A quarterly weeklong pledge drive for students to donate to a
state-wide advocacy program starts next week, but many students
seem unaware of the purpose the group serves.
During the week of Feb. 9 to 13, members of the California
Public Interest Research Group will be seen on Bruin Walk and
throughout the UCLA campus encouraging students to pledge.
Though students can de-pledge at any time, pledging means that
students will have $5 added to their BAR accounts each quarter
until they graduate.
This quarter, the group is shooting to get 1,000 new students to
pledge, said Aliya Haq, CALPIRG campus organizer for UCLA.
Some students say the lack of clarity in the
organization’s spending is the reason they do not pledge.
Hiep Lam, a fifth-year economics student, said he would be more
likely to pledge if he were provided with a clear breakdown of
where his money would go.
The UCLA chapter will finish with an estimated $75,000 from the
fees collected this year ““ a number larger than any of the
other six University of California chapters.
The money collected at UCLA will be added to the money from
other campuses, fund raising and money from the CALPIRG reserve
fund, to make up the $413,540 total income estimated for the 2004
fiscal year.
Nearly 80 percent of the organization’s total budget in
2004 will go to pay for personnel. This money will cover the salary
for all seven campus organizers throughout the UC system, one
organizing director and two assistant organizing directors.
The personnel funds also pay for the advocate for the CALPIRG
Higher Education program ““ a program that operates at both
state and federal levels and works to increase accessibility to
college through increased financial aid funding
Last year, the group was involved in the campaign to increase
the maximum awarded Pell Grant ““ a federal grant for
undergraduates ““ through its Higher Education program.
The remainder of the personnel budget goes toward paying for the
PIRG National Campus backup staff, CALPIRG’s legislative
director, and dues to support the group’s national lobbying
office in Washington, D.C.
Due to a lack in funding, the group’s largest project,
Hunger and Homelessness, is left without an advocate, said Jolene
Mitchell, the CALPIRG chapter chairwoman at UCLA.
The organization’s latest campaign is against the constant
rise in textbook prices, a campaign brought on by of a series of
data collected by CALPIRG showing the impracticality of the
increases.
At the moment, the UCLA chapter for the group is working on a
“Water Watch” program with an environmental protection
agency and is focused on the high levels of mercury in waters
which, if above toxic levels, can in the long run cause serious
damages.
Because all the money raised is put into one pool and is spent
for all the campaigns, it is not possible to say how much of the
budget goes toward each specific program, Haq said.
Nonetheless, in the upcoming week, CALPIRG volunteers will be
asking students to pledge since as a part of their contract to stay
at UCLA, it is required for the group to have 15 percent of
students pledging.
“Most students are apathetic and don’t care. …
They just don’t want to be bothered,” said Thuan Luu, a
fifth-year chemical engineering student.
During the week, students who pledge, will receive stickers
showing they have pledged.
“I will just put the sticker on my bag, so they
won’t bother me,” Lam said.