The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 01, 2001, Page 6, Image 6
Luttich's One Party stunned by last-place finish ■ Presidential candidate Jaron tuttkh blasts ASUN elections, saying they're not about issues, but about who you know. byjuzbuam For members of The One Party, it was agony waiting for the ASUN election results. Presidential Candidate Jaron Luttich received a phone call on his cellular phone from Electoral Commission Director John D. Conley at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Luttich, whose party met at P.O. Pears, 322 S. 9™ St., told Conley he didn’t want to take die call in public—he told him to call back. Luttich then gathered his First Vice Presidential Candidate, Melanie Mitzel, and his sister, Cheney Luttich, to take the call while sitting on some steps. Luttich sat with his head buried in his knees, waiting for Conley to call back as the theme song from ‘Pee Wee’s Playhouse" blared in the back ground. At 9:40 pjn., Luttich gave in and called Conley baric "Holy shit... holy shit... wow," Luttich said as he heard the results. The One Party had come in last Luttich’s party received 10.79 percent of the vote, falling behind top vote-getting Score! with 31.45 percent, No Bull with 29.92 percent, inde pendent candidate John Matzen with 15.61 per cent and NUForce with 11.57 percent. Afterward, Luttich said he was disenchanted with die Association of Students of the University of Nebraska’s election process. In Luttich's eyes, the whole election boiled down to personal friendships and loyalties, not the most qualified candidates. “People forget the votes they cast in the booths are secret," he said. Luttich said he was proud of his campaign and he wouldn’t have changed a thing. His favorite part of the campaign were the debates, he said. During the actual debates Luttich was nerv One Party Presidential Canddate Jaron LuiUvn reviews results at P.O. Pears Wednesday night after receiving the phone cal that told him of his loss in the ASUN election. Melanie Mitzel left Luttidft first vkn presidential cand date and Cheney luttich,Jarart sis ter, looked on. ous, but when he began speaking, he immediately relaxed, he said. “That’s why I know I was the best candidate,” he said. “I was up-front and honest and told every one what they’d get. “But for some reason, that didn’t work out” Luttich said he wasn't comfortable supporting either Score! or No Bull in next week's runoff elec tion. “One reason you run is because you think the other choices are inadequate,” he said. Luttich said he may or mav not change his mind about endorsing a candidate later this week. Mitzel said she was relieved the election was over, but was still disappointed with the results. Even though things didn’t turned out the way she hoped, Mitzel said the campaign was definite ly worthwhile. She made friends - like Luttich - and fought for issues she cared about, she said. Mitzel, who’s also involved in the Residence Hall Association, said when working with other student leaders, she hasn’t met anyone like Luttich. bteven Bender/UN "With all the people I work with, many of them I enjoy working with, but very few do I respect,” she said. “Jaron is definitely one of those people (I respect).” Luttich’s sister, Cheney, a freshman art major, said she was disappointed and somewhat sur prised with the results. But the loss isn't the end of the world, she said. “Jaron’s getting even stronger,” she said. "Hels not going to shrink back because he never has.” President touts plan in Omaha HKSIPEHTfrom page! Echoing the comments he made lliesday night to Congress, Bush said the federal government has to increase its portion of edu cational funding, “One erf our priorities... must be to make sure that every child-I mean every cMd-gets educated in the great land called America,” he said. But Bush cautioned that fed eral bucks don't equal federal con trol "Even though I have a Washington, D.C., temporary address, I want you to know I strongly believe in local control erf schools,” he sakL The president also pumped his new proposals to revamp and bolster funding for Sodal Security and Medicare. Bush’s plan would double the Medicare budget over the next 10 yean and set aside $2.6 triflion for Social Serenity Funding these proposals will takeahefty drunk of change out of _the government’s pocket, but Bush said, "There’s still money left over” Bush proposed tossing some of the excess cash-to the tune of nearly a trillion dollars - into a special contingency fund for Farmers might see some of the money as his administration works to promote 'trade freely around the world.” After expanding Medicare and education budgets and creating a contingency fund, Bush said his budget numbers still put the fed eral government far from the red. The totals, Bush said, give him two choices: "Do we spend it? Or do we remember whose money it is in the first placer Pmfbhnmgfhatrtip PTrtra rlnl lars are 'not the government's,” Bush called for a massive $1.6 tril lion dollar slash in taxes. His tax (dan would also con solidate the five tax codes into four, and lower the top tier’s rate from 39.5 percent to 333 percent and the bottom tier's rate from 15 /// Off/'/tX U‘ /(/'(• (t tun a/it//ut-wton. fntun / ft mt ///frt*/ 1 4V percent to 10. ' Bush lauded the plan pointing to Tony and Cynthia Ojeda, a Lincoln couple who attended die talk, as a family who would benefit from his {dan. Bush said the Ojedas and their three children would save $2,120 under his plan. Critics say $2,120 isn't much money, he said. But, said Bush: "It means a lot when you are worried about the education ofyour three children.” A long line of Democrats have objected to the Bush tax plan claiming it unfairly aids the rich while leaving the tax burden on the poor virtually untouched. Bush briefly addressed the criticism saying he was “going to reject dass warfare.” Nelson congratulated Bush for steering dear of the dass con flict, and said he wasn't concerned about that aspect of the cut Rather, he said he wanted to see a “safety valve” installed in the plan so Congress won’t be bound to one spending plan. The valve would let Congress change course midstream if the economy takes an unexpected turn, he said. Ttadlfemderlinden of Omaha took off work to bring her daugh ter Kristine, to greet the president “One of our priorities...must be to make sure that every child - / mean every child- gets educated in the great land called America ” George W. Bosh President and Nelson on their stop in Omaha. Vanderiinden said she wanted her daughter to get a look at a president working hard to improve the tax code so she can getabreak. Kristine said she was excited to see Bush because she has been a Bush fan since he announced his candidacy. When her class divided up into Gore and Bush supporters during the election, Kristine said she anchored the Bush team. But she said she wasn’t alone then, just as she wasn’t alone Wednesday. “Everybody was for Bush; it was 15-5." ,4s Nebraska may see more AIDS funds THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Nearly 50,000 people with AIDS in cities like LosAngdes and New’Vbik get government help paying their rent Not so, for those in towns like Anchorage, Fargo and Omaha. President Bush wants to x expand the housing program started in 1992, when his father was president The recommendation was viewed by some as positive ges ture to gay lights activists, who have been jittery of the new Republican president. Their pleasure was tempered with con cern that the policy change was at odds with wtmt they requested. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is spending about $258 million this year on the AIDS housing subsi dies, which help poor people who have had trouble finding a place to live. The president had been asked to increase that to $300mil lion, with most of the new money going to communities that already have programs. Instead, Bush announced Wednesday that without cutting present programs, HUD should instead add new areas. Thirteen states do not receive money from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program: Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. To qualify, cities or regions must have had at least 1,500 HIV cases. In arguing for more money for existing programs, the president of the AIDS Housing Coalition said rising housing costs and longer life expectancies of the HIV-infected are burdening the programs. “We welcome an expansion but it has to be an expansion with an increase in funding. Otherwise it will jeopardize current pro grams," said Gina Quattrochi, the group president who also over sees die Bailey House, a New York center for homeless AIDS patients. She said without more money for existing programs, the Bush proposal could have die opposite effect, causing evictions of people with AIDS. The White House referred calls about the proposal to HUD, where no onewould comment on the plan. Quattrochi’s group said in a recent report that more AIDS housing needs have been report ed in the cities of Boston, Dallas, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami and New York and in communi ties in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Tfexas. They said there were waiting lists for assistance of about 5,000 in New York, 1,800 in Boston and about 500 each in Dallas, Los Angeles and Washington. Bush's budget proposal did not specify how much money would be spent in the new areas or what the revised qualification formula would be. *1 don't think any area should be written off,* said Eddie Sandifer, who helps people with AIDS find housing in Jackson, Miss., which does not qualify for the program now Gay rights activists have been closely watching Bush, particu larly after a February report that Bush was abolishing the Office of National AIDS Policy. Bush said later that the office was not being dosed and that “we’re concerned about AIDS inside our White * House, make no mistake about it" Despite Bush's latest housing proposal, Sandifer said, “I’m leery of him. There’s an unsettled feel ing about where hels going." “I think the administration is aware there is a great deal of apprehension," said David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group. Smith said the proposed poli cy change shows Bush has taken note of die needs of people with AIDS.