Mock Wedding
Voters
— acknowledges that the databases it uses
to contact possible voters are imperfect
because they are developed from commer-
cially collected information. The group also
says it expects people who receive misdi-
rected mail to simply throw it away.
furnish ID and election managers use data-
bases — such as death records — to see if
someone should be disallowed.
But administrators in New Mexico, a
potential swing state in the presidential
race, warned that ineligible voters who
complete
the
documents
could make it
onto the rolls.
New Mexico
is one of two
states in which
noncitizens can
qualify for a dri-
ver’s license by
simply proving
residency — not necessarily legal residency
— and state elections officials have no way
of verifying the legal status of those who
Julie Anderson, the auditor in Pierce
County, Wash., estimates that about
two dozen residents have contacted
the county about registration forms
arriving for dead relatives
Several election officials said they
believed the voter registration systems were
secure enough to catch people who might
improperly submit the misdirected docu-
ments, since registrants typically have to
See VOTERS on page 7
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
continued from page 1
Angela Vogel married ‘Corporate Person’ in a ceremony July 17 in
Westlake Park. A small crowd celebrated the nuptials of the happy couple
as a way of publicizing Seattle Initiative 103, a ballot measure slated for
2013 which among other things would strip corporations of their
personhood status.
Vets
continued from page 1
lation as veterans, far below the national
average of 10 percent. That was due, in part,
to incarcerated veterans not mentioning
their military service upon booking, Lewis
said.
Lewis and Herold-Prayer said that that
many veterans don’t volunteer their status
because they either don’t realize they are a
veteran, are embarrassed by their situation
or are worried that their families could lose
their veteran benefits while they are in
prison.
After running names against a master list
at the U.S. Department of Defense at the
end of last year, and then working with the
state Department of Veterans Affairs
throughout this year, Herold-Prayer said
that they’ve found veterans make up at least
8 percent of the state’s approximately
16,000 prison population, and that the per-
centage could increase even more as the
DOC continues its work. Also, earlier this
year, the DOC changed its policy so that
instead of relying on an inmate to volunteer
their veteran status, they are being actively
asked when they arrive at prison.
Currently, the most recent national num-
bers on veterans in state and federal prison
are from 2004. A 2007 Bureau of Justice
Statistics report showed that in 2004, an
estimated 140,000 veterans were in prison
nationwide. Tracy Snell, a statistician for
the Bureau of Justice Statistics, said they
have been revamping the
survey, and the plan is to do
another one in 2013.
``Really, no one knows
for certain how many veter-
ans are in the justice system
right now,’’ said Christo-
pher Deutsch, a spokesman
for Alexandria, Va.-based
Justice for Vets, an organi-
zation that advocates for
veteran treatment courts.
But, ``that’s starting to change.’’
Deutsch said with the increase of veteran
treatment courts around the country in
recent years _ there are nearly 100 in 27
states, including Washington state _ there’s
more of a push to identify veterans in the
criminal justice system.
``The earlier they can be identified, the
better, because then you can start look at
diverting them to a different track, whether
it’s a veterans’ court or a mental health
assessment,’’ he said. ``I think states are
getting much more sophisticated at doing
this. But there’s a long way to go.’’
Herold-Prayer has been visiting each of
Veterans face restrictions on receiving
benefits while they are incarcerated, but can
apply to have that money directed to their
family. But if they continue to collect the
full amount, they could leave prison tens of
thousands of dollars in debt because they’ll
be required to repay what they
collected while incarcerated.
``We do not want to see that
happen with any of our offend-
ers,’’ Herold-Prayer told the
group assembled at Stafford
Creek.
Ernest Grant, a 40-year-old
Navy veteran, wasn’t aware he
had to notify Veterans Affairs of
his incarceration, and was filling
out paperwork to remedy that
after Herold-Prayer’s meeting.
Grant, who is serving a 30-year sentence
for homicide by abuse, said the most help-
ful thing he learned from the meeting was
his access to things like medical and hous-
ing when he is released as early as 2025.
A change in federal law prompted
officials at the state Department of
Corrections to investigate what more
could be done for the state’s veterans
who are inmates
the state’s prisons since May, doing visits
like the one at Stafford Creek in June to
make sure that incarcerated veterans know
that they are entitled to military benefits
upon their release, but also to ensure they’re
not currently receiving an overpayment of
military benefits while in prison, which
would mean they would leave prison
already facing debt.
Read the rest of this story online at
www.theskanner.com
Costs
continued from page 1
involve choices students can make, includ-
expenses with student loans and summer tion.
Sarah Hall, UW’s director of planning and ing where they live and with how many
jobs.
All told, the total cost of attending the state operations, said the money students roommates.
At UW, the cheapest housing option is to
University of Washington and Washington pay represents only part of what it really
bunk with two other roommates in one of
State University as an in-state undergradu- costs to provide a college education.
``People think a lot about the cost of col- the older dorms, which runs about $4,260 a
ate can total about $25,000 year.
Tuition — which has increased as much lege going up. But the price to the family, year. Living solo in a studio apartment in
as 20 percent during each of the past three which is often called the cost of attendance, the university’s newer buildings can run
more than twice that amount,
years — accounts for roughly
at $9,600.
half of that amount. The rest
Single rooms at WSU can
includes books, transportation,
cost more than $8,000 in some
living expenses and other student
dorms, while the least expen-
needs.
sive double room in an older
At Washington’s four other col-
dorm runs $5,246 a year.
leges and universities, the esti-
Mandatory student fees
mated cost of attendance is about
— Carly Ray, Washington State University senior make up another big chunk of
$21,000.
the college bill, with the fees
Students have little control
varying widely from one
over the big ticket items like
tuition or dorm fees, Ray said, but they do is different from the cost of providing edu- school to another. They all cover a different
cation,’’ Hall said, pointing out that dona- mix of fees and some of the differences can
have control over smaller fees.
``I feel like students are angry, angry that tions, federal dollars and state money make be tied to how each college defines budget
they’re paying all these fees, and having to up the rest of the actual cost of educating items. A fee could be folded into tuition at
one school while itemized separately at
take out more loans and more loans,’’ she students.
Some of the biggest cost increases at another.
said, though she acknowledged that the
Central Washington University has the
costs remind her of the value of her educa- Washington universities for 2012-2013
‘I feel like students are angry, angry
that they’re paying all these fees,
and having to take out more loans
and more loans’
highest total mandatory fees at more than
$1,600, according to state higher education
officials. WSU is next at more than $1,400
a year, followed closely by Western at about
$1,300 a year.
UW students will see the biggest increase
in fees this year, from $828 to $1,080. It’s
happening because students adopted a new
fee to support dorm improvements, Hall
said.
One student, however, didn’t characterize
budget decisions in quite the same way.
Lisa Tran, a UW junior from Tacoma, said
university staff crunch the numbers and
then hold a meeting to explain to student
leaders how they came up with next year’s
budget. If students have a major objection,
they go back and make changes, the bio-
chemistry major said.
``We don’t have a direct say in what hap-
pens, but our opinion does matter to them,’’
said Tran.
Read the rest of this story online at
www.theskanner.com
July 18, 2012
The Seattle Skanner Page 3