Campus news update:
Feds Council has voted to defer the debate on a universal bus pass. They have instructed the Feds Executive to investigate the possibility of a *refundable U-pass. Is it possible? I can't say.
Apparently the University of Utah has one.
As was said at the meeting, in our UW slogan, the spririt of Why Not? I wish that slogan applied to other areas, where UW could become a leader.
It would be highly unconventional, but perhaps highly popular. Some benefits would be lost due to a higher cost and fewer participants.
Councillor Drew Adams will be starting a pass the pass petition which could force a vote.
I'm not afraid to say that we need a U-pass. Safety from less drinking & driving, benefits to air quality and CO2 and popularity among students make this a winning idea. Everyone who has said 'finally' will have to wait a little bit more.
Though I'm not communist, I believe in community and the greater good, so I value this quote: "part of being human is subordinating your own day-to-day desires and wants to the good of others."
http://www.climatecrisiscoalition.org
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I attended the Citizens' Assembly forum for KW on electoral reform on Wednesday night. I also made a presentation to the delegation there.
If you don't know much about it, there was a citizen (regular Joe/Sally) selected from each riding in Ontario. They have been given the task to research, gather input, and select an electoral system for Ontario that works - to recommend change if they find necessary.
I wanted to represent the voices there who aren't normally heard: (disenfranchised) young people.
Everyone at the meeting knew that the current system didn't work. Furthermore, most people went on to recommend a particular system they believed to be more fair: mixed member proprotional. An overflowing room of interested individuals really got me excited - there was so much passion from all kinds of people for what you might have thought is a dull topic.
It's pretty clear to me that the Assembly will recommend change. I'm quite willing to accept whatever they recommend. I believe in this process. But it will be up to the people it looks like to educate the public and get this passed. Their recommendation goes to a referendum this October, and must be passed by 60%. This threshold is too high. Consider the government has a majority mandate with well under 50% of the vote.
I got to recognize our federal MP for K-W, who came in towards the end of our presentation and I stated that I hoped he brought the Assembly's findings to a federal level. He spoke after me, the last speaker, and recognized what I had said about young people & voting.
Billy Ballot has a cheesey little video for you if you want to learn about different voting systems: http://www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca/en-CA/The%20Classroom/Billy%20Ballot.aspx
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My Imprint pick of the week:
http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=764&Itemid=55&issuedate=2007-01-12
Journalistic writing first 2 sentences of an article pick of the month:
WASHINGTON- President Bush once said he was determined to stick with the Iraq war even if his wife and his dog were the only ones left at his side.
It’s moving in that direction.
Best solid smooth icey fun street in Waterloo of the night: Alexandra Ave.
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Change doesn't happen.It's made. Act.
1 comment:
I've been intrigued by the CAfER (ha, would be a nice acronym) since working at Elections Ontario in the summer and hearing the EO hype about the process. I was hoping to make it out to the local meeting in Cornwall last night to check things out in this area, but alas 20cm of snow fell, and after work I was the only one around to clear out the driveway.
I'm glad to hear from a politically minded individual that this is going to work for change.
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