World Still Watching Revolution in the State Senate and 52-27 Majority in the State Assembly
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Vol. 91 Issue 17 March 1, 2012 Los Angeles unveils the Apology Act Monument The Mexican Repatriation Program in LA recognizes Mexican-American residents in Watch the Daily Titan News in 3 California who were deported. Get up- Scan to view Scan to view ONLINE dailytitan. EXCLUSIVES to-date com/?p=51712 coverage on dailytitan.com/?p=51704 top campus news stories. dailytitan.com The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton STATE | Pension plan ARAB SPRING: ONE YEAR LATER GOP stirs pot on pensions California Republicans’ long-term compensation plan mirrors that of Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat MATT ATKINSON Daily Titan Republicans in the State Assembly and Senate announced Feb. 22 that they will support Gov. Jerry Brown’s plans on pension reform in a move challenging their Democrat counterparts. Brown launched his 12-point plan for a dramatic overhaul of public employee pensions back in October. In it he proposed a system that combined the current format of guaranteed pensions with the 401(k) savings plan that many private companies use. This new system, if passed, would be in place for all new workers coming into the public sector. Democrats and labor unions have been hesitant to back this plan, stating in press reports they are taking their time to examine the bill. According to a press release sent by Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, this motion is an attempt to “(call) upon Democrats in the Legislature to work with them across party lines to enact the Governor’s reforms.” “While we have heard Democrats give lip service about supporting his plan, none of their members have committed to supporting it, or even carrying it,” said Huff in the press release. “Republicans are backing this bill because it plays directly into their base,” said Shelly Arsneault, a political ALVIN KIM / Daily Titan science professor at Cal State Fullerton, by email. An activist leads protesters in front of an Arab-American festival in Garden Grove last September. Similar protests have taken place supporting and opposing the revolutions in other countries. “It’s certainly not surprising,” Arsneault said. “But the legislative branch is about majorities and the Republicans don’t have the majority.” Currently the Democrats hold a 25-15 majority World still watching revolution in the state senate and 52-27 majority in the state assembly. Although Republicans don’t have as much Tunisia’s 2010 revolt began a However, the question as to whether these numerous In the fourteen months that followed, several sway in the state legislature, their support does put the regional movement against so- countries can ultimately weather such a transition is other countries in Northern Africa and the Arabian ball in the Democrat’s court to make a move regarding yet to be determined. Peninsula region began to follow the example set in Brown’s proposal. called opressive governments Although the long-term effects these revolutions will Tunisia. “They think they’re calling what they see as Brown’s have on the Middle East and other global actors is still The main slogan, “Ash-sha’b yurīd isqāt an-nizām” LANCE MORGAN bluff,” said Matthew Jarvis, political science professor, Daily Titan unknown, there has already been much speculation, (which translates in English to, “the people want to in an email. both good and bad, that there will be long-term bring down the regime”) has become a hallmark slogan Public employees include CSUF faculty and staff. If Just last February, if the countries Tunisia, Egypt, implications on both regional and world stages. of the young protesters in several of the countries. pensions are changed, it could affect how much professors Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria were mentioned in The “Arab Spring” movement began in Tunisia at “What happened was that you saw a domino effect would have to contribute to their pensions, as well as their the same sentence, many wouldn’t find an apparent the end of 2010, said Albert Wolf, a Ph.D. candidate after the protests in Tunisia. They took down the long potential age for retirement. connection, besides their geographic locations: the in political science at University of California, Irvine. standing leader of Tunisia, named Ben Ali,” Wolf said. Middle East and North Africa. “Starting December 2010, there was a series of See PENSION, page 2 Today, protests and revolutions in these countries protests that began in Tunisia as a result of a merchant See ARAB SPRING, page 2 have earned them the moniker the “Arab Spring.” that lit himself on fire,” Wolf said. FEATURES | Checkpoints SPORTS | Men’s hoops Santa Ana Please stop, DUI Checkpoint Facts Vaughn, Seeley lead in victory our cars are In 2009... Despite a rough start, not meant R 112 DUI’s through CSUF finishes strong checkpoints to remain in 2nd for stealing BLAKE FOGG R 504 vehicles were impounded Daily Titan Santa Ana activists from unlicensed drivers argue that DUI stops Cal State Fullerton basketball target groups unfairly R Generated $40 million in team remains in second place towing fees and police after shaking off a woeful first- AMBER STEPHENS half shooting performance and Daily Titan fines dispatching last place Cal State Northridge 87-76 in Titan Gym Brightly painted yellow and red R Police officers received Wednesday night. signs danced down the streets as a about $30 million in The Matadors (7-21) played mass of protesters made their way their final game of the season. through the avenues of Santa Ana overtime pay for the DUI The program is on probation and during a May Day protest last year. crackdowns prohibited from playing in the Big Larger than life puppets, West Tournament. carried on the shoulders of more The team gave the Titans all Investigative Reporting Program at than half a dozen demonstrators, UC Berkeley with California Watch (2010) they could handle in their last represented students and workers. game. Daily Titan The most notable image — a large “It’s a tough situation because ROBERT HUSKEY / photographic cutout of Santa Ana downtown Santa Ana. unfairly targeted low-income and it’s their last game … You don’t Guard D.J. Seeley attempts a slam dunk on Northridge’s Frankie Eteuati Wednesday Mayor Miguel Pulido, with a sign, The film is about the struggle Latino families in Santa Ana. know how they are going to react,” night in a 87-76 win. Seeley scored 24 points and got seven rebounds. reading “For Sale: Santa Ana,” of activists attempting to change The documentary, a nearly said Head Coach Bob Burton. beneath him. a DUI checkpoint tow policy. yearlong effort depicts a tightly-knit “Kids are either going to come in active on the boards grabbing CSUF had its hands full in the The protest was just one of the Members of the community argued group of activists tirelessly pushing and lay down or play really hard seven rebounds and Vaughn first half. actions documented by independent the checkpoints were found to not for change at Santa Ana City Council … I saw them play against UCI dished out a game-high five assists The Titans are known for Orange County filmmaker Jose Luis be netting drunk drivers, and were meetings and attending multiple on TV and I was scared to death and committed no turnovers. their fast-paced offense and the Gallo in Stop Stealing Our Cars. instead towing the cars of unlicensed Public Safety Committee meetings of them because they played so “I just wanted to simplify it Matadors were equally willing to On Saturday, more than 130 drivers and charging massive fees. late into the night. hard.” tonight — get my teammates up the tempo. attendees viewed the bilingual The film featured activists from the Kwame Vaughn and D.J. Seeley involved early — but tried to stay documentary during two screenings Orange County May Day Coalition See STEAL, page 7 led the Titans scoring 25 and 24 aggressive at the same time,” said See HOOPS, page 10 at El Centro Cultural de Mexico in who fought against a policy they said points, respectively. Seeley was Vaughn. Contact Us at [email protected] 2 March 1, 2012 NEWS ARAB SPRING: Experts believe the Internet and social media played a vital roll in organizing uprisings ‘liberal democracy’ here in the U.S. to take root,” ...Continued from page 1 Wolf said. Despite the economic challenges in any sort Subsequently, governments in three more of revolution, there are examples of religiously countries were overthrown. Hosni Mubarak, the Muslim countries making a democratic system president of Egypt was ousted by a revolt led work. Wolf said he believes Islam is compatible largely by young Egyptians in February 2011. with democracy. The Yemeni Revolution involved thousands of “When you look at states like Turkey for protesters and started in concurrence with the example, it is a Muslim-majority country, but it is protests in Egypt. In October, Libyan leader also democratic,” Wolf said. “If you go beyond the Muammar Gaddafi was shot after a revolution in Middle East and you look at a place like Indonesia his country. for example, that also shows Islam and democracy Wolf believes that the Internet, particularly are compatible.” the social networking site Facebook, played a Countries in transition toward democracy are major role in helping some of these protesters get often referred to as “incomplete democracies” organized, most notably in Egypt. or “mixed regimes,” and are more likely to fight Bill Julius, professor of political science at or take part in wars than other democracies, CSUF, agrees with Wolf that social media played Wolf said. a large part in countries like Egypt and Tunisia An example of this is the number of when the use of phone systems was unavailable to politicians that make up the Freedom and Justice most protesters.