Posts – Page 47 – Mason Votes

Meet Christopher DeCarlo Independent 11th District Congressional Candidate

Q: Why should Mason students vote for you?
A: I am not for sale and I have the skills, experience and desire to listen to the voters and properly represent their interests to the Congress.

Q: What will you do to help your college-aged constituents?
A: Promote a more level playing field by reducing the collusion between government and big business. The collusion with the influence of campaign contributions has corrupted our system of citizen government. This is our number one problem. The only solution is to elect incorruptible representatives so our government can work constructively to solve our problems and regain our trust.

Q: What issues do you think are most important to college students?
A: Employment opportunities.

Q: What local projects are you most concerned with? (Ex. Public transportation, civic programs etc.)
A: American needs to get back to its roots of citizen representation as well as innovation, creativity, small business development, entrepreneurial spirit and encouraging people to take responsibility for themselves. We need opportunities and incentives for people to grow, develop, and improve. These components have made America great but now our success is threatened by entitlement programs, suffocating regulations, high taxes, increasing risk and perpetual political patronage and protection.

Q: What will you do to ensure the success of these projects?
A: Promote simple common sense laws and rules.

Q: What will you do to help repair the economy?
A: Fight against complex regulations that are subject to different interpretations. The complex regulations are causing us to lose time, investment opportunities, industries and jobs while other countries are using our technology against us. America needs to reverse its bureaucratic trend and work strategically to make efficient use of our resources and capacity.

Q: Afghanistan and Iraq — what are your plans?
A: Withdraw.

Q: Why are you qualified to represent the 11th District?
A: I have the skills, knowledge, intelligence, insight and ability to represent constituents’ concerns to the Congress, and like other small business owners I know how to improvise, adapt and overcome. It is something I have been doing everyday for the last 30 years.

Mason Students Rally for Sanity, or Fear

Photo by Jordan J. Frasier

From Connect2Mason
By Jordan J. Frasier

The country faces a difficult time, made even more difficult by the 24-hour news cycle, comedian Jon Stewart told a crowd of thousands at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall Saturday.

The event, held in the shadow of the U.S. Capital Building, combined comedy from Stewart and his Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert, along with music from Sheryl Crow, John Legend, The Roots and others.

But Stewart ended the rally with a serious note about the state of sanity.

“If we amplify everything, we hear nothing,” Stewart said of the hype media adds to news. Stewart also said the press does not accurately reflect reality of everyday American life.

Hundreds of Mason students joined the crowd gathered on the mall after boarding buses on campus that transported students to the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station for a ride to the rally. The buses were sponsored by the Office of Housing and Residence Life and included a Metro day-pass for students in addition to the bus ride.

“It’s a good way to get students involved,” freshman Alex Dodson said. “I appreciate the buses.”

READ MORE HERE

Stephen Colbert on Rally to Restore Sanity, or Fear

From Broadside
By Sonya Hudson

It’s not possible to rally for sanity, according to Stephen Colbert.

“I don’t think it’s possible to get excited about moderate behavior,” said Colbert, host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” “It’s a paradox I don’t understand. Are you going to get extremely moderate at the rally? No. You’ve got to get jacked up about something. That’s why I’m offering fear as something to get excited about.”

Colbert and Jon Stewart are hosting a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

READ MORE!

Your Chance to Amend the Virginia Constitution

By Christian Smith

This Tuesday, Virginia voters will have the opportunity to vote on three constitutional amendments. Ballots will include three questions that specify which article of the Constitution is up for change and the change that is being considered. The questions are listed and explained below.

Question 1: “Shall Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to authorize legislation that will permit localities to establish their own income or financial worth limitations for purposes of granting property tax relief for homeowners not less than 65 years of age or permanently and totally disabled?”

Explanation: Currently the law requires that there be “an extraordinary tax burden” on homeowners who are at least 65-years-old or permanently and totally disabled. The change would take out the “extraordinary tax burden” requirement and allow localities to independently determine income or financial worth minimums for homeowners who are at least 65-years-old or permanently and totally disabled to be exempt from taxes.

Question 2: Shall the Constitution be amended to require the General Assembly to provide a real property tax exemption for the principal residence of a veteran, or his or her surviving spouse, if the veteran has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability?

Explanation: If passed, the amendment will compel the Virginia General Assembly to exempt veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service related injury from paying local real estate taxes on their primary home. This exemption would also apply the surviving spouse as long as they keep the residence as their primary home and do not remarry.

Question 3: Shall Section 8 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to increase the permissible size of the Revenue Stabilization Fund (also known as the “rainy day fund”) from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth’s average annual tax revenues derived from income and retail sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years?

Explanation: The Commonwealth has a rainy day fund. It decides what the amount of that fund should be by averaging the previous three years’ income and retail sales taxes collected by the state. Currently, the fund is limited to 10 percent of that average and the amendment would increase it to 15 percent.

College Republicans and Democrats Debate Issues Tonight

From Connec2Mason.com
By Jordan J. Frasier

With just five days before voters head to the polls in this year’s midterm election, the Mason chapter of College Republicans and College Democrats will debate political issues tonight.

The event will feature an exchange between three Republican students and three Democrat students as they discuss local and national political issues.

Mason professor Dr. Toni-Michelle Travis will act as moderator.

For College Kids, Voting Is So Two Years Ago

Caption: George Mason University students celebrate in 2008 after election results were confirmed for President Barack Obama

From The Atlantic Wire
By Elspeth Reeve

The Obamamania that swept college campuses two years ago, spurring millions of young people to vote, volunteer, and lobby their parents to change their minds, now looks like a bubble that has burst. Democrats argue that the enthusiasm gap between its voters and fired up Republicans is overblown, but the numbers among young voters are undeniable. In 2008, Rock the Vote registered 2.5 million young voters. This year, it’s signed up just 280,000. Local registration drives apparently haven’t fared much better, Politico reports. The county that’s home to 90 percent of the University of Virginia’s dorms has registered 2,714 new voters this year, a huge slide from 6,171 two years ago. Likewise, in 2008, new voters numbered 20,000 in the county that includes Colorado State University’s campus. A mere 1,200 registered this year. Why have college kids swung back to apathy?

Connolly, Fimian Fight Dirty

By Christian Smith

Incumbent democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly and Republican Keith Fimian, both contenders for Virginia’s 11th district House of Representatives seat, have been duking it out over the airwaves in recent weeks. As the Nov. 2 election quickly approaches, the two have been the stars of an all-out negative ad blitz.

At the beginning of the month, Connolly’s campaign released an ad loosely based in fact that implied Fimian would give himself a $250 thousand bonus if elected.

Of course Tim Edison, Fimian’s campaign manager, wasted no time in disputing Connolly’s claims.

Not to be outdone, the next day Fimian released an ad to TV viewers that had previously been available only on YouTube since April. This ad accused Connolly of “bankrupting America.”

In response, Connolly’s camp produced this video:

But if the winner of this negative ad battle is determined by shear number of produced ads, it’s Fimian who is victorious. In the past two week, including the one listed above, he has produced four negative spots to Connolly’s two.

Vote Vans to Take Students to Polls

Vote Vans, an initiative started by Zach Golden and Claire Forman in 2007, is coming back again this year to help students make voting easier. It will be shuttling students from Mason to W.T Woodson High School where they will be able to vote.

Vote Vans will have a tent set up in the grassy area between Enterprise Hall and Science and Tech II and also at the Sandy Creek Circle to educate students about the voting process as well as this year’s candidates running for office.

“Our main goal is to transport students who don’t have cars but are passionate about voting,” says Melissa Jackson, organizer for Vote Vans.

Vote Vans will also be handing out electronic surveys via iPod touches to students in hopes to raise awareness about higher education issues and budget cuts. This information will then be used to go to Richmond on Lobbying Day to lobby on the student’s behalf.

Come out and show your support and vote for your favorite candidate!

By Aisha Jamil

Mason Votes is Back!

It’s that time of the year again and Mason Votes is back!

Election Day is coming up in less than a month and Mason Votes is prepared to have students pumped up and ready to vote!

College-aged students are one of the most apathetic age groups when it comes to voting, but the last presidential election definitely turned over a new leaf. It got the masses excited. It got us excited. It got everyone excited!

So, in order to keep that excitement going, Mason Votes is coming back this year to raise voter awareness for Mason’s student population.

Come visit us at the Johnson Center -Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to have some free snacks (homemade brownies and such) learn about voter registration and become our fan on Facebook. Keep checking our website for more articles, news and updates about the coming mid-term elections in the next few weeks cause it’s bound to become a tough battle!

– Aisha Jamil