Spring Break
College Republicans, Dems Square Off
Kala Kachmar
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News
The issue of healthcare also sparked a heated discussion among participants in the debate.
The College Republicans argued that if either Sen. Hilary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama's health care plan were to be put into effect, the government would eventually run out of money for the program. Instead, they support a market-based approach and cited President Bush's current idea that would allow tax refunds of up to $15,000, which would give Americans the option of spending the money on healthcare.
"It's about finding a solution that works," said Devon Dougherty, an 8th-semester allied health sciences major. "We don't want to feed money into a system that doesn't work."
The College Democrats argued that the Democratic candidates do have a market-based approach. Under Clinton and Obama's plans, the government would simply provide assistance so that Americans without healthcare can afford to purchase healthcare from private insurance companies, Steuber said. There would not be a single-payer government-run health care system.
Another topic that was fiercely debated was the issue of global warming.
"We can't fix a problem that doesn't exist," said Corrina Pysa, an 8th-semester communication sciences and psychology double major and vice president of the UConn College Republicans.
While the College Republicans argued against the idea of global warming, the College Democrats stressed the need for humans to change their behavior toward the government to prevent catastrophic events, including flooding, which could occur in the future because of global warming.
According to Rivers, major coastal cities will be underwater or face severe flooding by the end of the century because the oceans will rise by about three feet.
Casapulla argued that there is over sensationalism about man's impact on earth, and before man can change their behavior, it needs to be proved that they are causing the problems.
"Even if you don't believe in global warming, you at least need to recognize that there is smog over cities and the pollution in rivers and lakes around the world," Steuber said, noting the health risks that pollution poses to humans.
Both the College Democrats and Republicans had similar views on education, both agreeing that the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act wasn't very effective and that teachers, especially in inner cities, should be given incentives and rewards for good teaching.
Casapulla also suggested allowing states and localities to allocate public school funds so they can more accurately target high-need towns and schools.
In addition, the participants debated about illegal immigration, oil, the economy and improving homeland security.
"I wish we could have disagreed a little more on the issues," Casapulla said. "But with the time limit, you can't get as deep into the issues as you want."
Contact Kala Kachmar at
Kala.Kachmar@UConn.edu.
The College Republicans argued that if either Sen. Hilary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama's health care plan were to be put into effect, the government would eventually run out of money for the program. Instead, they support a market-based approach and cited President Bush's current idea that would allow tax refunds of up to $15,000, which would give Americans the option of spending the money on healthcare.
"It's about finding a solution that works," said Devon Dougherty, an 8th-semester allied health sciences major. "We don't want to feed money into a system that doesn't work."
The College Democrats argued that the Democratic candidates do have a market-based approach. Under Clinton and Obama's plans, the government would simply provide assistance so that Americans without healthcare can afford to purchase healthcare from private insurance companies, Steuber said. There would not be a single-payer government-run health care system.
Another topic that was fiercely debated was the issue of global warming.
"We can't fix a problem that doesn't exist," said Corrina Pysa, an 8th-semester communication sciences and psychology double major and vice president of the UConn College Republicans.
While the College Republicans argued against the idea of global warming, the College Democrats stressed the need for humans to change their behavior toward the government to prevent catastrophic events, including flooding, which could occur in the future because of global warming.
According to Rivers, major coastal cities will be underwater or face severe flooding by the end of the century because the oceans will rise by about three feet.
Casapulla argued that there is over sensationalism about man's impact on earth, and before man can change their behavior, it needs to be proved that they are causing the problems.
"Even if you don't believe in global warming, you at least need to recognize that there is smog over cities and the pollution in rivers and lakes around the world," Steuber said, noting the health risks that pollution poses to humans.
Both the College Democrats and Republicans had similar views on education, both agreeing that the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act wasn't very effective and that teachers, especially in inner cities, should be given incentives and rewards for good teaching.
Casapulla also suggested allowing states and localities to allocate public school funds so they can more accurately target high-need towns and schools.
In addition, the participants debated about illegal immigration, oil, the economy and improving homeland security.
"I wish we could have disagreed a little more on the issues," Casapulla said. "But with the time limit, you can't get as deep into the issues as you want."
Contact Kala Kachmar at
Kala.Kachmar@UConn.edu.
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