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10 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2003 BOARD EDITORIALS FOUR TO VOTE FOR Chapel Hill Town Council hopefuls Sally Greene, Rudy Juliano, Bill Strom and Jim Ward have all the skills necessary to lead the town. Several issues will loom large for town leaders during the coming years, including revitalizing downtown Chapel Hill, providing affordable housing for residents and improving the relationship between the town and the University. Given these issues, it is important that the town have a strong crop of leaders who will push Chapel Hill in the right direction. The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board endorses cur rent Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy in his re-election bid over write-in candidate Pat Killian. Foy’s experi ence will be a major asset in leading and shaping future town discussions. The more competitive race in this year’s election belongs to the twelve candidates vying for four seats on the Chapel Hill Town Council. Council members Flicka Bateman and Pat Evans are not seeking re-election, which means there will be at least two new faces on the council. Each candidate on the slate brings an impressive set of ideas, which they believe will spark change in how business is conducted in the town. Still, four candidates rise above the rest. Four for the future The DTH Editorial Board endorses candidates Sally Greene, Rudy Juliano, Bill Strom and Jim Ward for the Chapel Hill Town Council. Although Greene, a research lawyer, is launching her first bid for the Town Council, she is no stranger to local politics. Earlier this year, Greene petitioned members of the Town Council to oppose a ban on panhandling after dark. She also serves as acting chairwoman of the Chapel Hill Planning Board and sits on the Northside Neighborhood Conservation District. Greene also is in tune with environmental issues, knowledge that will prove beneficial in discussions about development within the town. Juliano, a UNC pharmacology professor and administrator, is another political newcomer who is making an impact. Juliano’s vision for providing more affordable housing in the town is particularly note-worthy. He calls on University officials to include affordable housing at Carolina North. However, his idea for proposing a high occupancy vehicle lane along Interstate 40 as a way to improve transportation in the area goes beyond the reach of council duties. During the recent candidates’ forum sponsored by UNC’s student government, Juliano drew’ some stares when he said that he w ould not take any extra meas ures to reach out to the student population if elected. However, his frankness in demanding that stu dents take a more pro-active role in getting involved HEAD TO THE POLLS Members of the University community should exercise their right to vote today and have a voice in future dealings within local government Thousands of voters will head to the polls today to choose the leaders who will shape local pol itics in the coming years. There are many issues on tap in today’s elections: the mayoral and school board campaigns, local bond initiatives and the ultra-competitive Chapel Hill Town Council race. Although the races in Chapel Hill undoubtedly will have the greatest influence on the University, competitive races also are taking place in nearby Carrboro, Hillsborough and other surrounding areas. But regardless of where you live, it is important that all area residents and members of the University community, especially students, head to the polls. Last year’s debate on rental duplexes within the town highlighted the significant impact decisions by town leaders can have on students. In addition, almost all of the candidates in this year’s council race have pointed to the student pop EDITORS’ NOTE: The above editorials are the opinions of solely The Daily Tar Heel Editorial Board and were reached after open debate. The board consists of eight board members, the assistant editorial page editor, the editorial page editor and the DTH editor. The 2003-04 DTH editor decided not to vote on the board and not to write board editorials. READERS’ FORUM Town Council candidate Hill responds to rival's claims TO THE EDITOR: Thanks to The Daily Tar Heel for this opportunity to respond to a political advertisement misrepre senting my position. The ad, which ran last Friday in the DTH, claimed that I said UNC employees should not serve Chapel Hill as elected officials. The ad was paid for by my opponent for the Chapel Hill Town Council, Dianne Bachman. She works for UNC in the facilities planning department. First, the charge is absurd. Of course UNC employees should be allowed to run for town office. I have never argued otherwise. Anyone who has followed local politics knows that two years ago I vocally, and on the record, sup ported Dorothy Verkerk, a UNC professor of art history, for Town Council. Clearly, University people have shaped this town and are one of its valuable assets. For goodness sakes, my parents had careers at UNC and my sister is an academic adviser there. Secondly, what I have said and do believe is that a UNC employee who is also a council member could have a conflict of interest, depend ing on that person’s position. This seems obvious, in the same way a developer or his employee might have a conflict sitting on the Town Council and casting a vote that could materially affect his or within the town is to be admired. Incumbents Strom and Ward, while in office, have shown a willingness to balance the needs of the town with the desires of the University, which will be extremely important in future talks on development. Strom’s ideas for revitalizing downtown Chapel Hill including expanding its retail, residential and office capacity go above and beyond a call to simply add more parking. In addition, his idea to reduce term limits for town committees could encourage more student involvement in local government. Ward’s strong commitment to environmental concerns also stands out. During his first term, he has demonstrated an ability to balance growth and preserve green-space within town limits. The rest of the pack Dianne Bachman’s proposal to secure a rapid transit bus line in the town is a laudable plank on her platform. But Bachman’s role at the University rais es concerns. Although UNC faculty members and employees should not be discouraged from active involvement in town affairs, Bachmans job as a UNC project manager in the facilities planning depart ment could present too many conflicts when talks on University development projects arise. Former Chapel Hill mayoral candidate Cam Hill has strong ideas for preserving the small-town feel of Chapel Hill. But Hill takes too adversarial at stance regarding the University, a trait that could stall future town-gown discussions. UNC senior Mike McSwain’s candidacy might help erase the age-old myth that students are not concerned with town affairs. Unfortunately, his plat form was weakened by inadequate solutions to cur rent issues facing Chapel Hill. Still, McSwain’s entry into the race should inspire all candidates elected to the council to reach out to students during discussions on town affairs. Candidates Woodrow Barfield, Thatcher Freund, Andrea Rohrbacher, Doug Schworer and Terri Tyson each should be commended for adding new per spectives and different points of view in the the race. However, their platforms simply are not as strong as other hopefuls vying for seats on the council. With a dozen candidates seeking only a handful of spots on the Town Council, it can be hard to nar row down the field. But in this campaign, experience in local govern ment and the ability to propose innovative and workable solutions for pressing town issues should matter the most. Today, vote for Sally Greene, Rudy Juliano, Bill Strom and Jim Ward for the Chapel Hill Town Council, and re-elect Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy. ulation as an important constituency in Chapel Hill. More than 2,500 students registered to vote dur ing a recent drive sponsored by UNC’s student gov ernment. If all of those students vote —and we certainly hope that they do so they could have a tremen dous impact on the outcome of today’s elections. Their participation also will demonstrate that stu dents have a genuine interest in what’s going on in the community. Polls will be open today from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There are more than 40 voting places scattered throughout the county, including Fetzer Gym on the University’s campus. Registered voters can visit the state Board of Elections Web site at http://www.sboe.state.nc.us to find their designated polling place. Heading to the polls is an invaluable way to express your views on the state of local affairs, so it is important not to let the opportunity pass you by. her job, position or success. It is only fair that voters are informed of any potential conflict before an election. Finally, it is especially disap pointing this type of negative cam paigning has come to Chapel Hill. Bachman claims I made the state ment once three weeks ago at a candidates forum. She had ample opportunity at other forums and in the press to discuss the issue or to simply criticize what she says she heard. Instead, she chose to buy an attack ad a few days before the election misrepresenting my posi tion. Shame on her. Cam Hill Candidate Chapel Hill Town Council Forum to discuss University resources for sexual crimes TO THE EDITOR: Sexual assault and rape are top ics of great concern to all people, but of greatest concern to the col lege-age population. In fact, it is estimated that one out of every eight college women will be raped. That means that you probably know someone who will be raped in college. They are our friends, our sisters, our suitemates, our classmates. It is a sadly common crime and a painful tragedy that touches us all. This is why it is important for all of us to know what resources Editorial Page are available to UNC students. Tonight at 8 p.m. in the Carmichael Ballroom, the Women’s Affairs Committee will be presenting a program that aims to spread awareness of the ways Student Health Services, the UNC Hospitals Emergency Room and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center can come to the aid of a sur vivor of sexual assault. Additionally, the ladies of Safe Skills, whose Web site is www.safeskills.com, will be present ing an interactive lesson on physical and psychological self-defense. Bring a friend, join a discussion, and learn some of the most impor tant information that (unfortu nately) isn’t as well known as it should be. Joe Polich Charlene Wong Womens Affairs Committee UNC Student Government Dean campaign has strong ideas on foreign policies TO THE EDITOR: Prof. Rick Valelly’s assertion in the Thursday article on Democratic presidential nomination front-run ners that Vermont Gov. Howard Dean does not support the rebuild ing effort in Iraq is simply not true. Dean did not support the war in Iraq. He did not approve of giving President George W. Bush carte blanche to administer the war. ON THE DAY’S NEWS “7o make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain. ” LOUIS L' AMOUR, western writer EDITORIAL CARTOON To Lirnrf Apa.’fl'jC-Kc Vo-toVi"TVfitac/s Sfou/errfs, TV\e Vert6>oand TtS-ks se L mise. your -'kjlt+ s v / /j | ] sarEg) // InfnLJli COMMENTARY Securing control over job, life key objective for many My residence hall house keeper stares at me from behind a honey bun and a Coca-Cola. Her keys jingle on her belt as she sits down. It’s her break, and she’s hanging out in the study lounge. She tells me about her forma tive years. She had a job at a tex tile mill making 80 cents an hour, in 1971- She would have been about the same age as I am. Now she makes $9.01 an hour, or SIB,OOO per year. This woman says she’s 50, but she doesn’t look a day over 40. That’s astounding when I consid er the work she does. Sweeping balconies, unclog ging and cleaning toilets, scrub bing sinks and mirrors, mopping floors and other things that I would rather sleep than do. “It’s going to be something that you get used to,” my housekeeper says. In my infinite fortune, I’m not so sure I could. There’s a scene in the movie “Office Space” in which the bitter Michael Bolton (not the singer) and the enlightened Peter Gibbons are discussing career predictor tests. Gibbons explains that people’s careers are defined by what they would do in their spare time. But the world would have no janitors, Bolton says, because nobody would clean up crap in their spare time. For most of my life, I’ve been told that I could do just about anything and that college was the gateway to just about everything. I have worked in a theater, and I cleaned up some crap in my time. My first day on the job, a woman somehow managed to throw up in every crevice of the bathroom. I’ve had to wipe a child’s waste from the theater walkway. However, Dean does, unlike Bush, recognize that we are not winning this war very well by our selves. He would like to increase the number of troops in Iraq, as well as work with organizations such as NATO to stabilize Iraq. While lacking in foreign policy experience, Dean has proven him self quite adept at foreign policy analysis. Renan Snowden Junior Political Science Idealism separates Kucinich from other 2004 candidates TO THE EDITOR: I’m so tired of articles that imply Dennis Kucinich can’t win the presidential election. He’s won four congressional terms so far, and receives the greatest applause at the presidential debates. He has enormous energy, wonderful ideas and many friends. If those who like him just pitch in and help, say why you like him, and don’t be afraid to say he can and should win, then we Americans will choose the “under dog” and start healing our country and our world. We always did like underdogs, right? Don’t be afraid of idealism. It’s the only thread holding us together. Ellen Thomas Washington, D.C By Danny Rosenblutt, rosenblu@email.unc.edu. BILLY BALL FOR KIDS WHO CAN’T READ GOOD Even as an assistant manager, I had little to no control over what work I was doing. I also thought of that job as a stepping-stone to something big ger. A temporary inconvenience on the way to wine and cheese with wealthy people with names like Duncan and Hannah. A cute story to tell to my grandchildren about how tough life was before Big Dadu made it big and discov ered the secret to keeping Honeycombs cereal fresh. The point is that most of my life —and I don’t think I’m alone on this there was always a Scooby Snack to keep me barking. I want to work so I can have my own personal bowling alley and a huge vat of banana pudding in which I’ll bathe. My house keeper, on the other hand, works to feed herself and her husband, who happens to be out of work with a broken foot right now. Many UNC employees are waiting for bonuses this year. Employee Forum Chairman Tommy Griffin tells me about employees who’ve had to drop the health insurance on their families because they couldn’t afford the S4OO monthly bill, a situation in which they have no control. My housekeeper drives a sports car to work. She says other employees have resented her nice hair and clothes since she took the job at UNC two years ago (she’s been a housekeeper in some Sample international fare at SEAC lunch Thursday TO THE EDITOR: On behalf of the Student Environmental Action Coalition, I would like to invite the University community to SEAC’s International Lunch, to be held this Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the new Student Union located on the first floor. Attendees will get to sample food from 25 local restaurants, enter in drawings for prizes, and learn about the origins and envi ronmental aspects of our food. All of this will be provided for a dona tion of just $5. I look forward to seeing you there! Summer Flowers Sophomore Psychology TO SUBMIT A LETTER: The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 300 words and must be typed, double-spaced, dated and signed by no more than two people. Students should include their year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their title, department and phone num ber. The DTH reserves the right to edit letters for space, clarity and vulgarity. Publication is not guaranteed. Bring let ters to the DTH office at Suite 104, Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail them to editdesk@unc.edu. dlje Daily dar Heel “The point is that most of my life ... there was always a Scooby Snack to keep me barking.” place for 16 years though). “Even though I’m a housekeep er, why do I have to be way down?” she asks as she holds one hand at knee-level. It turns out that my house keeper and I have more in com mon than I thought. We both are really just looking to have control. Control over what? I’m not sure. Control of our work. Control of our pay. In my housekeeper's case, con trol of her appearance. A point driven home by a recent trip to Lenoir Dining Hall. I came upon the waffle machines as closing time approached. There, along with her trusty clean ing tools, was a staff worker. Not just any staff worker there before me was the waffle master. With all of the ferocity of a snapping turtle, she reminded me that the time for waffles was past and that my hunger for waffles was a huge inconvenience to her and her waffle-machine cleaning agen da. Luckily, she made an exception for me because I begged. There I was in one of my low est states, and there she was final ly on top of the hill, standing like justice for all to see. In that one sphere, she’s the master and the meter and the CEO. That was her waffle machine. That was her decision to make. Good for her. Contact Billy Ball at wkball@email.unc.edu. Established 1893 110 years of editorialfreedom dh? Daily dar HM www.dailytarheel.com ELYSE ASHBURN EDITOR, 962-4086 OFFICE HOURS 2:15-3:15 PM MON., WED. DANIEL THIGPEN MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 JENNIFER SAMUELS PROJECTS MANAGING EDITOR, 962-0750 APRIL BETHEA EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR, 962-0750 BROOK R. CORWIN UNIVERSITY EDITOR. 962-0372 KATHRYN GRIM CITY EDITOR, 962-4209 CLEVE R.WOOTSON JR. STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR. 962-4103 BRIAN MACPHERSON SPORTS EDITOR, 962-4710 MICHELLE JARBOE FEATURES EDITOR, 962-4214 NICK PARKER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, 962-4214 ALEX OBREGON COPY EDITOR, 962-4103 BRIAN CASSELLA PHOTO EDITOR, 962-0750 MICHELLE KUTTNER DESIGN EDITOR. 962-0750 MICHAELA IDHAMMAR GRAPHICS EDITOR, 962-0750 KRISTEN OLIVER ONLINE EDITOR, 962-0750 BEN COUCH SPORTSATURDAY EDITOR. 962-4710 JOHN FRANK PROJECTS TEAM LEADER, 962-0246 ERIC GAUTSCHI OMBUDSMAN If you have any concerns or comments about our coverage, please contact Ombudsman Eric Gautschi at gautschiOemail.unc.edu or 918-1311.
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