government.
According to ChadLeeForCongress.com, he believes that “we need to focus on regulatory reform and tax reform as the first steps toward improving the climate for small businesses so that they can grow and create more jobs.” Lee is familiar with the world of business, graduating in Business Administration and from found-ing and selling a residential and commercial cleaning agency.
Lee is certain that the problem with our national debt is created not by a lack of revenue, but by out of control spending. Lee recommends tax code reform, making it so everyone pays their fair share under a simpler, faster system.
He believes that the Affordable Care Act will not result in affordable health care, and that the many issues of our healthcare system should be addressed through individual legislation, not a whopping 3,000-page bill.
To help with the issue of insolvency, Medicare and Social Security should have the age of eligibility slowly increased for those over the age of 55, to match the rise
in life expectancy, Lee suggests. He also believes that the United
States should not rely on importing of energy sources, but should use nuclear, natural gas, and hydraulic fracturing to become energy inde-pendent and an exporter or these readily available resources.
Chad Lee’s campaign web site is located at http://chadleeforcon-gress.com/campaign-news/
u.s. houseWisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District includes Dane, Green and Columbia counties and portions of Jefferson, Sauk, Rock and Walworth counties
CHAD LEE MARK POCAN
Lee wants focus on tax reformPocan emphasizes education
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2012
For more information, visit pocanforcongrss.com and chadleeforcongress.com
