<p>If the administration went with majority opinion they'd probably blow a billion dollars of the budget on plasma TV's and kegerators for first year dorms. LOL.</p>
<p>Highly educated administration? What bs. How can they get the students arrested when they agree to prolong discussion and cooperate with the sit-in members. By the way, 76% voted yes for a higher raise to their tuition fee, so I don't know what you're talking about.</p>
<p>All the visitors are highly educated and successful people appointed by the state. For example, Farrell, who was educated at UVA undergrad and law, is CEO of Dominion Resources, and there are many more of accomplished positions such as attorneys, presidents/ex-presidents of corporations like Bank of America, etc. The same with our President and Vice Presidents/Chief Officers.</p>
<p>76% of those who actually voted voted yes, and that was a generally unpublicized issue at the time. Basing everything on this one statistic is faulty- there are many issues with telling students, who are trying to vote for their favorite person for class president, to vote for raising wages of university employees. One would be the ' *** is this? ' issue where students who are voting randomly click 'Yes' and go on to vote for other stuff, which I'm sure happened quite often. I did it without fully understanding what was going on, because it sounded good at the time and I was more interested in voting for other things. Most students don't even pay their own tuition anyway, so I don't see how they really have any justification to decide such a matter over other people such as their parents or the university handing out fin aid.</p>
<p>But I guess it's all because UVA is a campus overly full of heartless conservatives pouring out of their frat houses left and right.</p>
<p>tenniscraze, your aptitude for understanding all sides of a conflict is astounding. Bravo.</p>
<p>tenniscraze...you do not seem like a very reasonable individual. God knows why you came to UVA to learn at all when clearly you already know everything.</p>
<p>Let me add a couple more things.</p>
<p>26% of eligible voters actually bothered to vote, so it is indeed inaccurate to say that 76% of the university agrees with this. Who knows what influenced this vote.</p>
<p>The referendum on the ballot is a problem as well.</p>
<p>
[quote]
"Living Wage (Submitted by Student Council)</p>
<p>Over 800 University employees, disproportionately minorities and/or women, currently earn less than the living wage in Charlottesville Virginia (currently at $10.72 as of January 2006). Recognizing the University's stated commitment to diversity as well as the long-term economic benefits of adequate compensation, I support an indexed living wage for all direct and contracted University employees.</p>
<p>A "living wage" is a minimum rate of hourly pay calculated so that a person working 40 hours per week for 52 weeks per year (or full-time) at that rate could adequately afford the basic needs of a family of four, which includes two working adults and two children. Basic needs are defined as the local costs of food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, taxes, and other necessities. As of January 2006, a living wage in Charlottesville is $10.72 per hour. As of December 2, 2005, the University had 861 full-time salaried employees making less than $10.72 per hour. Of those 861employees, 105 lived below the federal poverty threshold of a family of four, which is deceptively low, despite working full-time for the University. (These numbers do not include part-time or contracted workers, who often make less than full-time employees.)"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>First of all, that's ****ing huge compared to clicking a few names or even the other two opinion referenda that were on this spring, the SSN and Renewable energy ones (on a side note, all the opinon referenda passed with similar margins, about 75-80% yes to 15-20% no).</p>
<p>Secondly, I think that's just maybe slightly biased in favor of the view of the people proposing this opinion referendum, don't you think? It's obvious there are more things behind one percentage than just simply stating it as some overarching reason to decide what the BoV and President's Office should do. It also doesn't mean that if it doesn't get done it's because UVA is a 75% conservative school (as Brooklyn and I have already shown) that hates poor people or something.</p>
<p>I need to point out to you that it is not possible to get each and every one in the UVa community to vote anyway. This holds true for presidential elections. Those who actually voted are arsed about the issue.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think it's pretty stupid of the administration to decline a living wage when the majority (76%) of UVa voted yes on the referendum - raising the tuition fee by a certain amount.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This proves nothing.</p>
<p>All right, so next time you try to say that 76% of their students are voting to raise 'their' tuition (of course the cost usually rests on their parents lap) then you might want to indicate that this is of the people who actually voted in the first place, and not a reflection off of 76% of the university. After all, I don't think med school students want their costs to be higher than they already are.</p>
<p>If that's all you have to say, I think we can s-t-f-u about this issue. One more thing, quit it with the 'conservative school' garbage. It's untrue and an unfair perspective of UVA</p>
<p>And again, as I noted, you could get the majority of the student body to vote in favor of kegerators in first year dorms. That is no exaggeration.</p>
<p>No, it proves something. It proves that the administration and Casteen - collectively - does not care about the low living standards to which the workers are being provided. I know cleaners who have to travel all the way from outside Charlottesville by bus to just come and work here because they cannot afford to live in Charlottesville. Considering UVA is the largest employer in the Albermarle county, it's a shame that they are not putting up any effort to make these "invisible" workers live comfortably. With the approval of 76% of the students that vote, it should therefore be legitimate and possible in every way for living wage to happen.</p>
<p>The "conservative garbage" part is true. Do you know how many frat boys that have passed Madison Hall ridiculing us? I think it's pretty stupid of them to be uneducated of this issue, let alone being aware of it. So quit standing up for how equal UVa is.</p>
<p>Because the workers have a right to a higher wage? Because the University which, by far, pays the highest wages in the region to unskilled workers, has the obligation to support these people beyond what the market will bear? </p>
<p>
[quote]
With the approval of 76% of the students that vote, it should therefore be legitimate and possible in every way for living wage to happen.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is completely unfounded and unsupported. </p>
<p>
[quote]
The "conservative garbage" part is true. Do you know how many frat boys that have passed Madison Hall ridiculing us? I think it's pretty stupid of them to be uneducated of this issue, let alone being aware of it. So quit standing up for how equal UVa is.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You're straying from the issue. You're claiming that because white kids in preppy clothes ridiculed you, they're uneducated greeks? Hmm. Seems like someone here has a problem with stereotyping. You're also pulling things out of your ass.</p>
<p>"Do you know how many frat boys that have passed Madison Hall ridiculing us? "</p>
<p>Do you know how many conservatives are at UVA? You should- it's less than 25%.</p>
<p>sv3a, I don't think you realize that uva is 97% fratboy idiot and that every white person who dresses well is a fratboy conservative douche idiot with an IQ of 83.</p>
<p>LOL @ this thread. UVa is a huge school, there are people of every political and social persuation. Besides, who would want to attend a school where every single person is exactly like them? Conservatives make a lot of good points if liberals can be openminded enough to listen to them without being unrealistic and judgemental. Likewise, liberals do a lot to help out the less privelidged and their ideas should be considered, even if they are sometimes idealistic. Plus, I think CC could learn a lot from frat boys and sorority girls, who are networking and having a good time and learning how to balance social life with work. So let's all be a little more accepting, mmmkay?</p>
<p>It is because the workers do NOT have a right to a higher wage that gives more reason that they SHOULD have that due to their incompetent living standards. A university that pays the highest wages in a particular region does not translate that all its workers are living comfortably. </p>
<p>How is "76%" unfounded and unsupported? Your statements makes me laugh. So when Bush had the edge over Kerry, Bush was still elected not to be the president? That makes so much more sense. I think this country is founded upon voices amongst diversity and our university is representative of that. I said they were uneducated about "this issue" which refers to the living wage issue. If they were educated about it, I think they should at least show respect by not ridiculing us and calling names and insults. They should not be at a university in the first place if they cannot take changes. </p>
<p>I encourage you to read an article from the following website to give you a better understanding of the living standards with which some of our workers have to face: <a href="http://marketplacemoney.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/02/living_wage/%5B/url%5D">http://marketplacemoney.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/02/living_wage/</a></p>
<p>The fact that you consider a 76% vote taken from 26% of the student body (19.8% overall) to represent a mandate that would make the institution of a "Living Wage" legitimate and possible in every way is, indeed, unfounded and unsupported. Your arguments are neither convincing nor focused. I've read through all of the information on the Living Wage Campaign's website, so I don't need to see your link.</p>
<p>Uh, UVA is not a democracy. As cav already pointed out, if it was we'd all have plasma TVs in our dorms. The US Government uses Electors for the presidency, but it still is a representative democracy in how people reach office for all intents and purposes. This doesn't compare at all. Because of this, I have to agree with cav's statement that it doesn't represent a mandate in any manner</p>
<p>And do you think the students were more educated when they were voting on this issue than afterwards when the living wage campaign broke out? The part where 5 drunk frat guys drive by in a truck and yell at you is not really representative of the entirety of UVA.</p>
<p>Despite all this, I don't see what it has to do with the misconceptions of UVA's conservatism that was being displayed earlier in the topic.</p>
<p>"sv3a, I don't think you realize that uva is 97% fratboy idiot and that every white person who dresses well is a fratboy conservative douche idiot with an IQ of 83."</p>
<p>it's 98%, you douchebag idiot!</p>