Opinion

Shhhhh …. ASM is meeting

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Related stories:

• ASM violates Open Meeting Law (April 25, 2005)
• Insult & Inquiry (November 29, 2001)
• Gallagher or not, reform possible (May 4, 2008)
• Full Disclosure (September 29, 2005)
• Why wasn't there an SSFC meeting? (October 23, 2001)

Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:

• The Invisible Man Award: Wyndham Manning (May 7, 2009)
• The People's Choice Award: Jacqueline Hitchon et. al (May 7, 2009)
• The Lifetime Achievement Award: ASM (May 7, 2009)
• Honest representation (May 5, 2009)
• Junger for ASM Chair (May 5, 2009)

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With no public announcement, student council members charged with approving the unprecedented increase in student organization funding met with student organization leaders Tuesday night.

Associated Students of Madison chair Jessica Miller classified the meeting as a chance for council members to ask questions and learn more about the budgets ahead of Thursday night’s pivotal meeting. She said the failure to properly publicize the event was an “oversight” and the victim of other ?priorities.?

The arrogance displayed by student government Tuesday night is frightening. The student fee distribution process is flawed, but exists for a reason. Students should be allowed input at every step of the process. By having secret meetings like Tuesday night’s, ASM willfully subverted the public process.

Why should students care if ASM members are meeting in secret? Unlike any other student organization, ASM has the legal power to tax students. Unchecked and unbalanced, ASM has virtually free reign over how much students pay in segregated fees.

And ASM knows it. By de-emphasizing the need for student input, ASM makes it look like they think it’s its money, rather than students’ money.

Unbelievably, ASM may not have broken the law by having an unannounced meeting. But they clearly broke the spirit of the rules guaranteeing openness in student fee distribution.

Students should be outraged.

ASM should be willing to listen.