Voice Your Vote and MSA sponsor series of debates

By Jane Krull

Daily Staff Reporter

With a discussion titled "School Vouchers: Do they have a place in the 21st Century?" Michigan Student Assembly's Voice Your Vote Commission kicked off Voter Education Week 2000 last night.

Forty students and community members attended the event featuring State Board of Education candidate John Austin, a Democrat, and current State Board of Education member and University alum Michael David Warren Jr., a Republican.

Warren discussed his vision of education and how aspects of it coincide with Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush's ideals.

"We trust people to make decisions for themselves," Warren said.

Warren said he believes school vouchers would "empower parents and families -- they would have choices and options."

Austin said that parents should have more options, but disagreed with Proposal 1, which would allow parents to have tuition vouchers to send their children to non-public schools.

Under the proposal, private schools can discriminate on who they accept, Austin said.

Private schools "are not required to take any kids," he said.

Austin also said the proposal would give tax dollars to private and religious education.

The proposal is one of many election issues to be addressed during Voter Education Week.

"We are hosting a variety of events to appeal to the variety of students on our campus," VYV chairwoman Shari Katz said. "We've registered so many students and we want to make sure their vote is an educated one."

A Voter Education and Information Fair is being held today in the Michigan Union ballroom from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Various student groups will represent different campaign issues and explain where the candidates stand on them.

Students will be able to interact with candidates at the fair. Voice Your Vote invited all candidates on the November ballot to attend.

Due to the candidates' hectic schedules, only a few have confirmed their attendance, but VYV is expecting some additional candidates to show up, said Katz, an LSA senior.

Tonight, a discussion on the candidates' plans to save Social Security, titled "Will Social Security Be Around for Us When We Need It?" will be held in the Union ballroom at 7 p.m.

At 8:30 p.m. in the ballroom, a presidential youth debate is scheduled between Students for Bush, Students for Gore and students advocating Green party candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian candidate Harry Browne.

A series of debates between candidates in several local and state races is planned for the end of the week at the Michigan League.

"We are excited that candidates are taking time to consider students an important voter base," VYV planning committee member Michael Gold said.

On Thursday, 53rd State House District candidates Chris Kolb and Bob Bykowski plan to debate in the Hussey Room at 4 p.m.

On Friday, two debates are being scheduled in the Mendellsohn Theatre.

At noon, Ann Arbor mayoral candidates John Hieftje and Stephen Rapundalo will face off. At 3:30 p.m., U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers (D-Ann Arbor) and her Republican challenger, Carl Berry, take the stage.