ASUCD Fees
The Associated Students, University of California, Davis, is the student government at UC Davis. Each year, they take about $123 dollars from each undergraduate student and provide “services.” Most of the money goes to Unitrans so that students can use the bus without paying. This is $91.50 a year. Cal Aggie Camp, a camp for underprivileged and inner-city youth, gets $1.50 a year. Educational Opportunity Program, which attempts to recruit and retain under-represented and economically disadvantaged students entering UC Davis, gets six dollars a year. The General Fund gets the remaining $24, which the ASUCD Senate can allocate. Basically, a small group people decide what services you need and spend your money to provide you with them.
Members of the ASUCD are of course elected, but when so many do not pay attention to national politics, how can anyone expect students to pay attention to a student government? Every year, the ASUCD spends tens of thousands of dollars on services that the average student does not use. Who watches AGTV? Well you better start or you are wasting $5,000 a year. Anyone listen to KDVS? If not, you wasted over $45,000 during the 2008-2009 academic year. Did you know the ASUCD runs a book exchange? They will sell your textbook for a fee and you get more money than you would at the bookstore. Of course, the program needed a subsidy of $17,000 during the 2008-2009 academic year. The ASUCD managed to turn a potentially profitable program into one that needs subsidies.
Unused ASUCD services are only the beginning of the list of problems with the ASUCD. The grants that they give out to fund Culture Days, Gay Pride Week, and Mixed Heritage Week, are even more inappropriate. Unless the grants also fund programs for white people and straight people, these grants should not exist. Of course, instead of spending more money to appease every single group out there, why not just be completely neutral and not provide grants that use student fees at all?
The ASUCD should be limited to running only profitable programs or programs that break even, like the Coffee House. They should not be using money taken from students on services that most would never use. Sure, most of the money goes to Unitrans, but some students do not even use the bus. Students should be given a choice. They should not have their money taken away in order to fund services and programs not used or supported by the student. Take the bus often? Get a bus pass. Like Gay Pride Week? Fork over your own money. Like AGTV? Then you pay for it. Like feeling good after giving money to Cal Aggie Camp? Alright, but there is no need to force everyone else to do it.