Here is the deal with VPIRG. Their national club is named PIRG, Public Interest research Group. They are a group of professional lobbyists who push their own non-partisan and highly controversial agenda on Washington politicians. I oppose VPIRGS SGA recognition on several grounds:
1. We do not support lobbyists.
 I am positive in talking with students around campus that students at UVM would not want their money going to pay for lobbyists. The SGA gives money to clubs for the benefit of the students involved. If a group has a national agenda great, but it is for the benefit of UVM students that the SGA should be concerned with. I don't want my money going to pay to save the Alaskan Tundra (a random example). This is regardless of party. I wouldn't want the SGA to fund GOPAC or even the NRA if the funds were going to organizations other then UVM students.

2. PIRG has mandatory dues from its members and clubs.
State PIRGs are required from the national office to mandate $25 or more to become a member. The SGA has debated the use of dues and fees for its members. That was in the case of clubs who are funded enough. This is a case where to be a member of the actual organization you have to pay. SGA should not be allowed for the payment of these dues, since they are used to pay lobbyists.

3. They are a biased lobbyist group.
Despite their non-partisan stance, their causes are very left wing. While I might personally object to the causes, it brings up an issue that as a senator I can not support. None of the other political groups that we support, College Republicans, College Democrats, SPARC, and all of the other clubs that have limited political and social aspects pay lobbyists, at least to my knowledge. The clubs do any protesting themselves, as in the case of SPARC, or they try to educate the public and let them make their own choice, as in the case of the College Republicans. Not so in PIRG. The state and local chapters are nothing more then a funding apparatus. They care neither for student involvement nor in educating the public in how to do their own lobbying. They simply pay others to do it. Many of the causes they support are very controversial in nature. There have also been reports from other colleges, and on the National level of falsified evidence etc.

4. They want to increase UVM's tuition
In VPIRGS dealings with the Student Activities comm. VPIRG has made in clear that the reasons they want SGA recognition is 1. Money, and 2. So that they can officially lobby the Board of Trustees to add a fee to every student's tuition to help fund them as a club, and at the state/national level. They have already done this at Cornell University, and they have expressed this to the Student Activities Committee. If I am misunderstanding any of this, please any member from the comm. Tell me, but I am pretty sure that it is accurate.

I want to emphasize that my complaint is not based on my own political beliefs. It is the fundamental principal behind them. I have serious issues with their actions, not their beliefs. The actions of a club is how the SGA can make a decision about clubs. The SGA doesn't have to approve every club that comes before us. Our more then 100 other clubs easily cover many of PIRG areas of interest. I don't belief that the UVM student body would be happy about us helping someone raise our already high tuition, and that we fund lobbyists. I urge everyone to look at the facts of what this group is all about. PIRG has become the scourge of student governments nationwide, and they are now systematically attacking Vermont. I urge everyone to attend the Student Activities meeting on Monday and see for yourself. I also encourage everyone to check out their webpage at http://www.pirg.org you don't have to belief me, but see for yourself.


Senator Anthony Turi
UVM Student Government Association

****************************************************************************
        "Remember what the doorknob said. FEED YOUR HEAD!!-Jefferson Airplane
****************************************************************************
Check out the University of Vermont's College Republican Homepage!!
                        http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmgop/
For information email us at [log in to unmask] or at [log in to unmask]
****************************************************************************