If you are a UBC student, you need to go vote for the U-Pass right now. An unlimited bus pass for $22/month is unbeatable.
Thanks to our bonehead AMS, nobody seems to know that the U-Pass will be cancelled if the $2/month increase is voted down. Then you'll have to pay $2.25 per ticket or $69 to $130 per month for a pass. With all the elections online now, there aren't any polling booths to remind people. Just a few high school style hand-painted signs and some people handing out flyers (who you've probably been avoiding because you thought they were trying to talk to you about Amnesty International or something).
Warcode, have you voted yet?
Posted by tim at January 31, 2005 08:30 PMI tried, but it didn't like my browser.
I will try again now or from the department computers (where I voted in the GSS elections earlier today; the U-Pass referendum didn't open until 5pm). I find it a bit hard to believe that it wouldn't work on Windows IE or Firefox, but had no problems on Unix Firefox.
Posted by: warcode on January 31, 2005 09:14 PMOkay, it is done.
I noticed a TESTJG entry as something I am not able to vote for, which I take as an indicator that there were technical difficulties earlier.
I also like how the short name for the big item you metnioned is "Continuing the U-Pass Referendum", which is of course something I don't support.
Posted by: warcode on January 31, 2005 09:20 PMWhat is this, communism?
Let the market decide! People who commute in their Honda Civics from their parents' home in New West should not have to subsidize bus passes for the rest of you pikers.
I vote No. Oh wait, I have no vote.
Posted by: evan on February 1, 2005 11:35 AMIf the babies who commute from their mommy's house every day vote it down, so be it. The problem is that the online-only voting system discourages votes. People don't see voting stations, so many (most?) don't even know what's going on. They have to log in to the Student Service Centre and find the webvote link (hidden waaaay down in the bottom left corner), and click through a bunch of stuff. There's no paper trail either, so I could be voting Bush for AMS president for all I know.
Posted by: tim on February 1, 2005 09:26 PMI don't know if online voting really affects the turnout; I think it ends up being low either way.
Which is partly why the fire hydrant lost a Board of Governors seat by only 6 votes in the recent AMS elections.
We tried to get something similar passed at U of A, but the city didn't end up agreeing. But even though I WALK to school/work I still voted yes because I wanted to reduce campus traffic in general. At the moment it's actually cheaper to drive and park at uni than it is to get a bus pass every month if you don't have to pay for insurance on your car.
Posted by: cassie on February 5, 2005 07:31 PMI'll be damned. The U-Pass votes passed with plenty of room to spare. Turns out UBC has some intelligent students after all.
http://www.ams.ubc.ca/elections/
1. Keep the U-Pass by increasing the price?
YES votes: 19,192
NO votes: 1,513
2. Extend the U-Pass to the summer?
YES votes: 17,729
NO votes: 1,724
So you have it until the summer and paying $2 more a month for it. Is this something you're going to have to vote on every semester or is the SU looking to make it more permanent? (ie. cost and duration)
Posted by: cassie on February 10, 2005 06:37 PMThe Yes vote on the referendum locks in the price for 3 years and holds Translink (the bus company) to various increases in service over that time. See http://www.upass.ubc.ca/ for more info.
Posted by: tim on February 10, 2005 10:45 PMmkdaam poiuyt http://ghjklaiuyhqfeec.com/
Posted by: Pierce on April 3, 2005 10:21 AM