Parties battle over measures
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
The opposition waits.
Fresno State geology professor Robert Merrill and senior political
science and anthropology major Amy Cobb listen as Fresno City student
Jonathon Keller tells audience members why they should vote for
Proposition 73. |
By Anthony Galaviz
The Collegian
With the upcoming special election
a week away, and Gov. Schwarzenegger trying to gain support for his propositions,
panelists debated for and against Propositions 73, 75 and 76 Wednesday
in the Free Speech Area.
The debate was sponsored by the Political Science Association, College
Democrats, College Republicans and the Associated Students of Fresno State.
Representing the pro side were Fresno City College student Jonathan Keller,
Fresno attorney Jared Gordon and Fresno State professor of interior design
Doug Halderman.
Fresno State senior Amy Cobb, a political science and anthropology major,
and geology professor and president for the Fresno chapter of the California
Faculty Association Robert Merrill represented the con side.
Political science professor Yishaiya Abosch moderated the event.
The debate opened with a discussion on Proposition 73, which would require
parental notification before a minor could receive an abortion.
Keller said he felt Proposition 73 has a good chance of passing.
"I think teen safety is very important," Keller said in opening.
"Thankfully we do have clinics all across the state that can help
them with counseling. Counseling is still given free without parental
help. That's why we need to have this judicial bypass."
Speaking against Proposition 73, Cobb said, "what is going to happen
if the measure passes is that teenagers are going to delay their medical
care.
“We want the girl to have counseling. What we're afraid of is that
they're going to delay going to the clinic.
“The judicial bypass is important. If the girl is scared to go to
her mom or scared to go to her dad, or her guardian, is she really going
to be comfortable going to a judge, going through the legal process? No,
not so much. We want to make sure that the teens are protected."
Cobb said teenagers who are pregnant don't have the choice to vote.
"On Nov. 8, the teens who are at risk here don't have a chance to
vote for themselves and protect their lives, their body. Abortions have
risks," she said.
On Proposition 75, which would make it tougher for public employee unions
to raise campaign funds, Gordon said the measure is about three things:
choice, fairness and family, but summed it up to one thing.
"It changes the current system from the opt-out system to opt-in
system," he said. "Every one of us has the option to use our
money, our time and effort to speak our voice. The public employees union
members don't have that choice. They're treated unfairly and their voice
is taken away from them when their money is used by other people for costs
they don't approve of."
Merrill said Proposition 75 is a deception to union workers.
"Prop. 75 will change the system very little," he said. "Union
members have the right to elect their officers if they don't like the
officers that were elected. All they have to do is vote for somebody else
in their next election. Prop. 75 is being labeled as paycheck of protection
by Arnold’s (Schwarzenegger) corporate friends. It's really a paycheck
of deception."
Merrill also took on Proposition 76, which would impose new limits on
state spending under the governor’s plan and warned students what
might happen if this passes.
"What's the first thing that gets cut if there's a budget shortfall?"
he asked. "It's education. It's always on the chopping block."
But Halderman said Proposition 76 is in place because it will help California's
budget.
"It is the ability of the state to fix the financial crisis that
it's currently in," he said. "Right now our out-of-control spending
and state budget have caused a $30 billion state deficit. Without change
right now, if you think we have budget and spending problems now, what
would come down the road will be catastrophic compared to what we're facing
now."
Junior computer science major Fuji Yaj, who was in the crowd of more than
100, said Propositions 75 and 76 don't affect him but said the con side
convinced him against Proposition 73.
"I think they did a good job," said Yaj, who said he hadn't
decided whether he'll vote next week.
Yaj said he thought he knew where he stood on the proposition, but now
isn’t sure.
A poll released by the Public Policy Institute of California this week
showed little support for one of the proposed initiatives.
Thirty percent of California voters support Proposition 76, while 62 percent
oppose it.
Proposition 75 shows 46 percent in approval and the same number in disapproval.
Fifty-four percent of likely voters consider the special election a bad
idea.
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