An open letter to the students of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee:
By The UWM Campus Media
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We thought you would like to know that UWM Student Association’s Independent Election Commissioner, Dan Bahr, is trying to trample your constitutional rights of free speech and free press. Rest assured we will not stand for it.
On April 18th, Commissioner Bahr ordered the removal of two of your campus media sources, the UWM Post and UWM PantherVision, from the polling zones in the UWM Union and Sandburg Hall. Both buildings are public places where the public’s business was being conducted, and his action was in direct violation of the Free Press and Free Speech Rights this country holds so dear.
Bahr didn’t stop there. On April 24th, Commissioner Bahr, in direct violation of Wisconsin’s open meetings law, tried to ban cameras from a public meeting about complaints of campaign violations. As representatives of the public, your student journalists stood firm and refused to leave.
It is not over yet. Bahr has made public statements that he will once again try to violate your Constitutional Rights by banning any media trying to enter into the polling zone to cover an upcoming student referendum. The referendum is on Thursday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will determine the size of the student court and whether UWM will remain a part of the United Council, an organization of Wisconsin student governments.
As representatives of the Fourth Estate at UWM, the UWM Post and UWM PantherVision would like this letter to be a symbol of our promise to you, the students, that we will not roll over and allow your First Amendment rights to be trampled. We will cover the referendum and we will do it from within the polling zone with cameras, notebooks and recording devices in hand, in accordance with our Constitutional right to do so.
Please know that we are not doing this to draw attention to ourselves or to create controversy. We believe governmental affairs must be conducted in full view of the public. Part of our job as journalists is to hold public officials accountable, and we can’t do that if government operations are allowed to be conducted in secret.
We hope you can help by observing this referendum, and the operation of your student government, with the greatest scrutiny.
After all, if students and the student media don’t hold student government accountable, who will?
Sincerely,
The UWM Post
UWM PantherVision
> Comments
Drama Queerns on Apr 28, 2008 at 07:19 AM:
Oh shut up.
uwm post fan on Apr 28, 2008 at 07:53 AM:
go panthers!
we desperately need a fourth estate, since sufc runs the other three.
UWM Student on Apr 28, 2008 at 07:56 AM:
Get over yourselves. This “letter” is yet another example of why this election was laughable – your coverage, and basic understanding of the election, lacks any sense that you know what you're talking about.
The business of the UWM student voters, in this case, is anything but ‘public’. The Student Association is a private association, one open only to an exclusive group of people (UWM students) that has membership fees (segregated fees). It is hardly ‘public’. Yes, membership is compulsory – but, often times, so is membership in workers unions. The Constitution, while great and all, doesn't apply here. Go to the Supreme Court - they'll tell you the same thing.
Also, the function WAS NOT occurring in a public space. YES – the UWM Union is owned by the State of Wisconsin, and is a public building. But, so is State Fair Park – can you demand free admission to the State Fair on the grounds that it’s “public space”? NO! ( I wouldn’t be surprised if Jon Anderson tried it…) At the end of the day, the Union is a conference center that is rented out for private events and functions. The area in question is, indeed, a “reservable space”. Perhaps you should either check out the Union Policy book’s definition, or waste some Administrator's time in an interview, to see what this means, Jon.
I agree with the commissioner’s decision - you should not be able to enter the neutral zone to film voting. I’ve heard rumors that you guys had cameras right in the faces, and on the ballots, of the voters. This action needs to be stopped because 1) how people vote, in a public or private election, is their business; 2) having cameras and press in the neutral zone is going to supress voter turn-out (people generally don't enjoy being in the middle of a "scene" and many people like their privacy to be maintained by voting - cameras are usually present at the former and they violate the latter); and 3) it is just plain wrong.
At the end of the day, if your conduct is ridiculous and amateur, expect to be treated as such. Don't come whining to the students - we don't care about your large egos.
Chris Walker on Apr 28, 2008 at 09:56 AM:
"I’ve heard rumors that you guys had cameras right in the faces, and on the ballots, of the voters."
I'm not going to go into the details of your comment because frankly would be a wasted effort to convince you that my opinion is better than yours (as you believe yours is better than mine)...we'll simply have to agree to disagree. It will do us no good to argue on our definitions of what is and what isn't a public place since neither of us, in the end, will budge.
On the matter of the quote I pasted above, however, you are gravely mistaken: no cameras were ever placed in the faces of any student, and no intimidation was ever used by any member of the Post other than our editorials. As for Panthervision, I recall seeing (on election day) a tripod camera setup, several yards away from the polling places (but still within the election area)...hardly intimidating.
thanks on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:00 AM:
thank you
Pundit on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:03 AM:
The UWM Student Union is a semi-public forum, meaning that the government provides it with certain restrictions and constraints that it enforces. Non-allocable seg fees finance the Union operating budget, and the student government can set qualified participation constraints on such activities. Union administration is not going to risk butting heads with the student government because WI S.36(09)5 is a potent statute that has won the day for students in multiple WI Supreme Court cases.
yabbadabbaDON'T on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM:
bahr's last name is a self-fulfilling prophecy...lols
another UWM Student on Apr 28, 2008 at 02:11 PM:
In response to the first UWM student.
"The business of the UWM student voters, in this case, is anything but ‘public’. The Student Association is a private association, one open only to an exclusive group of people (UWM students) that has membership fees (segregated fees). It is hardly ‘public’."
Even if you argue that the Student Association is a "private" group you yourself along with every student is a member of that group. As a member, don't you feel that you have the right to know what goes on surrounding the election of group leaders who, among other things, allocate the use of that membership fee?
Being student run media outlets, The Post and PantherVision are both members of the same group. Which means they have the right to report on events that go on within the group - including holding officials like the Independent Elections Commissioner accountable for there actions.
Whether you believe Dan Bahr to be correct or incorrect in his actions, the student press has a right to question him about those actions, holding him responsible for the decisions he makes.
An Open Response on Apr 28, 2008 at 06:17 PM:
Your mission has failed. GAME OVER (Insert quarter to try again)
Damn on Apr 28, 2008 at 10:58 PM:
I hate every single member of the SUFC and would love nothing more than to see every last one of them run out of office, but I still think this was unnecessary.
A.J. on Apr 29, 2008 at 12:33 AM:
Look,
The Post gave away FREE add space to ASAP (a full page add on the back of their paper in fact), gave ASAP their full endorsement, wrote editorials all negative hit jobs on SUFC and "news articles" bashing SUFC for a month straight.
What is their complaint about IEC Dan Bahr....that he is biased??? HEY POST, time to take a look in the fucking mirror!!!!!
By the way....YOU LOST.
Reality Bites
Yeah, BTW Post & Panthervision, I am glad old Danny tossed ya. Keep it up Bahr!
James on Apr 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM:
"The Post gave away FREE add space to ASAP (a full page add on the back of their paper in fact), gave ASAP their full endorsement, wrote editorials all negative hit jobs on SUFC and "news articles" bashing SUFC for a month straight.
What is their complaint about IEC Dan Bahr....that he is biased??? HEY POST, time to take a look in the fucking mirror!!!!! "
Papers can be biased. An INDEPENDENT Election Commissioner cannot. This is a terribly weak argument.
Mike on Apr 29, 2008 at 11:30 AM:
ASAP, SUFC, does not matter, student government is corrupt to the core. Ever since I have been at UWM it has been scandal after scandal, with promises of change. Nothing ever changes, so scrap the whole system, and start over, or just let it die and save the students some of their hard earned (or borrowed) money!
Kyle Duerstein on Apr 29, 2008 at 02:17 PM:
Mike-
You're a little confused. Without student government, administrators would have unabated control over segregated fees. All you need to do is look at how tuition has doubled in the past 4 years to get an idea of what they would do with total and complete control over segregated fees. It usually helps to think things through before you blather.
"UWM Student" hit the nail on the head...in fact, it's quite possible he was typing that as I spoke it.
FK on Apr 29, 2008 at 06:48 PM:
Kyle, mate, if you want to talk about ripping off students, let's go over the New York trip. I do believe that you left with a certain amount of money and came back broke. Don't know if you've been to NY, but you can ride the tram for a week there for 24 bucks each. The timing of that little trip was especially terrible considering that tuition had just been raised again, and SA had just cut funding down, again, for the Women's Resource and LGBT Centers. Oh, and my absolute favorite part of it is, the SA went there to learn about how student governments are run, shortly before the SUFC kicked the ASAP off the ballot on evidence that would never hold up in a court of law. You want to tell me that Bahr is completely impartial? Very doubtful. I may think that the UWM Post is overblowing this anti-SA rhetoric, but I also think that idiots like AJ Piruwin, who has been saying over and over again 'We won, get over it', make the SA look like a bunch of idiotic, insensitive clods. You work for us boyo, let's not be forgetting that your organization takes money from the students. It's about time that the UWM Post cool it, but it's about time that the SA stop biting the hand that is feeding it, because believe me, very often said hand will break every last tooth from the mouth.
Thank You on Apr 29, 2008 at 08:18 PM:
It is nice to see that there are some patriots still on campus. If anything, the Founding Fathers would be disgusted by the actions of SUFC and Dan Bahr. They are completely unpatriotic, akin to fascists and employee tactics similar to that of the colonial British. Although I love UWM, I am glad to leave this ugly mess behind.
Thank you Post and keep shining the light of truth in dark places. And for all those in SUFC. Enjoy your "victory" because you will be lucky to see any success outside of such a rigged arena.
Founding Fathers? Really? on Apr 30, 2008 at 08:51 AM:
The American Revolution was fought over a $4.00 tax on tea and sugar, not undemocratic oppression. Enfranchisement, and noble ideas of democracy helped get a big militia going. The founding fathers would endorse SUFC if anyone in this dumb discussion, because they save money.
gee willickers on Apr 30, 2008 at 09:22 AM:
With all the constipated remarks over the past several weeks, the Norris Health Center should give out free enemas until Finals
Chris Walker on Apr 30, 2008 at 09:44 AM:
Yikes. I fear for our nation's future with the response over what our nation was founded over.
Case in point:
"The American Revolution was fought over a $4.00 tax on tea and sugar, not undemocratic oppression."
The problem Americans had over taxation was that they were being taxed without representation in Parliament, and that decisions were being made that affected their lives without their consent.
FK on Apr 30, 2008 at 11:45 AM:
WHAT?! That is by far the worst insult that anyone could ever give to the Founding Fathers. Are you out of your mind?! Please, for god's sake, drop out of college, you clearly have an IQ of about 83. The American Revolution was fought due to objections of King George's tax policies, it is true, but it was also because of the placement of soldiers in the private homes of citizens during the French-Indian War, as well as the constant shifting of governors in the colonies as they fell in and out of favor with the king. That is why we have set terms moron.
Mike has it right on Apr 30, 2008 at 03:36 PM:
I don't think Mike is confused at all. People like Kyle are quick to pull out the "administration armageddon" threat to justify student government. But look at this mess; how much worse could the administration be, even if it came to that?
In any event, I'm not suggesting students abolish student government altogether and just leave things to the administration. But Mike hit it on the head that the whole system needs to be overhauled from the ground up. That starts with students actually caring enough to hold SA accountable, particularly by more than a pathetic 5% of students showing up to vote.
SUFC=Terroists on Apr 30, 2008 at 08:05 PM:
SUFC is attacking our freedoms and ,thus, they are terrorists. Dan Bahr is akin to Bin Laden. Hopefully he will be sent to Gitmo. As for the founding fathers, they fought the Revoloutionary war because of taxation without representation and that is exactly what the terrorist front group SUFC is giving us.
SUFC Sucks on Apr 30, 2008 at 08:29 PM:
The founding fathers all had slaves, they probably would support SUFC!
ASAP=Not so sharp on May 01, 2008 at 12:19 AM:
"SUFC=Terroists on Apr 30, 2008 at 08:05 PM:
SUFC is attacking our freedoms and ,thus, they are terrorists. Dan Bahr is akin to Bin Laden. Hopefully he will be sent to Gitmo. As for the founding fathers, they fought the Revoloutionary war because of taxation without representation and that is exactly what the terrorist front group SUFC is giving us."
And these are the people the POST would have replace SUFC. Its fine if you are unhappy with Mr. Bahr and SUFC, but Terrorists and Bin Laden.
Lets be adults.
Yee-haw Jihad!! on May 01, 2008 at 12:37 PM:
yup, you guessed it,I like SUFC and I am a terrorist! wooo
how moronic. really.
Does SUFC support Hamas? on May 01, 2008 at 01:48 PM:
I think yes.
AJ Piwarun on May 02, 2008 at 04:45 PM:
FK:
Stop in during my office hours next week and we'll talk about issues that most concern you.
Calling fellow students "idiots" on anonymous message boards is a bit childish... don't you think?
Andrea Marie on May 03, 2008 at 06:20 AM:
I don't support ASAP or SUFC because neither said they wanted to have a hamster farm on campus. SQUEAK!
Raymond Andrew on May 03, 2008 at 06:25 AM:
Sis, please stop embarasing yourself. Thank you. WOOF!
Dave "Dr. Dichotomoy" Nomso on May 03, 2008 at 03:40 PM:
I loved filling out the ballot this year because there were two, and ONLY two, ticket classifications on the ballot (SUFC and IND). Having only IND or more than two ticket choices would not be a dichotomy, and I heart dichotomies!
UWMPost Writer on May 04, 2008 at 09:33 PM:
This editorial makes me embarrassed to write for the Post. The Post has been nothing but biased throughout this whole election.
Also, I can testify that the Post was lurking around the voting areas. Voting is private, plan and simple.
If the Post wants people to take it seriously, maybe it should act professionally. However, I dont foresee that happening anytime soon seeing as Jon Anderson is now Editorial in Chief.
UWMPost- you've lost my respect.