Author: Cay Smith

Deeds’ Daughter, Son Campaign for Father at Mason

By Broadside News Editor Amanda Cheek

Oct. 26, 2009

The children of Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds came to George Mason University Monday to campaign for their father. Amanda and Gus Deeds were handing out flyers on campus and speaking with students.

“Young voters hold a lot of swing,” said Gus, 20, on why they are on the road for their father.

Amanda, 24, explained that they were handing out flyers with quotes from The Washington Post covering topics from their father’s campaign.

Amanda said that is was important to hand them out at Mason because The Washington Post is local and relevant. She emphasized that the flyers were “supporting Dad’s plan on transportation” which was an important issue in Northern Virginia.

“[We have] got to get our Dad elected,” said Amanda.

Gus said that they have been on the campaign trail with their father and have visited several universities across the state including William & Mary and Virginia Tech to hand out flyers.

“[It’s] getting the conversation started,” said Gus. “Getting it out that there’s a governor’s race going on. People, especially students on college campuses are busy and might not realize it.”

Gus feels that there is a lot of voter fatigue left over from the presidential race and that the campaign would have to “battle” it to get his father elected.

When asked how they deal with negative campaign ads about their father, Amanda said they are in the car a lot with him away from the Internet. She said they don’t have blackberries and try to watch as little television as possible. “We watch stuff like VH1 and Tool Academy,” said Amanda.

“It seems like Mr. McDonnell has a negative attitude on negative ads,” said Gus.

Amanda said they spoke with students today that were concerned with the negative ads. She said she doesn’t understand why people are worrying and letting the ads affect their decision.

“Bob McDonnell has spent more money on negative ads than we have on all our ads total,” said Amanda. “[He] just can’t be our governor,” she said.

Out-of-State Students Bear Brunt of Budget Cuts Effects

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

Tuition for George Mason University students rose by 9.8 percent for in-state students and 9.7 percent for out-of-state students between the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years. These numbers are well in excess of the national average of 6.5 percent.

Annual tuition now stands at $7,512 for in-state students and $21,648 for out-of-state students.

Mason Press Secretary Dan Walsch said that out-of-state tuition, which stands at more than double the in-state cost, helps the school during lean financial times, and stated candidly that Mason would be helped if more out-of-state students came.

“We recognize the importance of a healthy balance between in-state and out-of-state students,” Walsch said. “Having people here from other states and other countries enriches our culture. At the same time, we have to be sensitive to the political needs of the legislators in the General Assembly. Some of them have proposed actually putting a cap on the number of out-of-state students admitted, because they reason that every classroom seat given to someone from out of state is a seat that won’t go to a Virginian. These are the people who vote to give us the money we need to operate. Part of it is political.”

Shannell Austin, a freshman from Philadelphia, said out-of-state students bear too heavy a burden. “Most of the out-of-state people I know are talking about transferring because they can’t pay the tuition,” she said. “Even with financial aid, I’ll probably drop out or transfer next semester.”

Tuition usually has be raised at least slightly each year to reflect inflation, but Mason costs of attendance have gone up by at least five percent every year since 2000, while during the same period inflation has never exceeded 3.8 percent. Since the onset of recession the dollar has actually experienced 1.4 percent deflation, which means that Mason’s 9.8 percent tuition rise is in practical terms closer to a 10.2 percent hike.

This comes at a time when the school has exceeded its fall 2009 enrollment target by 1,500 students, beating out Virginia Commonwealth University to become the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Walsch said that the steep tuition increase was the result of “severe revenue shortfalls” in Richmond. “George Mason is a public university,” he said. “And its primary source to exist is public money. In the last year and a half, the General Assembly has cut $40 million from our budget. We have to make that up, and to maintain the quality and institutions here, we’ve been turning to raising tuition. We’re not insensitive to the financial demands on families. We know there’s people out there right now who are struggling to stay in their homes, to put food on their tables. We’re just trying to continue being able to do what we do as an institution.”

Walsch noted that Mason has taken other steps besides raising tuition to handle the financial situation, such as increasing class sizes, offering fewer sections, hiring fewer adjunct faculty, reducing the hours of certain services, such as the health center, and reducing transportation costs.

Walsch said that tuition isn’t likely to stop going up anytime soon. “Things are going to be tight for the next few years,” he said. “Virginia has a lot of other issues—transportation, state police and other things, and they’re all important.”

What Does It Take to Be Attorney General?

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

As the Virginia campaign enters its final week, voters are tasked with the important responsibility of electing several key government officials, among them is the Commonwealth’s attorney general. Both Democrat Steve Shannon and Republican Ken Cuccinelli have claimed to be the most qualified for the position, but what does being Virginia’s senior lawyer actually entail?

According to the attorney general official website, the office, currently occupied by Republican Bill Mims, “is charged with providing advice to state agencies and the Governor; serving as consumer counsel for the people of the Commonwealth; defending criminal convictions on appeal to ensure that justice is served; and defending the laws of the Commonwealth when they are challenged on constitutional grounds.”

The attorney general is one of only three statewide elected officers, the other two being the lieutenant governor and governor. Virginia attorneys general serve four-year renewable terms.

When a legal question comes before a state institution or the constitutionality of a state policy is in question, the Office of the Attorney General is responsible for providing the governor and other relevant officials with prescient counsel, directing them toward the path that best defends citizens’ rights while responsibly advancing the interests of the state.

This direction can sometimes take the form of written legal opinions delivered to members of the General Assembly to assist them in the drafting of laws.

The Office of the Attorney General takes an active role regarding issues that affect large numbers of residents, such as domestic violence, consumer protection, debt collection, assisting criminal investigations in some instances, enforcement of child support obligations, supervising “the appointment and payment of private attorneys hired by other state agencies,” assisting crime victims in their legal cases, fighting identity theft, administering grants, and operating a sexual offenders’ registry, according to the attorney general website.

The attorney general must also oversee the important task of defending criminals’ convictions on appeal.

In a statement released to Mason Votes, Shannon’s campaign touted the Democrat’s experience as a Fairfax County prosecutor who confronted gang and domestic violence, specifically targeting sexual predators. The statement went on to say that Shannon who in 2001 co-founded, with his wife Abby, the Washington metropolitan AMBER alert system, is “running to make Virginia safer by cracking down on drugs, gang leaders and Internet predators who target our kids.”

“I’ve actually sat in a court room with gang members sitting behind me as I argued a case against one of their own,” Shannon said during this month’s attorney general debate. “I’ve had the sheriffs escorting me to and from the courtroom, checking under my jeep to see if there’s a car bomb there. I’ve presented the photographs of children who were beaten to death by members of MS 13. I’ve been through that.”

The campaign went on to criticize Cuccinelli, saying that he “wants to use the position to push his own radical political agenda on the people of Virginia.”

Cuccinelli’s campaign did not respond to attempts to contact them, but throughout the campaign he has emphasized his experience as a court-appointed attorney for the mentally disabled and stressed the importance of his economic and social policies, and his ability to defend what he sees as critical constitutional issues, among them Virginia’s right-to-work laws.

“We need to reduce regulations and strip out those that don’t provide more of a benefit than a cost,” he said during this month’s attorney general debates. “I do not favor collective bargaining. I have a zero percent voting record with the AFL-CIO. My opponent has a 100 percent voting record with the AFL-CIO. That’s a job-killing record.”

Cuccinelli has also been a vigorous advocate of mental health reform, urging more “humane” treatment for the mentally disabled.

“I don’t want to minimize [mentally disabled defendants’] culpability,” Cuccinelli told the George Mason University College Republicans at their first October meeting. “But there are a lot of people who wouldn’t be in jail in the first place if it weren’t for their mental health issues. We need to change the statutes we have and get these folks treatment that is more appropriate. Deputies aren’t trained to deal with mental health issues, so they resort to things like imposed isolation to handle it, and that’s a problem. We need to deal with these people in a way that’s more…effective.”
Go here for more information on the Shannon and Cuccinelli campaigns.

Oct. 27 Political Minute

GMU Talk Back Oct. 21 Edition

Where Do Patriots Get Their Political Views?

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

The George Mason University student body is home to a diverse range of political views and an equally wide set of beliefs about how those views are formed.

The students interviewed denied the conventionally-held notion that people’s political positions are determined primarily by their parents’ affiliation.

“My family and my religion influenced my beliefs initially,” said sophomore Tyler Stevens. “But that changed.”

Stevens said that, over time, he thought young people were likely to adopt political ideals opposed to their parents’.

“I definitely don’t follow the church so much,” Stevens said. “Entering high school, I started developing different views. My parents decided to start going to church more, and that kind of motivated. Everybody there put such a big emphasis on God and the Bible, and they took the Bible too literally. It had a negative impact, and it really turned me off. You can’t force someone to think a certain way.”

Stevens thought that friends’ political leanings were more important, theorizing that individuals gravitated to people whose ideas mirrored—and reinforced—their own.

Others agreed.

“My whole family’s Democratic, but that’s not the only reason I am,” said Senior Pujita Venkat. “That’s just a contributing factor. I went to a really liberal private school and most of my ideas came from my experience there.”

“I have always naturally tended to be liberal,” said Sean Jahan, a fourth-year graduate student. “I think it was more personality-driven than learned, although for most people it’s more nurture than nature. For me it was more nature.”

Overall, students tended to support President Barack Obama, confirming exit poll statistics from the 2008 election that showed 66 percent of 18-29-year-olds voting for the Democratic ticket.

“I wish health care reform was going through more quickly,” Venkat said, referring to the sentiment among some voters that the President is not enacting change fast enough. “But I can understand why it isn’t. There’s a lot of opposition. I honestly think it’s too early to judge him.”

Jahan said that political views were mostly set from an early age, and didn’t believe that subsequent life events in most cases had a major impact on them. “I don’t think that entering the workforce or starting a family really alters how you feel,” he said. “Most of my friends have the same political beliefs now that they did in college.”

Mason Economist: Republicans Have Advantage in Upcoming Election

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

Citing what he called “the worst economic downturn since at least 1982,” George Mason University economics Professor Bryan Caplan said that Republican candidates would likely have a slight advantage over Democratic and Independent candidates going into the 2009 state elections. This is good news for Bob McDonnell (R) and could help explain why Creigh Deeds (D) is trailing in the polls.

“Polls are showing McDonnell leading Deeds in the polls,” Caplan said. “And nationally, Independents are leaning towards Republicans. At first, there was an attitude that [George W.] Bush was president when the crisis began and so it was his fault, but more recently there’s been the feeling that these two presidents share equal blame, that while Bush’s policies may have caused the meltdown, Obama’s have prolonged it.”

Caplan was critical of President Barak Obama’s $800 billion stimulus package, which he says has “done nothing.”

“The stimulus doesn’t actually increase spending,” he said.

Caplan argued that because much of the nearly $800 billion for the stimulus came from government bonds, the majority of which are held by the American people, the federal government was marshalling resources that individuals would otherwise have spent on their own.

“They’re trying to duplicate the effects of the private market,” Caplan said, “and if they do that successfully, then it’s not harmful—it’s useless, but it’s not harmful. Government doesn’t work that way, though; they spend money on stupid things, on things that don’t make sense, things that most people couldn’t explain. They don’t do as good a job as the market would do on its own. In fact, some economists believe that the stimulus has actually made the situation worse.”

Caplan noted that the 2008-2009 downturn was unique among modern recessions because of the presence of deflation. Typically, he said, the U.S. economy experiences two to three percent annual inflation, but has recently undergone 1.4 percent deflation.

The cause, Caplan hypothesized, was most likely individuals hoarding their money. When people do not spent as much, demand for products goes down, prices are lowered, and, in effect, a dollar becomes worth more.

For these reasons, Caplan said, the solution to unemployment was to cut wages.

“Excessive wages are the cause of unemployment,” said Caplan. “If there’s two percent deflation, you’ve just effectively gotten a two-percent pay raise. That also means that if your employer cuts wages by two percent, you haven’t really lost money, but workers don’t see it that way. What’s easier to deal with, though: losing two percent in wages or losing your job? What’s going to be harder on a family?”

Caplan said that the federal government could take several basic steps to put the nation on the road to economic recovery, such as cutting payroll taxes for employers and halting the Federal Reserve’s payment of interest on bank reserves, which he said encouraged banks to hold their money rather than loan it.

Mason Women: McDonnell Thesis Hurtful

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

George Mason University women have reacted negatively to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell penning a 1989 thesis in which he criticized feminists and homosexuals and said that women who worked outside the home were “detrimental to society.”

McDonnell has dismissed the thesis as an “academic paper” and said that his views have changed, but not everyone is buying it.

“As a scholar of comparative social policy, his prescriptions regarding women and the workplace are just dreadful,” said Mariely Lopez-Santana, a professor with the George Mason University Public and International Affairs Department. “He argues that he has changed positions, but letting your wife work and having women in your staff is, in my opinion, not a change—he is just reacting to the needs of our times and to his political ambitions.”

Others agreed.

“I feel that this thesis is very detrimental to all women,” said senior Katherine Papadopoulos. “Particularly the statement that complained about women working outside the home. Women who need to work in order to provide for their households should be commended for their work ethic and commitment to their families.”

Freshman Marlene Meza expressed confusion at McDonnell’s ideas.

“I don’t understand how that makes sense,” she said. “It’s the 21st century and we have equal gender rights. Calling women who have multiple roles ‘detrimental to society’ goes against American values.”

Both Meza and Papadopoulos said that, though they disagreed with the thesis, it was dated and would not affect their decision with regard to the election.

Lopez-Santana thought that the scandal would have an impact on the election.

“For those who did not have any information about him or who weren’t going to vote, this controversy will lead them to the polls—whether to vote for him or against him,” she said. “This is certainly relevant if we take into account the fact that voter turnout tends to be lower at the state level than in federal elections.”

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

By Mason Votes Director Christian Smith

Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 10:12 a.m.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” said Thorbjørn Jagland, chairman of the committee in a speech early this morning. “Obama has, as president, created a new international climate…dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments in solving even the most difficult conflicts.”

Jagland praised the president’s “vision of a world free from nuclear arms.”

Republicans have reacted negatively to the news. Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement, “the real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?’ It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain – President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.”

According to Politico.com, Rush Limbaugh sent an email stating, “This fully exposes the illusion that is Barack Obama. And with this ‘award’ the elites of the world are urging Obama, THE MAN OF PEACE, to not do the surge in Afghanistan, not take action against Iran and its nuclear program and to basically continue his intentions to emasculate the United States.”

Obama is only the third sitting president to be awarded the Peace Prize. President Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson won in 1906 and 1919 respectively.

Obama was originally slated to make a statement at 10:15, but it has been rescheduled several times. The press is now awaiting his arrival in the Rose Garden. It will be streamed live on the White House website.

Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

Cuccinelli, Shannon, Address Crime, Economy

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

Republican attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli and Democratic attorney general candidate Steve Shannon disagreed on economic issues during their Wednesday debate at George Mason University’s Prince William campus, with much of the divergence of views relating to job creation.

Cuccinelli called Virginia’s right-to-work laws, which prohibit compulsory union membership as a condition of employment, critical, and said he would defend them vigorously if elected attorney general.

“The government shouldn’t be creating jobs, it should be creating opportunities,” he said. “We need to reduce regulations and strip out those that don’t provide more of a benefit than a cost. I do not favor collective bargaining. I have a zero percent voting record with the AFL-CIO. My opponent has a 100 percent voting record with the AFL-CIO. That’s a job-killing record.”

Shannon responded that union members were hard-working individuals who deserved the right to work together for better wages and workplace conditions.

Both candidates said that the threat of gang violence is one of the most serious that faces the state.

Shannon stressed his courtroom experience as a Fairfax County prosecutor and stated that he would be ready to tackle hard issues, such as the proliferation of child pornography, the rise in violent crime, drunk driving, increased gang activity within the state and the growing prevalence of prescription drug abuse.

“I will not need on-the-job training to handle this position,” Shannon said. “I’ve actually sat in a court room with gang members sitting behind me as I argued a case against one of their own. I’ve had the sheriffs escorting me to and from the courtroom, checking under my jeep to see if there’s a car bomb there. I’ve presented the photographs of children who were beaten to death by members of MS 13. I’ve been through that.”

Shannon continued saying that nearly 20,000 computers in the state were being used to traffic in child pornography and that more resources were needed to crack down on sexual predators.

Cuccinelli denied that prosecutorial experience was necessary to execute the duties of attorney general, and responded that he had comprehensive plans to deal with many of the problems facing Virginia.

With regard to gang violence, Cuccinelli praised the efforts of Shenandoah Valley authorities, who appointed one person to coordinate anti-gang efforts across jurisdictional lines, suggesting that similar programs implemented in other parts of the state could also be effective.

Both agreed on the need to combat drunk driving and on defending Virginians’ Second Amendment right to bear arms.