Vote no on fee increase: Not because you hate babies but because too few would bene_¶ t

Students will decide today whether or not to pass the much-contested child care services fee referendum.

If passed the referendum would raise the current fee of $2.44 — which helps subsidize child care for students with families — to $12.81.

Previously this board argued that students should be able to decide the matter themselves and supported Student Body President J.J. Raynor's petition to get the measure on the Feb. 17 runoff ballot.

But we do not support the increase itself.

An extra $10.37 might not seem like a lot to ask.

But the fee increase will raise more than $290000 in total which is an astronomical amount considering that so few students will directly benefit.

The child care subsidy program currently serves only 10 students with a wait list of 34 more.

Of course the fee increase would allow more students to benefit from the program.

Research by the Graduate and Professional Student Federation shows that UNC has more than 300 student parents.

That is still a very small number out of nearly 30000 students at the University.

Helping student parents receive adequate child care is certainly a laudable aim.

Most of these students don't qualify for local or government subsidies and programs like the child care subsidy can spare students the difficult choice between leaving their children in substandard care or dropping out of school.

But there are other ways to subsidize student child care that don't involve raising student fees.

If the University sees this program as a priority maybe as a way to attract qualified students who might otherwise be unable to attend it should come up with its own source of funding.

The women's center is also working to create an endowment that would augment University funds for child care.

Students should be encouraged to contribute as they see fit — by signing a personal check or donating cash out of pocket not by voting ‘yes' on a ballot.

Perhaps most disappointing about this referendum has been the childish rhetoric on both sides.

Much of the debate over the fee increase — whether via listservs online comments or campaign signs — has been snide heated and rarely ventured beyond petty accusations: if you support the referendum you're a socialist; if you oppose it you're a baby-hater.

Simply put this referendum is about how the increased demand for student child care at UNC should be funded.

Do we support expanding child care services? Of course. Just not at the expense of other students.