Students should support amendment to SG constitution
On Sunday, the Senate enabled the student body to decide whether the Comptroller and Secretary should be appointed rather than elected.
Next week you will vote for senators, class councils and on this referendum question. You will have the power to amend the Student Government Constitution.
While it is true that exercising that power will change the Spring Executive elections, it will ultimately increase the field of qualified candidates for the comptroller and secretary positions.
Those officers are paid $5,000 for the summer and $3,500 for the academic year. With that money coming from student activities fees, it is crucial that those officers perform in their positions for the duration of their term.
Students should expect that paid individuals will commit to the office and fulfill the role required of them. In amending the constitution, that commitment will be assured by appointments and confirmations that ensure qualified applicants and proper oversight.
In the four short years of the Student Government, the elected secretary has resigned once and on two occasions the elected comptroller has resigned. For those three occasions, the vacancies have been filled or in the recent case will be filled by appointment.
With current rules, candidates for secretary and comptroller are allowed $250 for the purposes of campaigning. As evidenced by the successful write-in campaign by the current secretary, who ran unopposed, that sum deters potential candidates.
Instituting an application and appointment process for those positions will promote the oversight necessary to ensure that those candidates have the skills required of the respective offices.
Individuals who were deterred from campaigning, but who have a fiduciary or communications and marketing background will have the incentive to apply.
Although this amendment will change the direct influence of students on the process, it will both increase the field of candidates and the opportunities for qualified students to fill those offices.
When voting next week, consider that the Student Government is not meaningless, consider that the executives oversee a budget of $590,400 and consider that change is needed to promote the stability and dedication that the student body both expects and deserves.
Jared Alves Senator-at-Large
Vyse’s Tea Party column unfair
In the Sept. 14 issue of The Eagle, editorial writer Graham Vyse made broad generalizations about the 9/12 Tea Party demonstrations based on 30 interviews with conservative crazies (“Right-wing extremists taint Tea Party protests, hurt conservative cause”).
Protestors numbered in at least the tens of thousands and were largely upset about out-of-control spending and “Obamacare.” But Vyse suggests fiscal conservatism is outside the mainstream and the Tea Parties do no service to the conservative movement. This is false. Other issues the column ignored and distorted were:
1. Obama’s policies are no more radical than FDR’s. Yet, it was he who created many of the programs that are now draining this country’s resources.
2. Democrats’ plans include controlling and regulating 1/6 of the US economy. That’s a problem.
3. The Tea Partiers are all radicals because they included mostly birthers and those claiming Obama is a fascist, socialist Nazi: not only false, but 9/11 Truthers and “Bush was a Nazi” folks could be found at every anti-war rally.
4. Tea Partiers are all radicals and did not stick to the issue of the economy and health care: attendees included resident nut jobs (AKA: respected conservatives) like Senator DeMint and Congressmen Pence and Price and Dick Armey.
Vyse devalues the Tea Parties. Remember that during the Revolutionary era, the actual Tea Party was technically an act of terrorism. This recent march was within legal limits and presented serious concerns with current policies through well-known speakers and many legitimate signs. Peaceful protests against a border-line unilateral government that spends what it does not have and ignores the people should never be labeled bad for the GOP — or our nation.
Todd Carney Freshman, SPA
Stephen Laudone Sophomore, SPA/SOC
Bobby Trivett Sophomore, SPA/KSB
