Third parties represented in forum

Students fill in for no-shows

By: Tommy Wright

Posted: 4/24/08

Third-party candidates have fought for years to be included in more public debates. In 2000, Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan sued the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit corporation that holds debates, to fight for their inclusion. In an event held at SJSU on Tuesday night, third parties were invited and had more representatives than the Democrats or Republicans.

The event titled "A Call to Action" was a forum held in the Umunhum Room of the Student Union. The panel members were asked about their background, party affiliation and changes they would make to the school system. At the end of the discussion, the panel answered questions from the audience of 37 people.

The event was supposed to include representatives from the Green Party, the Socialist and Liberation Party, the American Independent Party, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

Jerry Denim, the American Independent Party representative, didn't show up, and as the event was set up, the Democratic and Republican representatives were nowhere to be found either.

Nick Siekierski, a graduate student in library science, volunteered to represent the Republicans. He was originally there as an audience member, but when he saw that there was no Republican representative, he decided to be the representative.

"I thought since the whole point of the discussion was supposed to be bringing in different political viewpoints, it would be kind of ridiculous not to have someone there,"
Siekierski said. "So although this is the first panel I've ever been on, it was a good experience. I'm glad I could bring some balance to it."

The Democratic Party also had fill-ins from the audience to represent the party. Omar Torres, a senior political science major, stayed for the first couple of questions until he had to leave to attend a meeting. Sarah Bronstein, a sophomore political science major and president of the SJSU Democratic Caucus, was able to sit in for the entire forum.

The Green Party had the most representatives of any of the parties at the forum. One of them, Peter Myers, is challenging U.S. Rep. Mike Honda to represent California's 15th district in the South Bay. Myers identified the "size of the government industrial complex" as a big issue that needs to be addressed.

"If we don't spend more and more money on the military, others won't see us as a threat," Myers said.

Another candidate at the forum was a Socialist and Liberation Party representative, Gloria La Riva. La Riva said she is trying to win the presidential nomination for the Peace and Freedom Party because of the ballot access it can provide. She said she would like to get on the ballot in 17 states.

"Our political ideas of an end to the war, of money for jobs, housing, health care, full rights for immigrants, all immigrants, is important to convey so people can be armed with these ideas," La Riva said, "armed with ideas and learn the way to organize for them."

The most contentious subject discussed during the forum was the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Republican representative, Siekierski, said throwing millions of dollars at New Orleans won't make it a better place and won't make people want to come back.

"I think the reason why people aren't coming back is because they have discovered a new world outside of New Orleans, outside of the projects," Siekierski said. "I think I would choose Houston over the projects of New Orleans as well. I think they have been kind of released from these chains that they've been in; the same projects, the government schools, the same politicians and the same place scheming behind their back."

Siekierski's comments elicited many responses from the other representatives.

"Barbara Bush made similar comments about that, and she was ridiculed for them - and rightfully so," said Green Party representative Drew Johnson.

La Riva said she had seen people who had been displaced by the hurricane in Atlanta and Houston, among other places.

"They're in far off worse conditions," La Riva said. "They've been put in rat-hole hotels, with no future and no health."