The McGill Daily has a mid-term review of the SSMU Executive. Here is an excerpt:
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That’s what pisses me off most: what has this exec accomplished in the past seven months? I haven’t seen much in the way of initiative besides the blood drive issue (kudos) and the FEUQ campaign. And now we’ve spent nearly half of the federal affairs budget to go to a CFS conference that isn’t even mentioned on the SSMU web site. It pains me to think of what SSMU could have done with that money or with the $200,000 we’ll possibly be spending on CFS membership.
Never mind that CFS has historically sued members that attempt to leave. Never mind the fact that we’re totally ignoring the provincial government (the ones making tuition decisions). Never mind how unrealistic it is to expect that SSMU will be able to “democratize” CFS. Forget all that, what pains me more is how far out of touch this executive is with McGill students.
It’s no secret that ADC has been planning to have SSMU join CFS since last year when he was VP External. All this bullocks about “we [need to] be sure that the SSMU is going in the direction that students want” is little more than electoral pandering. The fact of the matter is ADC had a narrow-sighted plan for SSMU since before the election and all he’s doing now is following suit.
Of course, these tactics are nothing new. When I was on SSMU last year (yes, dear reader, I’m a former SSMUshie), a fellow councillor and I had a running joke during meetings; I would bob my hands and look at her knowingly. It was our code for “puppet strings.” The executive, then as now, would essentially make decisions and then Council would rubber-stamp them. Oh sure, we’d debate and everyone would have their inconsequential say. But at the end of the day, the Exec made the major decisions and we all knew it.
What’s most hilarious, or depressing considering that SSMU receives $1.5 million in student fees, is that ADC talks about transforming CFS into a “more impassioned” organization with a revitalized “culture of debate.” But that’s not what CFS needs; it’s what SSMU needs.
Source: The McGill Daily