It may not be "sexy," but one Student Government party doesn't care how their platform will look on a campaign poster.
Billing itself as the party with a vested interest in "getting it done," the Progress Party's not-made-for-TV key points offer UF students something rarely associated with SG - a chance for results. For this and other reasons, the Alligator endorses the Progress Party in this semester's SG elections.
With a self-proclaimed "defensive-minded" financial approach to handling the SG budget, Progress seeks to remedy the currently inefficient method in which campus groups receive funding.
Under its plan, an online database will be developed to track how organizations utilize monies allocated to them from SG to cut down on unnecessary spending that could be budgeted elsewhere.
Currently, SG relies upon a three-ring binder as the sole record of how the money is being divided - an antiquated approach that may breed error and dishonesty.
Progress hopes to create a budget task force to electronically monitor how a group uses its funding so that organizations that do not demonstrate growth are not automatically provided funding year after year. If implemented, these seemingly small changes could potentially net SG $100,000 - not to mention a sound archiving system that doesn't stand a chance to be lost or stolen. By embracing technology, the Progress Party will be able to forge a greater bond with the currently isolated SG outsiders who feel a sense of disconnect.
Another crucial component to Progress's platform stems from its desire to increase "insourcing" on the UF campus. This would place greater emphasis on providing grants, jobs and contracts to students instead of looking beyond The Gator Nation to outside sources. Instead of a private company developing GPS technology for on-campus transportation, an "insourcing" approach would have called for engineering students to receive a grant to develop the product. This approach could also be used to save UF money, for example by using computer science students to implement wireless Internet in dorms instead of paying an outside contractor.
Beyond the scope of its platform, Progress made clear its selfless intentions if elected to SG office. The candidates aren't running to pad their resumes with hopes of landing at top-notch law school or to rub elbows with Bernie in his private box at a Gators game - in fact, if elected, candidate for Student Body President Ben Dictor will sell the tickets and donate money to charity. Simply put, Progress seeks to ensure that your Activity and Service fees are being put to the most efficient use possible.
The Progress Party does not stand for an anti-Greek versus Greek mentality or employing exclusionary tactics with regard to who can be a part of their mission. Rather, Progress looks to recruit individuals based upon what they can offer in terms of making necessary change for the good of the entire Student Body. Whether you are Greek or a computer geek, Progress will welcome you with open arms so long as you are a hardworking and intelligent individual.
What impresses the Editorial Board most about Ben Dictor and his running mates is their honest-to-goodness hope to bring people together. We were struck by their sincere intentions of having the best interests of the students at heart, rather than the tired practice of sticking to party lines and partisan bickering. You won't find empty promises of a parking garage that will never be built or the elimination of on-campus newspaper programs, but rather blue-collar grit that will demand transparency and newfound cohesiveness.
