SGA fails to hold responsible elections

House Editorial

The recent SGA controversy during elections this past week soiled any chances it had of starting fresh with the student body. Each spring a new government is elected and in turn each spring the past is put behind and the SGA is given the opportunity to create its own distinct image, different from past years.

Unfortunately, this year not only started with low voter turnout, but then evolved into dismal ethical issues. By allowing Wesli Spencer to take part in a runoff, the SGA is saying that it is all right to break the rules that they themselves have created in order to foster fair democratic elections.

The problem is even more severe than a second chance, but rather it is the fact that the SGA was not willing to take responsibility for their actions.

They would rather place the role of punisher squarely on the shoulders of the students rather than the elected authorities. By suggesting a runoff rather than negating all votes for Spencer, the SGA is sending a message that they do not want the power we as the student body gave them, nor will they use their power to do what is right for JMU.

There are even more layers to this issue. The SGA could have hedged these violations if they had punished Spencer the first time he broke the rules. According to Ricardo Piñeres, prior to the elections, Spencer was reprimanded for having the UPB stamp his posters — an illegal campaign practice because UPB can only stamp UPB-related posters.

With this in mind, the SGA told Spencer to remove his posters, but they were not removed. By not enforcing their ruling the SGA established a "catch and release" policy.

The executive council is not only in charge of handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student fees, but they also are paid on a monthly basis. This means that the student body is their boss, and while the boss is in charge, they should also be confident in those who work for them and be trusting that when they are put to work they will work to the best interests of the business as a whole. The executive council has time and time again billed themselves as the student representatives to the administration. In turn, the students must be able to trust that they are acting intelligently and in the best interests of those they represent. To foster trust, the student body must be kept up to date on all issues through a more visible governing body. Also, when a problem such as the current one surfaces, handling the situation strongly and effectively will earn the respect of students. Unfortunately, this time the SGA has dropped the ball by stepping back and not acting as forcefully as needed.