Published on Friday, February 1, 2008

Laesch best bet for 14th district

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There is only one candidate on the democratic ticket for the 14th district primary election on Tuesday that will deliver for NIU students and the rest of the DeKalb County community.

At a debate hosted in Altgeld Hall at NIU last fall, John Laesch demonstrated to the NIU community his desire to include the university while on his road to Capital Hill.

One of his major strengths are his ideas for education reform. Laesch believes the No Child Left Behind Act is ineffective and costly. Education students at this university have expressed the same sentiments. To help fix the education system, Laesch wants money to be moved toward mentoring programs and into underachieving school districts.

When voting in this primary on Tuesday, and again in the election in November, you must ask yourself, “What can this person do to help the university that resides in the 14th district?”

Laesch believes in funding university research to help protect our environment and create energy independence. He is the only candidate to mention university help between all those on the ballot.

The current state of affairs in this country reflect a need for change, all across every level of power. The future of this country relies heavily upon the students at NIU and in universities all across the country. Laesch has shown, through his outreach to NIU, that we are not a blip on the radar of the 14th district, but rather an integral part of moving the district and state into the forefront of the future.

The other candidates in this election, Jotham Stein and Bill Foster, simply do not have the ideas on paper that could translate into a successful term in office.

According to Stein’s Web site, he believes every child has a right to an excellent education and says he will fight for it. In no place does it mention anything related to specific strategies he believes will work in congress.

However, as mentioned before, Laesch outlined exactly what he will do if declared the winner, including retaining quality teachers.

All three candidates believe ending the war in Iraq is a positive move. Bill Foster notes that, “We need a political solution, not a military one,” in regard to removing the troops. Laesch is able to offer suggestions, including “giving strong diplomatic and financial support to the Iraqi Government” as an answer to the ongoing war.

Being a military veteran, Laesch has the strongest ideas for moving the United States out of Iraq. His reform for education directly affects this university in a positive way.

The 14th district needs a democrat who can successfully implement and create new ideas, and that individual is John Laesch.