Collegiate Times

Almost 400 students gathered Monday evening in Squires Colonial Hall for the Great State Debate to hear the pro-Jerry Kilgore College Republicans and the pro-Tim Kaine Young Democrats debate taxes and spending, abortion, violent crime and education.The Political Science Club sponsored the event to raise issue awareness before the Nov. 8 Virginia gubernatorial election.?We wanted to inform the populace?The voting rate for college students is low, and a lot of people don?t know about this election,? said Bert Schlegel, president of the Political Science Club and senior political science major.The evening commenced with opening statements from Jonathan McGlumphy, president of the Libertarians at Virginia Tech and a graduate student in the mechanical engineering department.In his speech, McGlumphy stressed the three fundamental philosophies of the Libertarian party: individual liberties, personal responsibilities and limited government. Because no Libertarian gubernatorial candidate is running in the election, the group did not participate in the actual debate.Bob Lawson, a junior civil engineering major of the College Republicans, and Marylee Worley, a junior biochemistry major of the Young Democrats, began the debate with a discussion of each party?s national platforms.Lawson explained that the aim of the Republican Party is to repeal laws in place of instituting new programs and to ?rid the country of unwarranted financial burdens.?He continued by describing the Republican?s Fair Tax platform, which seeks to adopt a retail tax and abolish the IRS in order to lower taxes, and honed in on the immigration issue in America. Lawson accused the Democrats of forcing the monetary burden of immigrants on taxpayers through the amnesty provided in the 2000 McCain-Kennedy bill.The Young Democrat?s speaker, Worley, vocalized the party?s belief in marriage and abortion rights, and statistically illustrated the last five years under ?Bushonomics.? Worley said that over the last five years the dollar lost 40 percent of its value, the price of milk has risen by 18 percent and there is an $8 trillion deficit in the United States.After the discussion of the national platforms, the parties concentrated on the four fundamental issues concerning the commonwealth of Virginia, allowing each debater four minutes to present a view followed by a two minute rebuttal. Taxes and spending appeared first in the debate, with senior political science major Michael Sizemore on behalf of the Young Democrats and senior political science and international studies major Jenna Lewis for the College Republicans. Sizemore set up a comparison between Kaine and Kilgore, discussing Kaine?s decision to cut 30 percent of his own salary and Kilgore?s desire to cut the Estates Tax, which affects only the top one percent of the population.Lewis provided study results that claimed tax refunds increase consumption and explained Kilgore?s idea that would require voters to agree to gas raises.Abortion was the next issue in the debate, with freshman political science major Christy Huffman of the College Republicans and 2005 alumnus Terry McGuire of the Young Democrats facing off.Huffman used an emotional appeal along with statistics.?Abortion has become a privilege; it doesn?t have to be a right,? she said.Huffman explained Kilgore?s ?special cases? position and also pointed out Kaine?s alleged disregard for health and sanitation regulations at abortion clinics.McGuire stressed privacy, leaving the ?decision between women, faith, family and doctor.? He explained that Kaine seeks to increase female education, economic situations and availability to contraceptives so that the frequency of abortions might decrease. Young Democrat Dan Geroe, a freshman political science and history major, and College Republican Mike Barnett, a senior political science and philosophy major, debated violent crime. Geroe focused on Kaine?s position on applying the death penalty and concern for law officers? inadequate pay. ?How can you be tough on crime if you?re going to be cheap on crime?? he asked.Barnett explained Kilgore?s specialized concentration on domestic violence and gang violence and described the crime increases in Richmond while Kaine served as lieutenant governor.The final issue pertained to education, with College Republican Ryan Eargle, a freshman public and urban affairs and political science major, and Young Democrat Toby Quaranta, a senior political science major. Each described the importance of education in the future of Virginia.Eargle described Kilgore?s plans to for teacher recruitment and distance learning programs, and Quaranta explained Kaine?s education improvements in Richmond. Both debaters accused the opposing candidate of presenting policy platforms without financial plans.