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Show 70 Friday, March 3,2006 797-1762 statesman@cc.usu.edu www.utahstatesman.com Utah Statesman 'Vote or die' ASUSU has power. ASUSU has power. ASUSU has power. Studies show that you remember something after hearing it for the third time. But if voting turnout is any indicator, the student body hasn't picked up on this just yet. In 2004, only 21 percent of the student body DEPENDESOl! voted for ASUSU president. In 2003, only 19 percent voted } and in 2002, only 20 percent Editorial' of students checked their ballots. Last year, fewer than 3,000 students - a dismal 15 percent - voted for ASUSU president. Puff Daddy encourages people to "Vote or Die," In its apathy, the student body has chosen death. ASUSU has power. Elected members are responsible for lobbying the state Legislature. They are also in charge of allocating student fees. They are in charge of your money. They decide if the marching band gets funding, WBbfic Forum or if tney need to get second jobs to pay for their Editor's note: The Monday, March 6th edition of The Utah Statesman will be the last issue in which expenses. They fight the battle for a fall break. They letters to the editor about ASUSU elections will be published. Letters will be accepted and considered help decide if computer labs get expanded or if new for publication up until Sunday, March 5th at 3 p.m. lounges are created. Basketball games are for to accomplish them. basement. There was nothA member of ASUSU sits on every major commiting wrong with the old For example, if getting an cheering, not chatting tee on campus. They are the student voices adminATM and more movie rental office, but because another department received a machines in the TSC is istrators hear. It is in your best interest to make sure Dear Editor, really the issue headlin- grant that allowed them that voice represents your own. I must respond to the letter ing your campaign, perhaps to construct new offices This is not a high school election, so the effects of by Adam Van Tassel complain- you're a little under-quali- clad with oak cabinets not voting go above and beyond just having a sub- ing about non-students sitting fied. Maybe I'm the only one and expensive desks, the par senior prom. in the student section of the who thinks these ideas are a Statesman was the odd Spectrum. I am of those "non- ridiculous waste of time, but man out, sent to the baseDuring Wednesday's ASUSU presidential debate, students." I am actually a "non- I'd like some sort of practical ment of TSC. Programming Vice President Laurel Evans said she traditional" student. I am 44 voice to ask this candidate I don't know how knew the problem, but not the solution to low voter years old and must look like a why she thinks these are the much that move cost the turnout. grandfather to your incredibly important issues facing our university, but is it really There is no solution other than education. Students narrow view. And yes, I have campus. And while getting prudent to pay the costs need to educate themselves about the candidates had my student status ques- more student jobs and nigher again for the expansion of tioned more than once as I sat pay is a ricrt idea, where, a computer lab, especially and vote accordingly. precisely, does this candidate when other computer labs in the student section. Electronic ballots are only a click away on your I am confused about your plan on getting the money for across campus are under Webmail. complaint of non-students tak- such an idea without raising used? ASUSU has power. ing seats away from student tuition? The state Legislature If the first floor of the Our View Letters to the Editor Why pick on Wal-Mart? when most students don't sit in hasn't been very quick to give their seats anyway. As a basket- us more funding in past years, ball fan, I don't mind fans get- and !'m sure declining enrollting excited and standing up at ment isn't going to change crucial moments of the game, their minds. but someone has propagated And by the way, memo the falsehood that standing the to candidates: having madewhole game shows true Aggie out atop the A in-front of Spirit. I am sick of having to Old Main does not make you stand to watch the game while qualified to be school presisome yahoo in front of me -dent.So, between all the vain stands and talks to his buddy handing out of t-shirts and about everything but basketball cookies; between all the hooand never watches the game. hawing of rounded up friends; Or the guy with his back to between all the empty, pie-inthe court, cell phone to his ear, the-sky promises, I urge the talking to a fellow cretin eight Statesman to make these canrows up about his physics pro- didates really explain their fessor who is so unfair. positions, rather than them If you want to come to the taking softball questions from game for the social interaction their own roommates in the stand in the concourse to dis- crowd. cuss American Idol or Heath And PS. I'm sure with a Ledger's butt. little effort ASUSU could have If you are truly an Aggie dug up some PA speakers and Basketball fan, then come four microphones for those and cheer them on. I love to debates Wednesday. The bullsit around fans who under- horns and standing on coffee stand the game and appreci- tables was a really lame idea. ate the effort of their fellow Aggie Students. But, please, if Justin Siebenhaar you don't know the difference TSC expansion is a between a lay-up and a free throw take your inane pratting waste of student money elsewhere. Corporation offers health benefits Wal-Mart's recent decision IS the nation's largest prito offer health coverage to vate employer and that its more of its 1.4 million U.S. approach to health care employees is a little like get- can have a disproportionate ting a date with a favorite effect, much like its approach crush because she feels sorry to retailing does. for you. But it's foolish to think that Sure, you're ^ ^ _ ^ _ _ ^ ^ ^ Wal-Mart alone c a n jx t h e happy to have M a t ' l Wiautf f deep it, but you wish Vial I V i e W problems afflict it had happened ing the nation's for a different health-care sysreason. tem, The retailing behemoth g Although health-care is only expanding employee spending is expected to jump benefits because so many to $4 trillion in the next state legislatures are bully- decade - to 20 percent of the ing it to do so. Two months nation's gross domestic prodago, Maryland passed the Fair uct - the number of uninSnare Health Care Act, which sured is increasing by more requires companies with more than a million people a year, than 10,000 workers to spend and Americans are no healthat least 8 percent of their pay- ier than citizens of countries roll on health care or pay the that spend half what we do. difference to the state; only That's the definition of bad Wal-Mart is affected. medicine. More than two dozen states Fortunately, the .public have threatened similar legis- appears to be growing so lation. In response, Wal-Mart tired of the problem that has said it will try to increase national health-care reform is the number of its insured all but inevitable. Proposals workers - currently about half range from a comprehensive are covered - by significantly overhaul to minor tweaks. reducing the waiting period More moderate reforms could for new employees to qualify simply increase the numfor coverage and by offering ber of low : income adults bare-bones health plans for eligible for existing public as little as $11 a month. programs. And even after This kind of legislative President Clinton's disastrous intimidation is bad for a cou- health-care reform proposals a decade ago, momentum is ple of reasons. First, it's arbitrary and growing again for a "single unfair. Why not go after com- payer" government agency panies with 5,000 employ- that would insure everyone ees? Or 50? Or ones with in the country. employees who wear funny Whatever Americans hats and ask, "You want fries decide, they should underwith that?" stand that any serious reforms Second, employer man- will require shared sacrifice. dates don't work. To make up Meanwhile, shaming Walfor higher health-care costs, Mart or any other compaWal-Mart is likely to reduce ny into covering more of its salaries or other benefits. workers isn't necessarily proThat's partly why Californians ductive. two years ago rejected Employers alone didn't Proposition 72, which would create the American healthhave forced businesses with care crisis, and they alone 50 or more employees either can't solve it. to insure their workers or pay This editorial appeared a fee to the state. in Thursday's It's true that Wal-Mart Los Angeles Times. Dan Merket Presidential debate was just beginning of joke Editor: I'd like to extend a challenge to the Statesman in the coming weeks with regards to elections. I attended the presidential "debates" on Wednesday and realized - more than ever - what a complete joke this process is. The challenge I'd like to extend is that the Statesman put these candidates up against the light, so to speak. 1 don't mean dig up dirty laundry on them, but I'd like you to challenge these candidates on their ideas. The candidates are doing what all individuals running for office do: blowing smoke! But it's the job of the Statesman - USU's fourth estate - to make sure the ideas these candidates put forward are actually feasible and that the candidates have a clue how To the editor: The Quinn Millet sponsored bill to require the Utah Statesman to move offices was ill-advised, ill-timed and makes me ill. About two years ago, as I finished my last year working for The Utah Statesman, I watched as the newspaper's staff and its adviser, Jay Wamsley, worked hard to move everything from its third-floor TSC office to the TSC is such prime real estate, then the decision makers should of thought about that when they moved the Statesman to the basement two years ago. Wamsley and the Statesman staff should not be the ones to pay the price for lack of vision, poor planning and mismanagement of space in the TSC. This issue could have easily been mitigated by ASUSU had they not sent this legislation though like a speeding bullet on Tuesday. So as it stands now, the Statesman seems to be in limbo over where they'll be in the future, likely hoping they aren't put in a far away hole like Mountain View Tower which would probably cripple their operations. Perhaps if ASUSU wants to make up for their blunder and make amends with.the Statesman, they could give up some of that enormous chunk of the third-floor they currently occupy. After all, according to his own statistics, Quinn Millet would have to bring about 200 guests into his office each day to receive the same amount of traffic that the computer lab receives. Here's hoping Millet and ASUSU can remember that representing students also means not wasting student money on things Tike this. Staff Editor in Chief Brooke Nelson • News Editor Aaron Falk Assistant News Editor Marie MacKay ' Features Editor w% Steve Shinney - ' • ; Assistant Features Editor :,-* Emma Tippetts ••$ Sports Editor i Andrea Edmunds ! Assistant Sports Editor Bryan Hinton Diversions Editor Matt Wright Copy Editor Lindsay Kite Photo Editor Michael Sharp Assistant Photo Editor Jessica Alexander Editorial Board Brooke Nelson Aaron Falk Bryan" Hinton Marie MacKay Michael Sharp Steve Shinney About letters • Letters should be limited to 350 words. • All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • Letters must be topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or email address as well as a student identification number. Letters will not L be printed without this verification. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a singular representative clearly stated, with all necessary identification information. • Writers must wait 21 days before submitting successive letters — no exceptions. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be e-mailed to editor® statesman.usu.edu or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a submission box. Online poll Do you think the TSC computer lab needs to be expanded • Yes, there is often a long wait in that lab • No, there are other labs on campus that aren't full Tyler Riggs rt^ Sgt. Jared Johsnon was not able to submit his column "Soldier's Notebook" this week because "insurgents were making attacks on his life." John Coodell's "The Natural View" column will also return next Friday. Visit us on the Web at www, utahstatesman.com to cast your vote. 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