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Poli-Sci Visits State Legislature

February 6, 2012 By Iliana Tidd Leave a Comment

Bustling through the halls of the high paced, black suited, tie straightened capitol building in Tallahassee on Tuesday, Jan. 31, walked eight students from Jacksonville University accompanied by political science professor Stephen Baker, Ph.D.

Being in the Capitol building encouraged a new level of legislative transparency, public access to government and student involvement in politics. The day was scattered with meetings, tours and an inside look at lobbying thanks to the Kids Coalition of Jacksonville who were attempting to promote healthy lifestyles for obese children with a platform to increase federal funds and mandate physical education in elementary and middle schools. With new district lines being drawn throughout Florida, the House of Representatives and Senate began their typical sixty day session early this year to ensure accomplishment on time. Due to the hectic schedules, overflowing offices and imprudent phone calls of the legislators, JU’s time was limited and very much appreciated; thankfully, there were six legislators that allowed time for our students to talk with them.

The first stop was with Republican House Representative Charles McBurney from Jacksonville. Jazz posters plastered the walls, and he demanded the attention as he spoke. McBurney addressed issues both in Jacksonville and throughout Florida, noting both the incredible debt and new possibilities for legislation. He answered questions with grace and reverence for student affairs, both in the future and currently.

Lake Ray, also a Republican from Duval County, was the next stop. His office was vast in comparison to most witnessed that day, sprinkled with old war tokens, coins and Patriotic emblems. Short in stature and undeniably thin, his appearance is contrary to his emphatic grace and passion exemplified in his response to a young man’s struggle through homelessness and dream of one day too becoming a legislator. “Give me a call in two years and let me know how you’re doing,” accompanied by ‘knucks,’ was his response to the young man after the talk about government regulation on spending when there are currently greater issues at hand that have ceased.

After a few wrong turns and long elevator rides, the students arrived at Audrey Gibson’s office, a Democratic state Senator for Duval County. Radiating in her red blazer, she expressed concern for current Democrats within the senate, stating the difficulties in dealing with allocating funds to certain programs being the current minority within the senate. Senator Gibson also addressed her support of government mandated health care and concern for childhood obesity.

As lunchtime rolled around and the pangs of exhaustion reared, the students arrived at the office of Senator Wise, a Republican from Duval County who also served on Jacksonville City Council. Although meeting Senator Wise was not possible at the time, they were able to receive a tour around the entire capitol building from his assistant Steven Richardson. Winding throughout the halls, down staircases and numerous elevator rides, they first handedly witnessed the physical design of the capitol building. Viewing the Senate chambers was the most remarkable part of the day. Golden placards dressed each desk with names boldly etched into them; blue arm chairs sat waiting to be occupied; paintings of speakers lined the walls, and the bold crest of the Florida State Senate looked down upon us from the center of the room. One could almost hear the notes being passed from senator to senator, the soft arguing of a yay or nay vote, the thumbs being wielded by majority or minority whips corralling their fellow conservative or liberal brothers and sisters; the feeling was nothing less than inspiring for a group of political science majors.

Representative John Tobia, a Republican from Brevard County, was next. Possibly the most charismatic and real of anyone that day, unconcerned with being a career politician, and extremely straightforward, he related to the issues of almost every student crammed into his office. He first challenged the lobbyist of the Kids Coalition, questioning their motives and their being an advocate for the concerns of fiscal conservatives and educators alike. More sensitive to student affairs, being fairly young and a college professor himself, he addressed the goals of each JU student and blatantly challenged some of their career choices. Both enlightening and welcoming, the advice was contemplated by the student.

The final representative was Republican House Representative Michael Weinstein from Duval County. Weinstein was most capable in addressing the arrangements of the Senate and House, explaining the process by which all legislators must comply in attempting to pass a bill. Furthermore, he mentioned issues within Jacksonville and Duval County specifically.

Junior Political Science Society Secretary Andrea Laursen was grateful the politicians motivated her.

“[The trip was] an eye opening experience. Being able to talk to individuals who are involved and make a difference was inspiring. They are motivating me to never take a back seat and fight for what I believe in.”

Transparency within the government on both federal and state levels is imperative, and being able to physically witness and meet the legislators is the most transparent one can get.

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment

GOP Debate

January 30, 2012 By Iliana Tidd Leave a Comment

Photo taken from CNN

A sea of dedicated conservative folk rolled from the Lazzara Performance Hall at the University of North Florida, flowing all the way up the stairs to the parking garage at 5:30 p.m. last Thursday evening.

CNN moderated the final GOP Debate prior to the Florida Primary at UNF’s Fine Art’s Center on Jan. 26 at 8p.m. Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum took their designated positions at one of the four podiums and said a brief introduction.

Neon CNN blocks glittered the stage, four podiums were positioned perfectly in the middle so the view from the balcony was just as dignified as a front row seat, and Congressman Ander Crenshaw and Representative John Thrasher, also waiting for the fun to begin, sat quietly below.

Unfortunately, none of the Jacksonville University students in attendance were given the privilege of posing a question, but the ones asked certainly sparked some interest causing the whisper of miniature debates across the hall, vehement booing or acknowledging cheers.

The debate questions scattered from which person’s wife would make the best first lady, the potential statehood of Puerto Rico, and to the candidates’ positions on building a colony on the moon, illegal immigration, scandalous ads and foreign policy.

While CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer attempted to make the answers of each candidate as even as possible. Gingrich and Romney were clearly the most audible- both slashing one another on taxes, personal financial interest, blasphemous ads and political authority.

Romney attempted to dodge bullets on his government-mandated health care and his financial attachments to Freddie Mac during his tenure as governor of Mass., which were shot by both Santorum and Gingrich.

When it came to the audience favorite, Paul would come to mind to anyone who was in attendance. His quick wit and well-timed humor certainly frosted the night’s political fire.

Ridiculous questions regarding his health led to Paul challenging his fellow candidates to a twenty-five mile bike race that ignited laughter from everyone in the audience.

In regards to strength on issues and confidence on stage, the light would have to be shown on Santorum. He boldly insisted that the allegations made between Newt and Romney were juvenile and insignificant in regards to a presidential race, were reaffirmed by the hoots and hollers of the entire crowd. Also, one could not help but be touched by Santorum’s recognition of his wife and the rest of his faith-adorned family, as well as his daughter Bella, who is currently in the hospital suffering from a genetic mental disability.

Senior political science major Lauren Johnson is in full agreement.

“Having the amazing opportunity to witness, in person, such an extraordinary event is something that words cannot describe. To see the four remaining presidential candidates talk out the issues and to see the audience’s reactions in person, not just on TV, was incredible, and I am thrilled I was able to experience it firsthand.”

Filed Under: Front Page, News

Fiscal Forum

January 30, 2012 By Iliana Tidd Leave a Comment

The nation is broke.  In the face of overpowering debt, the current situation of enormous unemployment and unregulated government spending appears to be  fiscally irresponsible. Thursday Jan. 27 in the Terry Concert Hall, three well respected individuals came to Jacksonville University to address fiscal policies that they feel should be emulated in the next presidential term.

David Walker, CEO/President of the “Comeback America Initiative,” Comptroller General of the United States from 1998 to 2008, and alumnus of Jacksonville University, addressed various monetary policy issues to begin the lecture.

He appealed first on a patriotic note by splashing the Preamble of the Constitution across the PowerPoint screen. It read: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” He described the underlined words as the most fundamental aspects of what the current government should be focused on as opposed to obtuse spending.

Walker went on to address the founding principles of this nation: limited but effective government, individual liberty and opportunity, personal responsibility and accountability, rule of law with equal justice under it, fiscal responsibility and intergenerational equity. He exemplified his viewpoint by the following statistics. In order to introduce the material on a more basic level, he broke down the statistics of government spending as if it were a common household where income equals $966 a week and spending equals $1496 a week, creating a deficit of $530 a week, totaling $27,560 a year per household. Healthcare, a ‘touchy’ subject, was also addressed. Walker forwarded his belief that the mandatory regulation of government healthcare exceeds the already high estimated expense. He suggested that it will be “12 trillion dollars more than what politicians think.” Summarizing his appeal to the survival of this great nation, Walker said, “Let’s reform our tax system, primarily on the spending side.”

Robert Bixby, the Executive Director of the Concord Coalition, a non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to fiscal responsibility, spoke next and continued to inform the audience about the belief that the current debt will have a crippling effect on generations of Amerians. Bixby named the current tax system, health care costs, debt held by the public but owned by foreign powers, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as some of the vast issues facing the future economy. He also aimed responsibility not only towards the government, but at individuals as well, citing “What are you spending?” as a question people should always be asking themselves.

The former Senator of Florida, Mel Martinez, delivered his views last. Martinez focused mainly on the congressional side of the issues as well as what the people can be held responsible for. First, he acknowledged a dire need for compromise between Republicans and Democrats in order for anything to get passed through Congress. Second, he spoke directly to the older generation, saying that they needed to be more attentive towards the burden they are placing on the next generation. Third, he said the issues facing the nation “are not that complicated,” and the people need to elect individuals who are not too clouded by “political careers” to enforce new policies and stand their ground. Last, he stated that there is “no free lunch” that we need sacrifice. We can change minor things, and if we have the “political common sense” to do them they would result in the restoration of greatness.

So what does all of this mean? Across political lines the epidemic of fiscal poison is spreading like wild fire, creating blisters of unemployment, inflated health care costs, enormous interest rates, unbearable mortgages, dwindling social security funds, and extraordinary taxes with no current government regard for spending. When the white-haired wealth-squanderers retire from congress or the President of the United States is replaced, this burden will be one belonging to the next generation – a generation that will either be the epitome of complete disregard, exploitation and impudence of fiscal responsibility or one that celebrates fiscal policy and opportunistic pledgers of American freedom, individuality and equality that this nation has the potential to be restored to.

Filed Under: News

Poli-Sci Society Gets Politically Correct

January 24, 2012 By Iliana Tidd Leave a Comment

Snookie, Pauly D, Mike ‘The Situation” and all the rest of the notoriously famous cast of Jersey Shore are highly recognizable to millions of young Americans. What about names like Joe Biden, Alvin Brown, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich? Do these names hold value in comparison to the inebriated rendezvous of the exceedingly tan persons who dictate the happenings of some college student’s Jersday night?

Last week the Political Science Society randomly asked over fifty students a series of five questions pertaining to the political eminence of Jacksonville, Florida and the United States as a whole. The questions were asked as follows: 1. Can you name two of the GOP Presidential Candidates? 2. Who is the current Vice President of the United States? 3. Can you name one of Florida’s United States Senators? 4. Who is the current mayor of Jacksonville? 5. What was the year Americans gained Independence?

While, there are some students who can be defined as Fox news junkies or CNN aficionados, yearning for the words of Bill O’Reilly or Piers Morgan every morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and the Jacksonville Times in the other, there is another side of the spectrum containing those who may not know the answers to these unadorned questions. Should they?

The results of the poll are nothing less than unfortunate. With the GOP Primaries looming around the corner, results plastered on news channels active throughout the United States and the flimsy signs lining countless roads, it is no surprise that the majority of students answered question number one correctly: forty-three named at least two of the candidates while nine could not. Quite possibly, not everyone is interested in the political intentions of the red elephant race, but the results to question two are suggestive otherwise: only thirty-eight students could name the current Democratic Vice President while a disappointing fourteen could not. Question number three had a notable information lapse: only twenty-six students could name one of the United States Senators of Florida and an equal twenty-six could not. The answers to question four were considerably the most dismal, Alvin Brown, alumni to Jacksonville University, rendered unmemorable to nineteen students and only retraceable to thirty-three. Only thirty-five of the fifty-two students polled were able to acknowledge, the seemingly common fact that American Independence was established in 1776.

It is questionable whether or not a symposium on the importance of political and historical American ideals would render helpful in the wake of these unfortunate results, but what can be certain is that there is a lack of severity and concern among students. Answers like “I don’t care” and “American Independence was in 1886” are not only disappointing, but they can be calamitous. With the gargantuan debt and forever climbing unemployment rate, college students are a generation who one would think should be especially concerned. For some, graduation is farther around the corner, for others it will arrive quickly. On either account, the murky outlook of acquiring an occupation should be motivation enough to care on some level about the elected officials affecting students’ everyday lives. If not, the toned, tanned and crisp t-shirt life is relatively undemanding and entails no considerable amount of talent to acquire.

Filed Under: Editorial