Editorial

Blah, Blah, Blah.

Good God, what an atrocity this year has been...

And yet, apologists abound in this day of overwhelming intellectual mediocrity. It is easy to say that there is no integrity to be found in ASUO because the evidence is so overwhelming.

The incidental fee fiasco is a good example. The year began with a benchmark setting meeting of the Student Senate. The Programs Finance Committee had a benchmark for a three percent increase. The year ended recently with the PFC ringing in at just over a two percent increase. The year seemed to go well.

However, the ASUO Executive shirked its duties throughout the entire process, failing to review budgets as the PFC passed them. When charges of misconduct were brought against Senator Sari Wisch, the ASUO Executive may just as well have tarred and feathered her in the EMU Courtyard for all of the support they offered her. Bowing down to the MultiCultural Center has become all the rage, however, as has been the "pro-programming" sentiments of some in the Executive and on the Student Senate.

When the year finished, Senator Wisch had been enjoined from taking part in any aspect of the MultiCultural Center's current or future business with either the PFC or the Student Senate. The Programs Finance Committee, prior to action taken by the Executive, was ready to turn in a four percent larger budget than this year's allocation.

Though the PFC claims to have been fiscally responsible because of the final percentage of just over two percent, they could not have achieved that number without the ASUO Executive cleaning house and vetoing budgets.

After the special requests are done, however, the Programs allocations will be back above the four percent mark, disguised by a summer session and a very large budgetary loophole.

The Elections are another example of shirking responsibility. The original elections coordinator, Brandon Smith, left the ASUO to be replaced by a very "impressive" and "professional" person, as Stacey Harding proclaimed herself. A special request was granted by the Student Senate giving the Elections Board over $7000 to purchase computer equipment that would enable the secrecy of the ballot to be maintained even with new student identification cards. That money was not used, and nearly $5500 will be returned to the Student Senate.

Stacey Harding herself disappeared on the first day of the Primary Elections, leaving her remaining staff to deal with issues that they were not equipped to handle.

Rather than filling that position or providing guidance and support to the Elections Board, the Executive let them make up rules as they went along, and contributed to an overall atmosphere of underhandedness in the campaign. Now, in the wake of two petitions to the Constitution Court, the General Elections will have been postponed for nearly a week. While the verdict is uncertain, the sheer exposure of the Elections Board and the ASUO Executive over a lack of overall discretion will certainly put a new spin on the process of the coming General Elections.

None of this would have happened if Scotten and Banfield had both taken responsibility for their offices and for their duties. Rather than hiding from the media and the public when press turned bad, or traffic in Suite Four became congested, they should both have stepped to the bat to offer assistance, guidance and an adherence to rules and procedure that have been sorely lacking this year.

While Banfield will accuse many of making a mockery of the process, it is he who is unwilling to acknowledge that his administration has been consistently in the wrong. The mockery is to be found in the administration of Scotten and Banfield. Quite a disappointment.