Endorsements

Just to let everyone know, I have been endorsed by WWU Young Democrats, Students for Civic Engagement, and Students for Educational Equality.

I will be in Red Square all week, with the gigantic sign, so come ask me questions or just say hi!

Thank you to everyone for your support! I'm so glad there are so many people out there who believe in me. I won't let you down!

An AS President Committed to the Environment

Western Washington University has a strong commitment to sustainable environmental practices. From the green building of our Student Recreation Center and Academic Instructional Center, to the success of Students for Renewable Energy and the Green Energy Fee, to President Morse signing the President’s Climate Commitment and everything in between, we are national leaders in our battle to save the environment. The AS needs a president who will continue our environmentally conscious approach toward governance while understanding the logistical challenges to future progress and is willing to address them.

Since taking office over 10 months ago, I have brought a level of environmental advocacy previously unseen in a Vice President for Legislative and Governmental Affairs. Here are just a few examples of things accomplished during my tenure:

• A large expansion of the state and federal legislative agendas to include a strong emphasis on environmental issues and proposals to address those issues. These proposals include: a state mandate that all state institutions be run with 100% renewable energy, increased LEED certification requirements for all new state buildings, state funding for safe and organic agricultural practices, and increased funding for public transportation systems.
  
• The implementation of the Alternative Transportation Fee and Universal Bus Pass program. As chair of the ATF committee, I have overseen the planning of the late night shuttle routes, distribution of bus passes, and promotion of the program, among other things. Through the use of the universal bus pass, Whatcom Transportation Authority ridership has shot up 50% in the last year.While I agree that bus overcrowding is an important issue that must be addressed next year, (see my previous post on Affordability and Accountability), this is possibly the best problem WTA could have. I’m sure the ozone is thanking us for the 3,650 tons of carbon dioxide, 128 tons of carbon monoxide and 13.46 tons of hydrocarbons we Western students have not released since June 2006.
  
• Over spring break this year I went to Washington, D.C. with our current Legislative Liaison and AS President to represent the Associated Students to Washington’s congressional delegation. Along with thanking representatives for their support of the Higher Education Act of 2008 and asking our two senators to support it, a large part of our emphasis was on the environment. In alignment with our Federal Legislative Agenda, we highlighted bills that established a national climate change education program and green transportation infrastructure. Rather than just going to D.C. and saying we liked the environment, I put those issues into a policy perspective. That kind of approach is exactly what is needed to get anything done at a state or national level.
  

Aside from my past work, I have a couple proposals for the future of AS involvement in environmental sustainability:

• A more efficient and expanded Alternative Transportation program. Things I would like to address include future late night shuttle routes (namely to Happy Valley and Fairhaven), advocating for more buses to and from campus, and encouraging alternative transportation for all students at all times.
  
• Continuation of the Associated Students’ legislative emphasis on the environment and public transit. This would be alongside our traditional areas of tuition, financial aid, campus life, student rights, diversity and faculty support.
  
• Full utilization of the Outback as an AS program. Currently, the Outback Farm is a national leader in sustainable environmental learning, and since it’s also an AS program, it is our responsibility to develop it in a way consistent with the goals of the farm. The current AS Board nudged it in the right direction with the revitalization efforts recently, but we can do more, like finishing the amphitheater and making the Outback fully integrated with the rest of the campus community.
  

These are just a few of the ideas that I have for next year and further down the line. Western has done so much to minimize our negative impacts on the environment, and we can’t afford to let that go to waste. Vote for someone who will continue Western’s fight for the environment, vote Erik Lowe for AS President.

Affordability and Accountability

The main responsibility of the AS President, as well as any AS Board member, is to represent the views of their constituency. Students should vote for a candidate who will approach issues in a way consistent with their views. In other words, students need to vote for someone who will deliver. While I have worked on many issues throughout my term as VP for Legislative and Governmental Affairs, the two themes that have been present consistently have been affordability and accountability.

The average Western student pays over $400 per quarter on mandatory fees (S&A, Alternative Transportation, Student Technology, Health Center, Student Recreation Center, Renewable Energy, and Building Fees), and of course there is the quarterly $1,363 for tuition and over $2,000 for housing and dining. When one factors in all the necessary expenses attached to a WWU education, the average in-state student rate is over $16,000 per year.

As a public university, Western has a responsibility to provide a high quality learning experience at a reasonable price. I am of the opinion that the university has done a much better job than the other public institutions in Washington, but there is always room for improvement. As the AS President, I would work hard to ensure that Western students could afford the world-class education we are receiving.

Of course, it’s not enough to say I will do that, I must also explain how I will accomplish this goal, and ultimately deliver when elected.

The first thing I will do is work to minimize the increase of fees levied against students. Obviously, with university growth and inflation, tuition and fees must be raised to provide the same level of service to students. That doesn’t give the university free reign to raise fees on a whim. I will make sure every increase is heavily scrutinized and those increases are of absolute necessity rather than passing desire.

Secondly, I will hold the university and AS accountable in how we spend every single dollar. Throughout my time on the Board of Directors, I have been very passionate about how the AS spends money. Although the AS has a budget of over 2 million dollars, after one factors in the large amounts of money devoted to salary and the operations of each respective office, there is relatively little available to devote to supplemental funding of events and programs by AS offices or clubs. My goal is to expand on the policies of fiscal responsibility brought by this year’s board. That is not to say I want to hinder the creativity of clubs or offices in programming, rather I take pride in their ability to create first-rate events. I just want to ensure we are as efficient as possible with student money.

Lastly, I will put forth great effort to bring increased state funding to campus so the costs to students for various programs and projects are curtailed. My extensive legislative experience will give me the tools necessary to represent the student body’s interests when it comes to legislative support. The more money the university can get from sources apart from the students, the easier it is to limit the amount of financial strain placed on students.

So please, when thinking about your choice for AS President, remember that an AS President must be able to represent and defend your views and interests. If for nothing else than to make certain you get the most bang for your buck.

The Legislature and You

An AS President must have extensive knowledge of the legislature and what impact the decisions made by our state representatives and senators have on Western students. I am the only person running for President with firsthand knowledge of the work required to bring funding and other support to campus. As VP for Legislative and Governmental Affairs for the last year, my first priority was the needs of Western students, and I was committed to expanding our influence in Olympia. This year, I organized Viking Lobby Day, which brought almost twenty students to Olympia to meet with legislators from across the state. A few weeks later, I went with the students of Western’s inaugural Leadership Advantage Program to meet with the chairs of both the Senate and House Higher Education meetings, as well as Governor Christine Gregoire’s chief of staff. On top of all that, I am also Vice Chair of the Western Chapter of the Washington Student Lobby, which is an organization committed to promoting the views of students across the state.

In addition to my work in the state legislature, over the last year I have traveled twice to Washington, D.C. to meet with our federal representatives and senators to discuss issues of great importance to Western students. On the second trip, which I organized and took over spring break with the current AS President and Legislative Liaison, we met with the staff of six of Washington’s delegation. Concurrently, I met with the executive staff of the United States Student Association, which is a nationwide organization that focuses on student issues at the federal level, to discuss federal issues and resources that they could provide to Western in order for us to be most successful.

When voting for your next AS President, do you want someone who will have to go through extensive legislative training before they can ask for increased state funding, or would you rather have someone who can think on his feet and deliver results on issues that you care about?

Committee Experience is Key

When electing the future AS President, it is crucial to pick someone who thoroughly understands the issues facing students and how to address them. My extensive experience with the numerous AS and university committees through my current position as AS VP for Legislative and Governmental Affairs illustrates how I am the most knowledgeable and qualified person for the job.

Legislative Affairs Council - Chair: This AS committee drafts both the federal and state legislative agendas for the Associated Students. In addition to addressing the traditional issues like tuition and financial aid, this year we expanded the agendas to have a stronger focus on environmental and public transit issues. 

Alternative Transportation Fee Committee - Chair: This university committee is tasked with implementing the universal bus pass program and late night shuttle.

Alternative Transportation Advisory Committee - Vice Chair: This AS committee examines all aspects of alternative transportation on and around campus, we make recommendations to the AS Board of Directors and university administration regarding WTA, bike lanes, parking issues, crosswalks, etc.

Housing and Dining Budget Committee: This university committee reviews all aspects of the housing and dining budgets and ensures that rate increases stay as low as possible while still providing high quality housing and dining options.

Senate Bylaws Committee: This Student Senate committee is established to review the bylaws  of the Senate and make the operation of the Senate as efficient and inclusive as possible.

Election Code Review Committee: This AS committee reviews and makes changes to the election code to ensure the fairness of the AS elections, allowing all students to have an equal chance of becoming a member of the AS Board of Directors.

Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Council: I serve as WWU's representative to this confederation of all neighborhoods in Bellingham (Western is its own neighborhood). Issues discussed that are of importance to students have included neighborhood parking issues and the housing laws of Bellingham.

Campus Community Coalition: I am one of two members of the AS Board who represent the greater student body at this important group of community leaders, campus administrators, business owners, and both city and university police departments.

These are the various committees that I have served on for the last year. I also frequently attend Student Senate meetings as well as other university and AS committees when I have time. If you would like more information on what I have done on each of these committees, please let me know.