NEWS
3A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008
ELECTION 2008
Parties, government spend big money for big election
BY CARNEZ WILLIAMS editor@kansan.com
The Kansas Democratic Party, Republican Party and Douglas County government are responding to the wave of popular enthusiasm for November's elections with some big spending.
While the Democratic Party hired more campaign workers in anticipation of a high voter turnout — 140 canvassers this year, up from 120 in 2006 — the Kansas Republican Party's candidates for the Kansas House of Representatives and State Senate candidates outspent Democratic candidates by 74 percent. The Douglas County Clerk's office reallocalized money in its budget to increase its Election Day budget to $175,000, up from $150,000 in 2006.
The parties' and county's spending and staffing booms are partly aimed at the 451,786 unaffiliated registered voters in Kansas, said Matthew Anderson, field director for the Kansas Democratic Party. Anderson said it was key for campaign canvassers to move door-to-door discussing election issues with undecided voters.
"Many people don't make their mind up until the election," he said.
Though Democrats are hiring more campaign workers to reach
voters, Craig Campbell, Kansas Republican Party chairman, said the party wouldn't spend its money doing the same. The Party usually pays 10 to 20 percent of its candidates' campaign expenses.
"We're not taking anything for granted." Campbell said. "We're still going to work hard."
According to the Federal Election Commission, Democratic candidates for the Kansas House of Representatives have disbursed about $830,995 in the state compared with Republican candidates who spent $2,840,142. Democratic candidates for the Kansas Senate have disbursed $897,717 compared with Republic Senate candidates who spent $1,993,054. Political candidates spend this money or
Joe Gaylord, former GOP political strategist, said a successful campaign should spend at least 65 to 70 percent of the candidate's contributions on "voter contact," including TV, radio and print advertisements.
It is equally important for political candidates to make their contribution dollars work for them while trying to reach voters.
Still, he said, the best way to get a vote is to ask for it. He said that the candidate running must also be viable, have an organized campaign and have adequate finances to run the campaign.
everything from advertising to paid campaign staff.
"Winning campaigns don't rise like a Phoenix out of the ashes." Gaylord said. "There's some rock they're built on."
Still, for most people, the business of campaigns and elections is about more than money.
Benne Garcia, 23-year-old Democratic canvasser, said it felt good getting out the vote and getting paid for the work.
Keeping up with Kansas politicians' increased spending to entice voters to the polls, some local government agencies have undergone budget expansions to manage the expected record voter turnout. Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said the Clerk's Office had also expanded its budget $25,000 to hire about 250 more poll workers this year. Shew said the intensive labor, supplies and workers needed to operate polling stations and machines — which will cost about $50,000 this year compared with $25,000 in 2006 — were too important to cut.
"The turnout in November is going to be so huge, we have to have an increased number of poll workers." Shew said. "That's one of the last places I'd make cuts."
Edited by Mary Sorrick
LAWRENCE
Local elections, initiatives can be as important as national elections Mike Amyx says students registered within city limits should learn about local issues and vote in local elections
BY JESSE TRIMBLE
jtrimble@kansan.com
City officials expressed concern last week about how little students actually know about the elections. Local elections, that is.
"I received questions from the class concerning if students could vote on city initiatives." Amyx said. "I wanted to stress how much anyone can vote on city issues just as long as you are registered to vote in Lawrence city limits."
Mike Amyx, city commissioner for Lawrence, spoke with a business class at the University recently about how important local elections are. When Amyx left the class, however, said he felt some students aren't as aware of the issues as they should be.
Monday was the last day to register to vote in Kansas.
Brandon Schwager, Lawrence sophomore and political science major, said it was important for students to be aware of the presidential elections and local elections.
"For the last eight years that Bush has been in office I haven't changed my daily routine." Schwager said. "But issues like the 'T' and others have the potential to affect my day-to-day life."
Lisa Patterson, communications
manager for Lawrence, said there would be two full pages of ballot questions concerning local issues.
"From state senator, state representatives, judicial positions there are a lot of issues that voters have a chance to weigh in on," Patterson said.
Patterson said local campus groups such as the Student Leadership Awareness Board had done an excellent job of registering students to vote. She said the group and the Dole Institute of Politics had tremendous success.
"But are the students educating themselves about topics that will be on the ballot?" Patterson said. "That's what I'm concerned about."
"But for the students who are registered within the city," Corliss said, "I just want to make sure they are aware can vote on these issues that are out there."
Both Patterson and Amyx said students' lack of knowledge about local issues could mean they were more concerned with issues back in their hometowns.
, David Corliss, city manager, said that for the students who commuted or who lived in Lawrence for academic purposes, he could understand why they wouldn't register to vote in the city.
Specifically, Corliss mentioned the free sales tax proposal, which would support street and sidewalk maintenance, public transportation and the expansion of public transportation.
Corliss said elections within the city took place more often than every four years. County commissioner seats will be voted on in November and three city commissioner positions will be voted on in the spring.
Patterson said the city Web site, www.ci.lawrence:ks.us, was the best place to find more information about issues and people on the ballot.
"Other than that," Patterson said, "students need to be keeping their eyes on local forms of media."
Schwager said the University could take the initiative on local voting issues, too.
"I think there could be more discussions about local issues on campus, to help make students aware of what's going on," Schwager said.
He said voting wasn't just self-motivated, but was something that needed publicity through groups and organizations on campus.
- Edited by Becka Cremer
NATIONAL Palin breaks with McCain on gay marriage laws
NEW YORK — Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says she supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a break with John McCain who has said he believes states should be left to define what marriage is.
In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network, the Alaska governor said she had voted in 1998 for a state amendment banning same sex marriage and hoped to see a federal ban on such unions.
"I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that's where we would go. I don't support gay marriage,"
Palin said. She said she believed traditional marriage was the foundation for strong families.
wed to actress Portia de Rossi, has urged Californians to reject Proposition 8.
McCain, an Arizona senator, is supporting a ballot initiative in his state this year that would ban gay marriage. But he has consistently and forcefully opposed a federal marriage amendment, saying it would usurp states' authority on such matters.
As governor, Palin vetoes a bill that would have denied benefits to the partners of gay state employees. In a debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden, Palin said she was "tolerant" of gays and said she supported certain legal protections for same-sex couples, like hospital visitation rights.
"I think it's regressive" he said.
"It thinks it unfair, and so I vote 'no'."
In the CBN interview, Palin said she would speak out if she heard a supporter at a rally yell violent or threatening comments about Barack Obama.
Biden, meanwhile, said during an appearance Monday on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that if he lived in California he would vote against a ballot measure that seeks to ban gay marriage. DeGeneres, who is gay and newly
Biden added that he and Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, opposed a similar initiative nationally.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"What we have heard through some mainstream media is that folks have hollered out some atrocious and unacceptable things like 'kill him,'" Palin said, referring to a Washington Post article about her rallies. "If I ever were to hear that standing up there at the podium with the mike, I would call them out on that, and I would tell these people, no, that's unacceptable."
LEGISLATION
Protestors hold signs in front of the Creighton Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., on Thursday. The organizers of the protest against Nebraska's safe hawk law hoped it will help convince state lawmakers to convene and put an age limit in the law before the regular legislative session starts in January. Nebraska's law allows anyone to leave a child as old as 18 at a state-licensed hospital without fear of prosecution. On Monday, a Michigan mother drove about 12 hours to HOmia and dropped off her 13-year-old son at medical center.
Nebraska revamps safe haven law
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the meantime, Nebraska officials are trying to prevent more drop-offs.
the first couple of weeks of the new year.
Heineman has authorized Health and Human Services to spend up to $100,000 promoting a help line operated by the United Way for parents and guardians. The state is also sending letters to all adoptive parents and guardians of children who are former state wards providing phone numbers and Web sites of agencies that can help them if they are having problems with their children.
Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Stung by the abandonment of children as old as 17 at Nebraska hospitals, the governor and lawmakers struck a deal Monday to rewrite the state's safe haven law so it applies only to infants up to three days old.
A rash of drop-offs in recent months, particularly those of teenagers and from out of state, thrust the state into the national spotlight. The law was ridiculed on an episode of "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend.
Forty of the 49 senators in the unicameral Legislature and Gov. Dave Heineman have agreed to the changes, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood said during a news conference on Monday.
The state's safe-haven law allows caregivers to abandon children — interpreted by some to include those as old as 18 — at hospitals without fear of prosecution. The age cap would change Nebraska's safe-haven law from the most lenient in the country to one of the most restrictive. Sixteen other states have a similar 3-day-old age cap.
At least 18 children, aged 22 months to 17 years, have been abandoned since the law took effect in July, including a child from Iowa and a Michigan child who was driven from there by his mother.
Heineman has said he would prefer not to call a special session to change the law before the regular session starts in January, though he indicated that if more out of state children were abandoned under the law he might change his mind.
The Nebraska law, intended
Flood said lawmakers would likely quickly change the law in
to prevent infants from being dumped or abandoned in dangerous places by mothers who don't want them, has had "serious, unintended consequences," Heineman said. "This law needs to be changed to focus on infants."
INTERNATIONAL Leader of Canadian Liberal Party resigns
Dion said Monday he'll stay on as leader until a new leader is elected by the party.
TORONTO — Canadian opposition Liberal Party Stephane Dion says he'll resign as leader of the once-dominant party after last week's bitter election loss.
Dion campaigned for last
Tuesday's election on an unpopular environmental tax during slowing economic times. His party suffered a drubbing, dropping to 76 seats in Parliament from 95.
Mexico cracks down on Cuban-U.S. immigration
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has agreed to deport Cubans caught trying to sneak illegally through
Mexican territory to reach the U.S.
The agreement with Cuba is a step toward cutting off an increasingly violent and heavily used human trafficking route.
Mexico and Cuba signed the agreement Monday at a ceremony in Mexico City.
Mexico rarely sends back Cubans caught entering the country illegally.
Associated Press
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