November 27th,2011 Volume 1, Issue 2

Junior State of America

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Need for Government ..............4

Record NJR Regional ..............5

National Cabinet and You .......8

Ricky Perry ..............................9

California and Sun Tanning ....11

The Patent War...…………………12

Interview with Supervisor Ruth-erford………….13

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

Record Breaking Regional

National Cabinet and You

Ricky Perry

Interview with Supervisor

The Junior Statement

The Junior Statement

Another Edition of The Junior Statement

By: Iman Baghai

First off, thank you for reading The Junior Statement. The Statement will help bridge the gap between JSAers all over the na-tion.

This will be the third publication coming from The State-ment and our second full edition.

This month’s issue will consist of a wide range of articles from thought provoking opinion pieces, to political pieces, to in-formative articles about what is going on in different states, and in-terviews with public officials.

I urge you to check out Supervisor Rutherford’s interview in this publication and watch the interview online.

Again if ANYONE is interested in writing for The Statement on pretty much anything then please feel free to do so and contact me at ibaghai@jsa.org.

Also, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from y’all.

“If kids can’t get to school, how can they get a basic education?”

drive their kids to school. A home with two working parents, one car, and no bus service would probably see kids missing school often. Imagine elementary school kids walking two miles to get to school. This is what could happen. It is appalling that the budget cut axe would have to reach children and education. Children are the future of our country, and education is important. We are already seeing failing stand-ards. This will not help. Not only that, but this is un(state)constitutional. The state constitution says that the government needs to pay the costs of basic education. Transportation fits the definition of basic edu-cation. If kids can’t get to school, how can they get a basic education? In the 1970s, the state Supreme Court ruled that removing transportation was unconstitutional. Furthermore, this would cause other problems like student safety when walking, increased traffic and congestion, and air pollution.

However, others say this is not such a bad idea. This does not necessarily mean all student transportation would just disappear. Currently, 1/3 of the school transportation is provided by localities rather than the state. These areas collect local taxes for the cause. This concept could spread to the whole state. For the areas that decide not to provide transportation, the districts are still working to send students to schools that are close to them. What we need to focus on is the budget. We currently have a $2 billion deficit. This needs to be fixed. The more debt we incur, the more we pass on to our kids to pay. While opponents of this idea say that we should protect student transportation to help our kids, we would actually hurt them in the long run—their taxes would go up.

So what do I think? I think we should keep student transportation. There is no guarantee that localities will support a bus system. Instead of increasing taxes, we are cutting from our education. This is directly relevant to us high school students. At least half the student body in most schools takes the bus. Imagine if you have a big test or an important class that day? What happens if you don’t have a ride? The consequences could be dire…

SCHOOL BUSES COULD DISAPPEAR IN WASHINGTON?

BY: KARTHIK PA LANIAPPAN

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Ah—the familiar yellow school bus. But wait, it could disappear from Washington State? Well, the state legislature is debating re-moving student transportation from the budget. Governor Chris-tine Gregoire sent the legislature a list of ideas for cutting the budget. She was even willing to put student transportation under the budget cut ax. This would save the state $220 million. The state has a $2 billion deficit, and needs to get spending under con-trol. This is not unheard of, how-

ever. California and Colorado have already cut funds for trans-portation. But this would make Washington the first state to com-pletely eliminate student trans-portation for public schools in the US. Only children in special edu-cation, whose transportation is mandated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), will take buses.

Not every family lives very close to home or can drive their kids to school. A home with

OPINNON: NEED FOR GOVERNMENT

SPEECH BY: ANTHONY KAYRUZ

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Over the course of history, the concept of government has functioned as a continuous source of conten-tion between citizens and their leaders alike. Some argue the necessity of a ruling party, while many others ar-gue the contrary. Today, the debate persists, even in the most republican and democratic countries. In the United States, powerful conservatives and libertarians criticize America’s political system for its irresponsibil-ity and its infringement upon human rights. Simultaneously, patriots and pragmatists point out the indispens-ible nature of government in regulating commerce, negotiating foreign affairs, monitoring mundane activities, and ultimately, preserving the good of its citizens.

Government is necessary for the well being of society; a system of authority fundamentally protects citi-zens from themselves. Without it, a stable country will move increasingly towards disarray and anarchy – a situation that seemingly promotes human individuality, but actually stifles it.

Essentially, a government is imperative to maintain order in a society. The past holds an abundance of examples that conform around this prior affirmation – notably the American experiment under the Articles of Confederation. During this time between 1774-1787, the new United States’ citizens renounced the oppressive regimes found in Europe and formed their own weak, loose government, based almost entirely on unrestrained freedom and liberty. This duration in history served as America’s closest encounter to anarchy and was, at best, a successful failure. The permissive policies fostered an increase in debt, a disorganized political system, and widespread uprisings such as Shay’s Rebellion. Many citizens learned that a free, unchecked society lacked the inherent moral aptitude and innate lawfulness to unite and cultivate a young nation. The people, initially confident in the new semi-anarchic government, were shaken and eventually supported the establish-ment of the Constitution, which, in turn, established strong central authority. At the forefront of this move-ment was James Madison who admitted that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary.” Madi-son explains that if people were naturally good, no encompassing rule would be necessary; however, since hu-mans cannot be innately trusted, a government needs to regulate its population and maintain order. In Ameri-ca’s case, the Constitution was the shining beacon that alleviated the failures of the Articles of Confederation. The strong central authority succeeded in preserving the Union, protecting the rights of the people (Bill of Rights), and reversing America’s downward economic trend.

The idea of government is present not only on the federal level but also in small groups and organiza-tions. This system of command occurs rather instinctively for human beings. For example, when adolescents or adults are assigned a collaborative project, select individuals take charge to ensure that each person is ful-filling his or her designed task. Last week, during my human geography class, I witnessed two students lead their fellow group members in a cooperative project. The dominant pair distributed tasked among the others, periodically checked the others’ progress, and overlooked the others’ work to guarantee a successful result. In this case, the duo, assuming the responsibility to keep order, served as a source of authority over their class-mates. Government is merely an emulation of this distinct human phenomenon on a larger scale. The govern-ment commands; the government organizes; the government regulates – a role extremely similar to that of the dominant students. Thomas Carlyle clarifies this circumstance by asserting that “every Government is the ex-act symbol of its People.” Since many individuals subconsciously assemble into a hierarchy, it is natural for a government to serve as the administrator of society, presiding over its dependent population. In this position of power, the ruling party can better preserve organization, protect its citizens, and stimulate cultural and eco-nomic growth – all of which fundamentally promote the good of the individual.

Continued on page 4

GOVERNMENT...FROM PAGE 3

  

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Despite its seeming infallibility, government is not always perfect and advantageous. Holding the view of many skeptics, Cicero, a Roman rhetorician, contends that government can be “destructive, extravagant, and violent.” Although there have been oppressive and harmful rulers (Hitler, Mao, and Mussolini) throughout history, the overall benefits of a successful regime cannot be erased. In the United States, the government offers pensions to its citizens, guards clean drinking water, and oversees numerous additional projects that create a better life for people. Similar amenities such as free health care and public education are offered in other countries with strong, prosperous govern-ments. Societies devoid of authority have habitually failed to fair as well. In revolutionary France, when Maximilien Robespierre led a coup intended to overthrow the monarchy and begin a free na-tion, the French experienced their closest brush with anarchy. The result was a frenzied Reign of Terror that illustrated the villainous nature of humans and highlighted mankind’s inability to pro-mote unity and peace without a governing body.

With attacks on the effectiveness of government rampant in society today, it is important for us to understand the significance and necessity of maintaining a presiding authority. By doing so, we can begin to focus our much-needed attention on other, more important issues in our state, our nation, and our changing world.

On Saturday, October 29th, Mid-Atlantic JSAers from New Jersey and Maryland braved the record snow-fall and congregated in Princeton University’s McCosh Hall for the annual New Jersey Region Fall Re-gional Conference. With over 508 students in attendance, the New Jersey Region shattered the national attendance record for the fourth year in a row!

Themed “On The Edge: Determining The Future of American Politics” the event provided students with an opportunity to debate and discuss a variety of issues with their peers and allowed students to articulate how they feel about the current state of our nation and things they would change to improve America. Debates ranged from “Resolved, that the FCC’s media censorship is unconstitutional” to “Thought Talk:

Does the Middle Class control the success of the econo-my,” giving students a wide range of topics and forums in which to voice their opinions.

“The conference exceeded my expectations,” said South Brunswick High School Gabby Desranleau on her first JSA event, “I thought there was more of an opportunity for me to contribute my views on the subjects debated

than expected. I felt comfortable expressing my opinions and it was very interesting to hear what every-one else had to say.”

The keynote address was delivered by Assemblyman of New Jersey’s 17th district and Deputy Speaker Upendra Chivuku-la. The Assemblyman talked about what it is like to be in-volved in state politics and how New Jersey Legislature func-tions from the inside out. He informed students of how de-bating at the professional level compares to and differs from JSA debate, presenting students with a clearer picture of a realm they might wish to enter in a few years.

However, the day was not only devoted to de-bate. Between selling JSA merchandise, penny wars, a bake sale, and a lunch buffet of donation from local Princeton res-taurants, the New Jersey Region was able to raise $350. The money made was donated to the Watchung Hills Teacher Ad-visor who in a recent accident became paralyzed from the waist down. This money will be used to help make his house wheelchair accessible.

Freehold Township President, Blair Elias said, “This is such a great event and it helps to get freshmen and new members involved in JSA. It really has built a lot of excitement for Fall State.” The day was a huge success, even though judging by the amount of snow on the ground it could have been called

NJR FALL REGIONAL CONFERENCE BREAKS NATIONAL ATTENDANCE RECORD

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AN OPINNON ON TENURE

BY: ANTHONY KAYRUZ

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Tenure, a form of job security and protection for public professors, was created in the 1900s to combat unjust executive decisions made by boards of trustees and legislators who wielded great influence. However, in the twenty first century, the continuance of this outdated institution has proven harmful to our public education system, and should ac-cordingly be outlawed in Texas. Tenure currently makes it possible for inadequate teachers to remain in the public school system, removes incentives for professors to work hard, and allows unmotivated teachers to continue educating at the expense of the students.

In 2009, the Science and Engineering Index or SERI rated Texas as below average in the areas of math and science, placing Texas in the lowest quartile academically out of all the states in America. Needless to say this is a problem, and our professors are instrumen-tal in reversing this trend of unsuccessful academic achievement. However, tenure pre-vents us from removing insufficient teachers who are stifling Texas’s chances to climb the educational ranks; the elaborate rules ingrained in the tenure system caused Joel Klein, a New York City school chancellor, to step down from his position, pointing out that “death-penalty cases can be resolved faster than teacher-misconduct cases.” This complicated methodology is often overwhelming for public institutions that therefore choose to leave incompetent educators rather than go through the arduous process. Attempts to speed up the procedure have also proven fruitless; Kenneth Feinberg, a skilled attorney who managed the settlements for September 11th and the Virginia Tech massacre, released an agenda to accelerate dismissals of teacher misconduct. He added clarification to confusing standards and at-tempted to give lawyers more navigation in tenure cases, but his efforts did little to simplify the exten-sive and burdensome process; abolishing tenure itself is the only way to efficiently ensure that able and pro-ductive professors teach members of the public school system.

A survey by the Public Agenda in 2003 showed that the majority of teachers believed that tenure was not a sign of hard work and per-formance (58%). In addition, this difficult system removes incentives for professors because tenure is the ultimate job security, and this job security comes with lenient work ethic evaluations, allowing oppor-tunities for teachers to become unproductive. These combined scenarios leave public schools with educa-tors that shouldn’t, by definition, really have tenure and other educators who become insufficient as a re-sult of it.

Sadly, it is the students that truly suffer from this system. By leaving incompetent teachers in their job positions, kids are unable to receive the best education in a world that usually demands academic proficiency for success on a personal and international level. Even though only a fraction of teachers may be unsatisfactory, the result is many short-changed students. Private schools, which do not give tenure, on average, perform better than public schools in every category. We need to adopt the ideology that if a teacher is good, they will probably keep their job and go from there – regardless of tenure. Not doing so would affect our na-tion’s youth and their still precarious future.

“Many different people got up to the mic, some spoke, some rapped, some sang.”

WHAT IS THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT?

BY: MEGAN WILSON

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Some spoke about how the government listens more to corporate interests than to

the people. Some spoke of how the big

banks were bailed out while they were

sold out. Others spoke of how America is

no longer a democracy and on- ly caters to

the whims of the very wealthy. These

themes ran through speeches on

healthcare, education, corpo- rate busi-

ness, social security and more. When I stood up to speak, I found immediate support for

my call to give more money to education. The Occupy protests have gone global and the

future of them is uncertain. However, what is certain is that people are angry that their

voice in politics compares poorly to the voice of the rich and powerful.

Heralded by some as a counter to the tea party movement and denounced by others as an educated leftist movement. What is Occupy Wall Street? Curi-ous, I went out the Occupy Seattle Protests. There, I saw all kinds of people, of all colors, of all ages united by their frustration at a country that has ignored them and catered only to the rich and powerful. The Occupy movement is strongly democratic and the day I was there, they were holding a “People’s Mic” event. This meant that any person in the crowd could speak to the crowd for about three minutes. Many different people got up to the mic, some spoke, some rapped, some sang. Even though the speakers conveyed their messages differently, they were united by a common desire to be a heard by a govern-ment that ignores them. They all wondered what had happened to put them in Westlake Park that day.

NATIONAL CABINET AND YOU

BY: MAX BROZYNSKI

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“Prove wrong the political pundits who say high-school stu-dents are lazy and useless”

If you are an avid Office fan like myself, you will probably know what I’m talking about if I told you about Robert California’s “we are the bosses and we do nothing speech”. In case you’re not, I’ll tell you what you need to know. Robert California, the CEO of Dun-der Mifflin, gives a speech at Regional Manager Andy’s fancy garden party. The premise is simple: people who lead depend entirely on those whom they lead. A leader, a boss, does nothing. His success depends directly on his subordinates. Just as some would say the financial sector makes nothing, leaders make nothing. As Chief of Staff, I have no active responsibilities. Rather, I have to make sure my Cabinet’s responsibilities are being ful-filled. I am, however, entirely willing to place my success in the hands of the National Cabinet. They are a fantastic bunch who rightly define what JSA is.

On that note, I’d like to extend my dear thanks to those whose efforts this year will propel JSA into a new level of success. National Cabinet consists of seven students, ex-cluding myself, who make JSA a national priority. Together, they physically and figura-tively grow JSA. Iman runs the Junior Statement – where you’re reading this – while Sa-rah runs a public relations campaign that would make the Geico gecko or the eTrade baby proud. For a twenty-first century JSA, Govi and Caleb are there to make sure we reap eve-ry benefit of their technology, while knowing nothing about how it actually works. Gia and Hait are making JSA international while growing our own states here at home. And An-drew is there to make sure there will always be a debate you haven’t thought of in the ar-chives. I am proud to be their voice. Indeed, it is on account of these seven statesmen that

men that you can read this now. Please thank them if you ever have the chance.

Throughout the year, National Cabinet will work to make the JSA experience better. The Junior Statement is a very testament to this fact. Offering student opinions, news about JSA from JSAers, and news from the Junior Statesmen Foundation, we hope to create a communica-tion bridge between the several JSA states and territories. Biweekly email blasts will hopefully provide enough anticipation for you to read the e-edition of the Junior Statement every month. You’ll find the articles diverse, thoughtful, and entertaining; we encourage everyone reading the Junior Statement to submit an article! Be a part of the JSA experience. Be the people.

At Fall State this year, you were undoubtedly asked to “like” JSA’s Facebook page (facebook.com/JuniorState) or follow us on twitter (#bethepeople). There you can find thought-provoking questions and equally provoking answers. Join your friends and tell us your opinion. Public relations is our way of growing. Making ourselves very well known in communities and political circles supports the mission of JSA: get involved in your communities. Interview your congressmen, attend your school board meetings, and write letters. Learn more about your country, its politics and its logistics. As John Lennon said, “apathy isn’t it and we can do some-thing”. Prove wrong the political pundits who say high-school students are lazy and useless.

All the words I’ve written hold no water if we do nothing. National Cabinet can make JSA better, but it’s eventually up to you. As its leader and organizer, I can assure you National Cabi-net will do all it can to reduce apathy, get you more involved, and exponentially grow JSA.

Will you help us?

RICK PERRY AND CABINETS

AN OPINNON BY: JACOB BRUNETTE

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By now, everyone must have heard about Rick Perry’s gaff in the Republican debate. He began to name the federal departments he would abolish if elected: the department of commerce, the depart-ment of education… and then a long pause, and a small “oops,” as Perry found he could not recall the third. As Perry himself later said, he “really stepped in it” that night. This episode has been cov-ered by every political news outlet under the sun, with many heralding it as the death knell for Per-ry’s campaign. But few have bothered to mention what came before the “oops”: that, if elected, Per-ry was planning to abolish the departments of commerce and education, as well as the department of energy, which is the one he forgot. Would he actually do it, and what would that mean for the av-erage American?

At first, cutting three Cabinet departments sounds like it must save a very large amount of money. After all, there are only 15 departments total; cutting one-fifth of those must decrease federal spending considerably. However, that’s only true if you eliminate all of the programs the depart-ment oversees as well. Just closing the agency doesn’t do anything if you proceed to continue all of its programs under a different name. For example, one of the programs that the department of commerce is responsible for is the national census, which is required by the Constitution. Even if Perry were to get rid of the commerce department, he would have to move control of the census to a different department, unless he wanted to try for a constitutional amendment. Additionally, the en-ergy department has a number of important functions, including the country’s nuclear weapons and radioactive waste disposal programs. These, and a number of other programs overseen by the de-partments of commerce and energy, would almost certainly only be shuffled around if the depart-ments were eradicated, rather than actually removed. This means that there would be little to no federal spending decease resulting from the removal of these two departments and that Perry’s pro-posal to do so is little more than a sound bite for the media, rather than a serious suggestion.

The one area in which Perry’s proposal would have an effect is the department of education. Perry has stated that he is against any federal involvement in education, and that he especially detests the No Child Left Behind Act. In this case, if he did abolish the de-partment of education, the programs that it runs would likely die with it. This would mean the end of Title I funding and Pell grants, two programs meant to help lower-income students, which would hurt Perry’s image for a large segment of voters. It is un-clear, however, if Perry really wants to get rid of the education department. In a tax and budget proposal Perry released two weeks before his unfortunate de-bate, he proposed only to cut the department’s budg-et for elementary and secondary schools in half, ra-ther than destroy the department completely. This fact again makes one wonder if Perry’s plan is a seri-ous proposal, or just a ploy to get those who believe in small government to vote for him.

AN OPINNON ON CAIFORNIA’S BAN ON TAN-NING

BY: MELLISA SMET

Throughout the past decade our society has increasingly become more health-conscience. Entire super-markets are dedicated to clean living, exercise fads have spread, and the dangers of alcohol, smoking, and other drugs have been continually focused on. Re-cently, dangers associated with tanning, in tan-ning beds and in direct sunlight, have been brought into question. For years tan skin was associated with a seemingly “healthy” glow, but it is now realized that immense sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. Darkening of skin pig-ment is the body’s natural response in order to protect itself from violent sun exposure. My mother once told me that she and her friends used to rub tanning oil on themselves and lay out at the beach for hours, until they literally burned to a crisp, because no one told them that was an unhealthy habit.

Currently, in California minors between the ages of 14 and 17 are permitted to use tan-ning beds with parental consent. However, a new law taking effect on January 1st will change that. This new law, known as SB 746, will ban the use of tanning beds for minors. Although 30 other states have restrictions for minors, this is the first law to present an outright ban. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are considering enacting similar laws. However, four other states have tried, and failed, to pass an outright ban on indoor tanning for minors.

This new law has met with praise from many different organizations, including the American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the World Health Organiza-tion. Recently, the World Health Organization placed tanning beds in its Class One carcinogen category, along with: cigarettes, plutonium, and ultraviolent sun radiation. In many ways, this ban remains similar to that of cigarettes. In to-day’s society it would be unfathomable to allow

minors to smoke ciga-rettes, knowing the im-mense health risk, and likelihood of lung cancer. This law is justifiable when one consider that by using an indoor tanning bed, skin cancer is a prob-able side affect.

Tanning, whether indoor or outdoor, can cause skin cancer, skin burns, premature skin aging, and eye damage. A common mis-conception about tanning beds it is that they are safer than the sun; however, they can actu-ally be more harmful considering that they emit mainly UVA rays which can increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Although it is a commendable step to protect the youth of California, this law does little to really stop minors from tanning. In-stead of using a tanning bed, teens will simply take to the beaches and their back yard for their tanning fix, and the government is helpless to regulate this. In order for this law to be truly effective it needs to be coupled with further ed-ucation for children about the dangers of the sun, and a greater push for increased use of sunscreen. The previous law, in which use of tanning beds requires parental consent, seems sufficient to protect teens from the dangers of UVA rays. I understand and support the notion of properly informing the general public about what is and is not healthy, but I believe that at some point decisions should be left up to the individual. Also, this ban simply revokes reve-nue from the state of California in the midst of an economic crisis. Overall, I feel this law will do little to truly protect minors from contract-ing melanoma and other skin conditions, but hopefully this law will become a step toward better education about the dangers of sun expo-sure.

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“The JSA Rice Regional Convention encouraged students to speak for what they believe in to “be the hero” as student leaders.”

The Rice Regional: Be the Hero convention was held on October 29th at Rice University, hosted by the Gulf Coast Region of Texas. The convention featured a superhero themed conference, with he-roes including Superman, Tron, and Jean Grey in attendance. Students were encour-aged to dress in superhero attire to partici-pate in the festive Halloween mood that surrounded the weekend. Opening session began at 9:30 on Saturday morning, with over sixty excited students anticipating an eventful day.

RICE REGIONAL 2011: BE THE HERO

BY: CHRISTY LUSPO

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Texas JSA students expanded their knowledge of American politics by expressing their opin-ions as involved speakers. Students were invited to engage in thought talks, debates, and a Quiz-bowl. They were also given the opportunity to debate controversial issues and current events with students from across the state of Texas. From debating legalized prostitution to offshore drilling policies, debates catered to all students. The convention was proud to present Jack Roady, Galveston County Criminal District Attorney, as the guest speaker of the convention. He proved to be an engaging, innovative speaker who gave the students an insight into life as a Dis-trict Attorney.

Rice Regional was a successful convention that stimulated student interest in politics and the American government. Bailie Moorhead shares, “Rice Regional was comprised of original debates and a thought provoking speaker. I had a lot of fun and was given the opportunity to make new friends and further develop my relationships with other members of the Texas Junior State.” The JSA Rice Regional convention en-couraged students to speak for what they be-lieve in to “be the hero” as student leaders.

Students participate in Quizbowl at the Rice Regional Con-vention at Rice University on October 29, 2011. (Source/Christy Luspo)

JSA members dress up as superheroes for the theme of the con-vention: Be the Hero (Source/Christy Luspo)

THE PATENT WAR

BY: DAVID HIGGS

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When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone at the 2007 Macworld conference, he proudly talked about the touch screen technology that Apple invented to create this new device. At this conference, he said to the audience: “Boy, have we patented it.” He really meant it. Apple and Jobs continued inventing and we all know about the explosion of touch screen devices including iPhone, iPod, iPad, and iEverything. But while Apple was busy introducing their new products, every other high tech firm was trying to create their own touch screen devices to get a little of the Apple leftovers. In fact, by 2010 Android had 35 to 40 percent of the market share for smart phones, more than Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s Blackberry.

“All the major tech firms have patent lawsuits pending against one an-other. What a mess!”

In March, 2010 Apple filed suit against Google for patent infringement and since then the world of touch screens has gone law suit crazy. In July, 2010 Oracle also filed suit against Google asking a licensing fee of $15 to $20 for each Android phone. Apple then decided their lawyers had too much free time so they sued all of the companies that actually manufacture the Android phones including Samsung and Motorola to block them from importing phones they say stole Apple technolo-gy. All the major tech firms have patent lawsuits pending against one another. What a mess! The problem is that the US system for patenting software is broken. Since the early 1980’s, the U.S.Patent and Trademark office has granted broad technology patents far too easily. Now, just about every tech company can claim that every other tech company is infringing on their patents. It is time to change our patent system. No company should be able to claim ownership of basic and far-ranging concepts like the touch screen. Companies shouldn’t be able to hold up progress in whole in-dustries simply by claiming ownership of something as fundamental as an improved user inter-face. Patents were originally intended to protect inventions, not ideas. The growth of high tech has blurred this distinction but we can’t let companies tie up good ideas by patenting them as their own invention. We need to put all the expensive legal talent involved in these law suits to work fixing our patent system, not trying to monopolize a good idea.

Interview with Supervisor Janice Rutherford of San Bernardino County.

Editor's Note: This interview was made possible by Sam Russell and his friends who went to interview Su-pervisor Rutherford and videotaped it. I recommend and urge you to watch it here: youtube.com/watch?v=nOjkR4Ff85o

The format of this interview will go as such with a question and paraphrase of Supervisor Rutherford's an-swer.

Can you tell us about your JSA High School experience?

I was involved in the Ontario High school chapter, heavily involved in debates, went to the DC summer school, was the first National Editor of The Junior Statement, and enjoyed participating at every level.

How do you believe JSA affected your career choice?

Because of JSA I knew I wanted to do public service. JSA experiences and exposure to the people running the government, and it dictated my courses study in college, lead to volunteering opportunities that lead to my first jobs in politics and government. Also, my closest friends are people I met in JSA and take advice from to this day.

You have a lot of great ideas about ethics and government that you run by. How do you keep these in practice?

Well that is the biggest challenge. You can't legislate morality and legislate ethics. People want good people in government making right decisions the right way for the right reasons. This is challenge in San Bernardo because we are facing the biggest corruption cases in the country. I want to restore people's confidence through my personal behavior and creating a citizen behavior and ethics advisory worker group. Some ideas that have come out of this group are more disclosure of campaign finance distributions and enforcement by state officials so that is not a case of fox guarding the hen. Also, have a code of ethics that employees and officials sign annually. Having more rules on lobbyists, gift giving, and disclosure on gift giving so that voters can see and understand what policies are trying to sway the politicians.

How have the people's reaction been?

Very popular. People aren't just looking for solutions to current batch of indictments but change in the cul-ture.

San Bernardino's growth and how that has affected its budget?

Well San Bernardino's growth was growing exponentially and for a while so was its budget. However, every-one's budget has fallen. Property tax has fallen with the prices of the houses but, sales tax is slowing picking up. Public works, infrastructure, public safety needs help like everyone in the state and nation.

How does affect youth programs?

Since the schools suffer and the community groups but they suffer along with everyone else. So the youth programs have suffered quite a bit.

INTERVIEW WITH SAN BERNARDINDO SU-PERVISOR RUTHERFORD

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INTERVIEW WITH SUPERVISOR RUTHER-FORD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

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How can youth help and stimulate their communities?

There are so many things to get involved in and participate in. Youths shouldn't sell themselves short be-cause there are so many opportunities you bring tremendous energy, tremendous talent, energy and innova-tion. There are numerous ways to get experience and grow as a person whether it be working at a food bank or being a reading tutor for little kids or cleaning up graffiti or organizing volunteer days or lobbying govern-ment. Government would take the input. Don't put limits on yourself and make other opportunities.

What are you seeing youth doing exceptionally well?

Social media and using it in ways that we older people could never envision. I have a person on staff to help with tech appeal to the generation raised with media that way we are communicating with them effectively. Also, we are working to teach the older constituents to understand how this new media is faster and better than traditional letter writing. Another thing I would like to do is create a youth council and talking to others who have created youth council around the state on how to make an effective one without much of a budget. This will be an opportunity to get the youth voice heard and for me to get their input.

How have you seen the JSA landscape change since your time?

Well I am blown away by its growth. Conferences have grown immensely. The caliber of topics talked about and key note speakers have grown tremendously. In my times JSA was California, a little bit of PNW, and Texas. Now, it is in the Midwest, east coast, and even international! It is all very impressive.

How do you think JSA can improve how it affects the community?

To concentrate not just on conferences, summer programs, debates, and realize that you can be a force in the community. Reach out to other chapters and do work in the community on a topic you find common ground on and work towards moving policy.

What aspects of public office does JSA prepare you for?

All aspects of office. You are learning to think on your feet, which is invaluable, thoughtful analysis because, you know someone has done research on it and you don't want to be called out on it. Establish affective rela-tionship with people of different backgrounds and ideas and being able to welcome and embrace people with those different views and work cooperatively to make something better will help in any field but especially in public office.

It teaches you to work out on a limb, do something crazy, and take risks- intelligent risks. It surrounds you with a team of people of good core values and a good end in mind.

NOTE

Opinions and points of view presented in the articles of The Junior Statement do not

reflect that of The Junior Statement or The Junior State of America. The opinions pre-

sented are those solely and owned solely of their respected author.