More: Keeping Tabs on Student Government

We recently blogged about student blogger Joseph Schuster and his resolve to hold student government accountable by bringing some light to the rather opaque subject.

After a brief spell of blogging for the Marquette Tribune, Schuster is back at his old blog, The MUSG Disconnect.

Why? Because the Tribune refused to publish (on his Tribune blog, not in the paper) a piece saying that Marquette University Student Government is “unnecessary.” That the student body would be better off without it.

What heresy!

A Tribune editor called this “not constructive” and spiked it.

Just what did Schuster say that was so bad? Here are the first few paragraphs.

As I was walking through campus today, I had a most horrible thought, what would Marquette University be like without MUSG?

As I looked around with this thought in my mind, the entire campus began to crumble before me. I saw buildings, never getting built. Sports teams never reaching the levels they are at. Academics not being what they are, and there just are not as many students as we have today.

Actually, it would be the exact same place that it is today. The administration and staff at Marquette take care of everything. MUSG just takes up space and resources. This year, MUSG’s revenue, according to their budget was $447,700. The majority of this money was raised through the student activity fee. Now how much of that $447,700goes back to the students through the student organization allocations? Only $128,500.

Now just think, if we didn’t have MUSG taking their cut of that $447,700 and doing whatever it is that they do (we are still trying very hard to figure that out), then students could put all that money, specifically where they want it. According to the budget $3,000 gets spend on MUSG advertising. I guess they have to convince people to join them.

Schuster also revealed some interesting data about how MUSG allocates its funds.

As most probably know, MUSG (mis)allocates the student activity fee among student organizations. Recently 2 of the organizations that received a fairly generous portion of the activity fee demonstrated against the Marquette ROTC, because apparently, soldiers are being trained for the “unjust war in Iraq.”

The two student groups that were supporters of this event (through encouraging members to attend) were the Muslim Student Association and the group known as J.U.S.T.I.C.E. (An acronym meaning liberal student organization). Information about the specific s of the demonstration can be found on the Marquette Warrior Blog.

But the reason that I feel a need to mention this protest on a blog devoted to MUSG is because in period 2, MUSG gave JUSTICE, $3,084.00, see MUSG’s SOA allocations here the exact amount that they requested. Now just to let you know how hard it is to get the exact amount that you request from MUSG, in the last period, only 17.6% of events received the funding level which they requested. So either the JUSTICE application was quite good, or MUSG has a special heart for the leftist organization.

It’s the latter, obviously. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. is a leftist student organization that represents, with unerring fidelity, the political agenda of the University Ministry.

And MUSG is pretty much under the thumb of bureaucrats in the Office of Student Development. Since the University Ministry and OSD think the same way and work hand-in-hand on projects of leftist indoctrination, it’s not surprising that MUSG funds the organization generously.

Look for more from Schuster.

Blogger Keeping Tabs on Student Government

Blogger Joseph Schuster has taken on the role of being a thorn in the side of Marquette University Student Government.

We can hardly think of a better target.

Actually, the Office of Student Development and the University Ministry might be better targets, but they aren’t really different targets, since MUSG is pretty much in the pocket of those University bureaucrats.

Schuster’s most recent post concerns an MUSG “concert” that turned into a real flop.

When I have discussions with people about the necessity of MUSG, the one point that always comes up about what MUSG does that is great for the student body is that it puts on events. That would mean the only worthwhile MUSG department is the Program Board, headed by Program Vice President Matt Robinson.

I was wrong again. This past weekend, I attended the Reel Big Fish concert, expecting the Varsity Theatre to be full. After all, Reel Big Fish is an enjoyable band and MUSG was basically giving away tickets at $15. I couldn’t believe it though; when I walked in about 20 minutes before the show began, the Varsity Theatre was probably only one-eighth full. I would say though, that in the last 20 minutes it filled, to (at best) one-third capacity.

So why does MUSG sponsor concerts? It’s not like Milwaukee hurts for performance venues.

The reason, quite simply, is that “student government” is in fact a government, able to tax students (it’s called “activity fees”) and stage events with no market test.

A private promoter who mounts too many money-losing concerts will go out of business. But MUSG can just continue to rake in tax money from students.

All in the service of building little bureaucratic empires in Alumni Memorial Union.

Administration Intimidation

Schuster, by the way, had to face what looks very much like an attempt at intimidation as he was starting his blog.

Duane Bruce, Assistant Dean for New Student Programs, approached Schuster and asked him “what’s your goal?” in starting the blog. He then warned Schuster to “be careful” with his blogging, and added that he preferred that people would be “doing something” rather than “talking about” things.

Which, of course, denigrates the entire journalistic profession!

Schuster has been stonewalled by MUSG officials, who refuse to talk to him on the grounds that he is a blogger. We asked Brock Banks, MUSG President, about this policy, and he refused to respond to us too!

Since he is a former student of ours, we were prepared to view him favorably, but he threw that away.

Apparently, MUSG will only talk to the Tribune and The Warrior. Both publications should be deeply offended at that, since it implies they are “in the tank” for MUSG, and either unwilling or unable to provide critical coverage.

MUSG appears to be afflicted by the arrogance typical of all the bureaucrats that infest Alumni Memorial Union.

Deep down, they must sense that real transparency would be a threat to them.

Linda Clifford on Marquette Radio

Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Linda Clifford was just heard on the Marquette radio program Bipartisan Bickering with Matt and Joseph.

Joseph Schuster, the conservative/libertarian on the program, was well prepared, asking Clifford about school choice and gay marriage.

On school choice, she backed off earlier statements that seemed to question the concept, saying “I think that it is settled law.”

She did express interest in the financing of education in Wisconsin. This is a huge can of worms, because activist liberal courts in numerous other states have (for example) ordered legislatures to change school financing to rely less on the property tax, and more on state funds.

This, of course, makes local schools much less responsive to local citizens, and redistributes influence into the hands of lobbies that are powerful at the state level.

Yes, we are talking about WEAC.

Liberal activist courts have also ordered legislatures to increase spending on education, and raise taxes as much as is necessary to satisfy the judges’ notions of what level of spending is required.

On gay marriage, she refused to back off even a bit, but did equivocate.

When confronted by Schuster with her letter to the Wisconsin legislature attacking the Defense of Marriage Amendment, she said that “nobody will say this day how anybody will vote” and “I can’t say today.”

And she added “we don’t know what the arguments of the parties would be.”

She also said she didn’t know how the law would “develop” in the next few years. Translation: if other state Supreme Courts order gay marriage, she is leaving the door open to using the “developing” law to legalize homosexual unions.

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Hear audio:

• Judge Ziegler
• Linda Clifford

State Supreme Court Candidates on Marquette Radio Sunday

Sunday on Marquette radio, there is a show with the infelicitous title “Bipartisan Bickering with Matt and Joseph.” The hosts are Matt Woleske, Joseph Schuster, and this week they have scored a coup.

The will be interviewing both candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which will be held this coming Tuesday.

The interview with Ziegler will be recorded tomorrow, but Clifford will actually be interviewed live, calling the show at 3:15 on Sunday afternoon.

One never knows when candidates will “let slip” something that fundamentally illuminates their judicial philosophy, which is why we wouldn’t think of missing the show.

Political Talk Show on Campus Radio

An e-mail from Joseph Schuster:

As I mentioned yesterday Matt Woleske and myself are starting a once a week political talk show. The show will be on from noon - 2 every Sunday on Marquette radio (can be listened to on their website http://marquetteradio.mu.edu/ or on Channel 96 if on campus. Basically, the idea of the show is that Matt and I are going to discuss the political decisions that happen in the week that has passed. It is going to be interesting because Matt is a self declared liberal, and myself a conservative, we disagree on most issues. This week we will probably talk about cloture, the pending Wal-Mart class action suit, Bernake’s speech claiming that their is widening inequality among Americans, and so on. It should be a fairly good show.

Yes, we think it will be.