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In today’s Democratic primary, we are lucky enough not to
be burdened by party lines ““ Democrats vote for Democratic
candidates only. Because of this, I think that voters should focus
on the reasons for choosing a good candidate instead: their record
on the issues, their prioritizing of the issues, and what the
candidates say they are going to do about those issues if they are
given the opportunity.
If these three factors are carefully considered, I think that
people’s votes will have a strong foundation in the realm of
reason.
That said, I would like to provide what I think are some good
reasons to cast your vote for Gray Davis.
Education is Gov. Davis’ top priority and he has
demonstrated an ability to raise its standards. If anyone can
attest to the value of education in California, it should be
students at UCLA. Gov. Davis proved that he places education at the
top of his priority list by investing a record amount of money in
it. He has the results to show for it. Standardized test scores
have increased, and they have allowed schools to determine which
academic areas they should focus on improving.
This year Gov. Davis signed a law that guarantees financial aid
to any needy student who maintains a “B” average in
high school. I bet some of you wish that legislation had been
signed about four years ago. During his term, advanced placement
classes have expanded, teacher salaries have risen, and efforts
have been made to attract and maintain quality teachers in
California schools. Finally, Gov.Davis proposes to continue
spending money on education at an even higher level than he has in
the past.
Along with interest in education, Gov. Davis also has
demonstrated interest in protecting the environment. For those of
you who do not think that protecting the environment is important,
I would like you to read this definition straight from the
dictionary: an environment is “the circumstances or
conditions that surround one,” aka the world that we live
in.
As an example of Davis’ attempt to protect the
environment, he signed Assembly Bill 1602, which put a $2.6 billion
bond for the preservation of parks and natural resources on this
month’s ballot.
Davis is also fighting the Bush administration on the issue of
California oil drilling. According to state resource secretary Mary
Nichols, Bush wants new offshore oil drilling to commence in areas
that have already been effectively drilled. Nichols described the
areas as “so heavy and viscous that it resembles
asphalt.” Davis has said that he will fight Bush “tooth
and nail” on this issue “all the way up to the Supreme
Court if need be.”
Another reason to support Davis, ironically enough, is that he
seems to have learned from what many consider to be past mistakes
of budgetary spending. He is proposing to cut spending in order to
safeguard the future of the California economy, which currently
finds itself in a recession. The state constitution of California
requires a balanced budget and there are signs that Davis is on his
way to achieving such a budget without new taxes, which is music to
many voters’ ears.
A final reason to support Davis hits close to home for UCLA
students. Davis signed legislation to provide more Internet access
to public university students. This legislation, along with
Davis’ aforementioned focus on education, should improve the
life of the average Bruin in many respects.
I hope you will use this information to make an informed
decision at the voting booth today. Ralph Nader once said “If
you’re not turned onto politics, politics will turn on
you.” I think he’s right, so get turned on and
vote.