Editor,
I want to address the inaccurate remarks made by Iliana Lim¢n against the ASUNM Senate and express my extreme displeasure in the intentionally misleading manner in which she has selfishly presented the fee increase to UNM students.
The ASUNM Senate was elected by you, the students, to represent your needs. Student input was carefully examined before approving this measure and their response was overwhelmingly positive.
In fact, the majority of students realized the precarious situation student groups will face in the spring budget process should the amendment fail.
"No one seems to want to know how the student government spends the money it does have before charging students more for the privilege of being represented by a tiny group that doesn't necessarily reflect the campus' needs," Lim¢n wrote.
But how does the Lobo spend ASUNM's money? Nobody from the Lobo can answer that because they don't know where it goes. This "independent publication" gets $47,000 of your money each year. For what? A subscription fee? If you charged students for the Lobo who'd buy it?
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"How dare the newspaper save money so that in the event of economic crisis, the students will still have a newspaper?" Lim¢n sarcastically remarked.
How dare you indeed. While the Lobo has "saved" more than $380,000 of ASUNM's money in case of an economic crisis, it continues to bring in more than $300,000 in advertising sales each semester alone. What's more disturbing is that for the last 10 years, this "nonprofit" publication has averaged a profit from $8,000 to $12,000.
What Lim¢n also failed to disclose is the amount the amendment removes from student publications - $9,000, that's it. The Lobo will still be able to put away $3,000 of the students' money each year, while continuing to utilize the $38,000 in student fees to print a daily paper without compromising any quality.
By failing to inform students about this minor detail, Lim¢n intentionally misleads students for her own selfish gains hurting each and every student at UNM.
How does ASUNM spend your fees?
Very carefully, aside from the automatic deduction that goes directly to the Lobo. Lim¢n pointed out that ASUNM funds all executive agencies, including the Lobby Committee, an agency that last year successfully saved the Lottery Scholarship for UNM students; the Homecoming Committee, which is in charge of all UNM Homecoming festivities each year; and the Southwest Films Center, which services hundreds of students weekly, all of which are extremely responsive to students' needs.
Lim¢n was very critical of our Student Special Events Committee, yet she hasn't attended a single meeting, event or function all year. It's easy to sit on the sidelines and complain, isn't it?
The ASUNM Senate will continue to represent the students of UNM who elected us to do so. I want to encourage you to contact us if you have any questions regarding this or any issue pertaining to undergraduate life because ASUNM is the only real independent voice of UNM.
Steve Aguilar Jr.
ASUNM vice president
