Paying for PIRG

(In response to Kyle Daly’s Wednesday article, “USG approves language of PIRG fee measure.”)

Your article in Wednesday’s paper about Public Interest Research Group charging a $1.50 student fee seems to fuel the flame of the pointless drama between Undergraduate Student Government and PIRG.

Brendan O’Kelly, for those of you like me (who don’t care), is the current president of USG and has made it his personal mission to not let this fee pass.

Who cares about $1.50?!? That is as much as a coffee, a parking meter or a bag of chips from a vending machine.

With every student giving $1.50 to PIRG, however, it means they will be able to continue being powerful campus organizers. PIRG is an organization not afraid to take on special interest groups.

Here at ASU they have registered thousands of students to vote, have been a powerful force behind implementing recycling on campus, and have been rallying support for health care reform with great enthusiasm.

The article in The State Press, however, completely failed to mention any of the important projects undertaken by PIRG. Much worse, however, was the way you “neutrally reported” Brendan O’Kelly’s actions throughout this entire situation.

He needs to get over himself and lose the immature, arrogant and self-promoting attitude he’s chosen to take on.

The student fee will be taken to a vote and Brendan O’Kelly, threatened by the power the revenue will bring for PIRG, is doing everything he can to stop it. Let the ASU students decide if we want to give $1.50 to PIRG. As for me, I’ll be voting yes when the ballet rolls around later this month (Feb. 24 or 25).

Ariana Fox
Undergraduate