Personality, experience make Taylor top pick

Tara Taylor

Her qualifications and abilities are truly decisive:

Both Taylor and her opponent, Eric Clingan, highlight helping the foundering Escort Service as a central point in their campaigns. However, only Taylor had spoken extensively with Tim Walker, the director of the Escort Service, as of the time of the candi dates' interviews with the Wildcat opinions staff. Further, Taylor had researched the cost of her proposed 1-800 number for the Service, as well as alternatives including a collect line; nor did she neglect her other issues. While Clingan did research his topics, he displayed a general tendency to only go deep enough into an issue to get an answer, any answer.

Some sort of experience with the workings of ASUA and programs and services is vital to the administrative vice president's job of coordination and administration. Both candidates lack a history of personal involvement in the programs that would become th eir jurisdiction; while Taylor's immediate political experience with ASUA is not stunning, it is far more comprehensive than Clingan's. As an added bonus, Taylor attended the Constitutional Convention and read the new ASUA Constitution. Her opponent has m erely skimmed the document.

Though Clingan's promise to donate his stipend to services in financial need is admirable (and, for a change, well-researched), it is hardly a qualification for the office. There is nothing wrong with drawing a paycheck for performing a service, especiall y when the hourly rate- roughly $4.50- is not exactly what anyone would call "lucrative."

Finally, in the race for a political office, there is always a question of personality. On this alone, Taylor is more qualified than her opponent. Where Clingan was occasionally pushy and over-assertive, Taylor was personable and even occasionally diffide nt. The administrative vice-president must be capable of working with the incoming student government, many of whom will be rookies; interpersonal skills are also important in dealing with the directors and administrators of the programs and services. Tay lor's easy-going personality and personal charisma will aid her in this.

Not that Taylor was a push-over; when asked if she, as "a nice person," would be able to make the sort of hard-nosed personnel decisions that her office might call for (firing, stipend withholdings, etc., of her appointments), Taylor's jaw firmed as she r eplied, "Absolutely."

The Wildcat "absolutely" endorses Tara Taylor for the position of administrative vice-president for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

By Editorial Staff (Vice-President Adminstrative Endorsement)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 3, 1997