Opinion
Students in tights
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
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)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
Associated Students of Madison today finds itself at a crossroads and neither avenue before the student government seems all too appealing. Spring elections have ended and a flurry of surprises is emerging from voting results. At least one winner is actually ineligible for the office to which they have been voted. Another write-in candidate may have received votes thanks to misappropriated student funds (and he played no role in the campaign, further complicating matters in a twist that could only be borne of an ASM election). And sources tell the Badger Herald at least one candidate for student government coercively obtained votes by hovering over people’s shoulders as they completed online ballots.
But for ASM, the trouble doesn’t stop with the spring elections. Recent reports reveal a senior member of the student government to have been serving throughout the semester despite having never actually been a student. To boot, questions now abound about various salary payments and at least one reimbursement issued to him during his illegitimate term in office.
Indeed, the ASM we have come to know and (love?) is now at a fork in the road seemingly out of a Robert Frost poem. Much of the student government’s rank-and-file spenders have been either displaced or sent a stark message from a series of Robin Hood slate candidates who have stormed into victory thanks to campaign promises of financial responsibility. To whatever extent the student body spoke through these elections, the message sent was clearly one of discontent with the status quo.
We encourage all of those newly elected to ASM to bear this in mind as they assume office. The hypocrisy of campaigning for lower tuition and yet ballooning the rate of segregated fees has gone on too long. ASM’s financial and social irresponsibility has become an outright embarrassment for the University of Wisconsin community. And representatives’ seemingly total isolation from the student body has become a point of rampant apathy.
ASM must first clean house. The aforementioned series of issues needs to be resolved in a tidy and expedient manner. But only then will the student government’s work truly begin. Seg fees must be kept in check. ASM’s fruitless social activism must be curtailed — the illusion of UW having a serious effect on national and international policy through “accountability session” games has become laughable. And relations with the student body — not just fellow members of the student government — must be restored.
The crossroads are gloomy but we firmly believe with a precise compass and detailed map, the light over the horizon may be found. The mandate is clear — now it’s time to get out of the woods.
7 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Brother Ali makes an ‘Exclusive’ stop
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
521 W Dayton 4BR/2BA. Marble showers, dishwasher, completely updated! madisoncampusrentals.com
1, 2, or 3 bedroom apartment available for spring 2010. meltzer@wisc.edu if you are interested!
This is nothing compared to the days of Ben Manski and his goon patrol.
Whatever happened to that assclown?
Is ASM ever NOT at a fork in the road? Common, same silly issues year after year.
It will be interesting to see how the whacko-leftist groups who considered seg fee handouts a god-given right react if their funding is slowed or cut.
Like hogs at the trough...
From today's news:
"ASM and union administration are already addressing apparent student concern with this year's referendum and are contemplating a new funding plan to appear on next year's ASM ballots.
"SSFC chair Janell Wise said that while many students support both of UW's unions, the failure of the referendum for renovations was partially due to a lack of preparation to conjure an informed student vote on the issue."
When are these people going to learn? We were informed about the union plan, and we didn't like it. That's why we voted against it!
Please don't try pulling the same old stuff again next year!
Take a stand on the Mifflin Block Party, you swine!
The Union folk don't seem to get it: students don't want to fund union renovations. Why haven't they used all the energy they've expended by whining to go after alumni donations? Memorial Union was built with donations in the beginning.
The Robin Hood crew is going to clean up this ASM bullshit. Worry you not. No more of this extreme left wing crap. We're gonna pull ASM back to the center and work on stuff that is important to every student, not just the special interests.