Editor, Daily Nexus,

I’m writing to congratulate the Associated Students Legislative Council on its accomplishments for the term. In my entire college career, I have never seen a council do so little with so much money. I understand that full-time students do not have enough time to work miracles. However, when Legislative Council members abuse their power in a way that hurts students, it infuriates me.

Last Wednesday, A.S. Legislative Council voted to censor the Daily Nexus by freezing its funding (“A.S. Votes to Restrict Nexus’ Assets,” Daily Nexus, Jan. 18.). A.S. wanted to pressure the Nexus into discontinuing advertisements from a company that A.S. is currently boycotting. I commend the leggies who voted no and A.S. President Jared Goldschen for deciding to veto the resolution. To every single leggie who voted yes: You can no longer be taken seriously when you claim to value free speech. Not only was the resolution illegal and disrespectful to student voters who reaffirmed the Nexus lock-in fee, but it showed absolutely no regard for freedom of the press.

Cutting off the Nexus’ funding only harms Associated Students. UCSB is lucky to have one of the few student newspapers in the country that covers every legislative council meeting and even travels to meetings and conventions with A.S. representatives. Without the Daily Nexus, Associated Students would not be able to publicize any of its efforts.

Additionally, every time Associated Students messes up or does something corrupt, the Daily Nexus[[ital]] can be trusted to expose them. Knowing that, it makes sense that the Jeronimo Saldanas of A.S. would rather the Nexus didn’t exist at all. For all my criticism of A.S., I must admit that their idiocy has taught UCSB a very important lesson: Even a government with the best of intentions must never be trusted to safeguard our freedoms.