Just as this board opposed the Union referendums last March, we ask students to vote "No" once again this week as the Student Union Initiative is put on the ASM ballot.

The referendum, which calls for the renovation of Memorial Union and the demolition and reconstruction of Union South, imposes far too great a burden on the student body. The proposed plan will increase student-segregated fees by up to $96 per semester for as many as 30 years to cover more than half of the initiative's costs.

The majority of current UW students won't use the updated Union facilities; and remarkably, in a couple of decades, their children may still be footing the hefty Union tab should they choose to attend their parents' alma mater.

Presently, students pay about $650 in student-segregated fees, and with the suggested $192 increase, in addition normal tuition hikes, the burden may become unbearable.

It is hard to believe the Wisconsin Union Directorate has no other way of earning the necessary money — at least to update Memorial Union — through other avenues. Perhaps by charging more for Union memberships; increasing the prices of special Union events, such as movies and concerts; or upping what patrons pay to enjoy a beer on the terrace, would be a better step toward chipping away at the Union Initiative's price tag. And by implementing such policy changes, those who use the Unions the most would shoulder the cost for the bulk of the improvements.

Some areas of the Memorial Union renovation scheme are urgent and feasible: Improving the building's accessibility and bringing it up-to-date with fire codes are necessary. However, the plan is bloated with superfluous provisions, including addition of a campus parking garage and the restoration of a decorative dome in the Great Hall.

If the plan stands a chance of garnering student approval, the authors of the Student Union Initiative should divide the two Unions into separate proposals and look to additional sources for revenue.

We urge you to vote "No" to an unreasonable plan that would surely place a huge weight on UW students both present and future.