Know Before You Vote - SFSS Referendum Questions and What is at Stake
The link to vote is here: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/CMF2K9P
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A lot has happened over the past few days. There are three referendum questions that you should vote no on so our fees do not get increased for no gain on our part as students.
The first question deals with funding of SFPIRG and other activist groups on campus. I have no problem with these groups existing, but I have serious concerns about forcing all of the student body to opt in to pay them even more fees than we do already.
As stated in this link, it is very hard to opt out of these fees, as you have to go in person during certain times of the term that are not well advertised. For students who are remote or at other campuses, this mean that it is hard for them to opt out of these fees. When you do go and try to opt out they shoot you dirty looks when you do so.
https://www.reddit.com/r/simonfraser/comments/1iv9pgp/sfpirg_embark_and_the_peak_are_potentially/
https://www.reddit.com/r/simonfraser/comments/1iuvljq/how_do_i_cancel_my_sfpirg_embark_the_peak_and/
You cannot opt-out online like other commenters have said, which sucks.
Currently, SFPIRG gets $185,000 of your dollars per year and has not run an event since last summer. It makes me wonder where all the money is going.
I have been unable to find any financial data from Embark, The PEAK, CJSF or SFPIRG outlining why they need more money. All that I have heard in the conversations on Reddit is that inflation is hurting them, so they want more. I haven't heard anything about why I, as a student, should have to pay extra fees. Again, I ask, where is all the money going?
This means millions of dollars during your time at SFU.
Further, several of these groups have seats on the executive board and wield disproportionate influence. These glorified clubs are funded to the tune of millions of dollars over your time at SFU, and I do not understand why, unlike other student clubs and groups, they do not have to fundraise or write grant requests like the rest of us. They are very small in size and get a ton of money. They are holdovers from the former SFU Progressives used to push their views and slant the votes in council.
Former SFU Progressive Marie Haddad leads Embark now, and others have sent out emails to candidates for backroom deals in exchange for support this election.
https://www.reddit.com/r/simonfraser/comments/1it0hoh/lol_no_vote_no/
I will be voting no on question 1 as there is no financial transparency regarding what these groups spend their money on. Further, former SFSS execs have commented on how these groups act as shadow counsel and, as I have said, control the society behind the scenes. Since the SUB was built, the former Rotunda groups have unfortunately received way too much funding without any meaningful oversight. The fact the SFSS has to give them money due to agreements but can't control what they spend money on or even audit them is a huge issue.
Vote no and send them a clear message: Enough is enough.
On question 2, Based on what a current SFSS executive has said, we are paying $100 more to keep the plan as-is. This means we are paying more for the same coverage.
Under the current SFSS plan, I can only get one of my teeth cleanings covered per year, and they gave me only $100 for new glasses. I have to get an additional Blue Cross plan to cover the rest at a similar cost.
When I submitted receipts for non-generic medication, the SFSS plan only covered the generic cost. BlueCross never had that issue, either. That cost me hundreds of dollars. Why would I pay more for a plan that gives me nothing?
For the second part of Question 2, I don't trust the SFSS at all. Thus, giving them the power to raise our fees by 5% every year is not acceptable.
That is why I am voting no on both questions of Question 2.
Currently, you can vote multiple times if you use incognito mode, a VPN or switch devices/browsers.
I call on the SFSS to run another vote on the secure system SFU uses.
https://www.reddit.com/r/simonfraser/comments/1izsgp5/voting_issues_with_referendum/