Don't vote by banners, investigate candidates

As I was walking to class, I noticed a rather large banner hanging from the second level railing on the south side of the Harvill building. It read "Krispy Karim for Senate." I looked at the banner with shame because it had nothing to do with my true purpose of running for ASUA. It did not contain my platforms, my motivation, or my hopes to help this school. It ignores my true intentions. It only makes people smile or comment upon it and does not fulfill its purpose of sparking an interest in the student body to learn about the candidates running for office. It fails in encouraging students to research those who will represent them and vote according to their beliefs. Reading yesterday's letter in the Daily Wildcat, I stopped feeling ashamed because the banner caused one student, Jeff Steinkamp, to investigate candidates on the ASUA web site. Whether his vote is for or against me, I am sure he will vote, which is the purpose of my banner.

Although a little dismayed at first, I have found great respect for Mr. Steinkamp. He has pride in the company he holds stock in and does not want its rights violated. However, he speaks prematurely about the infringement of copyright laws and the failure of my integrity. I have, in fact, contacted Krispy Kreme and have spoken to the marketing director of this national company. The image of my campaign is in the hands of the attorneys representing Krispy Kreme. Integrity and honesty are traits that deeply concern me and I take all measures to guarantee it.

It seems that many share the opinion of Mr. Steinkamp, and rebel against my campaign by taking down my signs from the Physics and Atmospheric sciences building and from Old Main. If they are also proponents of integrity and honesty, why is it that they have stolen my signs? Why is it that the long hours of painting them and the money spent in creating them are lost? It is not my integrity to be questioned.

In writing this letter I wished to attain the attention of the student body and to point out the necessity for everyone to vote. Vote wisely through the profiles on the ASUA web site at www.asua.arizona.edu. If your concerns are of the bathrooms being "below par," of ASUA candidates preaching false promises, recycling old Wildcats, or campus childcare, then vote and express your concerns to ASUA. I thoroughly agree with Andrew Clark's statement in last Friday's Wildcat, "What many do not understand is that ASUA depends on student involvement."

Soral Karim
MCB freshman - ASUA senate candidate

Read up on political news!

Obviously Pete Seat hasn't been reading his political news. As a political science major, please let me enlighten all of you as to where the money comes from regarding the Clean Elections Fund.

This act, according to Cecilia Martinez, the director of the Clean Elections Institute in Phoenix, "allows any statewide or legislative candidate to receive public funding. Each candidate must collect a specified number of $5 qualifying contributions from registered Arizona voters in order to qualify for the funding. The contributions are one of four avenues the Clean Elections Commission has for generating the necessary revenue to finance the campaigns."

These other avenues are defined as:

1. A 10 percent surcharge on civil and criminal fines.
2. An annual $100 fee that is collected and deposited into the Clean Elections Fund.
3. Taxpayers who voluntarily choose on their state income tax return to mark an optional check-off box identified as the Clean Elections Fund Tax Reduction. (Please bear in mind that taxpayers who choose to do this receive a $5 reduction in the amount of tax, and that those $5 are deposited into the Clean Elections Fund by the Department of Revenue)
4. To receive public funding from the Clean Elections Fund, candidates who choose to run under the Clean Elections guidelines must receive a minimum amount of qualifying contributions. These contributions are in turn recycled into the Clean Elections fund (paraphrased from Citizen's Clean Elections Commission at http://www.ccec.state.az.us/ccecscr/pub/handbook/section19.asp)

As you can see, the only way any taxpayer money is spent on the Clean Elections Fund is if taxpayers themselves choose to have their money go toward it on their tax return.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion.

Sarah Gettinger - political science freshman