With the elections tomorrow, it is time to decide who gets your vote. The Wildcat is using the editorial page today to endorse candidates in several races. But the most important issue is that you get to the polls and vote.
The Arizona Daily Wildcat is endorsing Eddie Basha for governor. As the Democratic candidate, he is running against Republican incumbent Fife Symington.
Basha has been involved in Arizona education for over 25 years, and has served on the Arizona Board of Regents, which governs the state's universities, since 1990. He has an obvious commitment to education, including the university-level.
Basha demonstrated his commitment to education by visiting the University of Arizona campus to speak with students. Symington did not campaign on campus. This gives college voters a glimpse of each candidate's commitment to their issues.
Instead of trying to fix the crime problem once it has come to a head, Basha's promises have focused on prevention and rehabilitation through employment. While Symington wants to try more juvenile offenders as adults, we feel this is just a reaction to the problem instead of addressing it upfront, as Basha's plan would.
Basha would address budget discrepancies between school districts through a statewide funding rehaul, instead of relying on local property tax revenues. Symington opposes such measures, despite the potential to equalize school districts and let them educate children on a more level playing field. Symington also claims that year-round schooling would be too expensive.
As a successful businessman, Basha has promised the state that he will find money already within the system to pay for his plans, and that he will not raise taxes.
Basha is also pro-choice, while Symington admits he thinks there should be "reasonable regulation" of abortion.
With Symington's neglect for higher education, which is evident in the extreme belt-tightening of the university system, it is obvious that Arizona needs a change in the governor's mansion. Eddie Basha is the right choice for students, and the right choice for Arizona.
The nasty fight for the U.S. Senate seat pits Republican incumbent Jon Kyl against former House of Representatives Democrat Sam Coppersmith.
The Wildcat is endorsing Coppersmith for this seat because of his dedication to education. A supporter of Pell Grant funding and other education-oriented programs, Coppersmith again demonstrated his interest in college students by appearing on campus to speak with them. This speaks to Coppersmith's attitude toward higher education, and this is an instance where actions do speak louder than words.
In addition, Coppersmith is pro-choice, and has been active in Planned Parenthood. Kyl, however, is adamantly opposed to a woman's right to choose. Yet Kyl says he wants to downsize government, which is contradictory to his desire for government to interfere in someone's personal reproductive choices.
Coppersmith also has a preventative attitude toward crime, which lends itself to his education-friendly platform.
As students, we must look at each candidate and see how he views education, and more importantly, how each sees education in relation to Arizona's other problems. Basha and Coppersmith have demonstrated by their words and actions that they value learning and recognize how vital education is to the entire state, not just to schools.