Change Motivates First Time Voter

In an election of epic proportions, life long Floridian Omari Menns, 28, feels privileged to cast his vote for who he hopes will be the first African-American president of the United States of America.

"Judging by the polls, I am pretty confident that Barack Obama will win today," the first time voter said. "But I am still nervous, especially because of what happened in 2000," he added referring to the Gore/Bush debacle.

According to the Florida Division of Elections, 58% of all new registered voters in Florida are Democrat. Some would argue that much of this new registration could be contributed to first time African-American voters like Menns, who were inspired by Obama's message of change.

"It's not just because he is black," he said. "He's intelligent, his policies cater to the middle class, and he is the only candidate I think will help fix this country."

Menns recalls a time when his mother would be offered jobs after an interview over the phone, only to be turned down in the flesh because of her skin color. He remembers her coming home in tears, burdening the then 8-year-old boy with thoughts about he and his family's future. Would he too fall victim to racial discrimination?

"Having Obama in the White House will help change the image of African-Americans," Menns said. "It will show that black people are not just mug shots that you see on TV or people that are good at sports. It will show that they can be intellectual, attend Ivy League schools and even become president."

Menns' 54-year-old mother and 56-year-old father, also first time voters, see Obama in the oval office as a step in the right direction toward breaking race barriers around the country, and even the globe. Both he and his parents share the same hope that an Obama presidency will not only open new doors for African-Americans, but all minorities and citizens, alike.

"If there is a black president, it will be harder for African-Americans to feel like they don't have the same opportunities as other races," said Menns. "If Obama wins it will be a good day for all Americans, but it will be an extra special day in the black community."

By Corinne Regan; Edited by Nicole Rodriguez

Pastor Supports Amendment 2

On an ordinary Sunday service at Central Bible, Pastor John Stocker delivers his sermon after the offering is collected. After the church's usher collected the regular tithes and offerings, instead of turning to a Bible verse, Pastor Stocker spoke his mind about politics.

Hinting towards Barack Obama, Stocker said, "Any candidate that does not cherish human life, should not be the leader of our country." He was referring to Obama's opposition on a federal ban on partial-birth abortions. "I will not say names, but as Christians, we need to fill in the circle at the very top of the ballot," said Pastor Stocker in a stern voice. As he said that comment, the majority of the congregation began to clap and nod their heads up and down. Simultaneously, as some proudly said "Amen," others looked down feeling ashamed.

The most passionate part of the politically inspired sermon was focused on voting yes on Amendment 2 on Election Day. Amendment 2 does one thing. It defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife in the Florida Constitution. "God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve," said Pastor Stocker. According to him, voting yes on this Amendment lets the people of Florida decide how marriage is defined in our state and will also help prevent homosexual groups and activist judges from redefining marriage as the have in Massachusetts and California.

In Massachusetts and now California, activist judges have ignored the will of the people and re-written marriage laws to legalize same-sex marriages. "Marriage is under attack and the general population has no idea what will happen to their second Amendment right's if this law does not pass," says Stocker. In the next six months, Governor Charlie Crist will replace four of the seven members of the Florida Supreme Court, and Stocker expressed his fears to the church congregation. He fears what happened in those two states could easily happen in Florida over the next year as the make up of Florida's high court changes.

"If this does not pass, marriage could mean anything," Stockers says. "It could mean two men, one man three women, one man and a child, or even a man and an animal."

With the Election only days away, Pastor Stocker was not the only one with politics on the mind.

The whole church choir was wearing red, white, and blue as they sang their praise and worship songs. As church let out, you could hear the whispers as people left the. "Mom, I'm still voting for Obama," said one young lady.

By Monique White

Spreading Hope, One City at a Time

On Election Day the outside of Carol Mart, the flea market at the intersection of NW 27^th Avenue and 183^rd street in Miami, didn't look much different than it does on most days. Fancy cars with shiny rims were double parked in front of the building, boosters selling the latest music albums and DVDs crowded the parking lot and neighborhood children engaged in their familiar game of tag.

But one thing stood out. Smack dab in the middle of the parking lot was a man in a blue suit. A group of young men gathered around him as he spoke with authority.

"You have a chance to be a part of history," he said to the group. You have absolutely no excuse not to vote."

That man was 24-year-old Daniel Wilkins, North Carolina's Regional Field Co-coordinator for Barrack Obama's campaign who was in Florida to convince voters, particularly young blacks, to vote.

For Wilkins, Florida was the final stop on a long list of predominantly Red states including South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Ohio.

"You will be amazed if you knew how many young black voters aren't registered to vote around the country," he said. "A lot of them simply feel like it will make no difference whether they vote or not. My job is to let them know that they have a voice."

Kenton Thompson, a 21-year-old Miami native said although he registered, he wasn't planning to use his right.

"I heard that the lines were really long and that kind of discouraged me," he said. "I didn't want to stand in line for 5 hours. But Mr. Wilkins reminded me today how important it is to go and do my part."

Wilkins believes a lot of young black voters identify with him because like a lot of them, he too had it rough as a youth. Most of his childhood was spent on a hog farm in North Carolina. At the tender age of three years old his father left, leaving his mother Orida to provide for him on her own. His grandfather Elsie owned a plumbing business and harvested corn, and his grandmother Jessie, made a humble living as a maid cleaning houses in the area, a background that molded Wilkins with the belief that hard work always pays off.

In every stop he makes, Wilkins tells the story of his past as a way to reflect the hopelessness he once felt. But it is not by chance, that he is now a vital part of a campaign whose main message is hope.

Thanks to his hard work throughout high school, Wilkins received a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina where he majored doubled majored in psychology and political science. After graduation, he landed a job as the special assistant to G. K. Butterfield, Obama's national surrogate. According to Wilkins, when the opportunity presented itself to work for the Obama campaign, he didn't hesitate.

"I wanted to make sure that as the pages of history are written, I can look back and say my fingerprints are there as well," he said. "I first met Senator Obama in the Halls of Congress. This was long before he made it public that he was running for President. He still acts the same way today as he did when I saw him in the halls that day. He is a very humble individual."

Today, Wilkins spends his time flying from state to state, all expense paid. His Face book page includes countless pictures of him sharing laughs with Barrack Obama and other high ranking officials. The collage of photos along the campaign trail, show Wilkins is a part of a bigger team striving to make history. But through it all, he too remains humble.

"I still see myself as that little boy on the hog farm to be honest," he said. "Obama definitely brought me to a place where I am proud to be black and proud of my country. It is truly a milestone and he gives young black children everywhere hope."

By Renaldo Smith

One Voter’s Decision – Not To

Sitting casually inside the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, just hours before polls closed on Election Day, one Boston resident said she is completely satisfied with the decision she made in the historical 2008 election — none. She didn’t vote.

“I feel it would be hypocritical, because I don’t feel like either one of the candidates is qualified,” said the 34-year-old who identified herself as Roxanne.

In fact, Roxanne has never exercised her right to vote.

“I always thought that my vote wouldn’t really make a difference anyway. I know it might

sound ignorant. But I really don’t,” she said.

In recent elections, only about 50% of eligible voters actually voted. This year, registered

voters turned out in record numbers for early voting, and numbers were expected to reach record-breaking levels on election day. Still though, many eligible voters make the decision not to vote

for a number of reasons ranging from distrust in the voting system to disinterest in general.

“Bottom line is, I don’t like either of them,” Roxanne said referring to Barack Obama and John McCain.

Roxanne, who works for a major financial services company, said she recognizes the immense job the next Commander and Chief has ahead of him, especially with the current economic situation, yet, she could not bring herself to decide on the right man for the job.

Last year, Florida Senator Mike Bennett (R) proposed a bill – SB 494 – that would add an “I choose not to vote” option on congressional ballots, explaining that the option would give uninformed or disenfranchised voters a way to intentionally select none of the candidates, while still exercising their right to vote. The bill, which never made it to law, received mixed reviews.

While some voters feel they can’t decide on a preferred candidate, others just lose patience with the process. One voter left the lengthy line at a Hollywood polling station Tuesday with the intentions of going shopping instead and maybe trying again later.

“I’m not waiting three hours to vote,” she said. “Would you?”

By Shannon Severance

Does the Media Pick Sides?

This year's election has been an unprecedented rollercoaster and a turn in the right direction.

The last reported lynching was in Alabama in 1981 and 27 years later we find ourselves electing the first black presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

The fact that a black man has gathered such public support in a nation that is still very sexist and racist is a step in the right direction.

The same could be said about Senator Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Women were first allowed to vote in 1929. Less than 80 years later the country might well have elected a woman president or vice president.

These advances have been made with help from the media, which helped break taboos and stereotypes, I can't help but feel, though, that the most influential news outlets picked a side from the time the final candidates from each party was established.

The news media is supposed to keep people informed and be neutral at all times. However, at a time when ratings and money seem to be a priority rather than content we find ourselves catering to sensationalistic news.

Picking sides and reporting gossip as facts or attributing it to anonymous sources has become a norm. Comedy Central has become the focal and most watched political news source with satirical shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report, winning over CNN, Fox news and MSNBC in ratings.

Pretty soon candidates will host conferences on the cartoon network to get young voters.

As readers and viewers we are partially to blame for this. Nowadays we turn to gossip blogs and believe everything they post. These blogs are based on gossip rather than actual news and are not accountable when they misinform the public.

Who's to blame? Is it the media for not upholding to a set of standards or is it the public whose attention span has diminished?

Roberto Moreno

Saltrick Loses Despite $ Advantage

Richard "Rick" Saltrick challenged Ann Murray for the District 1 seat on the Broward School but couldn't muster the votes to win.

Murray, 65, easily won the election, beating Saltrick with 58 percent of the vote, winning 35,649 to 27,207. Murray will fill the last two years of Eleanor Sobel's four-year term. Sobel won election to the state Senate Tuesday.

Saltrick, 41, grew up and currently resides in Hollywood. He attended South Broward High School and Orange Brook Elementary School, and holds a masters degree in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Harvard University. Saltrick, is currently employed by the city of Miami Beach as a civil engineer.

Saltrick, a City of Miami Beach engineer has not worked in the school system, but believed his experience in public policy and construction policies give him the experience needed for the job. Both of his parents worked for Broward County public schools, so education was always a topic at the dinner table.

Saltrick, says that his engineering background gives him the expertise to oversee construction spending. Some of his plans were to reduce schools dependency on the FCAT, increase teachers' salaries, and to reduce the amount of money spent on school construction.

Ann Murray, 65, Saltrick's opponent has an associate's degree from Broward Community College. She is a veteran school district transportation supervisor and community activist for the city of Hollywood. She began her career as a school bus driver in 1971. Some of her priorities are to prevent dropout rates from high school students, and reduce teacher transfers.

Both candidates want to improve the appearance of schools in east Broward County. Schools in west Broward are newer and are kept in better shape. They also plan to improve technology in all of Broward's schools.

The Broward County Public Schools is the sixth largest district in the nation. District 1 covers southern Broward County. The majority of the centers are elementary schools with a multiethnic-multicultural population.

Saltrick raised significantly more money than Murray, according to the county Supervisor of Elections records, about $95,000 compared to Murray's $35,000.

Murray ran her campaign by knocking on doors, hosting breakfasts, and church forums. Meanwhile, Saltrick set up a website for his campaign, sent out literature, and had the support of The Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel.

Saltrick's elaborate website lists his resume, qualifications, and priorities. "Vote for Rick Saltrick," signs surround the front yards of houses in Hollywood, where some residents called the neighborhood Ricksaltrickville.

Nelsi Maldonado

Chiari Loses Second Try to Unseat Bogdanoff

Democratic challenger Chris Chiari was defeated again by Republican incumbent Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff Tuesday night taking only 41 percent of the vote in his second bid for the District 91 seat in the state House of Representatives.

Bogdanoff received 34,519 votes to Chiari's 24,166 in a district that includes portions of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Chiari expected a close election despite being enormously outspent. He received an estimated $85,000 in contributions while his opponent received an estimated $527,000.

"It was a great fight and the results were unbelievable but it shows the power of special interest dollars and it shows the power of $400,000 of T.V.," Chiari said

In 2006, Chiari ran against Bogdanoff and captured more than 46 percent of the vote, despite being outspent 11 to one.

Both candidates are in favor of investing in alternative energy. Chiari wants to preserve the biofuel industry and natural resources along with encouraging expansion of solar power.

Both candidates called for an improvement to education. Chiari promised to reduce class sizes and back science over ideology in the state's curriculum while retaining the best teachers in Florida by compensation.

The candidates each received endorsements from labor unions, political action committees and other organizations.

Chiari was endorsed by state and Broward county firefighters along with the Broward Teachers Union and three labor unions from Broward, Palm Beach and the state respectively.

Bogdanoff received endorsements from political action committees in the medical community, the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of Palm Beach County and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the state's largest federation of employers.

Chiari was born in 1973 in Englewood, New Jersey and is a graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy, the country's only naval military honor high school. After graduating he attended Clark University obtaining a bachelor's degree in the science of economics. Afterwards he moved to California and founded the American Millennium Investment Corp in 1997. In 2000, he moved back to South Florida.

He is a member of the North Broward Democratic Club and was president of the Broward Young Democrats.

Chiari is part of the Facilities Task Force of the Broward County School Board tasked with the investigation of air quality and environmental complaints submitted by teachers and administrators. He also serves on the Broward Marine Advisory Board which handles issues on recreational boating.

Gabriel Garcia