Editorial

Whom Unmerciful Disaster

Gabbe and Larson, off the ballot? Too good to be true, it seems. Under most circumstances, the Commentator would recommend that you avoid the ASUO ballot box like the plague. This time around, the fate of the ASUO may depend on your vote.

This is bad. Bad.

Where the likelihood of the Gabbe/Larson juggernaut mustering so much as a second-place showing as mere write-in candidates seemed unlikely to say the least, their reinstatement to the Feb. 23 & 24 primary opens the door for their minions (albeit well-organized minions) to command a potentially persuasive victory for this malignant and deceitful campaign.

For those of you who are just joining us: Student Senator C.J. Gabbe and fellow ASUO-involved Greek Peter Larson hosted the Feb. 4 International Student Association Friday coffee hour in the Taylor Lounge of the EMU. Fair enough.

The catch is that Munger - er, sorry, Melissa Unger, sister of Bunger and "C.J. & Peter" campaign manager, paid $40 for the refreshments - refreshments which were distributed to students along with buttons and posters urging students to vote for the "C.J. & Peter" ticket.

Any University student with a little bit of UO history behind them (much less three and four years of ASUO experience like these two) should know that this violates Election Rule 2.4 (a), which states that no campaign may provide a "service, opportunity, or other thing of value" in order to influence the outcome of the election. Unlike a lot of the verbose and technical word play that makes up most of the ASUO's legal troubles, this one really isn't all that hard to understand and comply with, if you want to.

The Elections Board ruled in favor of the grievance filed by Senator Jennifer Greenough (one of the only two current Senators opting to make a go of it next year), a pleasant surprise, given the Elections Board's dubious performance in the very recent past.

The ConCourt's decision to issue a stay on the E-Board's order should be construed by all students, politically conscious or not, as a message, loud and clear and not to be ignored. That message?

Get out there and vote.

Even if you hadn't been planning on sitting down to Duckweb this week, you now have more of a reason than ever to make yourself heard.

Why?

C.J. Gabbe comes from the same corrupt, self-interested political faction that has dominated the ASUO Executive for time immemorial. The interests they represent have little to do with the collective interest of the student body and more to do with the propagation of OSPIRG, the Progressive party, and less prominent wastes of time (OSA and USSA, just to name a few). No matter that the Progressive Slate is not officially active this year - even its leadership apparently concurs that the slate had become meaningless - the P-Slate lives on in shadow form, and C.J. Gabbe is its heir apparent.

Last year, the student body's wise decision to elect Wylie and Mitra over the weak Progressive option of Dan Reid and Matt Swanson dealt a serious blow to the P-Slate's vise grip on student government. Foreseeably, we could be at a turning point in ASUO politics. Then again, maybe not. A vote for Gabbe/Larson would all but negate what has been a promising change in the political climate.

Gabbe, may we remind you, is the only candidate to have a grievance unrelated to the election still pending against him.

Gabbe's ticket is the only one to egregiously break the election rules (unless you count the Breslow/Manger posters affixed to unsanctioned University bulletin boards).

Gabbe is the only candidate to neglect his elected duties (as Summer Senate President), refuse to own up for his actions and repay the money as common decency would dictate.

Gabbe is the only candidate to have allocated incidental fees to a group unaffiliated with the ASUO in any shape or form.

All available evidence seems to point to the obvious conclusion that he is not someone to be trusted, not someone to be voted for, and not someone worthy of filling the ASUO Executive next year.

Who should you vote for? Well, throw your vote behind Jay and Holly, for lack of a better option. Sort of like Netscape Navigator versus Microsoft Internet Explorer; neither option may be wholly appealing, but Jay and Holly are the only other ticket with any serious designs on winning, and that makes them the obvious choice.

The ConCourt has historically been the closest thing to a voice of reason that the ASUO can boast of, but with a by and large inexperienced court, this election cycle, it is of dire urgency that you use your votes to send a message back to them: this is not the kind of student government you want at this school.

Don't be a minion.

Vote against dishonesty. Vote against corruption. Vote against C.J. Gabbe and Peter Larson.