We know Student Government likes to think of itself as a real government, and with its $14.4 million budget we can see the argument. But now it’s time for SG to remember the No. 1 lesson of democracy: When the voters speak, you listen.
In last week’s elections, 55 percent of students voted against a new fee that would cover an expansion of the Reitz Union. The fair thing for SG to do is to listen to the voters, who would be funding the expansion with increased fees that wouldn’t be covered by Bright Futures.
But that referendum was non-binding, meaning it was essentially an opinion poll, not something that has to be heeded.
With tuition continuing to rise and scholarships, like Bright Futures, covering less of the cost of college, students shouldn’t be forced to spend an extra $20 per semester and $3 per credit hour for something they have expressed little interest in having.
Just because it would be the fair thing to do, however, doesn’t necessarily mean SG will do it. It would not at all be out of character for them to go ahead with the fee and the Reitz expansion anyway.
In the fall 2008 elections, students voted overwhelmingly to reject a referendum to install hand scanners at the UF gyms. And by overwhelmingly, we mean with 84 percent of the vote.
But SG and management at the UF gyms pressed on with the hand scanner idea until the spring 2009 elections, when senators put an initiative on the ballot, which, unlike referendums, is binding.
That time, students again voted against the hand scanners, and the idea was scrapped.
SG leaders would be wise not to repeat that mistake. They need to remember where that $14 million budget they have to play with comes from — the students’ pockets. If they want to represent the Student Body, they need to listen when it speaks, and it spoke in last week’s elections.
This doesn’t mean that the repair and expansion of the Reitz is a bad idea. We’re all for that. But if SG wants to make the upgrades, it should find other funding to do so.
In addition to the fee, SG planned on securing funds from the administration and from the Capital Improvement Trust Fund, to which all Florida public university students contribute through fees.
SG also wants to solicit donations from alumni for the improvements, which is a great idea. And maybe after we graduate we will choose to contribute. But for now, the students have expressed their desire to not fund the project. And for those students who voted “yes” to the fee, we’re sure they are more than welcome to give a donation of their own, too.
We’re all for the proposed renovations and upgrades at the Reitz. Especially the part about getting rid of asbestos, because that’s gross. But not if it’s funded by a fee the students have voted against.
SG does have one more course of action if it wants to get students to fund the project: include bringing Wendy’s back as part of the plan. We would gladly pay $20 per semester and $3 per credit for that.
