Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Mayor hopefuls include UA students in Tucson's politics

Scott Andrew Taras Arizona Daily Wildcat Yesterday in the Economics building, mayoral candidates Bob Walkup (Rep), Molly McKasson (D), and Libertarian Ed Kahn discuss several issues regarding the future of Tucson. As Walkup and McKasson listen on, Kahn discusses eliminating Tucson's freeway problem by running a highway through Pantano, Wash.

With a small audience and big goals, the three candidates for Tucson's mayoral seat squared off yesterday in one of the final debates before the Nov. 2 election.

Republican Bob Walkup, Democrat Molly McKasson and Libertarian Ed Kahn responded to subjects such as the city's water problem, public transportation and opportunities for University of Arizona student involvement in local government.

"Most people want to be sure we don't lose the quality we have as we move into the future," Walkup said.

Raising the standard of living for Tucsonans was the main focus for all of the mayoral candidates.

Kahn, a local lawyer with an anti-bureaucratic stance, suggested eliminating the city's sales tax, reducing property taxes and completely disbanding the SunTran bus system.

Kahn said he would replace it with a fleet of vans to provide a shuttle service for citizens.

"Necessary change is only going to come from the Libertarians," Kahn said. "There's too much damn bureaucracy, too much government. We need freedom, and I can bring that to Tucson."

Mediators also asked the candidates UA-related questions, including ways to involve college students in city government and local politicians in university affairs.

"I would want to bring the livable Tucson plan out to you so you could have input," McKasson told to about 40 people, mostly UA students, in the Economics auditorium.

She also said UA students are the city's "greatest resource."

"I think we could really tap into the university in a major way," she said.

Kahn, an opponent of student loans, said the UA should be made a night school so students can secure daytime employment to finance an evening education. This, he said, would prevent them from going into debt.

"Credit cards and student loans are doing you in and we must stop it," Kahn told the students.

April Salkowski, a political science sophomore and Young Democrat member, said she was pleased with the success of the discussion.

"We're really glad it went so well," said Salkowski, the debate's mediator. "I was very pleased with McKasson. I thought she did a very good job of supporting our party."

Colin Laisure-Pool, an engineering physics and Russian sophomore, said he wasn't sure who he would vote for next month.

"I prefer the way Walkup wants to deal with the water issue," Laisure-Pool said. "I was especially interested in what Walkup had to say, being in aerospace engineering myself. I'm torn between him and Kahn."

The debate was sponsored by the Young Republican and Young Democrat organizations at the UA.