Columnist lets off Congress too easily
Regarding Rashmi Joshi’s recent column, “As economy falls, we should stop to pick it up” (Oct. 13), I am not sure how the bailout package can be interpreted as a “punishment” for Wall Street, “fueled by humanity’s need to punish renegades”.
It seems to be exactly the opposite ““ giving these “renegades” a chance to escape their losses at the expense of the taxpayers.
It’s hard for me to interpret this effort by the government as anything remotely comparable to post-WWI restitutions for Germany or Iraqi economic sanctions after the Gulf War.
The flood of regulation and bureaucracy that is certain to follow this crisis may prove to be somewhat crippling, but the bailout itself seems like a pretty sweet deal for Wall Street.
If the American people are really as thirsty for revenge as the article suggests, than maybe they should focus on their representatives, who took $700 billion dollars of their money to buy up debt
that the private market was unwilling to buy.
Dan McDonald
Fourth-year, business economics
USAC keeping Undie Run a top priority
Undie Run has not been officially “cancelled.” As USAC President Homaira Hosseini and I have expressed on several occasions, UCLA administration has no plans of entirely “canceling” this Bruin tradition, though they may work to change some aspects of it. This information comes directly from talks with administrators, including Robert Naples (Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students) and Debra Geller (Chief Administrative Officer for Student and Campus Life). The idea that this event will never again take place is a misconception, and I urge students and alumni not to help this rumor spread.
Furthermore, both Homaira and I have been working to guarantee the vitality of Undie Run in coming quarters. I am holding office hours to hear student concerns and suggestions. I have planned meetings with the appropriate administrators to represent these student ideas and to discuss solutions to the administration’s concerns. I have called for fellow USAC members to join me in a committee to address the situation. In fact, much of this information was expressed in the Daily Bruin’s Sept. 26 article on this topic. As such, I was surprised by the letter to the editor “Undie Run a defining Bruin tradition” (Oct. 10), in which two former Facilities Commissioners assert that Undie Run has been cancelled. The writers are misinformed in this assertion, as they are in their allegation that this year’s USAC members “sit idly on their hands.”
My predecessors did admirable work to protect Undie Run. However, had they been truly successful, the event would no longer be a concern to administrators. I will work to protect this Bruin tradition well into the future, while at the same time working on larger issues. As the former commissioners wrote, “it is imperative that [USAC] advocate for what students truly want and care about.” I think they would be happy to learn that we are doing just that. Given the recent robberies around campus, students certainly care that USAC is working to protect their safety. Also, in the current economic climate, students surely care that council members are establishing textbook scholarships, new fee payment options, and affordable housing ““ all while also defending Undie Run.
I encourage students and other Daily Bruin readers to learn the facts and see that USAC is working hard on this and a multitude of other issues. As well, I invite students to come visit me in my office, Kerckhoff 300D, on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Galen Roth
SAC Facilities Commissioner, 2008-2009