VOLUME 112, ISSUE 93
Veto might kill election bill
CONGRESS LIKELY LACKS VOTES
TO OVERRIDE CALABRIA’S ACTION
BY DAN GRINDER
STAFF WRITER
A contentious bill that defines nega
tive campaigning during student elec
tions likely will go back to the drawing
board now that an executive veto has
forced Student Congress to revisit the
issue.
Members had mixed reactions after
On the Road
The DTH follows the highlights
and low points of a
presidential campaign
Edwards
speaks to
veterans
BYCLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.
SENIOR WRITER
MUSCATINE, lowa - Three
purple hearts and a bronze star
hang from K.C. Churchill’s red and
yellow Marine Corps cap.
These are reminders of the time
that Churchill, 58, spent fighting
in the Vietnam War.
The shrapnel lodged in his right
thigh and the limp he now walks
with are more painful memories of
his time in the service.
Churchill says he’s been begging
the government for years for anew
hip and has given up hope of ever
getting more care for the shrapnel
or the severed tendon in the hand
he uses to grip his stainless steel
cane.
Churchill came to the John
Edwards rally at Muscatine High
School on Thursday morning to
hear what the Tar Heel senator
had to say about health care for
Vietnam veterans.
“My question was what his
intentions was about the Vietnam
vets not being taken care of,”
Churchill said. “He said he was
going to arrange it to where it was
going to be the same health care
that congressmen get.”
In the presidential debates,
Bush challenged the feasibility of
this plan, asserting that the feder
al government does not have the
money to support such an exten
sive system.
Health care was on the minds of
many people at the Thursday event,
some of whom first met Edwards
when he campaigned in the lowa
presidential caucus in January.
When he was running for the
presidential nomination, Edwards
advocated the creation of a health
care system that would eventually
cover all children.
Now he and Massachusetts
Sen. John Kerry claim they’ll offer
senator-quality options for health
care and that they’ll decrease the
cost of pharmaceutical drugs.
lowa gave Edwards a second
place finish behind Kerry on Jan.
20, a boost that would leave North
Carolina’s senior senator as Kerry’s
SEE EDWARDS, PAGE 6
Easley schools ralliers on education record
BYANHLY
STAFF WRITER
SMITHFIELD - Gov. Mike
Easley continued his re-election
bid in this small town Thursday
evening, boasting to a packed
crowd at the National Guard
Armory about the strides the state
has made in education under his
leadership.
Easley, who looks to beat back a
challenge from Republican Patrick
Ballantine on Nov. 2, said students
in North Carolina now lead the
nation in math and that the state’s
community colleges rank No. 1 in
the country.
“By Jove, we started making
progress (in education), and we’re
going to keep it going,” Easley said
to the packed room.
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Serving the students and the University community since 1893
ohr latlg 3ar Htri
Student Body President Matt Calabria
struck down the bill Wednesday in a
move that marked the first executive
veto of a bill since February 2003, but
most agreed that they will have to make
changes if the proposal is to stay alive.
The bill, passed Oct. 12 by a 13-5
vote, prohibits negative campaign
ing and defines it as “an unsubstanti-
pill •'
DTH/HUNTER MCRAE
Trish Veraeiceoter) Jiaodia voter his ballot as people enter the booth early at the Carrboro Jown.Hall on Thursday morning.
Orange County's three one-stop voting locations have seen large numbers of voters since opening to the public Oct. 14.
EARLY VOTERS
FLOCK TO POLLS
BYERENTATARAGASI STAFF WRITER
The county’s three one-stop voting locations have been over
whelmed by voters who want no part in the polling-place
frenzy associated with Election Day.
Since the three locations opened, 8,554 people have voted. Though
numbers are higher than they were at this point during the 2000 elec
tion season, the 95,525 total people registered in the county indicate
that there is still work to be done to get locals to the polls.
Carolyn Thomas, director of the Orange County Board of
Elections, said the BOE placed the one
stop locations in central parts of the
county so that voting would be easily
accessible to everyone.
The board’s office,
located in Hillsborough
at 110 E. King St., was file
first location to open its
doors and has seen 2,887
ELECTION
2004
voters since its Oct. 14 one-stop voting
kickoff.
Volunteer Keith Cecil said he has seen
a great number of students turning up
to vote. “I have been doing this for years,
and I have never seen this many young
The governor promised that his
campaign would never decrease
education spending, even during
an economic recession.
“We will not let budget short
fall become education shortfall,”
Easley said.
The governor also reassured
supporters that jobs would not be
lost to foreign businesses and that
the Democratic Party would take
care of the state’s senior citizens.
“Every North Carolinian who
wants a job will get a job,” Easley
said. “And we’re going to be there
for our seniors.”
Easley also stopped in Hickory
and Albemarle on Thursday. The
visits were part of anew wave of
re-election rallies meant to pump
up North Carolinians and get them
INSIDE
UP IN FLAMES
Congress might condemn the
burning of others' flags PAGE 2
| www.dthonline.com |
ated, subjective and defamatory remark
about another candidate or campaign
worker.”
It does, however, state that “personal
attacks do not include critical analysis
of another campaign or worker.”
Because it was vetoed, the bill auto
matically has moved to the top of the
agenda for Congress’ Tuesday meet
ing. A two-thirds majority is required
to override the veto, but most Congress
members said that number most likely
won’t be reached.
Speaker Charlie Anderson, who
people.”
The Hillsborough location also pro
vides curb-side voting for anyone who
can’t stand in line. “If they’ll blow the
horn, we’ll walk out,” Cecil said.
Accompanied by her husband and 2-
year-old son, Angie Mauer, of 815 New
Hope Church Road, voted Thursday in
Hillsborough. “It’s a lot easier to get in
and out if you vote early,” she said.
At Morehead Planetarium, another
one-stop voting location, has seen 3,579
voters, many of them students, since it
opened on Oct. 18.
“It’s just a big hassle to go back home
“Every North Carolinian who wants a
job will get a job. And we’re going to be
there for our seniors.” mike easley, GOVERNOR
excited about voting.
Other high-profile candidates,
such as Rep. Bob Etheridge and
Betsy McCrodden, a Democratic
candidate for the N.C. Supreme
Court, also spoke at the rally to
tout their campaign platforms.
The candidates made the rounds
to each table of potential vot
ers, offering a variety of trinkets
from nail files to pens to hair
combs emblazoned with names
and campaign slogans to help
persuade voters to consider them
on Election Day.
abstained from voting when Congress
passed the bill, said he wasn’t surprised
by Calabria’s actions.
“I wouldn’t call it unexpected,”
Anderson said. “In many ways I agree
with him.”
Anderson’s criticisms mirrored the
rationale Calabria laid out for vetoing
the proposal. In a written statement
Wednesday, Calabria called the bill a
vague attempt to limit free speech with
out any provision for enforcement.
SEE VETO, PAGE 6
and do it,” said Megan Paduchowski, a
freshman and a first-time voter.
The one-stop campus polling spot
provides a way for University students
to vote without having to travel across
town and find their precincts on Election
Day, said Tom Jensen, party affairs direc
tor for UNC’s Young Democrats.
Parking is available at Morehead, and
if voters grab an “I Voted” sticker on their
way out then they get out of the lot for
free.
Voting at the third location, the
Carrboro Town Hall, at 301 W. Main St.,
got off to a shaky start, with hourlong
waits on the first day because of inad
equate space.
Since then, voting has moved into
the meeting room on the first floor, and
things have been running more smoothly,
said paid volunteer Irish Verne. “We’ve
gotten more voting booths and two more
computers.”
The Carrboro location has seen 2,078
voters so far. “Its been very busy,” Verne
said. “There’s always a steady flow of
SEE ONE-STOP, PAGE 6
The rally started off in high spir
its after Etheridge’s speech, which
galvanized an already enthusiastic
crowd. “The people in this county
and in this country is ready for a
change,” Etheridge said. “We’re
going to win.”
The event, which drew about
500 people, was hailed as a success
by organizers, who only expected
about 300 people to attend.
Belle Allen, one of the organizers
of the rally, said she was pleased with
SEE RALLY, PAGE 6
INSIDE
SILENT NIGHT
Local congregations gather, rally against
death penalty on eve of execution PAGE 2
El Centro
chooses
Siragusa
as leader
University worker, ; activist
wins acclaim from peers
BY KATHRYN REED
STAFF WRITER
Advocacy group El Centro Latino ended its search
for anew executive director Thursday when it named
local activist Tina Siragusa to the position.
The board began its search for anew director
when Hector Perez stepped down from the posi
tion Oct. 15 after serving as executive director of
the nonprofit organization for two years.
“As the new executive director of El Centro Latino,
I would like to continue the good work the board
and former director have already done and to con
tinue the vision toward advocation and serving the
Latino community, which makes up approximately
13 percent of our community,” Siragusa said.
Siragusa comes to El Centro Latino from the
University’s Highway Safety Resource Center,
where she worked in the Child Passenger Safety
Department. She said she will begin work at El
Centro on Nov. 8.
“There’s so many things the
board has planned for this year,”
she said. “I’m looking forward to
working with a fabulous staff.”
In her new job, Siragusa said,
she hopes to promote greater
advocacy and increase the num
ber of Latinos in community
leadership positions.
Winkie La Force, president of
El Centro Latino, said Siragusa
possesses a variety of professional
and personal qualities the board
was looking for in anew director.
She cited Siragusa’s background in advocacy,
health issues and education, as well as her expe
rience with nonprofits and her commitment to
working in Orange County.
Siragusa gained experience working with
Latinos from living, working and volunteering in
Costa Rica and by dealing with health issues as
director of Centro: La Comunidad, an Alamance
County Latino organization, for three years.
“Our goal was to find someone very commit
ted to the community which El Centro serves,” La
Force said.
Amber Hall, El Centro’s associate director,
shared La Force’s enthusiasm for the qualities
Siragusa brings to the organization.
“She has a lot of experience working in program
ming and other nonprofits,” Hall said. “She has a
wonderful personality. I think she’ll be an asset to
El Centro Latino.”
La Force said Siragusa already has experience
working with El Centro Latino.
“Tina actually served on the board of El Centro
Latino for a while,” said La Force. “We were actu
ally very lucky to get to know her before we hired
her in another role. We were all very impressed
with her honesty, attention to detail, passion for
the Latino community and her past work.”
La Force said Siragusa came with a reputation
for dedication.
“When we talked to people who had worked
with her before, we got a real trend on the fact
that Tina has a passion and compassion for the
Latino community,” she said.
Siragusa, a Chapel Hill resident, received
both her bachelor’s and master’s degree from
the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. She
speaks Italian and Spanish in addition to English
and has two children.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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OTH/LEAH GRONNING
Gov. Mike Easley speaks to a packed crowd at the National Guard Armory
in Smithfield on Thursday night. Easley is up for re-election on Election Day.
WP&TNPR
VV Salt I XXSalt
TODAY Partly cloudy, H 65, L 46
SATURDAY Partly cloudy, H 66, L 49
SUNDAY A.M. showers, H 74, L 47
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004
Local resident
Tina Siragusa
will replace
Hector Perez at
group's helm.