Do you feel that the A&M students are being used to give unfair advantage to candidates who are not likely to find support among permanent residence of College Station, or do you feel that A&M students are finally being given the chance to participate that they have always deserved?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Ha!!! Students will rule this town. You have fed off of us for long enough. It has been taxation without representation and now we revolt. Next year we will elect students to City Council. We are thinking of enacting an ordinance that will require a minimum of two unrelated people in a house. We will cast off the yoke of oppression tied to us by nuclear families. What really pisses us off is when you people get up and leave for work at like 7:30 in the morning. After a long night of partying we do not want to be disturbed at that time of day, especially by children laughing at bus stops. We will have code enforcement for these things.
As far as I am aware, there are no distinctions in voter registration that gives different rights to some residents but not to others. If and when a student (whether at A&M or at Blinn) makes the effort to register to vote in Bryan or College Station, they have the same rights as any other registered voter and they are a member of our communities just like any other resident. And, if this student population happens to go to the polls in greater numbers than other residents, they should be applauded for their commitment and engagement (even if some residents disagree with their viewpoints). If any group is "unfairly impacting" the outcome of our local elections, it is those permanent residents who do not bother to vote rather than the individuals who do.
I wonder if what's implied here is that students are finally becoming involved because of the debates around the housing ordinances? I'm not sure, but...I think that it only makes sense that students would engage with this because it does affect so many of them. I applaud student involvement. They are a part of our community, and they should register and get out to vote. Unfortunately, I think that many students don't view themselves as being a part of the B/CS community...only as part of the TAMU community. I'm happy if this issue gets them out to vote.
The other impetus for student involvement I see this time around is that so many more students have registered (many of them locally) to vote in the Presidential primary and upcoming election. I'm thrilled by this, myself. The more people who register, the better. Now, if people will just get out and *vote*.:)
This is not an issue of wanting to discourage students from voting. It is an issue of wanting to avoid students being used as political fodder. The mayor got the ballot box moved and right away the developer candidates started courting student government people trying to pit them against their opponents. The people of College Station are very welcoming of the students and even encouraging of their participation in city affairs. And it is just wrong to let self serving politicians drive a wedge between the people of College Station and the students.
Hugh,
It is difficult to take your question seriously given what you have written about the low regard…disdain actually…that you have for Texas A&M as an institution and its students, traditions and values. I would encourage all readers of your blog to take a look at your writings (click on the following link) and judge for themselves if they should continue to take your questions and comments seriously. It will also be interesting to learn whether the candidates that you are supporting and who have accepted your donations and endorsements from the various groups that you lead whether they support and share your outlook on our university and community in general.
http://www.votedictson.com/StearnsRaisingHell.pdf
Derek Dictson
Candidate for City Council, Place 1
"I look forward to a positive, forward looking campaign and the opportunity to engage in community dialogue..." Umm. Mr Dictson, I see no correlation between your website claims and the opportunity you have squandered to engage in community dialogue via this blog. Your schoolboy attempt to divert attention away from the issue towards things that Mr Stearns wrote 7 years ago not only demeans the debate but also displays the low regard that you must have for the critical thinking of today's A&M students. So here is another chance to show that you are more than just a smear campaigner - given the ongoing national housing crisis, why do you still advocate market forces over regulation as the way to shape our city's growth?
A&M students have always had the opportunity to participate. They simply have better things to do. Since the recent Council decision to drop the housing ordinance discussion the rallying issue is gone. I don't think they will vote in significant numbers.
That will hurt the developer's slate of candidates. I do think that they were trying to exploit that issue.
Post a Comment