ASUC Update

The ASUC Page

Lawsuits, online voting, and the Asian Ghetto

By Christopher Page
From the December 2005 Print Edition

Proposition 73 lawsuit

If you saw the golf carts driving around Sproul for the November election, you were probably hit with a copy of the Associated Students of the University of California voter guide. This nonpartisan summary of the propositions had an insert listing groups that supported and opposed Proposition 73, parental notification of a minor’s abortion. As enacted by their earlier bill, the ASUC was listed as opposing the measure. This was done fairly and within the bylaws of the ASUC and the university. The external affairs vice president made sure that the wish of the senate to oppose Proposition 73 was implemented without student money being spent while observing all the election procedures that govern a nonprofit, publicly affiliated organization such as the ASUC.

To ensure that no student money is diverted to pay for the insert that opposes Proposition 73, Student Action party leader Matt Bunch filed a lawsuit against Sharon Han, the external affairs vice president. Until the case is heard, an injunction has been issued to prevent any funds from being transferred. As a concerned student, Bunch wants to prevent violations of the ASUC bylaws and university regulations. Bunch is concerned primarily with how the ASUC is serving students by spending money on projects that have nothing to do with preserving a good education. He is also worried the ASUC’s autonomy will be threatened if they spend student money to take a position on a ballot initiative.

To date, no student money has been spent illegally. Sharon Han followed the law to the letter. My only question is whether the senate should be taking positions on propositions that have nothing to do with getting an excellent college education. We elected the ASUC to do many things; is taking a position on a proposition one of them?

Online voting

Recently the senate passed an online voting bill, which would allow students to vote in ASUC elections online. On the merits of his bill, Senator Igor Tregub said, “Online voting allows students to decide who will run their student government from the comfort of their own home.” He is also optimistic that this will double the voting turnout at only half of its expected cost.

While the concept of online voting won universal approval in the senate chambers, there were doubts as to whether it could be completely developed and perfected before the ASUC elections this spring. Those registering their concern included the elections chair and President Manny Buenrostro. However, others such as Senator Tregub are confident a secure system can be put in place in time. To resolve this, the elections chair, certain senators, and representatives from the ASUC Auxiliary are meeting weekly, studying all possibilities, and developing solutions. One idea is for an outside company to run the logistics of the election, as is done at many other colleges. Another is to use the referendum system currently in place for voting. This is the same system that was used to pass the Health Fee Referendum last spring.

Justice delayed

After a long delay, Stephanie Lam was confirmed to the Judicial Council. A former judicial clerk, Lam is not only one of the most qualified nominees, but also had the resilience to endure two senate debates over her qualifications and three committee meetings, a much more grueling process than the other two new justices had to go through. Late into the night of her second confirmation debate, when informal votes were cast, 13 senators supported her, none opposed her, and five abstained. Eventually, one of the abstaining senators decided to support her so everyone could go home.

What’s in a name?

Near the corner of Bowditch and Durant lies a food court, which includes a doughnut shop, a Korean barbecue, and various restaurants serving Thai, Chinese, and Japanese food, among others. Though it is officially called the Durant Food Court, it is popularly known among Berkeley students by a different name: the “Asian Ghetto.” Senator Anthony Lin, however, finds this nickname offensive. Perhaps the students of Berkeley are all closet racists, or perhaps Lin is being too sensitive. To his credit, Lin did not play thought police and propose a resolution to force students to refer to the “Asian Ghetto” by a different name.

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