I’d forgotten I never posted the results of my inquiry: When I went looking for the tape of last Tuesday’s Student Senate recording, I was told it wasn’t even recorded.
So I was wrong in my belief that every Senate meeting was recorded. It’s not just an issue of making the video available, it’s even getting them to record it all.

Again, I can point to our platform and say I’ll work to ensure that every Senate session is recorded and the video made promptly available online in accessible formats.

The Alligator has been griping a lot lately about the lack of substantial differences between party platforms this election. Well, this is one area where I think we shine. Our opponents promise “access,” but you’ll find nothing in their platform to realize it.

On the other hand, here’s a summary of Unite promises to make it easier to find out what your elected officials are doing in your name:

• Televise Senate meetings online
• Publish Senate agendas online 24 hours in advance of all Senate meetings
• Promote an open book policy by having financial reports available online
• Re-design the SG web site to include immediately-updated, cross-referential data such as voting records and financial impacts of a given bill
• End promised positions and create a culture of inclusiveness for all students
• Publish a monthly SG electronic newsletter to prove our accountability

All of this is simple, and none of it will break the bank. The financial cost and effort involved in meeting high standards of openness and transparency are minimal compared to the benefits.

In the spirit of open debate, here’s what the other guys promise:

• Bi-weekly SG podcasts updating students on noteworthy events
• Increase diversity of involvement in SG within cabinets and agencies
• Reform SG to better represent students from all areas of UF

The podcasts are not a bad idea, and slightly sexier than our monthly newsletter, but they’re no substitute for the documents themselves. Without the video of meetings, without voting records, without accessible documents, podcasts would be little more than SG-produced propaganda, because students still wouldn’t have access to the facts.

Unite also will increase diversity within SG by ending promised positions, as stated above. I’d love to see how effective cabinets and agencies could be if appointments were made based on qualifications and ideas rather than election promises.

I’m not sure what they mean by “reform,” but I won’t give them too much flak, as our “culture of inclusiveness” isn’t very specific, either.

I’ll be honest: in terms of campus improvement and student life issues, I don’t think either party is very different in their promises. I think we’ve both done a fair job of identifying issues that affect students day in and day out. I think our ideas are slightly better than theirs, and I think we’d execute them more efficiently (because our appointments would be merit-based), but I don’t think the differences are that significant.

But I think we take the cake in the “big picture”. SG will never live up to its promises without real openness and inclusiveness. In access, Unite is leading. SG desparately needs to reform its internal spending and make more dollars available for student programs (and less for office redecoration). In fiscal responsibility, Unite is leading.

On the other hand, without a strong commitment to social responsibility, UF isn’t living up its promise to the community. Again, Unite is the leader.

These are the differences of substance. This is the difference in philosophy. This is why I’m a candidate with Unite — indeed, this is why I’m a candidate at all.