Clinton Selects Adelphi on Campaign Trail

by Ann Marie Dull

Perhaps you've seen U.S. Senate candidate  Hillary Clinton returned to Adelphi University on February 11th to meet with  students and to deliver  a well-received but generic campaign speech, focusing on what  she says are New Yorkers priorities: economics and education. 

She spoke about  a proposal to make college tuition tax deductible. Later, when  asked for specifics by Delphian Editor-in-Chief  Garett Nadrich, Mrs. Clinton said that  she would like to see the federal tax  code  altered and that, at her request ö and at the request of Senator Charles Schumer ÷ President Clinton has included it in his proposed budget. She added that the deductions would be good for tuition up to $10,000 per year, which would translate into tax relief of up to $2,800. (Adelphi tuition  exceeds $15,000). 

Adelphi President Steven Isenberg introduced Mrs. Clinton  and mentioned that  she was here in January to announce  an increase in federal spending for breast cancer  research  (see story, this page). "I told her then, that I hoped she would come back  when school was in session to meet with the students and faculty, and she did."  Mrs. Clinton  and Isenberg have known  each  other  since they attended Yale Law School . 

"When I heard he was a president  of a University, I had to come and see for myself." Mrs. Clinton said.  She said that she wondered if President Isenberg had brought  to Adelphi "the  same energy, the same commitment and the same corny jokes" she remembered so well from their youth. 

Those in the audience of about 700 people  included high school students  from Nassau County and New York City, as well as Adelphi students  and faculty. But due to security considerations, tickets were limited.  Most who were on a waiting list did not get  in.  They and other  members of the Adelphi community were invited, instead, to Blodgett  Hall to watch the event  on  a closed circuit television program arrranged by Ed Leyser of Adelphi Telecommunications. As early Thursday, students were complaining about  the scarcity of seats. Some faculty members in attendance  spoke about  colleagues who could not get tickets.

The audience gave Mrs. Clinton several standing ovations. Outside the University Center, there was a lone protester, JoAnn Russo of Farmingdale, who carried a sign that  said, "Have mercy, please. Just go away and take Bubba with you." Mrs. Russo said that  she is a "registered Conservative, considering Libertarianism" and that she feels Mrs. Clinton is a carpetbagger. 

In answer to a question  from the audience, Mrs. Clinton said that  she wants to introduce  a proposal under which the federal government would help pay for both the construction  of new schools as well as the modernization of old ones. She said she would like to see the day when all schools "get connected" to the Internet. In education, she said, there is a "great  digital divide."  Mrs. Clinton  said that when "Bill took  office in 1993" there were only 50 websites on the Internet, and now there are 50,000,000, with th numbers growig every month. But she bemoaned the fact that so many children still don't have access to the Internet at home and that  they should at least have the access at school,.

Mrs. Clinton also spoke about  her "listening tour," and about her travels this past week, after announcing her candidacy  at SUNY Purchase. She talked about  her plans to improve health  care in New York State saying she wanted to form a better "Patient's Bill of Rights," and "put the doctors and nurses back in the decision-making position." She also wants to improve Medicare benefits and change the law so Americans can buy American-made prescription drugs from Canada, where they  are sold cheaper due to governmental controls there.

Mrs. Clinton said that  in formulating her agenda on education and economics she tries to determine whether her proposed policies will "help the children of New York, Will it help strengthen their families?"