Clarification: This is a response to a letter that was originally attributed to UF student Josh Winegar. Winegar informed the Alligator that he believes the letters were sent falsely under his name by members of the Unite Party, who currently hold the Student Government majority. The Alligator does not currently know the identity of the senders.
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Josh Winegar’s letter in Tuesday’s Alligator was very interesting. Apparently, Josh has a different definition of experience than you and I do.
Ben Cavataro served two terms in the Student Senate, winning both elections by substantial margins. His legislation cut thousands in Student Government waste and returned that money to student organizations.
While at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sagar Sane led the school’s speakers bureau and worked to establish its $2 million endowment.
Rafael Yaniz has worked with SG Finance as a treasurer and president of Gators for Israel and as the external chief of staff to the current Student Body president. Sounds like good experience to me.
I guess what counts for Josh is a little different, as the Unite Party candidates are very experienced too, in a different way.
The Unite Party presidential candidate, Ashton Charles, lost her first Senate election and only got into Senate after being appointed as a replacement senator. The committee that appointed her was the subject of a scandal when it was revealed that the committee chose illegally who would get positions before conducting interviews, a classic case of political patronage.
So after entering Senate through favoritism instead of popular vote, it’s not a surprise that she is the leader of the Unite Party’s effort to impose a new Reitz Union fee on the Student Body without even so much as a referendum.
Josh is right about one thing. The Student Alliance party candidates are lacking experience in one aspect of SG — a history of corruption and mediocrity. So much for a “positive new direction.
