Even More Fee Increases... ASUC?

http://dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=20585

When the class pass used to be a $30 mandatory fee, a few students would complain about paying for the class pass. I, for one, didn't because I used the bus routinely and at least thought they were doing somethign good for us.

But $55-70, by the way, at least how much the ASUC charges us, is ludicrous. What happened to fighting fee increases? Are fee increases now an accepted part of being a student at Cal? We paid the External Affairs office how much to "fight" against fee increases?

"I would support (the referendum) if they have to raise the fees," said senior Pammy O'Leary, a former Student Action candidate for ASUC external affairs vice president. "I don't like the fee increases, but I don't want to lose my bus pass."

Says WOULD HAVE BEEN EAVP losing to Liz Hall by less than 200 votes, I recall. The EAVP last year would have voted to raise student fees. WHERE IS THE ASUC? The External Affairs office simply lobby to delay a vote, but remember how effective lobbying is. Thanks, UCSA. Then what happens when the crap hits the fan?

Resigning on a Positive Note and Outlook

Dear Cal students,

Happy Thanksgiving!
I am hereby resigning the Abolish the ASUC Movement for several reasons, none of which are negative. I feel that the movement is growing significantly and I think it might succeed. Much more needed than my time writing (I trust DTI will do an excellent job) is time to my own things across state lines. I trust DTI, smashT, Organized Chaos and Jimmy Integrity will do splendid things and have legislation ready by the end of the semester.

I would like to say a few things. The student leadership needs to get better and not worse. We need leadership that will lead the students toward progress. I would like to see the ASUC abolished, and the only thing saving it will be improved relations with students. Otherwise, the ASUC's demise is certain.

The primary reason why I joined the ASUC Abolition is because of the actions of one corrupt elected official. I would really like an apology from this person because this person knows who he or she is. I really trusted this person and I am sad that I ever did. I trusted this person with the power of being elected and this person lost my respect.

ASUC officials, please do not fall down the path of the person I am describing. All of you are automatically morally superior in my eyes and I don't want to see any person sink to that level. I give you all my best regards.
Sincerely,

RepBast1984

ASUC/UCSA Does it Again

Believe it or not, I usually give the ASUC the benefit of the doubt when it comes to external affairs issues because, well, frankly I don't know what they do except Cal Lobby Days and wasting our ASUC money. Sort of like how we give the president benefit of the doubt before the War Powers Act kicks into gear.

The protest at the regents meeting was PATHETIC.

http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=20470

I mean, I'm of course no fan of fee increases and propose that we should find other ways to look at finding like find private sources who would gladly donate to such a fine campus. However, as I found out on CalStuff, apparently our wonderful Chancellor has rejected over $150 million in funding because the funding was for specific purposes. Thanks for our fee increases, Chancellor.

But if you take a look at how responsible the ASUC (the stduent representatives to the meetings were fromt he ASUC) and, in particular Student Action has been, in organizing these events, it's been pathetic. First of all, it was late and, of course this will make the Regents SO interested in a student body that didn't even find the right day to protest. Tyrant Anu Joshi (tyrant for her usage of propaganda and student money to do as she wishes), quoted:

"For as long as I've been here, they've always had the vote on Thursday," said Anu Joshi, president of University of California Students' Assocation, which organized the UC-wide march. "It is the first time in five years they've voted on a Wednesday."

WOW! The regents' meetings are not secret, nor do they deliberately trick students into thinking the meetings are on one day over another. The tyrant who apparently became president of the UCSA screws up again, and this is proof that once we see someone like Joshi, we never hear the end of her. She's a graduate student in Education and here to haunt us forever. EAVP Sharon Han is supposed to work closely with her. Thanks for No on 54. And thanks for the No on 73.

Yet another reason why the ASUC and all their compartment allies like the UCSA are USELESS and should be abolished. Thanks for taking our student fees to make sure that our fees remain raised. If you want a real fee cut, abolishing the ASUC will give you $55. For some people, that's food for a few weeks. For ASUC officials, that's part of their $4,000 a piece stipends. Whether the ASUC is liable for fraud or negligence it's a waste of money.

And it continues to grow

I'd like to introduce myself as OrganizedChaos. I feel that what DTI is doing is long overdue and decided to join the cause.

I know that there far more of us who agree on this, so we need to take action.

ASUC Senators by Ethnicity, Gender, Political Affiliation and Sexual Orientation

Does the ASUC represent you?

Here are some statistics about the ASUC senate 2005-2006 if anyone is interested.

1 Arab Man
0 Arab Women
0 Black Men
1 Black Woman
0 Caucasian Men
1 Caucasian Woman
4 Chinese Men
0 Chinese Women
1 Filipino Man
2 Filipino Woman
1 Indian Man
1 Indian Woman
2 Korean Men
0 Korean Women
4 Jewish Men
0 Jewish Women
1 Latino Man
1 Latina Woman


“Continent-of-Ethnic Origin”
European-American: 5 (20%, underrepresented, Berkeley ~ 30%)
Asian-American: 12 (60%, overrepresented, Berkeley ~ 40%)
Latino-American: 2 (10%, underrepresented, Berkeley ~ 14%)
African-American: 1 (5%, overrepresented, Berkeley ~ 3%)
Native-American: 0 (0%, underrepresented, Berkeley ~ 1%)

Men: 14 (70%, overrepresented, Berkeley ~ 45%)
Women: 6 (30%, underrepresented, Berkeley ~ 55%)

19 Democrats/Independents (95%, overrepresented, Berkeley ~ 80%)
1 Republican (5%, underrepresented, Berkeley ~ 20%)

19 Straight (N/A, probably overrepresented)
1 Bisexual (N/A, probably underrepresented)

So Republicans, women, caucasians, Latinos, Native Americans, and the LGBT crowd are all politically apathetic. Strangely, Asians are the least apathetic, and are the most diverse as half the women who won were Asian. They also have the only registered Republican. Also black men and caucasian men are equally underrepresented in this sample.

Election Returns for Prop 73

Thankully, it seems like the ASUC's stupid stunt didn't affect Prop 73 as it failed by a margin wide enough that even if every Berkeley student voted against it because of an ASUC endorsement, it still would have failed.

http://vote2005.ss.ca.gov/Returns/prop/mapR073.htm

But the ASUC has to realize that it needs to be held accountable to the students and not go around passing random bills they feel strongly about that don't benefit all of the students. What would have been more beneficial would be sponsoring debates and workshops that represent both sides so voters can make up their own minds.

We're not stupid. We won't be driven by, as Anu Joshi put it with the No on 54 Campaign, "propaganda". It's kind of insulting that the ASUC thinks we're so dumb that colorful signs will sway us to vote one way or another.

Update: Kudos to Matt Bunch, I hope he prevails in Bunch v. Han.

ASUC Senatorial Antics: No on 73

The ASUC is officially endoring no on 73, based on a Senate Bill

http://www.asuc.org/documentation/view.php?type=bills&id=463

This a clear violation of its pledge to represent all students. As I've said before, the senate never asked us if we wanted No on 73, nor have they inquired to see if even a majority of the campus supports no on 73. Did I miss some sort of poll? They didn't even ask if the majority of the campus is pro-choice. If this elitist ASUC feels it can sit here and pass bills without the consent of the governed, they don't deserve to be an entity of government, period. This bill probably won't even affect the outcome of the initiative! The people already have their minds made up.

I don't care if a bunch of senators feel strongly about the issue. I don't care if they support whatever set of rights they're trying to protect. They violated the trust of the people in the same way Anu Joshi and the Graduate Aseembly violated the trust of the people 3 years ago. I don't care if this were a Yes on 73 initiative, it's still wrong.

Update: Matt Bunch is suing the Senate in Judicial Council for actions over No on 73.

Not Doing the Job

Simply put, we agree with the Daily Cal editor in that the ASUC is not doing its job in a fair sense with regard to the Eshleman library. The library that they promised is a shoddy example of student government promises.

http://dailycal.org/article.php?id=20235

Selling our student library and putting it at the 7th floor in Eshleman hall is selling the students out. The University has plenty of spaces to accomodate multicultural centers, etc. but the ASUC sells out its own students our ONLY speace for a library/student union/career center. So much for the ASUC being independent. The ASUC is losing faith in its supporters one by one.

A student government does not do its job when it claims that it's helping students by limiting the little space students have on campus, selling out to a University that is increasing its fees upon us like ranaway inflation.