Tonight the governor will give his State of the State address, and no doubt student leaders will be quick to pounce if there is any suggestion that tuition may be raised to help cover the budget cuts required of the university. If only they would be so vocal about the other news of the week that directly affects student tuition bills.

Last Friday was the deadline for ASM to send their 2002-2003 budget to Chancellor Wiley. The budget includes well-documented, massive increases in student segregated fees, including an 84 percent increase in student organization budgets.

Considering Chancellor Wiley has already approved the Student Activity Center — which will cost students approximately $20 a semester for 20 years — we urge him to veto this budget and avoid adding yet another substantial burden to students facing another hike in tuition.

At the very least, he should send the budget back to ASM with the directive to trim some of the more ambitious capital projects (for example, a major portion of MCSC-DES’s $1 million budget is for the renting and renovation of new office space). After all, lots of office space will soon be available at student expense in the Student Activity Center.

It is becoming more and more clear the student organization budgets were passed with no thought towards the future. Chancellor Wiley should reject them and insist ASM consider the effect on all students, not just their favorite constituencies.