2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: Opinion
SGA playing politics with textbook bill
Though I do not question that Andrew Friedson means well in his support of university administrators and the University Book Center, I am not sure why the Student Government Association director of governmental affairs is supporting such a flawed policy that, year after year, forces students to pay outrageous prices for books they can purchase for a dramatically lower price at another vendor. The monopoly that the Book Center (aka Barnes & Noble) has on textbooks is outrageous. The fact that some in the SGA argue we should support the Book Center in this policy is ludicrous because it is in effect another way to make students pay more to attend the university and is very unbecoming of a student group.
I am a strong believer in capitalism. I think it is important that we as students are given the opportunity to spend less and save more. Salisbury University instituted a system of publicizing ISBNs for all its textbooks as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests filed by several students and students groups. That move has only created better competition and lowered textbooks costs, and it has not hurt the university. The fact of the matter is this is public information that is kept hidden from students so this university and Barnes & Noble can make another quick buck off the backs of students.
I commend students such as those at Salisbury and here on the campus making the effort to support ISBN legislation in Annapolis and elsewhere because it is something that is sorely needed. Sure, early submission from professors saves students money, but it will save us millions more if there was healthy competition in the textbook industry. Yes, efforts to regulate publishers and to give students tax breaks are taking place now and are to be commended, but the chances of passage for those bills are bleak in the next few years. I'd much rather see a cost-effective way to save students money now. Let's not play politics. Let's do what's in the best interests of students.
Joe Welty
Junior
Government and Politics
DOTS incompetent and hurting students
Yesterday was just like any other day. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to an angry phone call from my mother asking me why I had gotten a parking ticket from the Department of Transportation Services. More surprising was why I hadn't ever gotten that ticket on my windshield. How was I supposed to know I had been ticketed?
I give DOTS a call and they won't tell me anything over the phone. They tell me to come down and see my account in person. So, much like with the DMV, I take an hour out of my day to walk down there and wait in line, only for someone to tell me I'm standing in the wrong line.
After getting in the correct line to speak to a student supervisor, she looks up the ticket number and prints out my account, which reads that I have 17 outstanding citations. It also said that my name is Eric and that I drive a Toyota with Maryland plates. Except, my name is Sam and I drive a Jeep with out-of-state plates.
Finally, the lady figures out that what happened was that the incompetent ticket-writer had switched Eric's permit (which ended in -48) with my permit number (which ended in -84) and typed it in backwards. Of course, I would have never known that if I hadn't gone down there and made a big stink. And I feel bad for this Eric guy, because he undoubtedly is getting screwed with late fees and tickets that he probably never knew existed.
Not only did DOTS take an hour from me, raise my blood pressure and anger my parents, but they also handled my case very rudely. They actually made ME feel stupid for something that was entirely their fault. They didn't apologize and they certainly didn't take the blame for the mix-up. DOTS should learn some manners, own up to their problems and stop trying to squeeze students for all of our money.
Sam Latter
Junior
Journalism
Air your views
The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 600 and 800 words.
Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.
Policy: The signed letters, columns and cartoon represent only the opinions of the authors. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Diamondback's editorial board and is the responsibility of the editor in chief.
Though I do not question that Andrew Friedson means well in his support of university administrators and the University Book Center, I am not sure why the Student Government Association director of governmental affairs is supporting such a flawed policy that, year after year, forces students to pay outrageous prices for books they can purchase for a dramatically lower price at another vendor. The monopoly that the Book Center (aka Barnes & Noble) has on textbooks is outrageous. The fact that some in the SGA argue we should support the Book Center in this policy is ludicrous because it is in effect another way to make students pay more to attend the university and is very unbecoming of a student group.
I am a strong believer in capitalism. I think it is important that we as students are given the opportunity to spend less and save more. Salisbury University instituted a system of publicizing ISBNs for all its textbooks as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests filed by several students and students groups. That move has only created better competition and lowered textbooks costs, and it has not hurt the university. The fact of the matter is this is public information that is kept hidden from students so this university and Barnes & Noble can make another quick buck off the backs of students.
I commend students such as those at Salisbury and here on the campus making the effort to support ISBN legislation in Annapolis and elsewhere because it is something that is sorely needed. Sure, early submission from professors saves students money, but it will save us millions more if there was healthy competition in the textbook industry. Yes, efforts to regulate publishers and to give students tax breaks are taking place now and are to be commended, but the chances of passage for those bills are bleak in the next few years. I'd much rather see a cost-effective way to save students money now. Let's not play politics. Let's do what's in the best interests of students.
Joe Welty
Junior
Government and Politics
DOTS incompetent and hurting students
Yesterday was just like any other day. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to an angry phone call from my mother asking me why I had gotten a parking ticket from the Department of Transportation Services. More surprising was why I hadn't ever gotten that ticket on my windshield. How was I supposed to know I had been ticketed?
I give DOTS a call and they won't tell me anything over the phone. They tell me to come down and see my account in person. So, much like with the DMV, I take an hour out of my day to walk down there and wait in line, only for someone to tell me I'm standing in the wrong line.
After getting in the correct line to speak to a student supervisor, she looks up the ticket number and prints out my account, which reads that I have 17 outstanding citations. It also said that my name is Eric and that I drive a Toyota with Maryland plates. Except, my name is Sam and I drive a Jeep with out-of-state plates.
Finally, the lady figures out that what happened was that the incompetent ticket-writer had switched Eric's permit (which ended in -48) with my permit number (which ended in -84) and typed it in backwards. Of course, I would have never known that if I hadn't gone down there and made a big stink. And I feel bad for this Eric guy, because he undoubtedly is getting screwed with late fees and tickets that he probably never knew existed.
Not only did DOTS take an hour from me, raise my blood pressure and anger my parents, but they also handled my case very rudely. They actually made ME feel stupid for something that was entirely their fault. They didn't apologize and they certainly didn't take the blame for the mix-up. DOTS should learn some manners, own up to their problems and stop trying to squeeze students for all of our money.
Sam Latter
Junior
Journalism
Air your views
The Diamondback welcomes your comments. Address your letters or guest columns to the Opinion Desk at opinion@dbk.umd.edu. All letters and guest columns must be signed. Include your full name, year, major and day- and night-time phone numbers. Please limit letters to 300 words. Please limit guest columns to between 600 and 800 words.
Submission of a letter or guest column constitutes an exclusive, worldwide, transferable license to The Diamondback of the copyright in the material in any media. The Diamondback retains the right to edit submissions for content and length.
Policy: The signed letters, columns and cartoon represent only the opinions of the authors. The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Diamondback's editorial board and is the responsibility of the editor in chief.
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