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Robin Hood calls for reform

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Also by Heather Quitos:

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by Heather Quitos

Monday, April 10, 2006

Cries of student government reform have now reached the internal structure of the Associated Students of Madison, as Robin Hood Slate candidates are now proposing to make radical changes to the system.

As elections for student council begin for the third time Tuesday, candidates from the Robin Hood Slate hope to be elected to ASM so they can restructure the council or disband it completely.

"ASM has always been about the numbers you have on council," Robin Hood Slate campaign coordinator LaVonne Derksen said. "If you have a majority, you can get a lot of things done."

According to Derksen, if two-thirds of ASM elected students are candidates from the Robin Hood Slate, those candidates will work to amend ASM's current constitution to make internal structural changes.

If that majority is not elected, Robin Hood Slate members will work to get a referendum to disband ASM on next fall's ballot, Derksen said.

The complications and problems with ASM's recent elections spurred members of the "fiscally conservative" slate to organize an effort to make major changes to the student government, Derksen added.

"A lot of times people don't know what ASM is, and it brought a lot of attention," she noted. "People are being told to vote three different times, and … it was an opportune time to ask students if they want a new system or reform the one we have now."

Robin Hood Slate candidate David Lapidus said possible internal reforms include implementing a better checks and balances system and making the Student Elections Commission an independent body.

ASM Chair Eric Varney said the slate's aim to achieve council majority is "feasible," adding the slate could have an impact on ASM because so many candidates are running for the spring election.

But Varney also noted while elected members may vote to place constitutional amendments on the ASM ballot with an affirmative vote from two-thirds of the council in consecutive sessions, the student body still decides whether to approve an amendment.

In addition to the election problems, Derksen said the slate has had longtime concerns with ASM's allocation of segregated fees.

"ASM has been inconsistent," she remarked. "While lobbying to the Capitol for a decrease in state tuition, they keep raising student tuition by giving money to [student organizations]."

Derksen said without an elected majority of Robin Hood candidates, however, the slate's backup plan is to disband ASM.

"I think that people are tired of ASM, and ASM has a very negative connotation with students, generally," she added. "[Students] know [ASM] takes their money, but they don't know what it does with it. So there's a lack of accountability."

Robin Hood's reform effort is the second student movement to propose changes to the student government's structure, as a new student government was organized recently to take the place of ASM.

According to Steve Schwerbel, spokesman for the newly formed "Student Government," the goals of his organization and those of the Robin Hood Slate coincide, although their approaches to reform differ.

"They believe ASM can be reformed from within," Schwerbel said, "[but] our stance on student government is ASM cannot."

Varney said any attempt to disband ASM, including a referendum, will be a "very difficult" task, adding the recent election problems have overshadowed the work ASM has done this year.

But Derksen said the time to reform is now, starting with the action Robin Hood will take after election results are revealed.

"Our main focus is to see how the elections turn out," she said. "After that, we will take stock and continue forward with what needs to be done."

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Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 3:20am):

So, how much did the Robin Hood slate pay for this campaign ad?

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 8:02am):

Why, absolutely nothing! Good ideas don't need to pay to be printed:~)

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 9:10am):

"So, how much did the Robin Hood slate pay for this campaign ad?"

Oh give me a break. Everyday that ASM makes news with another fuckup is another "ad" for Robin Hood. Reporting the obviously newsworthy incompetence of ASM isnt free advertising for Robin Hood, its honest reporting.

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 9:51am):

Levonne Derkson, there's always a credible sourse. The woman who attacks old men and tries to start "straight is great month".

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 1:05pm):

Talk about hypocritical... this slate is trying to make hay off a mistake of one of their own cronies. Tim Leonard is a CR and I've picutres on the facebook with LaVonne and the Student Government folks. If anything's a conspiracy, I'd say it's them purposely botching the elections.

Take a look for yourself...
http://wisc.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30553808&op=3&o=all&view=all&subj=8612571&id=8609124

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 7:29pm):

When an old man is a dirty old man he deserves to be pushed, do not hate on women for defending themselves!

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 7:31pm):

Badger Herald needs to keep OPINION pieces in the OPINION SECTION and off the front page. You're in danger of becoming a non credible source for news.

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 7:32pm):

With that kind of spelling, you wonder how the 4th poster got admitted to UW-Madison.

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 7:42pm):

too bad seg fees don't pay for orthodontics...

Anonymous (April 10, 2006 @ 7:56pm):

"If anything's a conspiracy, I'd say it's them purposely botching the elections."

Or that Tim Leonard is in the Facebook group. I mean, as we all know, that makes it official.