8A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 14, 2004 NEWS
FINALae PoeErIDENTIAL DEBATEaej b
Candidates jostle over health care, jobs
PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. BUSH
DEBATE
Continued from page 1A
of Kerry's plan have been "grossly misleading." The
website's report said Kerry's plan would not result in a
government takeover of health care, but "leave 97 percent
with the insurance they have now - while up to 27 mil-
lion who aren't insured would gain coverage."
Engineering student Micah Druckman, who also
attended the AMI-sponsored debate watch, said, "I think
(Kerry) would be able to implement his health care plan
using revenue from repealing high-income tax cuts."
But Olson, expressed doubt over Kerry's health care
plan. "John Kerry is right in that he wants to fix (health
care). I don't think he has a legitimate plan to fix Medi-
care," he said.
At times, the debate turned to issues mostly unrelated
to domestic policy, which was the theme of last night's
debate. At one point Kerry attacked Bush for saying in
2002 that he was not concerned about capturing Osama
bin Laden. "We need a president who stays deadly focused
on the real war on terror," Kerry said.
Bush denied having made such a remark: "Gosh, I just
don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin
Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations."
But according to a White House transcript, Bush said
in a press conference in 2002 in response to a question
about bin Laden, "I don't know where he is ... I truly am
not that concerned about him."
When the debate turned to the contentious issue of gay
marriage, CBS moderator Bob Schieffer asked the candi-
dates whether they consider homosexuality a choice.
Kerry's answer was unequivocal. "We're all God's
children," he said. "And I think if you were to talk to Dick
Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you
that she's being who she was, she's being who she was
born as. I think if you talk to anybody, it's not choice."
"I just don't know," Bush said. "I do know that we have
a choice to make in America and that is to treat people
with tolerance and respect and dignity."
The Democratic nominee also accused the president
of pursuing policies that encourage firms to outsource
jobs. In a survey of 100 economists published in the latest
Economist magazine, a majority of the scholars queried
said they did not view outsourcing as a major problem.
"If it's such a small fraction of jobs lost, it's not some-
thing that should be focused on so much," Druckman said.
Schiefer sparked argument when he asked whether a
lack of presidential effort was to blame for Congress's
failure to renew the assault-weapons ban.
"I believe it was a failure of presidential leadership not
to reauthorize the assault-weapons ban," Kerry said.
Bush countered that bipartisan opposition in Congress
prevented renewal of the ban.
Students who attended a debate watch and discussion
hosted by black fraternity Omega Psi Phi in the MLK
Lounge of Bursley Residence Hall had mixed reactions
to the debate. "Bush never answered a question tonight.
His policies contradict everything he said tonight," said
LSA freshman Janee Moore.
LSA junior Evelyn Lucas-Perry also attended the
event. She walked into the debate as an undecided voter
and said she remains undecided after having watched it.
"I think some things. Kerry said didn't address the
issues that concern me as an African American," she
said. "A lot of Kerry's plan seemed unrealistic. The debate
didn't swing me either way."
In a CBS News poll conducted among undecided vot-
ers immediately following the debate 39 percent identi-
fied Kerry as the winner, while 36 percent of respondents
called it a tie. Twenty-five percent of the respondents said
Bush won the debate.
-Daily StaffReporter Farayha Arrine
contributed to this article
SENATOR
JOHN KERRY
"I led the Congress. We
passed tax relief And now
this economy is growing."
"Only a liberal senator from
Massachusetts would say that a
49 percent increase in funding
for education was not enough."
"I'm going to fight for the
American worker harder than
I fight for my own job."
"I have a plan to put America back to
work. And if we're fiscally responsible
and put America back to work,
we're going to fix Social Security."
MIP
Continued from page1A
beliefs among students regarding alcohol laws,
including the common assumption that a student
cannot receive an MIP if he or she is seen drinking
on private property.
"The police don't care where you're standing,"
Lewis said. If a student under 21 is seen consuming
or possessing alcohol, he or she can still receive an
MIP, regardless of where the student stands, Lewis
said.
But Lewis said the private property belief does
apply to the law against opening an intoxicant in
public. If a student who is of the legal drinking age
opens an alcoholic beverage on the sidewalk in front
of his or her house, that student can be ticketed, but
if the student cannot be fined if he or she steps onto
their own private property.
Lewis also refuted what he called a common
assumption that when an officer addresses a stu-
dent, he or she must respond.
"Any cop can walk up to youand say 'How's it
going,' but an officer can't force you to say any-
thing," Lewis said. Throughout the discussion,
Lewis continually advised students to keep silent
when confronted by the police.
While Lewis said the only guaranteed way to
avoid an MIP is not to drink underage, but he also
recommended his top three methods to minimize a
student's chance of receiving an MIP.
"First, if you must drink, stay at home," Lewis
said. "Leave cans, cups and bottles at the place
you're leaving."
Lewis also told students they should avoid going
back to the same bars with fake identification. "If
you are in possession of a fake ID or another's real
ID, it's a ... misdemeanor," Lewis said.
Students also raised questions about noise viola-
tions. Noise violations frequently result in MIPs,
Lewis said. Some parties keep kegs at the front
door, which becomes an easy target for officers
investigating a noise complaint, he said.
If an officer comes to a student's house or apart-
ment because of a noise complaint, a sober resident
should answer the door, have his or her ID with him,
and always pull the door shut behind him. If the
officer tries to enter the residence, a student should
specifically say, "You do not have permission to
enter my residence," and make sure another person
is present to witness the statement, Lewis said.
Officers may enter a student's home, however,
if they clearly witness a violation such as a minor
drinking alcohol, or if given consent to enter by an
occupant of the home.
Lewis also said students living in University resi-
dence halls have fewer rights when it comes to let-
ting an officer in their rooms. When students living
in residence halls sign their resident contracts, they
also agree to let an officer into their dorm room at
anytime.
"There is an urgent need for students to be
informed,"Levine said. "We want to prevent stu-
dents from getting arrested, more or less."
The next meeting of the series will be held on
Oct. 27 in the MSA chambers in the Union and will
address lease signing and housing issues. Lewis is
slated to attend along with a representative of the
American Civil Liberties Union.
SAPAC
Continued from page1A
County Coalition on Gender Violence and Safety, she said she knows what
survivors go through with the courts and other issues.
But LSA senior Kathryn Turnock, acknowledging that she did not know
Scheiman personally, questioned whether a University employee could be
independent. Turnock, an outspoken opponent of the changes to SAPAC
who has orchestrated protests on the matter, looks forward to speaking with
Scheiman about her concerns. "The concept of having an outside consul-
tant - if they truly are outside - is a good idea," Turnock said.
Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper said "the transition is
going smoothly and the coordination between the two units is going well."
But Turncock said the administration's plans were not always so sta-
ble. In her experience working with Student Affairs, Turnock said she
has not found the administration open to suggestions and criticisms. It
took months of protests, demonstrations and entreaties to administra-
tion officials for Turnock and peers to get some of their demands met,
including the 24-hour Crisis-line being kept at SAPAC and not moved
to an outside provider.
"They truly are selective about the information they want to hear," she
said. It is possible, she added, that this plan is merely an attempt "to keep up
this facade that things are being done when they're arctually not being done."
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