UBC Students

[-ff-]

U-Pass referendum starts today.

Vote now if you want to keep it.

This is serious business!

[Liqwid]

the gov. is taking away yer bus passes?

~dalyn

[-ff-]

No, they increased the cost by 2 bucks a month, and now they need to approve it in a referendum. Except, if the referendum doesn't pass, then the U-pass ceases to exist.

[Liqwid]

so....u want the 2 doller increas so u can still have a cheap bus pass?

~dalyn

[revocrednu]

Originally Posted by Liqwid

so....u want the 2 doller increas so u can still have a cheap bus pass?

~dalyn

Exactly!

[Liqwid]

ok....i'm glad yer not bitching about the 2 doller increase...

Go Referendum!!!!!!!

~dalyn

[sidekick]

i will most definitly be voting a big fat YES on this referendum. the UPASS makes my life so much easier (and cheaper). i don't mind paying an extra eight dollars a year, and no one else should.

[Liqwid]

cause bitching about 2 doller increase is lame

~dalyn

[.anya]

^ditto.

I LOVE MY U-PASS.

edit: Meant for Sidekick

[-ff-]

The actual referendum question.

I support the continuation of the Universal Transportation Pass (U-Pass) program at a cost of $22 per month for eight months (September through April each year).** ** Note 1: This cost will be part of your AMS fee and will entitle you to unlimited use of bus, SkyTrain, and SeaBus services within the GVRD plus discounted fares for the West Coast Express as well as access to UBC TREK transportation programs. Note 2: Under agreements with Translink and the University, the $22 per month cost is fixed until April 2008. There will not be an increase in the cost for students unless students approve such an increase through another referendum. Note 3: The pass will be mandatory for all AMS members with certain limited exceptions. Note 4: If the referendum receives a majority No vote, or fails due to a lack of quorum (less than 4,000 Yes votes), the U-Pass Program will be terminated.

[.anya]

hmm i just tried to vote online but it keeps saying "no selection made. your vote will be cast but counted as invalid." even though i'm clicking on the option i want. :/

[-ff-]

^
Yeah, I emailed them about that. I got this back:

If your email is regarding voting in the current student referenda, please be aware of the following:

Due to a system problem, an error dialogue box is showing egregiously. The system itself is working, and all votes are being counted.

Enrolment Services is aware of the problem, and is working to rectify the situation.

Please accept our apologies for the confusion this has caused, and again, we assure you that all votes are being counted despite a dialogue box that tells you otherwise. If you are uncomfortable with voting while that dialogue box is present, please vote tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Christopher Eaton

Enrolment Services

The University of British Columbia

[.anya]

:) thank you

[-ff-]

*bump*

[sidekick]

voted last night :)

we had someone come into our class this morning to tell us all about it, too. i hope it all goes through.

[lithe]

also vote for a $2 increase in student fees for the sexual assault support centre. it's a really important and underfunded programme, and it's a measley $2 people!

[revocrednu]

VOTING TIME

i voted last nite

[sidekick]

Originally Posted by lithe

also vote for a $2 increase in student fees for the sexual assault support centre. it's a really important and underfunded programme, and it's a measley $2 people!

i voted yes on this, too.

and for adding the aboriginal and internation seat to the AMS council.

[BrownThug]

it better go through/.....im not even in ubc until next year.....but langara charges $50 a month and i cant fucking wait untl i get a u-pass

[SquiLa]

^^ haha egregiously - i love that word.

thanks for the post reminder. i also just voted.

transit costs saved from the u-pass pays for almost one class' tuition a semester - if ya think of it that way. depending on where you live of course.

[sidekick]

some numbers to consider:

price of 8 months of transit with U-PASS: $176

price of 8 months of transit with 1-ZONE: $552
2-ZONE: $760
3-ZONE: $1,040

you save SO much money.

[SquiLa]

yes there's no question. yes it is.

[lithe]

i voted against ams seats for international and aboriginal students. i don't feel they have specific enough concerns that they can't be accurately represented by the same people as i am.

[sidekick]

^i definitly think that the extra seats are a good idea. i think that the rest of the AMS council, which is mostly populated by students from parts of canada might not really be aware of the difficulties or concerns that face students coming from different parts of the world, or from an aboriginal background.

[lithe]

i guess i just don't feel that their "difficulties" and "concerns" are so abstract that they can't be understood by a democratically-elected group made up of the multinational population of UBC. international students and especially aboriginal students already have an existing infrastructure, especially suprising for the latter because there are only about 500 aboriginal students enrolled. i know we have to be PC yadda yadda, but i really don't think additional AMS seats are necessary.

regardless of my opinion, everyone get out there and vote! today's the last day.