VOLUME 112, ISSUE 100
Group
swaps
funds,
votes
University's PAC
influences politics
BY CLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.
SENIOR WRITER
About 100 people contributed
to a University-based political
action committee that has given
out nearly $200,000 in campaign
donations this election cycle.
The PAC, Citizens for Higher
Education, is lull of alumni, trust
ees and people whose last names
match University street signs. It
raised more than $184,000 during
this cycle, according to campaign
finance reports.
The committee writes checks
for legislators who tend to vote
favorably on issues that benefit
the University, said UNC-Chapel
Hill Trustee Paul Fulton, one of
the group’s founders.
Campaign finance records show
that 20 state legislators, includ
ing the three co-chairmen of the
Senate Appropriations Committee,
got $4,000 donations the maxi
mum for donations to an individu
al candidate in North Carolina.
Others who received the maxi
mum include the legislature’s
top leaders, including Senate
President Pro Tern Marc Basnight,
D-Dare, and House co-Speakers
Richard Morgan* a Moore County
Republican, and Jim Black, a
Mecklenburg County Democrat.
Among local lawmakers, Orange
County Rep. Joe Hackney, the
House’s Democratic leader, gar
nered the $4,000 maximum. Sen.
Ellie Kinnaird received SI,OOO,
and Rep. Verla Insko got $2,000.
The largest deciding factor in
which legislators get money from
the PAC is how they vote on over
head receipts, the extra money
universities receive from research
grants to cover expenses the state
already funds. These charges typi
cally include basics such as water
SEE PAC, PAGE 4
Student
robbed
atUNC
BY CLAIRE DORRIER
STAFF WRITER
An 18-year-old male student
from Appalachian State University
was robbed at gunpoint about 3
a.m. Monday near Carmichael
Auditorium, according to officials
with the University police.
The victim, accompanied by a
friend, was returning to his parked
car on Carmichael Drive when he
was confronted by two suspects,
one of whom displayed a gun, a
University release states.
The armed suspects asked the
victim to drive to the ATMs on
Raleigh Street and withdraw an
undisclosed amount of money. The
victim cooperated and was released
unharmed on Carmichael Drive.
According to the victim’s report
in the release, the suspects are
black men in their early 20s who
were both carrying revolvers.
One suspect was described as
light-skinned and wearing a light
brown Philadelphia Phillies jersey
and a matching baseball cap.
The second suspect was
described as 6 feet 1 inch tall,
between 160 pounds and 170
pounds and possibly having a
rough complexion. He was report
ed as wearing a white T-shirt and a
SEE ROBBERY, PAGE 4
ONLINE
■ Global polls show most countries favoring Kerry
Student leaders disagree on balancing opinion, power
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Cast a ballot today. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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BY EMMA BURGIN STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR
There will be winners, there will be losers.
But the most important thing is that
there will be results hopefully.
America will raise its voice today to elect
its leaders for local, state and federal races.
And the end to the hyperactive political milieu has
been a long time coming.
“Not surprisingly, the electorate is ready to have it
settled,” said Ferrel Guilloiy, director of UNC’s Program
on Southern Politics, Media and Public life. “We have
very long campaigns in this country.... There’s some
www.dthonliiie.com
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
George W. Bush John Kerry
U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES
Erskine Bowles
FINAL HOUR
Visit www.dthonline.com for updated elections coverage.
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fatigue, and we’re ready for Election Day.”
President Bush and Democratic presidential
candidate John Kerry made a mad dash through
battleground states Monday, gathering last-minute
votes.
A poll released by Democracy Corps on Monday
showed Kerry with 49-5 percent of likely voters’ sup
port, while Bush had 48.7 percent.
“We’re extremely optimistic,” said David Sherlin,
press secretary for N.C. Victory 2004, part of the
Kerry-Edwards campaign. “We have a great feeling
about North Carolina and the nation as a whole.”
SEE ELECTION EVE, PAGE 4
Mike Easley
Richard Burr
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2004
30,000
take to
polls in
advance
BY TANNERSLAYDEN
STAFF WRITER
Based on the county’s record
turnout for one-stop voting, the
Orange County Board of Elections
expects crowds at the polls today.
Carolyn Thomas, director of the
board, said the county planned to
have 12,000 to 15,000 people vote
early. But a final count shows that
30,232 people voted early using
INSIDE
Final profiles
of candidates
facing off
in state races
PAGE 2
Electoral college
likely to play
powerful role
in decision
PAGE 7
ONLINE
N.C. voters
must weigh
work against
visit to polls
“We are really going to need more
early polling sites next federal elec
tion.”
Thomas Jensen, party affairs
director for UNC’s Young
Democrats, said he counted 400
people in line Saturday at the
Morehead Planetarium, one of
the three early voting sites in the
county. “The line was stretched
back to Silent Sam,” he said.
Thomas said there was a two
hour average wait at Morehead.
Jensen said lines that long for
early voting are unacceptable. He
suggested adding more sites to
conduct early voting in order to
deal with its high demand.
Thomas said at least four more
locations will be needed for the
next federal election. “It is just
hard to find enough volunteers,”
she said. “We need three people
to operate each computer, and it
SEE VOTING, PAGE 4
Halloween
celebration
ends safely
BY JENNIFER FAIR
AND DEBORAH CRAMER
STAFF WRITERS
Despite a larger-than-usual
crowd on Franklin Street, area
police reported no serious or
unusual incidents during Sunday’s
annual Halloween festivities.
“It was just another Halloween
in Chapel Hill,” said Tony Mills,
assistant supervisor for the Raleigh
Alcohol Law Enforcement office.
Chapel Hill police issued 32
citations on 35 charges, the major
ity of which were alcohol-related,
in and around the enclosed area on
Franklin Street, said Phil Smith,
special events officer for Chapel
Hill police.
According to a press release,
police charged 12 people with
underage possession of alcohol,
seven people with aiding and abet
ting the purchase of alcohol and six
people with alcohol-related offenses,
mostly involving open containers.
Rick Bradley, spokesman for
housing and residential education
at the University, said that about
15 incidents, most alcohol-related,
occurred in residence halls on
Halloween. “Campus incidents were
an aftermath of partying on Franklin
and elsewhere,” Bradley said.
He said housing staff were pre
pared to handle the incidents, add-
SEE HALLOWEEN, PAGE 4
WEATHER
TODAY Partly cloudy, H 82, L 63
WEDNESDAY T-storms, H 71, L 53
THURSDAY Rain, H 66, L 44
the county’s
one-stop voting
locations.
“One-stop
voting was
amazingly suc
cessful,” Thomas
said. “It isn’t
even Nov. 2 yet,
and the voting
season has been
so hectic.”
Of the 51,041
people who
voted in the
2000 election,
only 9,000
voted early.
“There was no
way to predict
this turnout,”
Thomas said.