The Thresher's voting recommendations
After weeks of preparation by candidates and referendum representatives, Student Association General Elections began at 11:59 p.m. last night, and will be open until Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m. Voting is open at sa.rice.edu and all candidates can be found in this year's Student Elections pull-out, beginning on page 11. For the three blanket tax proposals, the Thresher makes the following recommendations:-By-Law Amendment #2009.01 - KTRU Blanket Tax increase
Vote YES to increase KTRU's blanket tax by $2. Last year, we endorsed KTRU's proposed blanket tax increase of $3, citing KTRU's visibility and outreach to the greater Houston area, diverse programming and on-campus events such as the Outdoor Show and the Concert Series. KTRU is a proven Rice mainstay that has been around for generations, venerable enough that a Thresher news editor's mother once served as a DJ for the station. KTRU has not received a blanket tax increase in more than 20 years, and the faltering economy has hit the station just as hard as the rest of the university, while KTRU's funding from outside sources has severely decreased. Therefore, for us, this year's proposed $2 blanket tax increase is a no-brainer.
By-Law Amendment #2009.02 - RPC Blanket Tax increase
Vote YES to increase RPC's blanket tax by $5. The Thresher also endorsed RPC's proposed blanket tax increase last year, though we warned against the $15 Major Events Funds Tax increase. Like KTRU's, this year's proposed increase is lower than it was last year: RPC is asking for $5, down from $8. We feel that RPC should get an increase to account for inflation, as its last increase was also more than 20 years ago. We do, however, issue a condition with our approval: RPC must elicit more student input when planning events. Don't be so behind-the-scenes. Increase transparency, and use surveys to garner student opinion, to ensure that our tax dollars are going toward events and shows that we want to attend.
By-Law Amendment #2009.03 - RESET Blanket Tax proposal
Vote YES on RESET's proposed blanket tax of $9. RESET is not a club, but rather a fund that will finance two sustainable energy projects per year with the aim of not only making Rice a greener institution but also lowering housing costs for students. We are optimistic about RESET's potential, especially considering that more than 30 other universities have already enacted similar programs. We are also reassured that the fund has a sunset clause that requires RESET to reapply after three years. If we don't see any results - which would entail lowering energy costs enough within the next few years to actually save students more than the $9 they will have invested - we won't be stuck paying a worthless blanket tax.
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