x0 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 8, 1995
Dems take Kentucky, hold Virginia houses
The Associated Press
After back-to-back election triumphs,
Republicans failed yesterday in bids to
seize control of the Kentucky governor's
office and legislatures in Virginia and
Maine. A GOP bright spot was in Mis-
sissippi, where Gov. Kirk Fordice eas-
ily won a second term.
Emboldened by historic gains in 1993
and 1994, Republicans had hoped to
show the party's revival would spread
this year to state and local contests long
dominated by Democrats. But any GOP
hopes for another sweep were quickly
dashed in Kentucky, and followed by
several additional disappointments.
Democrat Paul Patton fought back a
tough challenge from businessman
Larry Forgy in Kentucky's governor's
race, extending his party's 24-year grip
on that office. Democrats also coasted
in three other statewide contests there.
Despite the close margin, Patton sug-
gested the results offered a message to
the Republican Congress.
The GOP fared much better in Mis-
sissippi, where Fordice handily beat
Democrat Dick Molpus, a three-term
secretary of state. With 57 percent of
the vote in, Fordice had 54 percent to 46
percent for Molpus.
In Maine, Democrats hadtemporarily
lost control of the House earlier this
year because of party switches. But
they reclaimed a one-vote majority by
winning two special elections.
Dozens of communities were elect-
ing mayors. Big-city incumbents who
won easily included Kurt Schmoke in
Baltimore, Edward Rendell in Phila-
delphia and Bob Lanier in Houston. In
Gary, Ind., where 90 percent of the
population is black, Scott King was
elected the first white mayor since
1967.
San Francisco's colorful three-way
contest pitted incumbent Frank Jordan
against a California political legend,
former Assembly Speaker Willie
Brown, and a prominent lesbian activ-
ist, former Clinton administration offi-
cial Roberta Achtenberg.
As always, ballots were crowded with
propositions. Two Indiana counties re-
jected riverboat gambling, and residents
of Springfield, Mass., said they did not
want casino gambling. A Maine pro-
posal to prohibit laws aimed at protect-
ing homosexuals from discrimination
was narrowly trailing.
And in 15 municipalities, voters were
offered a presidential preference ballot
listing 21 prospective candidates, from
Clinton and retired Gen. Colin Powell
to perennial fringe candidate Lyndon
LaRouche. Clinton and the Republican
contenders ignored "CityVote" and said
results would be meaningless.
Many voters stay away from
polls because of work, apathy
Los Angeles Times
NEW YORK - Inside the aged brick walls of
Public School 152 in Woodside, Queens, the mem-
bers of the PTA executive council are squabbling this
morning about the rules of democracy.
They have argued so loudly and so long that the
school principal has banished them from a room off
the main office to the library upstairs. The librarian in
turn has fled to the teachers' lounge.
A dozen parents debate the finer points of parlia-
mentary procedure, the most ethical way to let a
contract, the most representative manner of making a
decision.
The issue is which photographer should take class
pictures this year. Laura AlQaisi, a pale, curly-haired
mother of three, and Musharaf Hussain, a Pakistani-
born CPA in suit and tie, do not hesitate to jump into
the fray.
But when the question before the parents is who
should be the mayor of New York, or governor, or a
member of Congress, or President of the United
States, both of them opt out.
Like most of their neighbors here, and like nearly
half of the nation's voting-age population, they do not
cast ballots in government elections.
In the 1992 presidential election, for instance, only
55.2 percent of those 18 years of age or older turned
out, according to the Committee for the Study of the
American Electorate.
In off-year congressional elections, participation sinks
even lower.
In 1994, the year that Republicans wrested control of
Congress, only 38.8 percent of the voting-age public
took part, the American Electorate group reported. That
meant more than 113 million adults stayed on the side-
lines.
They contribute to a political silence that has been
interpreted by academics as everything from content-
ment with the status quo that breeds non-participation
to simple apathy to profound alienation from all
aspects of society.
But what do these non-voters say when given a
chance to speak for themselves?
In Queens, they say they need time to make a living.
Some talk of not wanting to take off work to vote and
others of wanting to stay out of the jury pool - a
widespread, but nonetheless false belief since jury
pools are drawn not just from registration records, but
also from other lists, including drivers' licenses.
But most importantly, they believe a ballot is no
way to make their views known, no way to have an
impact. It merely presents a false choice.
"You've got a couple of check boxes," says
AlQaisi, 28. "Where do you put down your opin-
ion?"
Explains Hussain, who is 44: "The difference be-
tween the candidates is so small. Dump one?" He
turns his palms out. "But select who?"
Many of the non-voters here are far from disen-
gaged. They not only volunteer at their children's
schools and tend to their sick parents, they run toy
drives at church and organize prayer sessions at the
mosque.
They have protested South African apartheid and
the Bosnian arms embargo.
Why would they be involved at that level yet not
vote? "Maybe because you see the end results" in
community work, muses AlQaisi. "Even an election
itself is just a beginning."
Indeed, if the non-voters questioned recently here
are the norm, they have concluded that America's
problems are too complex to solve and that govern-
. Bud, a 5-year-old retired racing greyhound (top),
waits for her owner, Megan Connolly, 26, while she
fills out her ballot in Portland, Maine, yesterday. in
another city, Saco, Maine, 1-year-old Seth Rondeau
(above) waits for his grandmother, Syndi Simard, to
cast her vote on the anti-gay rights referendum,
ment serves only the will of corporations, no matter
who holds power.
The true rulers in their America are the money men;
who care more about special tax breaks and untram-
meled commerce than fixing potholes, teaching chil'
dren or putting the country's might on the side of
justice in world affairs.
-
ELECTION
Continued from Page 1
Putman is optimistic for what is left
to come.
"This is an even greater victory for
the Republican party," Putman said. "I
want to gather ideas from the commu-
nity on what they want from council,
and then I'll deal with what the rest of
council is pushing for."
Once again the 5th Ward elected
Democrat and Mayor Pro-tem Christo-
pher Kolb. He defeated Republican John
Ballew and Libertarian Renee Emry.
"Whenever there is an election you
never know who
will win," Kolb
said. "I am hon-
ored that my ward
chose me to serve
one more term."
Kolb said he
believes council
will continue
working toward
a consensus.. Puttman
Emry's candi-
dacy was controversial because of her
pro-marijuana stance and her trial for
allegedly selling marijuana to two un-
dercover police officers last summer.
"I knew," she said when asked if the
arrest had im-
peded her
chances of win-
ning. But Emry ,
said she remains
content that she
got her message
out..
Ballew said he
will remain po-
litically active Vereen-Dixon
but is not plan-
ning anything for the immediate future.
"We had some great candidates this
year," said Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid
Sheldon, a Republican. "There are some
really nice people on council, and hope-
fully we can all
work together."
Student par-
ticipation was
low in the elec-
tion. By the time
the polls closed .
about 21 people :
had voted at the <"
4th Ward's 1st
precinct site at Kolb
the Michigan
Union.
-Daily Staff Reporters Tim
O'Conn-ell, Laurie Mayk and
Anupama Reddy contributed to this
report.
STUDENT CUSTODIANS
JOHN'S®
THE MICHIGAN UNION IS NOW
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR
I