The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 — 3
BIDEN
From Page 1
He also said Biden’s plan for
loan forgiveness would affect
many students, especially those
hoping to work in public service.
“I think on a broader scale,
just having a president that’s
focused on these things (is
important),” Schaeffler said.
“Having
a
president
that
will appoint a secretary of
education that has been on
the front line … will do a lot in
terms of having our concerns
heard.”
Sanders’ plan to increase
affordability
promises
to
guarantee
tuition-free
and
debt-free
public
colleges,
universities and trade schools,
as well as to cancel all student
loan debt, expand the Pell grant
program and triple funding for
work-study programs.
Porter
Hughes,
LSA
freshman and co-founder of
Students for Bernie 2020 at
the University, views Sanders’
plans as a way to increase
the amount of middle- and
working-class people who are
pursuing higher education. He
said he thinks it would increase
the amount of diversity on
campus.
“Cost is a huge barrier in
terms of access to higher
education
and
Bernie
has
the best plan going forward
to completely eliminate that
barrier,” Hughes said. “I feel
like we would see much more
diversity in terms of racial
and
ethnic
diversity
and
socioeconomic diversity at the
University of Michigan if this
policy was in place.”
According to the University’s
Office of Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion, 65 percent of current
students identify as Caucasian.
15 percent identify as Asian
American while a combined
12 percent identify as African
American, Hispanic and Native
American, with the other 10
percent being other/unknown.
U.S. News reported that 19
percent of undergraduates at
U-M Ann Arbor are receiving
Pell Grants, with the number
being closer to 39 percent at
U-M Flint.
LSA
sophomore
Hazel
Gordon said Sanders’ goal to
make four-year colleges and
universities affordable is the
main reason she supports him.
Gordon said she has witnessed
how the University community
is affected by Ann Arbor’s
cost of living and the burdens
of debt on college graduates
and believes Sanders’ plan
would alleviate the burden
on
students
with
lower
socioeconomic statuses.
“I have a lot of friends who
are only able to go to Michigan
on financial aid,” Gordon said.
“When it comes to paying rent
in Ann Arbor and being able to
afford food, it’s not easy. Most
people in my generation can’t
buy a house or have kids …
because (of) debt.”
According
to
President
Donald
Trump’s
campaign
website, Trump has prioritized
the expansion of the Pell Grant
program by distributing the
grants
year-around
rather
than just in the fall and
spring semesters. He has also
publicized the changes made
to the Federal Student Aid
processes and says the process
is now easier to navigate, has
better customer service and is
more accessible to students.
During his time as President,
Trump has discussed making
funding for higher education
more accessible but has also
worked to cut Federal Student
Loan funding by imposing
caps on the number of loans
students
can
receive
for
higher education. The Trump
administration
has
reduced
programs
allowing
parents
to take out loans for a child’s
education and wants to end
the
Public
Service
Loan
Forgiveness program. Trump
has also promoted for-profit
colleges and has ended Obama-
era
regulations
on
these
institutions, making it easier
for them to receive federal
funds.
Nick Schuler, LSA freshman
and freshman chair of the
University’s chapter of College
Republicans,
discussed
Trump’s
work
on
higher
education, saying he believed
the president wants to help
students afford college.
“The president believes in
the power of higher education,”
Schuler said. “That being said,
he and College Republicans
believe students should pursue
whatever
post-high
school
education/training/work
is best for them. Not every
student is the same, so not
every student should follow
the same path.”
Schuler
also
commented
on the positions of Sanders
and Biden, saying he did not
believe their positions would
help students.
“The
radical
Democrats
can offer free this and free
that,
the
American
people
know better,” Schuler said.
“If you work hard and save for
college, you don’t need free
college. The government and
private
institutions
provide
many tools to pursue higher
education.
Some
3
billion
dollars of scholarship money
goes unclaimed. It doesn’t
make sense to tax ourselves
into poverty in order to provide
free higher education if there
is 3 billion floating around.”
Funding for Historically
Black
Colleges
and
Universities
and
other
minority-serving
institutions
The two candidates have
also discussed the role of
Historically
Black
Colleges
and Universities and other
minority-serving institutions.
Biden
promises
to
make
attendance at these institutions
more affordable by increasing
investments
and
improving
their infrastructure, making
them more competitive among
other four-year colleges and
universities.
Schaeffler
said
he
was
supportive of Biden’s efforts
to bring attention to HBCUs
and
other
minority-serving
institutions.
“Being able to put funds
and attention to those types
of institutions will not only
improve
them
but
bring
that recognition to them,”
Schaeffler
said.
“At
the
moment, there are funding
disparities
among
public
institutions and those, so I
think that’s another problem
that would be remedied or
close
to
remedied
under
Biden’s plan.”
Sanders has also said he
would support HBCUs and
minority-serving institutions,
saying
he
will
give
$1.3
billion in federal funding to
support about 200 schools.
Hughes said he thinks funding
for
HBCUs
and
minority-
serving institutions will help
more students attain higher
education and provide them
with more opportunities.
“It is important that we
close
the
racial
equality
gap,” Hughes said. “Not only
in general but in education.
There’s a really big equality
gap and achievement gap, and
we want to be able to close
that by funding institutions
that help minority students,
(especially those) who might
otherwise not receive the help
… (or) the same opportunities.”
In Dec. 2019, Trump signed
a bill to provide $250 million
per year for HBCUs and other
minority-serving institutions.
The bill was supported by
members
of
both
major
political parties.
Schuler said he believed
the increase in funding would
be good for the institutions
receiving it and compared the
president’s actions to those of
Democratic leaders.
“It will guarantee those
institutions have the resources
to provide a good education for
their students,” Schuler said.
“The president is a fighter for
all students, something the
Democrats aren’t. While I am
not a student at a Black college,
I would be ecstatic knowing
the quality of my education will
be maintained and expanded
under the president.”
Trade
schools
and
community colleges
Under
Sanders’
policies,
trade schools and community
colleges would fall underneath
his College for All Act, which
will allocate at least $48 billion
per year to eliminate all tuition
and fees, essentially making
higher education free for all.
A supporter of the College
for All Act, Hughes said he
is excited that all forms of
education will be included in
the act.
“I
think
(trade
schools
and
community
colleges)
are equally valuable routes
of education as a four-year
university,” Hughes said. “it’s
important that we fund all
forms of education.”
Biden hopes to provide two
years of free community college
or other training programs,
create a new grant program
to help community colleges
support students and expand
financial aid to be applied
to expenses beyond tuition
and fees. Biden also plans on
a $50 billion investment in
workforce training.
By bringing attention to
community colleges and their
needs, Schaeffler said Biden is
taking a positive step towards
removing the stigma around
community colleges and trade
schools.
“I think (community college)
is
extremely
important,
especially for my high school,”
Schaeffler said. “In an area
like mine, where (for) a lot
of students, it was almost
expected that we were to go
to a four-year university as
opposed to a trade school or
a community college. I think
that
by
publicizing
(going
to a community college), it
normalizes that.”
Funding educational plans
Sanders says he will fund
his
educational
plans
by
placing a tax on Wall Street
transactions. The tax includes
a 0.5 percent tax on stock
trades, a 0.1 percent fee on bond
trades and a 0.005 percent
fee on derivative trades. This
speculation tax aims to raise
$2.4 trillion in 10 years.
Hughes said placing this
tax on Wall Street is justified
and will help pay for student
education.
“I
think
this
is
really
important because it provides
adequate
funding,”
Hughes
said. “It also keeps a check and
regulation on the same people
who destroyed our economy
back in the 2008 financial
crisis.”
According to Forbes, Biden
will pay for his plans by
capping itemized deductions at
28 percent and “eliminat(ing)
the practice of stepped-up tax
basis.”
The
Tax
Foundation
describes the step-up basis
as “when a person leaves
property to an heir, the cost
basis of the bequeathed asset
receives a ‘step-up’ in basis to
its fair market value at the time
of the original owner’s death.”
In other words, people must
pay taxes on their investments
based on value on the date the
investment was made and the
value when sold. Should the
person die and transfer their
investments to their heirs, the
value of when the investment
was made becomes that of the
current market price. Biden
would change the current tax
law to avoid this loophole.
Schaeffler said one of the
main
reasons
he
supports
Biden is because he believes
Biden’s proposed methods are
realistic and achievable — he
said he thinks Sanders’ plans
are unachievable.
“When
you
look
at
something like free college
for all, eliminating all student
loan debt, on the surface, that
sounds amazing,” Schaeffler
said. “Without a clear way of
paying for it and a clear way for
that to pass through the United
States Senate and United States
House of Representatives, at
that point, it’s just a plan. I
don’t think there’s a way to
implement it.”
Reporter Emma Ruberg can
be reached at eruberg@umich.
edu. Reporter Francesca Duong
can be reached at fduong@
umich.edu.
EDUCATION
From Page 1
March 16, 2020 4:00 pm
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Annenberg Auditorium, 1120 Weill Hall
735 S. State Street
Free and open to the public. Reception to follow.
Info: fspp-events@umich.edu
Livestream: fordschool.umich.edu
Continuing Challenges to
Suffrage in Michigan in 2020:
Who Still Can’t Vote?
Co-sponsors: CEW+ Frances and Sydney Lewis Visiting Leaders Fund, and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
PANELISTS:
DANIELLE ATKINSON
STEPHANIE CHANG (MPP/MSW ‘14)
DESSA COSMA
SHARON DOLENTE (MPP ’04)
MODER ATOR:
MICHAEL STEINBERG
#UMSUFFR AGE2020
sites.lsa.umich.edu/umsuffrage2020
According to the Los Angeles
Times, representatives from the
Sanders campaign said they hope
Muslims will help him win the
upcoming
Michigan
primary,
as he did in 2016. They also
believe the campaign’s outreach,
which includes campaign ads in
Arabic, to the Arab American
and Muslim communities would
be a relevant factor if he wins.
Sanders’s campaign released a
digital ad on Sunday highlighting
support for the senator among
members of Michigan’s Arab
American population.
U.S.
Rep.
Rashida
Tlaib,
D-Mich., backed Sanders early
on, endorsing him in October
2019. In the video announcing
her support for Sanders, she
cited his backing of her and
other recently elected women
of color. She spoke of Sanders’s
commitment to implementing
values they both share.
“For me, representing the
third
poorest
Congressional
district in the country, he is in
many ways pushing back against
this really painful oppression,”
Tlaib said. “It’s been incredibly
inspiring to see his unwavering
support for the same ideals that
I have.”
His campaign manager Faiz
Shakir is the first Muslim and
Pakistani American campaign
manager for a major political
party
presidential
campaign.
Sanders
has
also
received
endorsements from many leaders
in the Muslim community. In
addition to Tlaib, U.S. Rep.
Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, endorsed
Sanders in October. Tlaib and
Omar are the first two Muslim
women elected to Congress,
both with widespread support
from the Muslim community
and throughout their districts.
Tlaib is also the first woman of
Palestinian descent to serve in
that role.
Other
prominent
Arab
American
community
leaders
in Michigan have thrown their
support
behind
Sanders
in
recent weeks. In a Feb. 27 press
release, the Sanders campaign
announced endorsements from
four Michigan public officials,
including
state
Rep.
Yousef
Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, who has
ties
to
the
Arab
American
and
Muslim
communities,
as well as Dearborn Heights
Councilmember Dave Abdallah,
a
Lebanese
immigrant,
and
Ann
Arbor
Councilmember
Ali
Ramlawi,
D-Ward
5,
a
Palestinian
American
whose
father left the West Bank as a
refugee in 1948.
State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud,
the first Arab American Muslim
to represent Michigan’s 15th
State House District, and former
gubernatorial candidate Abdul
El-Sayed have also joined the
Sanders’s camp, speaking at a
campaign rally in Dearborn on
Saturday.
On
Twitter,
Hammoud
explained
his
reason
for
backing Sanders, saying the
senator “not only sees Arab
and Muslim Americans, he
doubles down and organizes
WITH us. There has never
been a candidate for president
However, Congress does have
a law in place that attempts to
help eligible voters with LEP.
In 1975, Congress passed a
provision to the Voting Rights
Act, known as the Minority
Language
Provision
that
serves to help those with LEP.
The provision states that for
jurisdictions
with
single-
language minority groups of
over 10,000 or constituting
five percent of the community,
assistance in electoral processes
must be provided. Poll clerks
and volunteers must provide
voting notices, forms, ballots
or assistance in the language
spoken by the single-language
minority group.
The section of the Voting
Rights Act sets out to help
minority
groups
who
have
been historically discriminated
against,
including
Spanish
speakers,
Asian
immigrants,
Native Americans and Alaskan
natives. As of now, 263 cities,
counties and jurisdictions were
covered under the provision.
Three townships in Michigan
are covered by Section 203,
including
Colfax
Township,
Fennville and Hamtramck.
There have been repeated
problems
nationally
with
jurisdictions
failing
to
implement
Section
203.
In
the past five years, the U.S.
Department
of
Justice
has
filed complaints against four
jurisdictions
for
failing
to
implement the provision.
Natalie
Treacy,
third-year
Law student and member of
the Michigan Voting Project,
an organization that allows law
students to work with those
facing legal barriers when trying
to vote, spoke to The Daily about
the problem with jurisdictions
not implementing Section 203.
“There is a push obviously
to get lost or more amenable
to people who don’t speak
English voting,” Treacy said.
“There is a law out there. It does
say you have to have election
materials in more than one
language if enough people in
your jurisdiction speak another
language. And that’s not even
followed in and of itself all
the time. So I would just say
overall, there’s also a focus just
on getting current laws to be
actually enforced.”
Jacqueline
Beaudry,
city
clerk of Ann Arbor, wrote
in a statement to The Daily
about how the Ann Arbor
precincts which do not meet
the requirements of Section
203 plan to accommodate those
whose
second
language
is
English on primary election day.
“I can tell you that Ann
Arbor does not meet the
federal
requirements
for
ballots in other languages,”
Beaudry said. “Most of our
ESL
speakers
are
fluent,
despite English not being the
first language. However, we
do have a list within City Hall
of translators when needed,
and our northeast precinct,
which has the City’s largest
concentration
of
Chinese
speakers,
has
a
precinct
chairperson
who
speaks
SANDERS
From Page 1
LANGUAGE
From Page 1
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
wanted to highlight that ahead of
the primary,” Lindstrom said.
However, police escorted the
group out quickly after their
disruption
began.
Lindstrom
said the crowd also ripped up
protesters’ posters and shoved
them.
Biden
responded
that
the
disruptions are indicative of the
tension of contemporary political
climate.
“This is what’s wrong with
American politics,” Biden said.
“I’m not going to worry — this
is a reflection of the world of
American politics today.”
He went on to talk about some
of his campaign’s goals regarding
health,
such
as
accessible
healthcare, lowering drug prices
and protecting rural hospitals.
Biden also spoke about his role
in the Paris Agreement, saying
he will have the U.S. rejoin the
agreement “first thing” on day one
of his presidency.
“We have to up the ante,” Biden
said. “We’re 15 percent of the
world’s problem and we will get
to natural emission. But, the rest
of the world, if they don’t, it won’t
matter.”
He also talked about his plans
for teachers and public education,
emphasizing
the
importance
of raising teachers’ salaries in
order to make quality education
accessible to all regardless of their
zip code.
As a political science major,
Larson said he hoped to hear
Biden expand upon his stance on
foreign policy at the rally.
“It’s something that I’m very
passionate about, in sort of
understanding the way that Joe
Biden deals with other foreign
leaders, the sort of policies he’s
articulated,”
Larson
said.
“I
think the United States needs
a strong presence abroad …(not
just) in terms of his cooperation
with world leaders but also his
willingness to engage with the
countries.”
Biden spoke to the importance
of regaining trust from America’s
allies,
denouncing
Trump’s
relationships with “thugs and
dictators.”
He
concluded
by
urging
attendees to remain hopeful and
continue to fight for what they
believe in.
“Everybody knows who Donald
Trump is; let’s let him know who
we are,” Biden said. “We choose
hope over fear; we, Americans,
choose unity over division; we,
Democrats, choose science over
fiction and we choose truth over
lies, let’s get up and let’s take this
back now.”