VOLUME 112, ISSUE 154 Board shares list of wants Carrboro’s goals’ feasibility ranges BY RYAN C. TUCK CITY EOITOR Breadmen’s was the caterer, but members of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen gave the area’s legisla tive representatives several things to chew on Monday at a legislative breakfast among the officials. Municipalities meet annually with their representatives in the N.C. General Assembly to discuss legislative requests that they hope to see implemented, or at least dis cussed, during that year’s session. The aider men presented requests that legislators called feasible increas ing the town’s motor vehicle tax by $lO and requesting that the state ensure adequate health care funding and some that were labeled as more idealistic ’HhBPP'' j Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson wants a $lO hike in the vehicle tax. allowing citizens who are not nat uralized to vote in local elections. “I know it’s radical for the North Carolina legislature, but we should allow people of voting age in the process,” Alderman John Herrera said of the request to give more voting rights to permanent resi dents of legal age, even if they are not naturalized citizens. “There is a difference between what the paper states and what reality dictates,” he said of the cur rent citizenship laws. Herrera, who had to wait 10 years for his citizenship after mar rying a U.S. citizen in 1988, lodged the same request last year. N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D- Orange, said it would take about 10 years to convert the idea into a state constitutional amendment. The town also is requesting SEE CARRBORO, PAGE 10 TAR HEELS JUMP TO MLS ' fltfe iv m wfev DTH FILE PHOTO North Carolina's Tim Merritt (10) was one of three Tar Heels taken in the MLS Super Draft. He was drafted by D.C. United in the 4th round. ONXiINE Montessori school gets support for expansion North Carolina aims to exert its electoral clout Find these and more stories at www.dthonline.com. Serving the students and the University community since 1893 dlii' lathj Star Hrrl Easley solidifies stance on education TUITION must be affordable for all UNC-system campuses. mSB * fWfrT ■ •||g pH OaMkHI . L* Sk ' '1; S' DTH PHOTOS/JUSTIN SMITH Gov. Mike Easley delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the state legislature Monday night. The speech was the first of two he will deliver during his second term. BY KAVITA PILLAI ASSISTANT STATE & NATIONAL EDITOR RALEIGH Mike Easley sought to solidify his status as an education gover nor as he addressed a joint session of the General Assembly on Monday night. Easley outlined his initiatives during the first of two State of the State address es he will give during his second term in office, focusing most of his remarks on how education can move North Carolina into anew economic era. “Together, we have faith that investing in education will allow all of our people, in every comer of every county of our state, to fully develop their God-given talents,” he said. “That is not just an economic imperative, it is a moral imperative. It is INSIDE NEW BLOOD Carolina Union Activites Board gets leadership for coming year PAGE 2 www.dthQnlinB.com a North Carolina value.” Easley suggested significant reforms to improve the high school graduation rate and requested expansion of his Learn and Earn program, which allows high school students to earn two-year college degrees or college credit for completing a five-year high school program. “We have great universities, great community colleges, early childhood and now great elementary schools,” he said. “There is no excuse not to have great high schools, too. The high schools we have simply will not meet the demands of the global economy.” He also talked about creating “smaller schools within schools” that will focus on health sciences, biotechnology and other BY BRANDON PARKER SENIOR WRITER He couldn’t bear to watch. The frustration welled up inside of him with each passing moment, and what had begun as an exciting day filled with promise was on the verge of ending in grave disappointment. One pick remained in the 2005 Major League Soccer Super Draft, and Tim Merritt had yet to hear his name called. The fate of his lifelong dream to play professional soccer now rested in the hands of the final team on the clock D.C. United. When Merritt’s cell phone rang and he saw that it was North Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich, he braced himself for words of solace and encouragement. Instead, he heard this: “TIM-MY MER-RITT!” Clap, clap, clap clap clap. “TIM-MY MER-RITT!” Clap, clap, clap clap clap. Bolowich, who was attending the draft at the Baltimore Convention Center, alerted his former player that the home town crowd was showing approval for its newest addition. Merritt could not believe his ears, and even when his name flashed across his computer screen during the live online draft coverage of the event, the moment still seemed unreal. Confirmation came as a phone call from D.C. United officials, who were just as shocked that a player of Merritt’s caliber still was available. Even though it might have come much later and in a more stressful manner than expected, the dream was now a reality SEE SOCCER, PAGE 10 K| LOTTERY is not included in Easley’s budget for the year. growing industries. Though Easley intends to continue lobbying for a lottery, he said he will not include an education lottery in his bud get this year, and with the state facing a potential billion dollar budget deficit, it is unclear how his initiatives will be funded. The governor credited fully funded enrollment growth and affordable tuition for the number of high school graduates who go on to college. And Easley said he is committed to maintaining that access. “Tuition can’t rise every year,” he said, adding that tuition increases at UNC system schools will not be included in his budget. SEE STATE, PAGE 10 Nonresidents pay tab when leaders cut funds BY INDIA AUTRY STAFF WRITER Out-of-state students pay more than the cost of attending the University, and the difference might make up for reduced state funds, experts say. INSIDE Reports says market-based tuition is bad for universities PAGE 7 to raise that amount by $950. Resident students, in comparison, pay $3,205, with the state legislature picking up the rest of their tab. Drug policy up for review Athletic director Dick Baddour initiated review of drug policy to eye its efficacy. INSIDE COMING TO TERMS Israeli-Palestinian panel discussion centers on message of reconciliation, peace PAGE 7 HIGH SCHOOLS are in dire need of reform across state. The estimated cost of educa tion at a U.S. public institution is $15,626 each year, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Nonresident students at UNC pay $16,303 in tuition, and there is a proposal on the table BY GEORGIA CHERRY STAFF WRITER Four football players have been arrested and charged in marijuana-related inci dents this year, spurring a wave of attention toward the drug policy for UNC athletes. But while administrators say they are concerned by the arrests, that’s not why a committee will meet next week to review the six-year-old policy that dictates how the University deals with drug use by its athletes. Sophomore football players Adarius Bowman, Fred Sparkman and Isaiah “Puff” TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2005 Lt. Gov. Beverly Purdue and House Speaker Jim Black applaud during the speech, which took place in the N.C. Legislative Building. But a tight state budget has led to cuts in funding during recent years, and universities might be using out-of-state tuition to supplement that loss, said Jon Young, Fayetteville State University’s associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “Out-of-state students are bearing a bigger bur den of the cost than in-state students and the state combined,” Young said. The state’s commitment to providing an educa tion for its residents produces a concern for keeping resident, but not nonresident, tuition low, he said. The elevated tuition is not a subsidy in the sense that individual out-of-state payments are trans ferred to in-state student accounts, but extra money SEE NONRESIDENTS, PAGE 10 Thomas all were arrested Oct. 10, and fresh man Terry Hunter was arrested Feb. 1. Still, Director of Athletics Dick Baddour said he initiated the review to find out if the standing “two strikes, you’re out” policy is an effective approach for his department not to get rid of any suspi cions of widespread drug use. The evaluation has been a hot topic of discussion among administrators, some of whom say the drug problems of student athletes are becoming more evident. SEE DRUG POLICY, PAGE 10 WEATHER TODAY Partly cloudy, H 65, L 41 WEDNESDAY Mostly sunny, H 56, L 33 THURSDAY A.M. wintry mix, H 44, L 28 l-i