University of South Carolina Libraries
I www.dailygamecock.com M(NDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2002_ Sine? 1908 Candidates’ final debate is a slugfest PHOTO BY ERIC SUTTON/THE GAMECOCK Gov. Jim Hodges awaits his question during the last debate with Mark Sanford, right, before Election Day on Tuesday. Hodges, Sanford pull no punches as they tackle viucation, taxes BY COREY GARRIOTT THE GAMECOCK In the last gubernatorial de bate before Tuesday’s elections, Gov. Jim Hodges and GOP chal lenger Mark Sanford fought over the defining issues of South Carolina’s election season — mainly education, taxes and the economy. The two exchanged friendly handshakes before the de bate, but by night’s end, the can didates had taken off their gloves to try to make their posi tions clear. Hodges, who was elected in 1998 on an education platform, kept education in the spotlight throughout the debate. “It’s the defining issue of my campaign,” he said. Hodges wants to increase funding to education, including such programs as First Steps, an early childhood health-educa tion program, through the lot ery and other programs. The &oney would go toward raising tochers’ salaries to the national avvage and paying for im pro °ments in the public-school systfcn. A k»y point of contention be tween te two was Sanford’s pro posal foischool vouchers. Vouchees would give parents some of thv money that would otherwise gt>to public schools. Parents could hen choose which school to send tlojr child to, pub lic or private. Tyey would use the voucher to pai the school. “Now, hold on thsre, partner,” Hodges said. “Hen’s the truth ♦ DEBATE, SEE PAGET House race expected to change little BY BRUCE SMITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHARLESTON - In an election season when-most of the attention is on races for governor and the U.S. Senate, it’s easy to forget there are contests in all six of South Carolina’s congressional districts. That said, don’t look for any change in the makeup of the House delegation after the votes are tallied on Election Day. There should still be four Republicans and two Democrats, said Bill Moore, a College of Charleston po litical scientist. “Because of the way the elec tion districts are drawn, you have safe congressional districts — Democrat or Republican — in five of the six cases,” he said. That sixth case is the one open congressional seat in the 3rd District along the state’s western edge. That’s the seat U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham is leaving to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by re tiring Strom Thurmond. And there, Moore expects state Rep. Gresham Barrett, R Westminster, to win out and keep the district in the GOP column as he faces high school guidance counselor George Ijjrightharp. Although Graham was the first Republican since Reconstruction to win the seat, the district has trended increasingly conservative since then. Only two incumbents face ma jor-party opposition, while the oth ers face third-party candidates. Barrett Was the top vote-getter in June’s six-way GOP primary in the 3rd District. He then de feated state Rep. Jim Klauber, R ♦ ELECTIONS, SEE PAGE 3 Statewide ballot 'to include three black candidates SPARTANBURG (AP) - The two black men and one black woman on Tuesday’s ballot will make his tory, win or lose. With attorney general hopeful Steve Benjamin, secretary of state aspirant Rick Wade and Marva Y. Manigault running for education superintendent, voters will see three black citizens on the * statewide ballot for the first time in state history. A fourth black candidate, Kevin Gray, was expected to be on the ballot in a belated bid for gov ernor. The State Election Commission, however, would not put him on tne ballot because he was nomi nated too late by the United Citizens Party. Gray, a Columbia black activist who has run several po litical campaigns for others, con tinues to wage a write-in cam paign. All of those candidates give I voters racial diversity on ballots where about a fourth of the vot ers are black. In the 2000 elec tion, 76 percent of voters were white and 24 percent were not white. The increase in black candi dates “is long overdue,” said Blease Graham, a political science professor at USC. Graham views the candidacies as part of the fulfillment of the im plementation of the Voting Rights i Act in 1964, which ensured black people the right to vote. “There is no reason why African-Americans couldn’t get elected, but it would be naive to think racism isn’t discussed in some circles.” Willie M. Legette, associate professor of political science and history at South Carolina State University, thinks black candi dates are staying away from the historical significance because they are afraid it will discourage white support. “Black candidates don’t bring the historic significance to atten tion because they don’t want to give white voters the impression that they are trying to take over,” Legette said. Their idea is to ae-empha size race and hope and pray that white people will be able to pull the lever for them.” The candidates disagree. “I am not running to make his tory,” Benjamin said. “I am run ning to make a difference.” Benjamin, a Democrat, has had the most financial success among black candidates, and has raised more than $1 million from black and white supporters alike. That support is an indication people can look at candidates for their abilities and not their color, ♦ CANDIDATES, SEE PAGE 2 ■ !-1 I am not running to make history; I am running to make a difference. STEVE BENJAMIN ATTORNEY GENERAL HOPEFUL Index Comics and Crossword 7 Classifieds 10 Horoscopes 7 Letters to the Editor 4 Online Poll 4 Police Report 3 Weather TODAY TOMORROW High 59 High 60 Low 51 Low 52 Inside ♦ NEWS First Baptist Church recognizes USC’s Greek organizations in a special Sunday service. Page 2 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Students from both major parties discuss the importance of Tuesday’s Election Day. Page 4 ♦ THE MIX “I Spy” turns an unlikely pairing into an amusing movie. Page 5 ♦ SPORTS The football team loses - again - to the Tennessee Volunteers. Page 8 Sorensen takes time for kids rnui U DT JUniNINT MATINta/ I lit UAMtUUUfN USC President Andrew Sorensen reads to students at the Center for Inquiry to show support for a bond referendum for Richland 1 schools. Richland County residents will vote on the referendum, which would upgrade area middle and high schools by adding classroom space, science and computer labs, media centers, fine-arts space, physical-education facilities, and cafeterias. tion 2002 oun4|Pfecincts Close to USC Reformation Lutheran a WARD 33 - Martin Luther King 18 Union St. ’ Memorial Park, 2300 Greene St. WARD 8 - Allen Benedict DUTCH FORK - Dutch Fork High, Community Room, 1504 Allen 1400 Old Tamah Road, Irrrjp BeneaictPlaza V EASTOVER - Eastover Park” WARD 9 - Pfjnce Hall Masonic 1031 Main St., Eastover Lodge; 23246ervais St. GREGG PARK-Shandon WARD 12 - Hand Middle School, Baptist Church, 5250 Forest 2600 W teiMW. Drive WARD 13 - Rosewood HARBISON - Harbison Elementary, 3300 Rosewood Community Center, 106 Hillpine Drive Road „ - . ‘ . ‘ ‘ WARD 30 - Arsenal Hill Park, Voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Source: The State newspaper GRAPHIC BY JULIA KNETZER/THE GAMECOCK Student accused of elevator vandalism Resident was trapped for nearly 2 hours BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE (iAMECOCK A USC student stuck in an apartment elevator for two hours is now accused of vandal ism by the apartment building’s management and its insurance company. Aurovinda Gangam, a USC graduate student studying com puter science, might face up to $10,000 in damage charges from Whaley’s Mill Apartments in surer Atlantic Mutual. Gangam forced open the elevator doors at the Whaley’s Mill Apartments at Whaley and Main streets, caus ing damage that the Columbia Police Department described as “malicious injury to personal property.” "I thought they would get it repaired, and I thought, ‘I’m studying, so I don’t want to get involved in all the legal busi ness.’ But later he was saying since the door got damaged, I have to pay,” Gangam said. “I was a victim,” he said. “I was stuck up in the elevator for two hours, and after that, they asked me to pay.” Chris Carter, a manager at the apartment building, said that although the Whaley's Mill management does acknowledge that Gangam was stuck in an el evator for two hours, witnesses - including a technician who helped free Gangam and Whaley’s Mill night manager John Miller - say Gangam vio lently damaged the elevator door. Carter said the door was damaged “so badly, parts had to ♦ ELEVATOR, SEE PAGE 2