Opinion
Neutrality violations rampant in SSFC
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Also by Darryn Beckstrom:
- Abstinence deserves preference in classroom (March 22, 2006)
- Frustration with Teaching Assistants Association grows (November 1, 2005)
- U.S. News monopoly needs to end (April 4, 2006)
- Identity politics stereotypes groups (November 8, 2005)
- Celebrate Madison's birthday (April 12, 2006)
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More than a decade ago, our nation's highest court held that student fees must be distributed in a content-neutral manner. Unfortunately, viewpoint neutrality is not always afforded to student organizations.
This weekend, the University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation went before the Student Judiciary for the second time this semester. Their goal was to reclaim segregated fees that were wrongly denied to them because of viewpoint discrimination they suffered at the hands of several biased Student Services Finance Committee members and university officials.
Justice Brandeis famously stated that sunlight is the best disinfectant. And after the audio transcripts, e-mails, and memos surrounding UWRCF's budget hearing before SSFC were brought to light, it became abundantly clear that flagrant viewpoint discrimination was present.
For the past three years, UWRCF — which is no stranger to the Student Judiciary — has constantly struggled to receive a fair budgetary hearing from SSFC.
Earlier this semester, the organization went before the student judiciary after they were denied funding eligibility for the next academic year. The court, in a unanimous decision, found that SSFC had erred in rendering UWRCF ineligible for segregated fee funding. When the time had come for SSFC to determine the 2006-07 budget, though, UWRCF was once again subjected to religious discrimination.
The most blatant example of viewpoint discrimination came when SSFC zero-funded UWRCF's request of $35,462 for rent. SSFC defended itself by referring to an October 2004 memo from former Dean of Students Luoluo Hong. Several committee members used this memo to justify the cut, arguing that student fees cannot fund non-university-controlled properties. However, it seems that the memo was only applied to UWRCF. Every other organization received full funding of their rent and utilities budgets.
Interestingly, only two of these organizations hold leases through the university.
Religious discrimination continued to occur when SSFC was asked by UWRCF to fund the printing of their annual Lenten booklets. According to UWRCF's official complaint filed with the Student Judiciary, Rep. Barb Kiernoziak stated that the Lenten booklets should be cut because they were "a very, very Catholic thing." Her colleague, Rep. Adam Schlicht, stated that he "couldn't have said it more eloquently himself." And Rep. Frey agreed, stating that the booklets were "clearly a function normally performed by a church."
Eventually, the printing line item of the booklets, almost $5,000, was cut from the budget. But the religious viewpoints of the pamphlets never should have been considered.
Because of the viewpoint discrimination that took place, some committee members reconsidered their decisions. Rep. Tim Schulz, in an e-mail to SSFC dated three days after the budget decision, stated, "After speaking to a representative of UWRCF, I learned that these devotional booklets are written by students and are distributed across campus. These booklets, then, are similar to any speech literature that [other organizations] put out."
Some representatives later tried to reopen the budget decision of UWRCF, but it was too late.
The evidence showed that several SSFC members raised concerns about the way UWRCF was treated during the budget hearings. Rep. Lorenzo Edwards went as far as to request "safe harbor" from the proceedings in an e-mail to the committee, stating that "there was an extremely high level of scrutiny used in deciding on the UWRCF budget. … No other student organization, to my recollection, was held to the same standards as was the UWRCF."
The discrimination not only came from SSFC members — it came from the university as well. During the budget hearing, Interim Associate Dean of Students Elton Crim, Chancellor Wiley's representative to SSFC, discussed at length his objection to SSFC funding UWRCF. Mr. Crim stated that because UWRCF was a non-profit organization, it should seek funding from other sources and not from student fees. It seems that Mr. Crim felt UWRCF was not a true student organization.
Strangely enough, Mr. Crim never voiced these same sentiments for any other non-profit group requesting funding from SSFC. Prime examples could have been the Tenant Resource Center, Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group or Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow, among others. But he chose to remain silent on this issue during the budget hearings of those organizations.
UWRCF's hearing before the Student Judiciary this weekend has significant implications for the segregated-fee system at this university. This case is not just about reclaiming segregated fees wrongly denied to the organization by SSFC. Rather, it is about forcing SSFC to realize that under Rosenberger v. University of Virginia and Board of Regents v. Southworth, they cannot consider the religious viewpoint of an organization or activity in the fee-distribution process.
Hopefully the Student Judiciary, in accordance with the Supreme Court, can hold that religious practice is protected speech. If not, then litigation is in this university's future — once again.
Darryn Beckstrom (beckstrom@badgerherald.com) is a doctoral student in the department of political science and a second-year MPA candidate in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
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War in Iraq going well? NO Drug plan going over well for seniors? NO Patriot Act support in the senate? NO
It’s funny how conservative columnists are writing about nothing that is top of mind for most Americans.
Reminds me of why my friend sets her homepage to Foxnews.com. Her fiancee is being deployed to Iraq. According to her, Fox News doesn’t cover much on Iraq. Instead, they like to debate what to call Christmas Trees and who to boycott next.
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see, what you fail to understand is it is ok to discriminate against christians and conservatives… just like its ok to discriminate against white, male, heterosexual people. See… those people have been so oppressive for so long that it is justified. And besides, those people are evil, evil right down to their cold black hearts which pump not blood like yours and mine but rather a thick vomitus oil which oozes thru their rotten vains and clots in their pea-sized brains which becomes the cause of their nuasious patterens of violent behaviour. Do you understand?
Or… liberals suck.
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Sorry I was trying to read this article, but I was so overwhelmed by the severe plight of white chirstians I could no long bear to read! It must be so hard being white christain and privledged!
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The point here is not that the organization was Catholic, the point is that it was religous in nature, and universities, as a function of the government, cannot fund religion. It doesn’t matter if the organization was Catholic or Protestant or even Satanic: it was religous in nature and the state cannot fund it because of that. Now, if the SSFC refused to fund the organization because it was Catholic as opposed to Protestant or Baptist or whatever, then yes, that would be wrong, but the SSFC still wouldn’t be allowed to fund it. Until I see something that clearly indicates that the SSFC would have funded the organization if it had only been the Univeristy of Wisconsin Mormon Foundation, I’m going to assume that they denied it because it was Catholic as opposed to secular, which is not only legal, but the right thing for them to have done.
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According to previous courtcases and particularly Southworth (2000), the university can fund religious groups and any speech groups. Separation between church and state does not apply to SEG fees. SSFC did not deny UWRCF funding but rather cut more money from UWRCF than other organizations. It’s not legal to discriminate against religious groups or political groups, no matter the viewpoint. The last poster is misinformed.
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To the poster who advocated open discrimination against religious groups - how do you distinguish Rosenberger?
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New byline for Beckstrom’s columns…
Darryn Beckstrom is a bitter, tunnel-visioned Roman Catholic who can’t notice a dead issue when she sees one.
MOVE THE HELL ON!!!
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To those posters on the left, I hope when your forty you will understand how stupid you were when you were 18-25. If not then you will likely have unhappy lives. The lack of honest debate and the demand thought that conservatives should not be allowed to talk, demonstrates how facsist groups like the Greens are. You don’t want to debate, and sifting and winnowing. Instead you want to wear the Jack boot you accuse conservatives of wearing. Last I checked The Whitehouse, Senate and Congress are populated by right of center folks because they won elections.
Iraq just voted for their parlament. Your horse is dying but you so love the whip. Drug plan for Seniors, isn’t it neat that the idiotic 1960’s Hippies have constructed a need for a drug benefit in Medicare just as they start to recieve benefits. Yet another program the WORST GENERATION has given to themselves and not paid for. Patriot Act last time I looked every member of the senate voted for the damn thing, and now that the DNC keeps losing issues and votes they complain about this but offer no real complete solution to dealing with domestic and international terrorists. But the 1st poster is really worried that their eco-terrorist freinds might get nabbed like the lady who started fires for ELF in Vail.
As I like to ask my old liberal buddies from College, “So, have you finally realized how wrong you were about Reagan, Thatcher, and Kohl” 90% of them have figured out how right Reagan was the other 10% weren’t very smart to begin with.
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SSFC sucks, they are incredibly self-centered, irresponsible, and just want to be onn the committee to add something good to their resume. People would ba amazeed to know how often they break rules and take advantage of student money.
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I think its only fair to allow them fiunding if all of the other groups on campus are over-zealous liberal hippies. Besides, I hate the catholic religion, but this group actually does a lot of great things on campus. THe people working for their org ae extremely honest and professional. Stop stereotyping people, they just want to promote Christian views and help other students that are catholic be able to go here and not lose their religion. With all of the binge-drinking and pot-smoking here, I think its ok to allow them funding, especiallyt since they are a group on campus that ACTUALLY performs service for others besides preaching. Just because they don’t promote the views of most students doesn’t mean they don’t deserve funding. If you have a problem with them getting their fair chance to be here then mayb e you should transfer to a private colleg that is anti-catholic. Besides, there are discriminations on this campus that go beyone gender and race. Additionally this group has been one of the only groups with active support of recovering alcoholics and addicts.
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Wow…..Darryn Beckstrom has written garbage articles all semester…I hope she is not returning for the spring?
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Not that this is totally on point but you whine like something is going to be some sort of gaping hole without the funding. Hello! There’s a catholic church that sits right on library mall, there’s another by Noodles & Co. off State Street, there’s another on the opposite side of the square just past the Argus and another a couple blocks off Regent Street. Not to mention the one downtown that burned and the catholic college just down Monroe Street. If people need lenten reinforcement or some other type of catholic guilt shoved down their throats then they certainly don’t have far to go. There is no shortage of opportunity to learn about catholicism in the campus area. Why aren’t one of those churches coordinating and funding an off-campus group for UW students? Seems to me that is their job anyway, not UW’s.
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To the conservative poster a few posts above - you should perhaps check your facts before you rant and rave. Last I checked - and I actually did - a great deal of the Patriot Act was not renewed. Conservatives could not even rally enough support to stop the fillibuster. Seems like some of your own have now realized the folly of their previous decisions as well.
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I’m sick of people shoving diversity down my throat, can we stop funding that too?
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After September 11th all members of the Senate voted to create the Patriot Act. Now those on the left whine about it and don’t offer alternatives. The current Fillibuster is preventing an up or down vote. But why did everybody vote for it if it was so horrible to begin with. Or are members of the Senate and Congress so short sighted that they could not see the effect of what they voted for. I bet they all got their feet wet in student government.
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Bush must be doing a wonderful job if the Patriot Act is no longer required.
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I think comments are supposed to be directed towards the actual CONTENT in the article, not towards the author or a certain group of people. And just because you don’t care about an issue doesn’t mean that nobody else cares either. But then again, commenting on this article shows that you do care…duh.
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you forgot one senator who did not vote for the patriot act… wow and he’s from WI.
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Feingold for President!!!
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Yeah! Go Feingold!
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Joe McCarthy was also a Senator from Wisconsin.
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Feingold for ex-senator turned D.C. Lobbyist like his buddy Daschle. He should change his name to “hey its just politics.” Russ Feingold is responsible for a law that restricts my first ammendment rights along with McCain. One of the reasons I was glad to get out of Madison is how stupidly most of its citizens vote. You would think that the SSFC had more members with the idiotic voting habits of most of Madison. If you actually knew Russ Feingold you might not be so enamored of him. As for McCarthy the greatest thing about him was that he was right. Communists were in the Pentagon, State Department and the Whitehouse and every person he personally went after turned out to be on the Soviet payroll. The proof delivered after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the USSR, due to a military taping program that only a handful of people knew about. The House went after the Hollywood crowd not Senator McCarthy. But the left prefers to work in fantasy rather than reality just like the memebers of the SSFC or the DNC.
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I thought it would be hard to leave Madison because I’d have to enter that so called “real world” that wasn’t so crazy and liberal as us in Madison. Well, right now I’m in Texas and reading these posts makes me not miss Madison at all. Most of you lunatics make Texans seem down right socialists. Throughout this very state cars are plastered with “Impeach Bush” stickers. Madison may be known for it’s progressive politics, but it’s the reactionary conservatives that are way out of step with the rest of the country.
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Austin is barely part of Texas. Move to Fort Worth, Waco, Houston, Dallas (but not by Baylor Hospital) or Texarkana and the Pro Bush stickers outnumber the stupid Impeach Bush stickers about 100 to 1. Give me a break, Texas has two Rebulican Senators, more Rebulicans in the house, a Rebulican Governor and a great place to visit called Austin. I left the metroplex a year ago and Downtown Dallas was surrounded by a sea of Red state voters. Who filled the congress with Republicans in part due to the wonderful efforts in redistricting that made Texas representative of how the majority of its people vote.