As this season of political bantering and maneuvering comes near its end - thankfully - the Daily Lobo must add its two cents about something that affects it: Amendment 1 on the student government ballot.
While many people have called this an issue of accountability, I feel it is about UNM students supporting their school newspaper. But if it's accountability everyone wants, then the Daily Lobo gives it.
The $38,000 of student fees that goes to the Daily Lobo provides for a free and independent newspaper for 24,000 students and for staff, faculty and the administration. In today's Opinion section, you will see letters from Conceptions Southwest editor Elizabeth Butler about how the amendment will affect the magazine, a group of concerned faculty members about the upcoming Board of Regents vote on faculty and staff raises and Richard Fagerlund on the continuing saga that is Jeremy Reynalds. This is the face of UNM. It comprises all elements of the University community, including those not affiliated with the campus.
And this newspaper provides a voice for the UNM community that you would be hard-pressed to hear in the Albuquerque Journal or The Albuquerque Tribune. That is not to say those newspapers won't allow UNM's voice to be heard, but going up against people from all over Albuquerque and the state can drown it out. This newspaper is UNM's voice.
We provide many services that perhaps students have taken for granted. If not for the student newspaper, how would anyone know what's going on at UNM?
Sure, word of mouth, fliers and chalk advertisements would help, but not everyone talks to the right people, looks at the bulletin boards or stares down at the sidewalks. Mouths, fliers and advertisements also have a way of not telling the whole story.
That's where we come in. Our job is to rake through the muck and try to give a fair and even-handed account of what's happening on campus. And we do it on a daily basis.
It troubles me when I hear senators and candidates throwing out the word "accountability." We open ourselves to that every single day. It troubles me more when they want to put us through a funding process that is flawed at best, a political kangaroo court at worst. And it downright disturbs me when I look at the 2001-2002 ASUNM spring budget and see that almost two-thirds of the budget go to one entity and its branches: ASUNM.
$204,395, to be exact. Meanwhile, student groups will split $107,001.
I'd like to know what standard of "accountability" we're using here. Wouldn't you?
James Barron
Editor in chief
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