Tuesday was a sad day for democracy within UF Student Government. In that night's meeting, the Student Senate voted to keep giving top SG officials perks that are out of reach for ordinary students. They also illegally moved several powers of the Senate to the Unite-controlled executive branch, essentially creating the new office of Student Body Dictator.
The worst thing I saw wasn't even the outcome of the meeting (which, mind you, was pretty horrible). During a vote on the Parking Decal Fairness Act, I saw one senator raise his hand, voting to eliminate wasteful Student Government perks. However, the Unite Party member next to him pulled his hand down, saying that he wasn't supposed to vote that way. And when one of the majority's own members stood up to present a compromise, the Unite Party quickly cut off debate and voted him down.
The Unite Party controls a massive supermajority of the Senate, which they use to stifle debate and increase their own power. And when a Unite senator actually tries to vote with the minority, they are almost always silenced and probably won't find their names on the Unite Party slate again.
I urge the Senators of the Unite Party to be brave and stand up for what they think is right. It's time the Senate starts working for the students instead of only working to keep the majority in power.
