ASM Student Council missed an important opportunity for reform at last Thursday’s meeting. A proposal to let students opt-out of funding student organizations failed to get the supermajority needed to allow students to decide the issue in a spring referendum. Its failure calls into question ASM’s ability to achieve seg-fee reform without the intervention of federal courts.

Certain elements of Student Council with an interest in maintaining the status quo flipped students the metaphorical bird by denying them the opportunity to vote for an opt-out system. Even though turnout at ASM elections is chronically low, it is preferable to allow those who vote to decide the future of seg fees, rather than allowing a paternalistic council to dictate what is good for students and their pocketbooks.

Unfortunately, the opt-out debate was overshadowed by an equally disappointing attempt to remove the council’s chair and vice chair. Remarkably, this latest impeachment attempt follows a similar failed attempt to remove the vice chair and diversity committee chair. It seems that the council never learns, as uncivil debate characterized Thursday’s removal debacle just as it did a semester ago.

Failed removals grab headlines and amuse some, but they aren’t constructive. No wrongdoing was proven, and absent such evidence, Student Council members need to learn to live with the leaders they elected.

While some Student Council representatives obstruct serious reform, others obstruct meetings with pointless removal proposals. From the left or the right, the circus that ensues proves once again that ASM is an ineffective mess.