Letters to the Editor

Editor:

I am little confused over your [Jan. 24] editorial, “”Useless resolutions are a waste of time, resources,”” and I hope that we can clear up a few items.

The title’s point goes without question. But I am confused about your attacks on A.S. Council resolutions as being “”useless”” and “”pointless,”” as well as your assertions that the A.S. Council does not work to “”represent student opinion”” or “”actively work to address student concerns and needs.””

I am not aware of any useless resolutions passed by the A.S. Council and I don’t believe the “”Resolution Supporting America’s Institutions”” falls into that category. I say this because I whole-heartedly believe the A.S. Council does exist to “”represent student opinion.”” Therefore, when a resolution was presented by one of those students whom we represent, as well as supported by 280 signatures from those students, we took notice.

I do not know about the Guardian but I am not about to tell 280 students that their opinion is unimportant to the A.S. Council. I wouldn’t tell one student that their opinion is not important. The A.S. Council takes the time to address all items brought before it with its utmost attention. Student opinion is not a waste of time to us.

In addition, the A.S. Council does “”actively work to address student concerns and needs.”” You stated that there are “”half-empty faculty floors and ever-overflowing student floors,”” but if you looked at the statistics, at peak times ‘A’ spots are 20 percent vacant, ‘B’ spots are 13 percent vacant, and ‘S’ are 23 percent vacant. Students actually have more open parking spots than the faculty and your statement is simply not true.

The A.S. Council still actively fights for student parking needs. Last year the A.S. Council Representative to Transportation successfully lobbied for graduated permit-fee plan, so in the future student parking fees will be lower. Keeping student fees down is a need of all students. Also, last week, a resolution to be presented to UCSD Transportation and Parking Services was given to the A.S. Council and will be submitted to the college councils regarding freshman parking. The A.S. Council is fighting to safeguard freshman parking from being eliminated.

When you mentioned the A.S. Council’s plan to “”expand shuttle service”” you forgot to finish the sentence. It actually read “”expand shuttle service to and from the airport,”” which is something we are working on. In addition, TPS has made a proposal to expand the shuttle services and that will probably go into effect next year.

If you are so interested in parking issues, you should have applied to be the A.S. Representative to the Transportation Policy Committee (there was only one applicant, an A.S. Council member). I could go on about the other issues, but in the interest of using my time on more “”pro-active efforts,”” I will stop.

In conclusion, let me make two suggestions. Please contact your A.S. representatives via e-mail at [email protected]. Secondly, I invite you to attend an A.S. Council meeting (Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Price Center Ballrooms).

I encourage you to attend so in the future when you try to blast the A.S. Council for not working on student issues, you might find something true to type instead of the fabrications you printed in your editorial.

Please do not waste students’ time and registration fee money in the future with such rubbish.

— Tom Chapman

ERC Sophomore Senator

[Editor’s note: The Guardian is funded solely by advertising.]

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