Student Empowerment! shows its petty politics

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With the drop in student union fees from $51 to $7.50, some
Undergraduate Students Association Council members are asking for a
paltry $5 to go toward programming like noon-time bands, movie
showings in Ackerman and the Jazz and Reggae Festival. It’s
too bad that petty politics involving the Student Empowerment!
slate may have prevented students from even voting whether they
support the small increase or not.

The commissioners tried to bring the referendum up for
discussion at the USAC meeting but Student Empowerment! members
refused to even discuss it saying that the proposal didn’t
include enough student input. Never mind that students would give
their “input” when they vote for the measure in Week
Five.

In an effort to fight council’s decision, the
commissioners took to Bruin Walk, getting signatures to place it on
the ballot anyway ““ but they fell 77 signatures short of
getting 10 percent of the student body needed. Tonight, the
commissioners will try to push for the fee increase when council
meets to approve the ballot, but there are no guarantees that the
Student Empowerment! bloc will bend for non-members of their slate
““ heaven forbid someone else get the credit for a good idea
or for trying to serve students before elections.

When asked about the last-ditch effort to get the measure on the
ballot, presidential candidate and Student Empowerment! member
Bryant Tan said “he hadn’t thought about it enough to
take a stance.” Funny ““ he already voted against the
issue in council. If Tan wants to be USAC president, he’d
better start thinking.

Council must send this referendum to the ballot so students can
decide for themselves what they want.