In the upcoming spring elections for the undergraduate student
government, students will have the opportunity to vote on a
referendum to ensure continued membership in state and national
advocacy organizations for a nominal fee.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council voted
overwhelmingly to place a referendum on the ballot, that would
decrease quarterly student fees by 50 cents during its meeting
Tuesday night.
UCLA students currently pay $2 per quarter for membership in the
University of California Student Association and the United States
Student Association. The Student Voice Referendum, which will be
put on the spring ballot during sixth week, would lower the fee to
$1.50 per quarter and extend membership in the organizations
indefinitely.
As a current member of UCSA and USSA, UCLA students are
represented in the state and nationwide decision-making process,
said Matt Kaczmarek, USAC external vice president and UCSA
chairman.
If the referendum passes, students will continue to have the
ability to work to steer the advocacy agenda and ensure the needs
of the UCLA community are met, Kaczmarek said.
The referendum is an important way for students to participate
in and have an affect of UC policy, said President Anica
McKesey.
“It’s important for students to engage on a
statewide level … to affirm the work of UCLA students,”
McKesey said.
UCLA has had a “proud history of being a member of
USSA,” Kaczmarek said, adding that he hoped to continue this
tradition.
With membership in UCSA and USSA, a group of student
representatives for UCLA have the power to vote in both
organizations, said Kim Lucas, chief-of-staff for the external vice
president’s office.
The external vice president has ““ and if the referendum
passes ““ will continue to have, a seat on the board of
directors for UCSA and a delegation of students will have the power
to vote in USSA discussions, Lucas said.
The referendum will ensure continued representation in the
larger advocacy agenda and establish a relationship with advocacy
organizations, Kaczmarek said, adding that he did not see any
legitimate reason to oppose it.
One councilmember, general representative and presidential
candidate Josh Lawson, expressed concern with the referendum,
saying he saw a problem with automatically committing fees to go to
a certain organization.
“I think it limits the ability of council and UCLA
students to choose to selectively support programs,” Lawson
said, adding that representatives will have less flexibility in
working for students’ needs if they are locked into a
relationship with state and national advocacy groups.
If the referendum is passed, the fee would continue at $1.50 per
quarter with no prescribed date of termination, but future
councilmembers will have the ability to discontinue membership it
if at any time it no longer seems to be in the best interest of the
student body.
If the referendum does not pass, membership in the two
organizations will end, and students will not pay the additional
fee.
“I hope students will see the relevance of state and
national advocacy,” Kaczmarek said, adding that with the
current situation of the California economy and budget cuts it was
particularly important for students to be represented on the
statewide level.
Also during the meeting Tuesday night, The Voting Rights
Amendment, which was proposed by Lawson and would make online
elections permanent, did not pass council and will not be on the
spring ballot.
The council has expressed various concerns regarding the
amendment and did not think Lawson had sufficiently addressed their
concerns, said Allende Palma/Saracho, internal vice president.