Thursday’s article about ASM’s decision to require 15 percent minimum turnout for any capital building project funding measure was a slap in the face for those of us who have been here long enough to remember the history of the Student Union Initiative.
The referendum, in one of its various forms or another, was defeated in the 2005 spring election 2,385 to 2,200 with 12 percent turnout and then again during the 2006 spring election 4,654 to 3,959 with 22.4 percent turnout. These results were discarded because the elections were “botched.” When the referendum did pass in the fall of 2006, it did so by a margin of 1,691 to 915 and a paltry turnout of 6.59 percent. The actual designs for the new Union South (and hence the final price tag) would not be completed for another two years — their announcement was also in Thursday’s edition.
So I’m supposed to be happy that ASM has decided to close the barn door, now that the horse is gone? With UW, state and federal finances in the shape that they’re in, what major building projects were they expecting to pop up that would require student funding? What an empty gesture. It certainly won’t help the next 30 years’ worth of students as they fork over 58 percent of the $87.7 million tab in segregated fees.
If Jeff Wright and the rest of ASM really think that this mockery of a safeguard is “absolutely fantastic” they should put their money where their mouth is: hold the referendum again with their minimum enforced. Hold it again, now that the plans and services have actually been laid out and the cost to students has been clearly defined. Or better yet, apply this minimum to all student votes that involve ASM instead of just “capital building projects.”
But neither of these will happen. The wrecking party is already set for Union South, and ASM would never apply the 15 percent minimum across the board. After all, we can’t have ASM ignored out of existence, now can we?
John Dawson
UW graduate student
