An error by a political coalition has misrepresented the
personal views of a student leader as those of all UCLA
undergraduates.
Undergraduate Students Association Council President Jenny Wood
gave her personal endorsement to several campaigns involving ballot
initiatives in the Nov. 8 special election.
But due to a miscommunication between Wood and the group running
the campaigns, the Alliance For a Better California, about the
nature of her endorsements, the Alliance’s Web site
attributes Wood’s opinions to the “UCLA Undergraduate
Student Association,” Alliance officials said Wednesday.
The Undergraduate Students Association, as defined in its
constitution, is the body of all currently enrolled undergraduates.
USAC consists of their elected representatives.
Jay Valencia, coalition builder for the Alliance, confirmed that
Wood intended to submit “independent endorsements,” and
that any misrepresentation was unintentional.
Wood and the Alliance both said they were unaware that an error
had been made, and are sorry for any confusion it may have
caused.
“I’m taking action to ensure this is rectified and
that the (mistake) is taken off the site,” Wood said.
This situation has arisen at a time when USAC has been
questioning its role in politics beyond the scope of the
university.
Two weeks ago, a majority of councilmembers voted against
passing resolutions on special election propositions, saying that
they should only concern themselves with matters that directly
affect students, and that they were not elected based on their
partisan leanings.
But individual councilmembers are free to involve themselves in
outside politics as they choose, so long as they keep their
activities separate from those of USAC.
It is estimated that the endorsements, which translate to
meaning that the UCLA undergraduate body as a whole supports the
Alliance’s views on many of the propositions on the ballot,
have been on display on the Web site since shortly after their
submission approximately two months ago.
The Alliance for a Better California is an organization formed
by unions and organizations of the state’s workers ““
including teachers, police officers, firefighters and health care
workers ““ who have mobilized to fight special-election ballot
initiatives.
The UCLA Undergraduate Students Association is listed on the
Alliance’s Web site as endorsing their campaigns against
Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 78, as well as in favor of 79 and
80.
General Representative Brian Neesby said the situation is
especially disconcerting because the endorsement is in the name of
the entire undergraduate student body.
“In any case … (these endorsements) should be
removed,” he said.
The way the endorsements were listed may also have
misrepresented the political activity of USAC, which is currently
carrying out a nonpartisan Get Out the Vote campaign.
Internal Vice President Kristina Doan said that the mistake
shouldn’t compromise voter education efforts.
“I don’t think it will have a profound
impact,” Doan said. “Hopefully students understand that
we want everyone to educate themselves on the issues and make an
informed decision on election day.”
USAC has never officially discussed taking stances on
Propositions 78 and 79, which concern low-cost prescription drugs,
or Proposition 80, which is on electricity price regulation.
Council voted at their Oct. 11 meeting not to approve
resolutions against Propositions 74, 75 and 76. Those propositions
concern teacher tenure, unions using member dues for political
purposes, and giving the governor more control over the state
budget.
The opposing members, primarily from the Bruins United slate,
voted against the resolutions because they believed them to be
beyond USAC’s reasonable scope.
In previous years, it was common practice for USAC to pass
resolutions supporting or opposing political action at the state
and national level.
But the majority of this year’s council has voiced their
opposition to passing resolutions that do not directly affect the
UCLA student body.