I watch most of the liberal kids in my college in committee groups like hall council and housing councils, and they all want to spend the entire budget "because what else are we going to spend it on?" So mediocre programs pass, and terrible programs pass, because of silly politics. Friends of the executive boards got their programs passed without concern for funding of other programs, or benefit to the whole group affected.
An example is this:
A poker party, which gets about 10% of our hall (50+ people) to attend on a Friday night (huge turnout, believe it or not), and fills the lounge to capacity, got $100 of $300 requested for funding. The program filled the requirements for passing, because it was a social event that gathered more than maybe 5 or 6 social events combined that other people had proposed. It also attracted people who usually wouldn't bother coming. It was held on a night when riots tend to occur. OSU has a problem with riots.
So this $100 passes, and the prizes are crappy, and the dealers who give up a whole night to volunteer get no recompense for their efforts. This poker party was supported by 1/3 of the council, and about 1/6 of the executive board.
A rafting event is scheduled, which is only open for registration for maybe 2 days before it fills up. 15 people sign up, 13 from hall council. This is brought to our attention prior to voting. I call this to attention because I don't feel that it's fair for us to take nearly 10% of the whole hall's funding for a rafting trip that was basically advertised and registered by the hall council for the hall council. Keep in mind that I was also signed up for this event, because I wanted to go white-water rafting. The costs also seemed high, where every person in the halls paid something like $12 to a hall fund. So $60/person to go on that trip is like a 5X return. Their refrain that night was "What else are we going to spend the money on? Let's have some fun!"
My arguments manage to take a seeming landslide victory to a 6-6-3 tie for the amount of $901. The executive board keeps haranguing me, claiming that it's only $900, and that there's only two months of school left and that there's not much else left to spend it on. They berate me for a while, and attack my point of view. I stand my ground, along with some staunch supporters.
The vote is recast, and it comes out 7-7-1. The last guy refuses to vote, mainly because he doesn't want to be the bad guy (wuss). I beg him to vote his mind, because the person who breaks all stalemate ties is the president. The president had proposed the event, so she would support it, and it would pass.
It passed for $901. I managed to shut down $900, and was cockblocked when I tried to get a vote on $0. My request for a second was shutout by yelling, basically a filibuster.
What does this have to do with politics? It's that they're bullshit, and that agendas win. It's that not enough people who support something vote their minds. I had some fifteen people who would've shown up to vote yes on the poker tourney and no on the rafting trip. I had told them about it, and begged them to show up to vote. Out of 500+ voters, only 15 showed up, and none of my supporters would come.
I hate these college liberals, and I'm projecting my image of them onto most liberal voters. I wish people would realize that our money is from our pockets and that it's not infinite. Good programs need to be trimmed from time to time, as a form of triage. That's what a lot of politicians don't realize. The kid who wouldn't vote - he became vice president of the hall council. He never votes against the president or his friends. I think the position gives him prestige.
So this is what it all boils down to: the US republic needs to review itself, and we need a LEADER. We need someone to unite us and make us want to do the right thing, instead of running in circles our whole lives, pretending.
Virus, every politician is a bad man. I can't say how women will turn out, but Hillary scares me, so I hope she doesn't set the precedent.
We as Americans need to vote our minds; we need to educate ourselves; we need to be aware of these issues. And even if I disagree with you, you need to vote, to show me that I might be wrong about what's right for America. This 40% turnout at the polls is a bit sad :(
I love this country.
Don't yell at me because I like Bush more than I like Kerry. They're both awful, but I think Bush is better for the current world situation.
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It's never too late to be something great.
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