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Negotiations begin to fund SAFEride

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by Andriy Pazuniak

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

University of Wisconsin Transportation Services and Associated Students of Madison began preliminary negotiations to continue to provide SAFEride cab services through the end of this fiscal year.

As it currently stands, there is no source of funding or administrative support for the program after July.

One option discussed to save SAFEride cab, according to the UW Transportation Services and ASM representatives who met, was for ASM to fully fund the program with student segregated fees and for UW to provide administrative support.

"We're still willing to partner [with ASM]," said UW Transportation Services Director Larry Lunsway, who met with ASM Vice Chair and SAFE campaign coordinator Dylan Rath over winter break. "It was a conversation to look at what we can do."

Last semester, UW Transportation Services and ASM debated how to fund the campus-security programs provided by SAFE Nighttime Services — SAFEride cab, SAFEwalk, and SAFE bus.

The services were originally funded by a combination of segregated-fee money and funds from UW.

The two organizations, however, disagreed over the value of SAFEride cab and SAFEwalk to students and the university, and also on how much funding each service should receive.

ASM wanted to cut funding for SAFEwalk, while UW Transportation Services wanted the funding to continue at its previous levels.

The dispute resulted in ASM deciding last December to provide no funding for SAFEride cab and SAFEwalk from student segregated fees for the next fiscal year.

At the time, ASM representatives said they hoped to establish a student-run cab service.

Both Lunsway and Rath, however, said they hoped to resolve the current situation and continue to provide SAFEride cab services through the end of this fiscal year.

"I really think we will be able to work it out with UW Transportation Services," Rath said. "We both want to make it a win-win situation."

Rath added that ASM does not have a backup plan to provide a service similar to SAFEride cab should negotiations with Transportation Services fall through.

If the negotiations do not result in a new plan, there will be no SAFEride cab service after July.

UW Transportation Services would fund SAFEwalk completely and would split funding for SAFE bus with ASM.

All SAFE Nighttime Services will continue normally through the end of the semester, since any changes will go into effect at the end of the current fiscal year.

Rath said he plans to meet with Lunsway again early next week to continue the negotiations.

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Anonymous (January 25, 2006 @ 5:35pm):

ASM has been ridiculous as of late--cutting funding without thought left and right--and I'm serious when I say without thought. Prominent campus organizations have been zero-funded such as Polygon Engineering council, while others CALS similar council, are funded. Does this make any logical sense? No. Does it make sense for students? No. Does it violate Viewpoint Neutrality. YES. Unfortunately, no one brought this up--perhaps in the future people will be reminded. But that's the nature of things--looking forward to the future, let's make sure this awkward and unbalanced funding does not happen again next year.

The SAFE cut is another example of ASM looking to cut funds blindly--the SAFE program adds to the worth of this University, despite ASM's fuzzy math of $5x-$7x amount per walk. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the person that did that math will not stand by it when all economic considerations are taken into account. Funny how neither The Badger Herald nor the Daily Cardinal published these specific calculations? Accountability anyone?

Enough rant. For the future, let's put our confidence in people that can do the job right, or at least have enough people around to challenge such decisions. I suggest not reelecting any current members of SSFC, and I challenge the campus to fill the void in ASM and it's TWELVE EMPTY positions. If my opponents can agree with anything I've said, it is this latter statement. More representation is a good thing unless you believe in a minority-of-students representing the entire campus.

Good luck ASM.

Anonymous (January 25, 2006 @ 9:58pm):

The SAFE services was one thing that UW Transportation did that was worth something. Now it seems all they do is clean up parking lots and give out tickets to pad the coffers.

In my personal opinion, if there is no SAFE there should be no UW transportation. It seems that most of its services could easily be encompassed under a different bureaucracy.

It would be the best of both worlds, UW Transportation would get what they want -- No SAFEcab -- and the students would get what they want -- not to have to pay Lance Lunsway's bloated salary.

Anonymous (January 30, 2006 @ 4:19pm):

props to Rath!

Anonymous (February 26, 2006 @ 10:34am):

SAFEride and SAFEwalk are imperative on a university campus. David Lapidus has stated that he will donate half of his Dane County Board Salary to fund SAFEwalk. That is a start. Elect him in the General Election.