Thursday, June 2, 2011
Orlando PD Arrest Three Orlando Food Not Bombs Members for Sharing Food in a Public Park
Friday, April 22, 2011
What’s Wrong with the UCF Keep
Thursday, April 14, 2011
HB 1355 Only Makes Government Bigger
If there is one thing that Republicans do not like, it's youths who vote.
This may seem like a bold statement to some, but before you make your judgment, let me introduce you to House Bill 1355.
HB 1355, drafted by Speaker of the House Dean Cannon and introduced into committee by Rep. Dennis Baxley, is a 128-page rewrite of our state's election laws. The re-write itself specifically targets individuals and organizations who volunteer their time to register voters.
Provisions within the bill are numerous and dangerously detrimental to the democratic process. It would require anyone collecting voter registrations to register with the state.
This means that all organizations who wish to register voters, including student groups, must submit the names, addresses and dates of birth for all volunteers to the state. These organizations will then be required to obtain custom registration forms from the local supervisor of elections with the organization's name identified on the form.
This is done as a method of tracking, because if you submit an incorrect voter registration application, you and your organization will be penalized with a fine by the state of Florida. It should also be noted that the payment collected from these fines will no longer be utilized to increase voter education. In contrast, this money can go anywhere the government wants.
Those who support HB 1355 assert that it is a method of preventing voter fraud. By making the process more bureaucratic, they are hoping to eliminate fraudulent voter registrations. Yes, HB 1355 may succeed in doing so, but at what cost?
HB 1355, if passed, would make a traditionally easy process into a ridiculously technical one. In most cases, all you need to register a voter is a voter-registration form, a clipboard, pen and time. And that's what's so perfect about it — the simplicity of it all.
During the presidential elections of 2008, the College Democrats at UCF registered 10,775 voters. And that's just one organization of volunteers in one election cycle. Imagine what 2012 could bring. Imagine how many students will register to vote and then actually vote in 2012.
It baffles me that so much attention is being given to social issues and voting rules when our economy is what's in need of revision. The almost-governmental shutdown this past weekend is an example of this and I would like to think that we're smart enough to not waste our time on issues that do not need fixing.
Because honestly, what is so wrong with registering students to vote?
It's extremely ironic (and hypocritical) that a political party who preaches against big government would attempt to pass legislation that only encourages big government. If you want to hear what the people want, then maybe you should let us get registered to vote. Maybe you should encourage the electoral process, not diminish its possibilities.
With all of that said, I urge you to contact Speaker of the House Dean Cannon. His office drafted HB 1355, and if you're wondering why the House representative for the UCF campus would do such a thing, it's probably because his term limits are over.
I guess he wants to be remembered for destroying the student vote.
I want us to be remembered for winning it back.
This article's original publication can be found here: http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/hb-1355-only-makes-government-bigger-1.2537240
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Perils of the Great Leader Complex
1776 is super cool. Like these guys. |
The 0.8 Million Dollar Man |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Notification of Retraction, Sincerest Apologies, and Vow to Uphold Higher Standards of Quality in Our Reporting
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Universal Knights: How to Blow $200,000 on a Field Trip to an Amusement Park
Corporate Moneygasm! This is what "Fiscal Responsibility" looks like. |
SGA: Redistributing the Wealth, for Good of Motherland |
This Thursday the student senate will have a special session from 18:00 to 23:00 hours to review and approve the Activity and Service Fee budget. This year the Activity and Service Fee Committee has requested $180,000 for the line item “Spring Event” (ie. Universal Knights). Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely that student senate will act on their own to stop this childishly irresponsible splurging of your money, especially when you consider that SGA members have Universal Knights tickets specially reserved for them. However, that doesn’t mean that this can’t be stopped. There will be an open forum at the beginning, as in all senate meetings, for students to come to and voice their displeasure about this or any other aspect of the budget. You can also contact your college senators at http://www.ucfsga.com/find-your-senator, and let them know this is the sort of wasteful spending that is remembered at the ballot box. We here at the Vanguard Voice feel that this $180,000 would be much better spent on UCF events, student research, civic engagement, etc. and strongly encourage our reader to make such sentiments clear to everyone in SGA.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
President Elect Pizza Calls for Genocide Trial of Elections Commissioners
Transport Containers for Pizza People extracted from a Student Union mass grave by international aid workers. |
University of Corner Florida President-Elect Papa J. Pizza has issued a statement calling upon the International Criminal Court to try Elections Commissioner Hasen Relkcem on charges of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and criminal douchebaggery. In a statement from a recent speech given by President Pizza he called on the international community to band together to ensure that this tragedy does not repeat itself. “My people’s flesh may be delectable when freshly baked, our tasty toppings may bring all the boys to the yard, but this does not excuse the mass munching of our people”, said President-Elect Pizza. “We must find Relkcem and snack upon him, as he did snack upon us.” When asked by reporters whether retribution was called for instead of conciliation and understanding, President-Elect Pizza responded by calling the press core “utterly useless pussies” and instructed them to “suck [his] salty sausage”.
Remains of a pizza person found near the business administration region.
Commissioner Relkcem has fled to the Towers where he is amassing an army of SGA campaigners and establishing training camps around the stadium to wage jihad upon the pizza tribes. In a taped interview sent to the Corner Florida Future Relkcem made the following statement, “It is the will of the great Election that we subjugate every pizza, and sacrifice them to ensure the success of this most holy of rituals and campus Traditions”. In response to pressure from the International community Elections Commissioner Relkcem warned that, “Any opposition to the will of the Election will be met with my mighty army of campaigners occupying the Student Union and waging a never ending presidential campaign”, adding “So chew on that, bitches.”
Elections Commissioner Hasen Relkcem in taped interview with the Courner Florida Future
This Thursday the senate will be considering a motion brought by President-Elect Pizza’s supporters to institute a no-fly zone over the union alongside preparations for a full scale invasion of the Towers. Opponents of the proposal note the decade long war against trees and the occupation of the arboretum. Senator Amtt Sobra is skeptical of military intervention and noted the continuing costs of the current wars waged by the student government. “Do you know how many trees there are in the arboretum? Shitloads, literally shitloads.” Senator Sobra continued, “We’ve already spent enough in blood and bullion killing insurgent Oaks and their hippie supporters. How many more have to suffer splinters and ticks in that struggle alone? We just can’t afford it anymore.” If the motion is successful, forces could be deployed to the North Eastern campus as soon as next Monday. The trans-dimensional bureau X-43 of the Vanguard Voice will continue to report upon this story as it develops.