Legislators in Phoenix are hard at work figuring out how to spend some $10 billion of taxpayer money, but that hasn’t stopped one of them from taking on a problem that no one really knew was a problem: power hours. That’s right: state Rep. Robert Meza, D-Phoenix, has introduced a bill that would bump the drinking age to 8 a.m. on a person’s 21st birthday, which would effectively outlaw power hours, those inebriated rites of passage enjoyed (or endured, really) by countless college students on their 21st birthdays. Forget illegal immigration, Arizona’s water shortages or the state’s abysmal education system – kids shouldn’t be drinking when they’re 21! They should have to wait until they’re 21 years and 8 hours of age! For introducing a senseless bill that does nothing but waste the Legislature’s time, Rep. Meza gets a Fail.
It’s curious that the UA community has spent the greater part of Black History Month obsessing over a “”black party”” that, well, denigrated the purpose and power of Black History Month. Now, as if the letters to the editor, “”healing sessions”” and group discussions weren’t enough, the national media has hopped on the bandwagon, gleefully flogging away at a long-dead horse. At some point, reason would dictate that any more breathless tributes to “”cultural awareness”” cease to be helpful, but some students suggested at a forum yesterday that the UA add “”multicultural courses”” to the general education curriculum. Look, it happened. It was stupid. Move on. No amount of hand-wringing or squeamish apologies will eradicate those who are dim enough to hold racially themed parties. For dwelling too long on this ridiculous show of bad taste, the national media (and the UA multicultural-philes who refuse to let it go) get a Fail.
Three months after taking back both houses of Congress, it seems the Democrats are running out of the anti-war steam that powered them to office. The U.S. Senate failed to even debate a nonbinding resolution opposing the war in Iraq, and now the House of Representatives looks poised to do nothing but pass a similar nonbinding measure. As official as a “”congressional resolution”” may sound, they have about as much meaning as solar panels on a flashlight. (If you need convincing, Senate Democrats passed a resolution to create a “”National Day of the American Cowboy”” over the summer.) Still, there are a few who have chosen to stand on principle (our own Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., among them) by supporting a measure that would block funding for further operations in Iraq. Those principled enough to take a stand get a Pass, but for failing to act in a time of need, Congress gets a Fail.
If you’ve lost just a little bit of confidence in your student government this week, you’re not alone. Between biased appropriations board decisions and officials engaging in “”unfair elections practices,”” the entire week looks like a made-for-TV movie gone wrong. It’s high time for ASUA to stop the bad acting and trash talking and start governing. Student government should have bigger fish to fry than their own officials, and for underestimating the student body, ASUA gets a Fail.
Opinions Board
Editorials are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and written by one of its members. They are Justyn Dillingham, Allison Hornick, Damion LeeNatali, Stan Molever, Nicole Santa Cruz and Matt Stone. Santa Cruz recused herself from the first pass/fail.
