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Volume 59, Number 14    November 14, 2011         

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Newsmakers

Elective strategies
Professor of Communication Studies Joe Tuman explained  the impact of ranked choice voting on the San Francisco election in a Nov. 8 KPIX TV News segment. Tuman explained that in most elections, you don't bet against an incumbent because they have all the institutional advantages of the office at their disposal, but in a ranked choice election, "the frontrunner has a bull's eye painted on him." But, because Ed Lee is an amiable person, Tuman added, "he's got a pretty good shot at being most people's second or third, so I would think, if this goes to a runoff, it won't have to go 15 full counts before they elect him mayor. This is still his race to lose."

Driven cuisine
In a Nov. 7 San Mateo Times article about the opening of a restaurant by Curry Up Now food truck owners/operators, Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Sybil Yang said that food trucks offer people a way to get into the food business without the high startup costs associated with a brick and mortar location. Yang added that the lower upfront costs reduce startup risks and offer potentially great rewards due to rapid customer turnover.

Ranked confusion
Political Science Lecturer David Lee commented on ranked choice voting for a Nov. 7 New America Media report on ranked choice voting. Since 2004, the Chinese American Voter Education Committee has "published over 50,000 bilingual brochures explaining ranked choice. But just when you think you’ve reached everyone, someone comes up and says they don’t understand it. The system has a particular flaw that is unique," Lee said. A year after winning the Oakland mayoral election, people still ask Jean Quan how she won. "Legitimacy is vital to any voting system. People need to believe the results."

For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs, see SF State in the News.


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Last modified November 10, 2011 by University Communications.