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october 30, 2008
photo courtesy of: www.telegraph.co.uk
roar
photo courtesy of: www.blog.wired.com
Canidates express views on major issues
Chelsey Merkle News Editor The presidential election; it’s in the newspapers, all over the internet, and on the television everyday. This year’s election is scheduled for November 4, 2008 and will be the 56th United States presidential election. John McCain, representing the Republican Party, is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. Barack Obama, representing the Democratic Party, is the junior United States Senator from Illinois. This particular election is especially important, because (1) it is the first time two senators have gone against each other for president and (2) it is the first time an African American man is the presidential nominee for a major party. No matter who wins the election, it will go down in history. It may be that an African American man will become president with a Roman Catholic, Joe Biden, as his vice president or the oldest first-term President will be elected with a woman, Sarah Palin, as his choice for vice president. “I support Obama in this election because his plans for America will help us for the better, in my opinion. He’s going to help out people with the tax breaks that are ordinary people, not just the wealthy ones,” senior Brock Thatcher said. McCain and Obama differ on many key campaign issues, so it is important to know ‘who supports what’ when the time comes around to vote. “I support McCain because he is willing to negotiate across party lines, which is what this country needs. We need a president who is willing to put Full name: John Sidney McCain III Birth date: August 29, 1936 Position: senior U.S. Senator from Arizona Political Status: Republican Running mate: Sarah Palin Spouse: Cindy Hensley (previously married to Carol Shepp) Children: Doug Sheep and Andy Sheep (adopted during first marriage to their mother, Carol Shepp), Sydney McCain (daughter with Carol Sheep), and Meghan McCain, John Sidney McCain IV, and James McCain (all with Cindy McCain), and adopted daughter Bridget McCain. Full name: Barack Hussein Obama II Birth date: August 4, 1961 Position: junior U.S. Senator Illinois Senate Political Status: Democrat Running mate: Joe Biden Spouse: Michelle Obama Children: Malia Ann and Natasha Obama
photo courtesy of www.msnbc.msn.com
away party ties and actually do what is best for this country and McCain will do that,” senior Erin Cox said. One of the most important issues discussed throughout the election is health care. McCain believes that coverage wouldn’t be mandatory for everyone, while Obama says that coverage would be required for children. McCain would offer a refundable tax credit for anyone who decides to buy health insurance and would create a federally subsidized state-administered program to offer coverage for low-income people. Obama, on the other hand, wants to create a national network of public and private plans for the people who have no other access to insurance. He would also require employers to offer a plan, help pay for employee costs, or pay into a national health care network. According to CNN, McCain has said, “I've made it very clear that what I want is for families to make decisions about their health care, not government…”, while Obama says “We need to pass a plan that lowers every family's premiums, and gives every uninsured American the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves." Basically, Obama would rely more on the government to make health care coverage affordable, while McCain would rely mostly on individuals and the free market to lower the costs. Another important issue would be gas prices. Obama wants to keep the gas tax in place and also keep the ethanol tariff to protect the domestic industry. McCain would rather take away the 54-cents-a-gallon ethanol tariff. McCain would also eliminate a current tax break for oil companies and lower the corporate taxes. Obama
believes in tax oil profits and would use the money to help fund $1,000 rebate checks for consumers who are hit by the energy costs. “I think Obama will most likely win this election because he represents the opposite party of President Bush. Bush’s administration has caused so many problems in our country that it appears to be making the republican party untrustworthy,” senior Courtney Bartz said. McCain and Obama also have different views on jobs and wages. Obama, if president, would fund federal workforce training programs and then have them incorporate “green” technologies training, which refers to Obama’s ‘green dream’. He would also raise minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by the year 2011, double federal funding for basic research and make R&D (research and development) tax credit permanent. Obama would also establish tax credit for companies that maintain or increase their number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the United States and he would temporarily eliminate taxes on unemployment benefits. On the other hand, McCain wants to cut the corporate tax rate and temporarily lower current rates on dividends and capital gains. He would also leave minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, which is where the current law will take it by the year 2009. He wants to create a tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages spent on R&D, consolidate federal unemployment programs, reform training programs for job seekers, and temporarily eliminate taxes on unemployment benefits. According to CNN, McCain says “We will build a new system, using the
unemployment-insurance taxes to build for each worker a buffer account against a sudden loss of income -- so that in times of need they're not just told to fill out forms and take a number.” Basically, McCain’s plan focuses more on corporate tax policy, while Obama’s plan includes increasing wages and spending on public works. A few more important issues include abortion, marriage, and education. On the topic of abortion, McCain believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned because it is a flawed decision. Reversing Roe v. Wade will leave the abortion question in the hands of the individual states. Obama supports reproductive choice and wants to make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority. When it comes to education, Obama has many plans on making education affordable and also on improving it. He has goals for Early Childhood Education, K-12, Higher Education, and to recruit, prepare, retain, and reward teachers. All of these plans are described in depth on Obama’s website, www. barackobama.com. McCain believes there is no equal opportunity without equal access to excellent education and that we can no longer accept low standards for some students and high standards for others. To read more, refer to www.johnmccain.com. McCain believes marriage is a union between one man and one woman and the unique role played by mothers and fathers in the raising of their children is crucial. Obama also believes marriage is an important issue and is between a man and a woman. He also believes that decisions about marriage should be left to the states. It is obvious that this year’s election is going to be extremely close. No one knows for sure who is going to become the next president of the United States. But, no matter what the outcome, the 2008 election will go down in history as the most important election of this generation.
photo courtesy of www.blogs.thestate.com
polls according to fivethirtyeight.com
McCain
Obama
Phoenix Group states goal of operation
Lauren Taylor Feature Editor “To be an international program of extraordinary treatment foster care and related services that enhances the lives of youth and their families,” this is the mission statement of the International Phoenix Group. Becoming and remaining the CEO, Bruce Maag formed the International Phoenix Group and Phoenix Homes in July of 2000, after being involved in foster care since 1978. “We assist youth and families in overcoming major obstacles in their lives and reunite youth with their families after they have been removed for any number of reasons. We also provide hundreds of good paying jobs for the staff and foster parents affiliated with us in our various states,” Maag said. Generally, the Phoenix Group works with children ranging from 10 to 18 years of age, but upon certain situations they have been known to work with even younger adolescents. “Foster parents are required to get involved with activities throughout the community. We (Phoenix Group) provide special events for training. There are summer picnics and Christmas parties for the whole family to come to,” director of recruiting William Hanlin said. In addition to Ohio, there are numerous branches of this group throughout many states including Rhode Island, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Texas and Puerto Rico. “Some of the challenges the organization faces are finding quality foster homes, funding, the present economic crisis, and problems encountered with the growth of program,” Maag said. The Phoenix Group is planning to open an Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital by November 1, 2008 in the old Lincolnway Home in Van Wert County. “We are a major cog in the child welfare system serving youth who no one else desires to be affiliated with,” Maag said. “We care about those we serve and each of the communities they reside in.”
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