In a surprising and pleasant turn of events, the cadre of ASM activists seeking to bring down UW’s current segregated-fees-distribution regime succeeded in amassing the nearly 4,000 signatures necessary to bring an “opt-out” referendum to student ballots during next week’s student government elections.

With little time to spare as most students packed their bags for spring break, Badger Party members and others submitted 4085 student signatures for review by Student Judiciary; 10 percent of the student body — 3,884 signatures — is required for the referendum to go to ballot during elections set for the first week of April.

This was no small task. General ASM elections typically attract fewer students than that to the polls. The sort of dedicated foot soldiering displayed in the name of fiscal responsibility is to be praised.

As with most student government issues, students ask themselves why they should care about these latest moves. But to this we answer: Because it could save us money.

With the year-to-year heights of student fees currently at the whim of intensely political and often conflicting interests, a system that places student taxes back into the hands of students is what we’ve been after all along. The successful signature drive brings us one step closer.

Yet, as was anticipated, those with a stake in maintaining current fee-distribution structures stand ready to challenge the collected signatures and keep the referendum off of the ballot.

Apparently, some of the signature-seekers took to university libraries in search of the necessary allotment, in what some opt-out opponents dub a violation of policies against campaigning on public property.

University Libraries director Kenneth Frazier claims the library system has no codified policy regarding the solicitation of signatures or other such activity within its facilities and that library staff generally make the best effort to accommodate anyone seeking to utilize the public library facilities in a socially constructive manner. He said in this particular instance, library staff received individual complaints that petition circulators were causing disturbances to those trying to work or study.

We wonder whether those lodging the complaints have their hands in the seg-fee cookie jar, because minute personal politics should not preempt the general student body’s evident interests. If legitimate legal issues arise with the signature-gathering methods, these complaints have brought impropriety to light. But legitimate malfeasance and petty hairsplitting are two different things.

But, all aspirations for good-faith dealings aside, this is ASM, and there remain good reasons why you never cared in the first place.