The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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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 
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LANGUAGE
From Page 1

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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.”

