As one of many off-campus students who use the Lane Transit District bus system daily to commute to school, I insincerely applaud the recent concern of the ASUO that, because not all students use the bus, students might not be getting their money’s worth out of LTD bus passes. This idea of not requiring all students to pay for services used only by some students will completely revolutionize the incidental fee and ASUO funding process. I for one look forward to taking all of the money I save by not being forced to subsidize athletic tickets that I never use, a radio station that I never listen to, the designated driver shuttle that non-drinking students such as myself never use, the Student Recreation Center, and a host of other programs and groups not used by every student. I imagine the money I save by not having to fund the ASUO will easily cover the $101.52 difference in cost between a term bus pass rate of $12.48 and three monthly bus passes at $38 per month.
Alternately, ASUO officers concerned with saving students money could look at cutting funds to special interest groups (such as the infamous OSPIRG) instead of messing with one of the few ASUO programs that actually provide a visible benefit to all University students, in this case both by helping to alleviate the abysmal parking situation at the University and by encouraging students to take advantage of one of the best mass transportation systems in this country and thus help protect the environment and reduce our country’s reliance on oil.
Nathan Baker
Graduate student