Representative says ASG doesn’t live up to promise

TO THE EDITOR

I must respectfully disagree with McKay Roozen and Lee Storrow. Their letter, “ASG expenses are justified for all to attend meetings,” (Nov. 6), suggested that the referendum regarding the Association of Student Governments is being promoted only by conservatives who wish to eliminate ASG.

As a liberal, I reject the idea that giving students a vote on an issue that affects them fits only with a conservative philosophy.

The single most common complaint I hear from my constituents is that they feel they pay too much in mandatory student fees, yet they do not receive much benefit from many of them.

The fact is that ASG and the mandatory student fee that funds it were both created without the input of the student body, and Student Congress has oversight only in how delegates are selected, not in whether to participate or the amount of the fee.

Much of the ASG student fee money is spent on travel to monthly meetings. The purpose of these meetings is ostensibly to talk about issues at various campuses and find ways to advocate for students; however, unlike when ASG was first formed, these goals could now easily be accomplished using conference calls and e-mail, at enormous cost savings to UNC students.

The proposed referendum seeks to give students two choices: a vote of confidence in ASG, in which case it would be written into the Constitution, or a vote of no confidence, which would send a strong signal to the Board of Governors that students do not see any benefit from continuing to pay the ASG fee.



Alex F. Mills
Student Congress
District 8 Representative