1991_09 The Daily Collegian September 1991

              y
Opi
inion
The CoUegian • Sejrtember*, 1991
2
TheDally Collegian
Editor in Chief
farm Ballinger
-Managing Editor
'ShannonWentioorth
News Editor
Krista Lemos
Copy Editor
Debbie Richards
Sports Editor
Doug McLeod
Graphics Editor
Claire Anseimd
Photo Editor
Hector Amezcua
ArtSpeak Editors
]asonTenda
Todd Meth
Staff Writers
Michelle Martin, Stacey
Dcnnehy, Erin Yasuda,
J. Scott Walker, Syed Zaheer
Sports Writers
Chris Cocoles, Richard
james, Darnel Evans, David
Donnelly
Staff Photographer
CarlBurdick.Dena
Chambers
Staff Artists
News Aide
Denise Envoy
Columnists
Contributors
Eric Burney
Business Manager
KhaUd Rashid
Advertising Manager
Brenda Marie Whitla
Advertising Production
Manager
Lance Jackson
Published since 1922
by ; v ■:•;•.;;
THE ASSOCIATED
STUDENTS, INC.
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Keats Campus Building
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Unsigned editorials are tbe
majority opinion of tbe
editorial staff and do not reflect
tbe opinions of tbe CSUF faculty
/jTAU'fiWTEffVilTHA M '
Simple lie to make life
[** W LIE. J
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Personal political interests at root
of current ASI budget problems
This years ASI is in the
process of deciding to set a
very dangerous precedent, one
way or the other.
President Andres Montoya's
proposal for cutting the 1991-92
budget was postponed at their
first meeting yesterday, which
truthfully is not all that
surprising. A reluctance to take
action is characteristic of
student government bodies.
The problem is that last
semester the Young Americans
for Freedom, a right-wing
campus organization, put a fee
referendum on the ballot that
passed narrowly and lowered
ASI fees from $16 to $8. This
means that the ASI now must
make up tor a 25 percent
defecit in the budget one way
or another.
But if the ASI expects to
resolve this issue any time
soon, they ought to get the ball
rolling.
Senators expressed concern
that they didn't have time to
speak to their constituents or
they hadn't enough time to
think about the proposals. Ad¬
ministrative Vice President
Martin Rodriguez didn't think
that the clubs and organiza¬
tions would want to read about
being cut in today's Daily
CoUegian.
Oh, well.
The ASI has a set of bylaws
which they are supposed to
follow. However, as all such
documents, they are subject to
a tot of interpretation. Ro¬
driguez sent a memo stating
that any defeats would be
absorbed by the capital
reserves, which would be a
good idea except for the fact
that if the student fees are not
raised back up to $16 next
semester then they will have to
keep pulling from the reserves
and the ASI will eventually
cease to exist as a corporation.
Can you say B-A-N-K-R-U-
P-T-C-Y?
The argument is that if the
money promised by last year's
administration is not delivered.
the integrity of the ASI would
be tarnished. Promises are
promises but bad fiscal policy
is unforgivable.
The reality is that if the fees
remain at $8 per semester, the
budget is going to have to be
cut. No one will be immune,
not even The Daily Collegian. If
the students aren't willing to
pay $16 for ASI fees, which is
considerably less than at most
other CSU's, then they are just
going to have to face the reality
that their services are going to
be cut.
Later this semester, a
counter-referendum may be
introduced by the Senate,
giving the students a chance to
raise the fees back to $16, An
additional $8 when writing out
a check for $549 could mean the
difference between an ASI for
the students and an ASI that is
just trying to keep its head
above the water.
So the next time you attend
a function funded by the ASI or
even pick up a copy of The
Daiiy Collegian, think about
whether $8 is really that much
money after all. And if you
really care about how this
matter should be dealt with in
case the counter-referendum
doesn't go through and you
want your voice to be heard,
attend the next ASI meeting.
Political parties will always
play their games. What is
lacking on their part is a
willingness to look at the whole
picture and realize that the
ramifications of taking action in
the ASI are much more
widespread than they realize.
And if people could put aside
their individual interests and
work out a solution that would
benefit the entire student body,
and not just a select few, we
could stop all the bickering and
start working together in peace
and harmony.
I guess maybe we should
take the advice of our legisla¬
tive vice president who said,
"this is politics • don't take it
personal."
Summer and freedom have officially ended
■ 'B» Krista Lemos continent. mented on how sad it was to              But no one will admit they
'"':':'.' ".."'.,■. . But you can definitely tell see summer end. My friend just want to go back. Pessimism is
.'WW," .W.".'"." .when summer has ended—ifs laughed. rampant, ifs the norm—
Summer ends, and autumn obvious.                                                How could I tell summer especially in those first few
comes, and he who would have it School begins. Freedom had ended? It was 100 degrees. days.
otherwise would-have high tide ends.           . ■ And probably still will be this            School'means spending lots
always and a full moon every Almost two. weeks ago on whole first week of class. ofmoney — moneymany
night.'' — Hal Borland one of those "sweltering Fresno           Well, to me it'sa givqn- studentsdon't have. Money for
days, I was walking with a When school starts, summer registration^ money for those
Someone once asked me friend, and as we headed for officially ends. books (some never to be read)
how 1 could tell when summer the grocery store I was enjoying         I've got those back-to-school and money for parking,
had officially ended in Califbr- the company and the freedom of blues.                                            Doesn't that hist seem
nia, particulary in Fresno. summer.                                     Sometimes you kind of look ridiculous. You have to pay to
The scorching days do tend True, I had worked all forward to school. Old friends let your car sit all day. Why?
to meld Into one extra-long summer but somehow a are all over campus, old hang- And then tp top it off, you pay
season, sometimes extending summer job doesn't take as outs hold fond memories and to parte then get to campus at   ■
into October. And leaves don't, much stress or as much tune as even new course subjects can 10 a.m., only to find there isn't
Change colors drastically as "school" work. pique your interest—at least  '—'	
they do In other parts of the And as I walked 1 com- tor a week or two.                                    See SUMMER, page 6