Immigration Article Ignores Reality

Dear Editor:

Hanna Camp’s April 6 article on illegal immigration reveals a simplistic view of the problem and is more of an obstacle than help in the way of its solution. There is no doubt that every country has the right and the duty to enforce its borders, but to reduce an epochal phenomenon to a public order issue to be solved by the border patrol or the criminal justice system means to be willingly blind. Nor does it help (except for an easy arousal of base emotions) to mix immigration and terrorism: We are not talking here of a group of criminals to be defeated by a judicious action of the police supported by good intelligence, but of the migration of millions — a conceptually and pragmatically different problem. To solve the problem, it is of no use (not to mention immoral) to criminalize the weak and those who, pushed by desperation, abandon everything they have: We must look at its causes and at the political and economic situation in which the problem flourishes.

The article doesn’t tell, for instance, of the grave economic distortion caused by the so-called free trade according to which national orders have been abolished for capitals and goods, but not for labor, so that poor countries are placed in the impossibility of defending their economies through tariffs but can’t export what they have plenty of: workforce. The article doesn’t say that the so-called free market is enforced only inasmuch as it favors the powerful: There are cotton-producing African countries that have to starve themselves to compete because the U.S. government gives to the American growers in aid an amount larger than the gross national product of those countries, depressing the prices on the international markets. Those countries, needless to say, are prevented by the WTO from doing the same with their growers.

Finally, if in spite of everything we want to see the issue as a matter of public order and use the criminal system, it is more just, more enforceable and a better deterrent to hit the employees, who have a lot to lose, rather than the weak, who have already lost everything; if anything is to be made a felony, it should be to hire an illegal worker, not to look for work illegally.

— Simone Santini

San Diego Supercomputer Center

Columnist Off-Base On Nature of Biases

Dear Editor:

Ian S. Port’s recent column on bias in the media might have been one of the most prejudiced and self-congratulating pieces I’ve read since … well, his last column. His claim that Fox News’ pretension of being “fair and balanced” is somehow more insidious than a liberal news source’s claim of the same smacks of either ignorance or dishonesty. Either way, now that we know he’s biased (big whoop), can you stop running him? We all know what he’s going to write by now. Bush sucks, yadda yadda. Get over it and run someone interesting.

— Travis Weinger

Revelle College Sophomore

Student Newspaper Shows Hypocrisy

Dear Editor:

In my five years as a student, I have never written a letter to the editor before. However, after reading Daniel Watts’ letter published in the April 6 issue of the Guardian, I feel the need to respond. Watts is quick to criticize others and distort realities in order to portray a false image of himself as some sort of benevolent savior to UCSD.

For example, Watts criticizes A.S. Vice President Finance Greg Murphy and A.S. presidential candidate Harry Khanna about the infamous Pike Vegas conference funding. He published the Truth About UCSD using A.S. funds and wrote, “Greg Murphy raids student treasury.” Even during this past election week, he criticized Harry for his shady involvement with such a scheme. A quick glance at A.S. records will show that I was the submitter of this legislation, and that rather than Murphy pilfering funds, as Watts likes to say, the A.S. Council voted on the funding and it was approved (neither Murphy nor Khanna are voting members). In fact, if you read the minutes of the meeting, you’ll note that neither of the two once spoke in favor of funding this event.

The Truth About UCSD brings me to another point. Watts wrote and published this student-funded newspaper. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find his signature on that paper, or any sort of mark that says, “I wrote this.” He speaks of being a man of integrity, but he effectively published a smear campaign without even having the backbone to take responsibility for it, probably worrying that it would hurt his political image. While A.S. funds are never allowed to be used for campaigning, Watts found a loophole that allowed him to “pilfer” nearly $1,000 of student funds to print this paper. And then after he does so, he has the nerve to print a receipt for a shot glass costing less than $20 and blamed Khanna for it.

Watts is an excellent orator and a great writer. His rhetoric is so convincing that he might make students think twice about whom they vote for when they fire up their TritonLink this week. That being said, students: Do not be fooled. This man has no backbone, no integrity and his desire to be president is fueled by a hunger for power, not a deep care for student life.

— Kevin Hanson

A.S. Vice President Finance, 2004-05

President, Pi Kappa Alpha 2005

Corruption Scandals Demand Accountability

Dear Editor:

Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Student Voice! campaign supporter Kevin Mann used A.S. funds to buy himself souvenir novelties such as T-shirts, a magazine and a shot glass while he took an A.S.-funded trip to a Midwest party school.

Imagine our surprise when the current A.S. Vice President External Samantha Peterson broke the law when she refused to comply with a California Public Records Act request for all information about the A.S. Council’s travel-related expenditures.

Imagine our surprise when A.S. President Christopher Sweeten confirmed last Wednesday that buying shot glasses is definitely not allowed, and that Sweeten had forced Mann to resign as vice president external, citing resignation for “personal reasons,” earlier this year because of scandals like this.

Imagine our surprise when Harry Khanna, the Student Voice! presidential candidate, not only refused to apologize for his campaign manager at the presidential debate, but actually defended the illegal purchase of shot glasses with A.S. funds.

Imagine our surprise that none of this was made public. This is the first time the UCSD campus has heard of its student government running rampant with student fees.

Tritons United! presidential candidate Daniel Watts took the initiative to file a legal order with the UCSD administration to force the A.S. Council to open its books to the public. While Student Voice! is touting its hollow promises and “experience,” documents are being released everyday that implicate their candidates and supporters in scandals: They have made sexist comments about our candidates, used A.S. funds to buy themselves shot glasses, and refused to apologize for any of it. It is because we disclosed these financial documents that Student Voice! campaign manager Kevin Mann will now have to repay the students.

Tritons United! has pledged to restore common sense to student government and end the corruption which has so tarnished the integrity of our student government. This week we will be out in public to answer any questions students may have. If they wish to receive a direct response from me about my solutions for bringing back ethics to the A.S. Council and cleaning up the office of vice president external affairs, I am happy to respond to e-mails sent to me at [email protected].

— Eddie Herrera

A.S.Vice President External

Candidate, Tritons United!