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U-pass referendum on Nov. 6 and 7

edited November 2007 in General
I got this in my SFU Webmail, so I thought I'd post it here. I really love the U-Pass, and hope everyone is going to vote in favor of it!
Attention all students! On November 6 and 7 there will be an all-day referendum on the future of the Translink U-Pass. Voting will take place from 9:30 to 7:30 on all campuses at the following locations: Bennett Library, West Mall Complex (second floor), south-east AQ, Surrey campus mezzanine, and Harbour Centre lobby area.

Any currently-enrolled SFU student will be eligible to vote, but remember to bring your student card!

For more information on the referendum, including the exact text of the question, visit http://www.sfss.ca/elections/iecindex.htm.

Comments

  • edited November 2007
    im voting against
  • edited November 2007
    HUH? :S

    May I ask why?
  • edited November 2007
    i never use it. ever. i've used it once this semester so far.

    that being said i don't necessarily mind paying it b/c i did use it alot in my first year and understand how useful it was....i'm just not going to vote b/c i don't care either way. i'll let the rest of the student body decide what's best :)
  • edited November 2007
    i'm voting against too.. because of how it's worded..

    "Whereas the U-Pass program has been in operation at Simon Fraser University for 5 years; and Whereas students taking only Distance Education courses, only designated off-campus courses, and students who live outside of the GVRD will continue to be exempt from the U-Pass program; and Whereas a $50,000 fund will continue to exist to reimburse the whole or partial cost of the U-Pass to students with extenuating circumstances; and, Whereas a successful vote will guarantee the price of the U-Pass at$26.10 per month until September, 2011; and Whereas the failure of this question at referendum will terminate the U-Pass program; Do you agree to an increase of no more than $1.60 per month to the U-Pass fee?"

    whereas does anybody feel cheated that they'll terminate the U-pass program with a failure of this question when the question is already a failure to begin with? i mean.. look at the the whereas conditions being lumped into one big YES or NO question.. =.=" sounds like someone is trying to force a favorable outcome by making it look like a democratic vote when the question doesn't allow it..
  • edited November 2007
    actually i'm not even going to vote, haha. I'm not going to drive all the way to SFU just to vote.
  • edited November 2007
    How ironic. You won't drive to vote for public transit. You will realize the benefit and necessity of the UPass if you have to use it though.
  • edited November 2007
    yeah i've used it before for work, was good, but not good enough to make me drive an hour to vote, lol.
  • edited November 2007
    Hi all,

    I had no clue this place existed! For those of you who are undecided about the U-Pass, I would ask you to consider this:

    I depend on the U-Pass.

    I can't afford to get to school any other way. Nor can I afford to get to work, to friends, to my doctor's or dentist's. I wouldn't be able to afford over $100 a month for a month pass. I can drive, but I don't have a car -- again I can't afford it.

    Again, It's all right if you want to vote "No." That's your right. However, if you are undecided, vote yes for those of us that need it!
  • IVTIVT
    edited November 2007
    I fear that the wordiness of the question will make those who can't speak English (which is a large group) think that the vote is a vote for or
    against the price increase. Then those people will understandably vote "no" and accidentally screw everyone over.
  • edited November 2007
    think of it this way,

    we will be more inferior to UBC without U pass as well :(
  • edited November 2007
    Treestar!;17102 said:
    I depend on the U-Pass.
    i hear ya, im in the same boat
  • edited November 2007
    sure this encourages public transit use by incorporating it into our student fees making us USE the pass to it's full potential since we paid for it already

    but for people that commute, such as i, i already paid $130 for the parking pass plus 40$ /week on gas to get to school etc, i don't need an extra $100 from a upass i never use. my upass is still glued to the letter they mailed it to me in.

    however i do understand as i did rely on it in first year so i don't mind paying the extra bit now especially since i work.
    1) helps encourage public transit therefore reduce emissions
    2) reduce congestion of traffic
    3) helps students (other than how they closed down old production way)
  • edited November 2007
    I recently wrote a Last Word for the Peak about the U-Pass ("Why Communism Doesn't Work") and as I said in that aticle - as much as I hate a lot of things about the U-Pass, I'm still totally in favor of it. It's hugely flawed, but you just can't beat that discount.

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