It is amazing that UW-Madison’s much-maligned student government, the Associated Students of Madison, still lives.
Over the past seven years, ASM has played out like a primetime drama series, enduring countless controversies, startling revelations, episodes of corruption and multiple hostile takeovers. To top it all off, a federal lawsuit remains a reminder of the Supreme Court decision regarding the inability of this student government to compel mandatory segregated fees.
As a former financial committee member and ASM Finance Committee chairman, I have come to understand and to nuzzle up to the complex underbelly of your student government.
While I do not intend to limit the scope of my conversations with readers to just ASM issues, on many occasions I will attempt to confront an oft-cited presumption student politicians have about their constituents. Most student politicians feel justified in hiding their activities, since they assume most students would not understand what was going on anyway. These representatives then scold their political opposition by using the complexity of the system as an excuse for the ignorance of the student body they supposedly represent.
Many governments have kept information from the populace and then accused the opposition of being too ill-informed to intelligently disagree with the majority. ASM has found this method to be effective in solidifying the permanence of the status quo.
This status quo consists of underreported expenses, nebulous rules, unbridled power, skyrocketing costs and a lack of accountability. If the general student population really knew how much power and money is at play, it would likely not so complacently wave off the childish antics of those who wield them.
I have come to know about these practices. I know how segregated fees work. Over the past four years, I have come to intimately know the organizations and people who are affected by the funding that is received through the collection of mandatory fees. I understand how the process works and the circumstances surrounding the current legal case.
I don’t need more education on the topic. I don’t need more information or silly pamphlets. The segregated fee system, as it currently compels, collects and distributes money, is inherently wrong.
To effectively correct it would require completely razing the current system and starting over.
Welcome to Madison, or, at the very least, welcome back. In contrast to the way most ASM meetings are held, I look forward to a great semester of conducting my business on the record.
