UCSB’s Associated Students believes it knows best.

They believe they know what is best for you, your fellow students, and future students to come. After all, you did elect them.

The members of A.S. Legislative Council harbor a strong conviction that they should be able to take political stances on your behalf, with your money, on issues of higher education. What’s more, they think you all agree with them.

On Wednesday night, in the spirit of opposition to Proposition 76 — which would give Governor Schwarzenegger unchecked vetoing power in line-item budgetary matters, including higher education — legislative council, a group already burdened by financial obstacles, unanimously passed a resolution to hire legal counsel to test the UC Office of the President’s policy against the use of student fees in political matters. While A.S. representatives are currently allowed to take stances on political issues, they must use private funds to spread their word. This annoys them.

Problem is, there will always be a faction of tuition-paying students in opposition to A.S.’s political agenda.

Perhaps a larger problem is the clandestine and hasty nature of this A.S. operation. Aside from an agenda available at the A.S. office, no advance notice was given to the student body about its significant intentions to use student money to try and save student’s money. No advertisements for the meeting, no tables, no petitions, nothing. Furthermore, A.S. neglected to confer with other UC campuses and has not properly debated the implications of such a measure. For a governing body that promised to be both transparent and fiscally responsible last spring, this was neither.

Considering A.S. is essentially asking the state government to fund a partisan endeavor, this will be in uphill battle requiring reams of resources. As the lawyer fees pile up, the money left for A.S. events and programs will be a fraction of what it was supposed to be.

We certainly encourage A.S. to fight for student’s rights and wish them luck in opposing Proposition 76, but please, keep your hands off our money. It was meant for Extravaganza.

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