Letters to the editor

Construction parking needs consideration

Construction is always happening on campus, and the workers use
up valuable parking space. Right now, the grassy area at Gayley and
Le Conte has been overtaken (and paved) to accommodate the
construction workers for the new hospital.

However, it looks like the parking area for the hospital is
complete, so why can’t the workers now park there and give
the community back its green space? Why isn’t there a mandate
that when erecting new structures, the parking should be built
first and utilized by the workers?

James Schiller Instructional Technology Unit employee at
UCLA Extension

USAC senate proposal has important pluses

Recently, a new senate system was proposed as an alternative for
the current structure of the undergraduate student government
(“Supporters of USAC senate begin to gather
signatures,” Feb. 15).

I’ve reviewed the proposed constitutional changes and feel
that three significant benefits are being glossed over.

First, as I personally witnessed last year, elections are an
expensive endeavor. But running a campaign is not only a financial
burden. The time it consumes is also detrimental to a
candidate’s grades. In the current system, run-offs occur
nearly every year, forcing many candidates to endure essentially
two elections back-to-back.

This second election costs the student government hundreds of
dollars, plus the additional time of dozens of administrators and
candidates. The new system will remove the need for run-off
elections, a system that the Graduate Student Association at our
school has been using for years. The new system makes running for
office affordable.

Second, under the new constitutional changes, the commissions
and most of the executive body would no longer be involved in the
legislative process. They would become very depoliticized. In fact,
the commissions would be empowered with full executive control over
their offices while remaining completely independent from the other
portions of the government. This will ensure that candidates are
running solely to accomplish the duties of their position.

Currently, slates run candidates for some of these positions for
the primary purpose of gaining an extra vote in the council.

Under the new system, the commissions (and most of the executive
body) would become more accountable to the voters, not the slates
they are parts of. The new system promotes accountability.

Third, the current system is a minefield for independent
candidates. We independents are extremely handicapped in the system
due to loopholes in the current voting regulations that punish
independent candidates while completely ignoring slates. The
current system is unfair.

The new voting system will give independent candidates a chance.
Under the new system, for example, if a senatorial candidate were
to gain the support of a few floors in her dorm, she would have a
very substantial chance at winning a seat.

Students could become involved earlier in their academic
careers, and more minority voices ““ not just in the cultural
or ethnic sense ““ would be heard in council. The new system
increases representation.

Michiaki Kono Fourth-year, cognitive
science