Votes will create hassles

By Claudia Hibbert-BeDan
The Metropolitan

Metro President Sheila Kaplan is right for not giving students a binding vote in a new proposal involving student fees.

Last year, the Board of Trustees, Metroās governing board, mandated that Colorado public colleges revise their plans for student fees.

Metroās proposal allows for a ćnon-bindingä student vote and a committee to review the fees when students have complaints. These committees would then make recommendations to college officials.

Jessie Bullock, vice president of Student Fees for Metroās student government, doesnāt think thatās enough. Students should be able to vote for and against all fees, and the Metro officials should encourage more involvement, she said.

But they do. Under Metroās plan, students can join committees, hold rallies and issue referendums to have influence over fees. So students can vote, but college officials have the final word.

College administrators have said they never  really know what students will want from one year to the next. They also fear that students might reject fees that the schools really needed or ones that other students would want later.

And think about the potential hassles.

Bureaucracies need time to change. The collegeās budget is planned out in advance, so when people want new departments, several steps must occur. It has taken a few years to plan the Performing Arts Center, and the ground hasnāt been broken yet.

It is worthwhile to keep the current fees in place. Each, while the benefits might not be realized right away, helps everyone in the long haul.
Whatās wrong with that?

So you donāt want to pay the bus pass fee because you have a car. It only costs $16.70 per semester. What if your car breaks down? Parking almost costs as much as a class when you add it all up.

You want to waive the Health Center Fee because you already have a doctor. What if you need medical assistance while on campus? This $13.75 fee pays for operation of the Student Health Center in the Plaza Building. Doctors will provide medical assistance to students with valid school IDs.

You have a hard time paying the Student Activity Fee. It doesnāt benefit you because you arenāt on campus that often.

Whoās fault is that?

The Student Activity Fee, which is determined by credit hours, varies from $5.25 to $36.25. It provides a child-care subsidy and money for programs, such as legal services, student travel and womenās services.

It also will pay for a speech by Rita Marley, who will visit the campus for Black History Month, and Gloria Steinem, who will visit the campus for Womenās History Month.

Under Colorado law, college officials canāt give total authority to students in the form of a student vote. So even if student votes were an option in the fee proposal, theyād only be symbolic.

And who would the elections would represent? Campus votes have never drawn masses to the polls.

People should stop whining.