ASUM invites candidates to discuss student issues
Candidates were invited to speak to a student audience on the issues.
Oct. 3, 2008
Democratic legislative candidates Kelly Schultz and Chris Kelly listen as State Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, speaks during a candidate forum Wednesday in Memorial Union. The Associated Students of the University of Missouri invited several local politicians to discuss student issues.
With the general election nearing, the Associated Students of the University of Missouri invited local politicians to a forum on Wednesday to discuss issues affecting college students.
The candidates attending the forum were asked questions prepared by ASUM members, and they also fielded a few questions from audience members. ASUM wrote the questions for the candidates by issuing each a survey and gauging their responses.
Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, the incumbent candidate for the 19th state senate district and Kurt Schaefer, his Republican opponent, both discussed college affordability and, when discussing the sale of assets from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, the state loan agency, found contention with each other.
Schaefer was asked what measures he would propose to help mediate concerns about rising college prices.
"That's what we have to leverage to make sure that we are successful, that our students are successful and that our grades are worth something," Schaefer said.
He said he would push for an increase in scholarship money and the amount of scientific research done at MU.
Mary Still, the Democratic candidate for the 25th district House seat, also discussed improving the academic side of Missouri colleges and universities.
"We saw people saying 'Research? We don't care about research, we want teachers,'" she said. "Both are important. People are finally understanding that research transfers into economic support for this state. We have to help educate people that research gives economic benefit to the state of Missouri."
Still is running against Republican Ryan Asbridge, who could not attend the forum because he was called to military active duty.
Schaefer closed his arguments with a comment that seemed to be aimed at Graham.
"I won't demand that the university give me thousands and thousands of dollars in food and alcohol," Schaefer said. "I will be accessible always."
Graham said he would work to increase state funding for higher education, and said he would reform the legislation that allowed the sale of MOHELA assets to fund capital improvement projects at college and universities in the state.
"MOHELA has been almost wiped out," Graham said. "They haven't been able to make payments for three cycles."
Schaefer said the MOHELA issue as an example of Graham's inability to bring people together. Graham filibustered an initial bill to sell assets from MOHELA in 2007, and funds designated for the UM system were stripped from the measure.
Fellow Democrat Chris Kelly, who is running for the 24th district House seat, defended Graham's filibuster and called it "a profile of courage."
The candidates also discussed the bill that would have given a vote to student representative to the UM system Board of Curators, had Missouri lost a congressional district in 2010, which was vetoed this year by Gov. Matt Blunt after passing in the General Assembly.
Graham said the UM system should have a voting student member on the board.
"(Schaefer) doesn't want you to have that vote," Graham said of his opponent to an audience full of students. "He wants your vote on Nov. 4th but he doesn't want to give you a vote on the board of curators and that's a fundamental difference."
Schaefer later refuted this argument, stating that he never opposed the curator bill.
State Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, who is running for re-election in the 21st district, discussed his dislike for the curator bill, citing examples from the curators themselves.
"The problem that I had with this piece of legislature is that it was obvious that the curators were having a meltdown over it," Hobbs said.
Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, who is running for re-election in the 24th district, said he hoped to make it easier for university students to transfer credits from one institution to another, as well as ensure that professors are able to speak English in a way that is understandable enough for students to learn.
Audience questions brought the candidates to a discussion of Medicaid cuts and Kelley spoke against them.
"Cuts in health care need not have been made and they need not have been made in the cruel way that they were," Kelly said. "They allowed people to have wheelchairs but not wheelchair batteries. They allowed people to have oxygen but not the device that regulates it."
Junior Colan Williams said he came to hear the candidates' views on the issues.
"I came here so I could see the views of all of the politicians who are running for the state government," he said. "I think it's really important that our vote goes to candidates that not only look out for (students), but to have policies that will benefit Americans."
More Oct. 3, 2008 Outlook Stories
- ASUM invites candidates to discuss student issues — Candidates were invited to speak to a student audience on the issues.
- Palin, Biden debate in St. Louis — Opinions lean both ways, but all agree candidates represented well.
- Michelle Obama addresses crowd in Kansas City — Her speech gave emphasis on Missouri's position as a swing state.
- Baker will bring change — It has been an absolutely shameful week for politics. Sarah Palin's interviews are going so bad that Saturday Night Live ...
- Missouri State Public Defender System allowed to turn down cases — The change is because there are a large number of cases and lack of staff.
Most recent Outlook Stories
- Missouri lawmakers get to work — Legislators promised bipartisan solutions in the face of the current economic crisis.
- Prop. A might not help higher education — Falling casino revenue and the proposal’s language could stop funding from reaching Missouri’s colleges.
- Study shows increase in prescription drug use in colleges — Experts say there is an increase of prescription pills around exams.
- Democrats lead now, but GOP will change — Democrats had a pretty great year in 2008. The tides have turned and, at least for the next two years, ...
- Fire Safety Task Force works towards sprinkler solution — The committee of specialists debated off-campus fire safety.