As we all know, in politics words only go so far, and actions
demonstrate where a candidate really stands. As the facilitator of
every council meeting this year, I feel it is my obligation to
clarify what I feel are issues that have been manipulated by
presidential candidate Alex Gruenberg.
In Bruins United’s platform of beer, money and Taco Bell,
their candidates express that these are the core issues that
students care about and this is what they will work for. But before
students are persuaded into believing that Bruins United cares
about bringing back Taco Bell, establishing a pub, giving students
more money, and creating a senate, they need to know how much the
group’s leader has cared for these issues this year.
It is important to know that Taco Bell and the on-campus pub are
Associated Students UCLA issues that have been worked on by the
board of directors for many years now.
The pub has been an issue advocated by graduate students for
many years, and through their work it was incorporated into
ASUCLA’s Food Service Master Plan. In fact, it was worked
into the renovation plans two years ago.
Taco Bell was kicked off campus by the board because of labor
issues, and it is the board who is in the process of bringing it
back due to a labor settlement. But if students are upset that
Undergraduate Students Association Council advocated Taco
Bell’s removal, they should know that this was a unanimous
decision, including Gruenberg’s vote of approval.
And then there’s his stance on budget issues. In his
campaign, Gruenberg has openly criticized this year’s funding
process, in particular the use of closed sessions for funding
deliberations. Yet this came as a surprise to many of us, because
as a member of the council this year, he formally approved of
closed sessions not once, but twice.
But to speak further on money issues, we need to address the
senate proposal. What Gruenberg and Bruins United have not told you
is that if they created an additional 20-member senate with other
trivial positions, to stipend them at the current level would
equate to over $60,000 lost in the USAC budget.
Furthermore, instead of ever approaching USAC to consider
putting the measure on the spring ballot, Brian Neesby,
Gruenberg’s current chief of staff, ignored USAC and
initiated a petition drive to put the senate proposal on the ballot
himself.
Instead of putting the senate proposal to a democratic vote last
week, they wanted to have a special election before the spring
election, which would cost students an extra $5,000, to put on an
election for one issue. When asked why he would waste so much money
when the regular election would take place two weeks later, Neesby
responded that it would be more likely to pass.
So what does Gruenberg’s record say about his ability to
provide strong and honest leadership, as he so claims? At best, he
is a flip-flopper. At worse, he is a hypocrite who actively lies
when he tells you that he and Bruins United care about these
issues, even though they opposed them previously.
Whichever you choose to believe, it makes no difference. The
point is that his campaign is a farce, his actions contradict his
rhetoric, and students cannot endow him with their trust for the
future.
Palma/Saracho is the current USAC president.