Endorsements & Ravings

Wow is all I can say....I was at an excellent SIFE party last night and will have one at my house soon...as my first paycheck will be coming in shortly....the beer at this party was amazing and I met a couple of people that read my blog....I was stunned!! The conversations were great and a very, very close friend of mine made comments that Jared would probably wind up being an ambulance-chaser attorney, I pointed to a magnetic sticker of this Begin dude (a ambulance chaser lawyer) and we laughed hard. I wonder if Pete or Tom have any beers in the fridge, I think I'll steal one. In any event, I worked eleven hours today and I'm told in three weeks I'll be in a management program...soon I'll be able to buy all the choice bodybuilding supplements...but really....who cares?

Alrighty then....I read a fantastic breakdown of the SG elections here: http://notanti-greekanti-system.blogspot.com/ , I give it five stars!!! If only Ken Kerns could write like this guy, you might be able to buy his publications at bookstores. I also sent a message to Adam Roberts yesterday morning just reminding him that even though I think he's a political mobster and that his party has sold out the independent community that I still think he's an ok guy (LMAO) and that this is purely politics. As usual he was very professional, I've never said anything to the contrary, he was very nice and offered me his number and really wanted me to call, which I didn't. One thing about me, is that calling would probably have been the best thing to do, maybe I am totally wrong, maybe I need to talk to him,....but ya know what....Ken Kerns, James Argento....these kids aren't Greek, they have no idea what goes on behind closed doors and with the support UNITE's got...I know better than to buy into the Dennis Ngin approach to politics. Dennis was an honest guy, a good guy....and they f*cked him. Now all of a sudden Adam's in charge, they're just as honest and taking a 1/3 of the Greek vote and running 40% athletes and they haven't made any deals they'd deny in the public eye....highly unlikely.

I see no one said anything on the Chris Chase interview....I guess people can't exactly say I'm using old info or ancient sources b/c Chris actually knows more than most of you, no offense, so I guess it boils down to choosing your battles =o) ... that was kinda the point;c). I gotta say that even though I've been trying to choose a side, I can't think of a good reason. I do love those Impact shirts....I use them to work out and the name sounds great, but even though I could use a few extra free shirts, I don't really want them so badly that I'd support either Swamp or Unite, I'd actually rather be an inmate at Camp X-ray in Gitmo and be subjected to brutal torture involving sleep deprivation and DieHard Gold batteries and mattress racks than support either mainstream party. Sorry. I do believe the most competent person fielding for exec is Lydia Washington, however.

For the presidency I would like to declare myself NEUTRAL (I think the best vote the students could cast between Boyles & Hernandez is scribble in this phrase: "NO CONFIDENCE") However, I do think Lydia Washington is an amazing candidate, so if ur ok with voting for presidential candidate based solely on his choice for veep, then I guess you could have a party to vote for, but I wouldn't vote for the chief executive based on his #2. I would however like to officially endorse Susan Vas Henriques for Student Body TREASURER.

I got Lola into Senate not James Argento, I have the emails and I also have a micro-cassette tape with people I can't mention where I outlined what I'd do to the Fall-2004-sellout-Access if the 4 Voice candidates were not put on the slate. As I've said before....I chose Lola, Fernando Nin chose Analiz Velasques, and Kathy Valle chose Ansell Fernandez....Danny Martinez' pick bowed out for personal reasons. Argento has no claim to Lola being brought into SG, she was an Accion/Voice pick, that's it! However, Lola went Gator and I have no respect for people that sell out, even if to extend their SG careers....for shame!! LOL (Extending your SG career isn't moral ground to sell ur ass for crack rock...LOL) So, once you go Gator, Innovate, Ignite, whatever and you wanna come later, you'll find that the locks have changed. If UNITE weren't so far mainstream I'd apply the same principle to Boyles, but UNITE have out-mainstreamed SWAMP, who'dda thought that was possible? Not I.

I won't go into detail on endorsements for senate, but I will for my old College...I will be pushing for Gavin Baker and his four colleagues to get elected. Gavin Baker reminds me so much of myself, he has his own .com like I did when I ran, he goes to org meetings and fights for his party like I did, he works for his senate seat like Jared works for this presidency...Gavin Baker is not a bozo milking his letters and he's not a jock, he's also not lame or stupid looking like many of the pencil neck dweebes that haunt indie parties are...he's a GDI because he's chosen to be one, not because of circumstance...and I believe a vote for him and his four colleagues is in the best interest of ALL LS students. Gavin Baker will definitely fight for you, so please give him & the UNITE senate candidates your support in Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Chris Chase Speaks!

A while back when Christopher Chase resigned as Student Body Vice President Joyce Medina's Chief of Staff, I was eager to get an interview with him and get his side of the story. As chaotic as the real world is, one thing led to another and for whatever reason that interview never came about. However, unable to resist the shenanigans of the current election, I just had to send Chris a few questions and hope that he'd be down for sharing his thoughts. So for this entry...you won't be hearing Christian Duque's ranting and raving...you'll hear the opinion of a former cabinet director and a former Chief of Staff to the current Student Body Vice President, here goes, unedited & uncensored::::::::

TR: State your name, claim to fame, & what campus organizations you’re currently involved with:

CC: Chris Chase
Former SG Cabinet director

-Student Conduct Committee
-Reitz Union Board of Managers
-SAVANT UF
-Preview Staff 2004
-Director of Public Relations, Gator Growl 2005

TR: In a recent letter to the Alligator you made comments inferring that Brandon Siler (Unite VP Candidate) would join a long line of ineffectual predecessors if elected. What kind of training exactly puts Lydia Washington so far ahead of Brandon Siler? Couldn’t Siler receive training and work with a strong Chief of Staff (I.e. a Chistopher Chase or a Patrick Nealis) and actually become an effective Vice President?

CC: I served with Lydia Washington in the 2004-2005 Cabinet under the leadership of Jennifer Puckett. Lydia is one of the most genuine, passionate people I've ever encountered. Her enthusiasm for leadership and service are unmatched by any other Student Government official. After being awarded "Outstanding Cabinet Director," and now currently serving as a Cabinet Chairperson, she has gained invaluable experience and insight into the office of the Vice President. Her experience with programming and administration set her apart from her competitor. While the UNITE Party will continue to reiterate that Siler's election would serve as a "fresh" start for Student Government, I would contend that Siler lacks both the experience and passion for the office. While a candidate can easily be taught the structural elements of the position, it takes a seasoned Cabinet leader to understand the innermost workings of the body. The Office of the Vice President has been plagued with officials with little to no Cabinet experience (Puckett, Medina). They each lacked that special "spark" that is required to be a revolutionary and successful VP. Lydia Washington has that spark.

As an independent, I am incredibly disappointed that UNITE chose Siler over other exceptionally qualified candidates. The selection of Siler was merely meant to garner votes; Adam Roberts, Amanda Kane and other ex-IMPACT party officials decided that winning was more important than quality candidates. They sold out the student body to ensure their individual political futures.

TR: According to last year’s article and talk on the third floor, you believed Vice President Medina was an ineffectual leader, yet recently Ms. Medina is actually on a very respectable crusade to reduce the size of cabinet. Do you think the Madam Vice President is making cabinet more efficient by removing bureaucracy and saving SG money or are other motives at play, in your opinion?

CC: The only thing respectable about Joyce's recent actions is that she's actually getting out from behind her desk and doing something. I find it surprising that the same person who added several cabinets is now trying to downsize. After a year of being both overly-controlling and ineffective, I believe she is trying to leave office having done at least one thing. Several Cabinet members have resigned and she has had several public arguments with many officials. She is trying to fix a system that she broke in the first place; her power-trip has led to one of the most underwhelming Cabinets in years. I think the reorganization is a result of her incompetency and sheer frustration with the fact that she can't control people they way she'd like. The Cabinet does in fact need to be reorganized, but such an endeavor must utilize a coalition of student leaders and organizational representatives. A committee must be formed to assess the usefulness of positions and agencies. Only with proper student input can the Cabinet be reorganized to eliminate bureaucracy. Joyce hasn't done anything with good intentions all year, why would she start now?

TR: What are you thoughts on the independent candidacy of Susan Vaz Henriques? Do you think in an election between two mainstream dinosaurs that the students may make their frustrations known and elect an independent to the second highest position in Student Government? Why or Why not?

CC: Susan Vaz Henriques is an extremely qualified candidate. Her courage in standing up to Lindsay Cosimi and Stan Beckerdite is commendable. She knows the duties of Treasurer better than Cosimi EVER will and would be an exceptional Student Body Treasurer. I am confident that she will make it to the election run-off. It will depend on her campaign support and presence as to whether she will ultimately win. Her PR lately has been great, and I hope that the media continue to provide glowing reviews of her credentials and platform.

TR: Everything personal put aside, which candidate do you think would be easier for the UF administration to push around: John Boyles or Jared Hernandez. Why or Why not?

CC: No comment.

TR: What reactions, if any, do you have at the fact that both mainstream candidates have African American vice presidential running-mates? Coincidence or part of a shameful SG racial practice? (Another example: last year when Elda Auxilaire left the Impact fold she was replaced by Michelle Lightbourne another African American student leader….of all the students on campus….how’d Impact decide upon another person of the same race and gender…coincidence?)

CC: It is most definitely not a coincidence that both parties have African American running-mates. As someone who was privvy to the UNITE decision-making process, it was clear from the onset that Jared & Co. were only looking toward minority communities for a Vice President candidate. It was made quite clear to me by Jared himself that "the numbers have to add up" in the selection of his running mate. It is a shame that the so-called independent party, who in the past have chosen many candidates based on qualification, has resorted to choosing abysmal candidates based on race. While the selection of Lydia Washington may have been racially motivated, I must hand it to SWAMP for at least picking someone who is qualified for the position.

TR: 7. If the election were held right now, who would Christopher Chase vote for:

CC: President/VP: John Boyles/Lydia Washington
Treasurer: Susan Vaz Henriques

-----End of Interview-----

There will be a double-digest Alligator entry on Sunday night for anyone that cares.

Sleazier Than A Hollywood Blvd Peep Show

She's lookin better & better everyday =o)

First off...let me say just how sick this election is and how blessed I am to have graduated and not have to say I went out with either Swamp or Unite. Gatorpedia says I ended my SG career with a humiliating defeat w/ Voice (and some other very kind things thanks Mackenzie [no sarcasm]), but getting creamed at the polls with Voice may have been a numerical pitfall, but what is going on w/ both parties is foul. I guess it seems I ride UNITE a little harder than Swamp but maybe that's because I was of the independent community and maybe I expect a little more.

'Recently, he ultimately decided that he "would rather fight for an ideology than a system." He believes that Swamp and Boyles absolutely embody that system.'

Who the fuck does Adam Roberts think he is? Fuckin Winston Churchill and what...John Boyles is Benito Mussolini? Listen up folks...John Boyles may be a sell out and he may speak in tongues at church and he may have the power to heal the blind, but at least one day a long, long time ago he was an independent with a party called Access, he was never a Greek (like I am, like Jared is, or like Adam Roberts used to be) and he went up the ladder. He prolly had to take a lot of awkwardness, he prolly had to hug a lot of fat girls, and he probably had to drink a lot of bad beer at Kluck U but he did it. As much as I hate the system..John & Swamp have effectively been upstaged..UNITE is the system.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>Food For Thought<<<<
HOW MANY UNITE SENATE CANDIDATES WANTED SILER AS JARED'S VP???? 1...5...10....how about they were never told of it, how about it was forced down their throats?!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>>>AFTER UNITE LITERALLY BOUGHT OUT MVP...how credible is this:

"Ryan Nelson has not been promised or offered any position."

Riiiiiight. 3 days before the election this kid changes sides....yeah riight! We were neighbors with Phi Sigs, unless hell froze over I don't think they've become Franciscan monks..I'm pretty sure their consciences were not the deciding factor in their sudden party-change. Nice try Roberts or...should I say Bacon. Sleazy...even for me...a GDS (a G*d Damn Socialist) you've made the color red sleazy.

'Recently, he ultimately decided that he "would rather fight for an ideology than a system."'


Adam Roberts....you are the system...you sound like an agent of it more and more everyday. I think the only people that believe UNITE isn't the system are castrated SG independents like Kerns and Argento that spend their evenings making up imaginary constituency blocs (adding a a new one everyday) and posting stupid wall signings on both sides of the field. As much as it pains me to say it, I feel so terrible for the Gavin Bakers, the Nikki Grants, the...no, the.. no, ugh I ran out of names, all my Access & Voice friends that are still at UF won't go near either party with a 10ft. pole, but those that did get sucked in, whether they care to admit now or whether they're drunk with the idea of an easy victory...UNITE is not the independents' party, this is bandwagon-mainstream politics at its worse, party changes at the last hour...PURE OPPORTUNISM and for this whackjob to say nothing was promised and spout propaganda is utterly unacceptable.

I'm sorry Adam, you were always nice to me (and I was to you) but from what I'm told you have a gigantic ego and I don't want you taking this personal (lol), but all jokes aside, you are not the same person from last year, or maybe you were...maybe it is all just business to you, maybe that's why you didn't want me around, maybe that's why Andrew Hoffman and Thomas Jardon aren't involved with your new party either, maybe that's why you sign messages with a screen name that includes your name and party position, for shame, it doesn't include a contact #, you've really dropped the ball this time, you better get Fernando right on that, clean up on aisle 4!!!! No but seriously, this is an outrage!

My only fear is that if Jared wins there's gonna be a lot of pissed off people without promised jobs...and....you're gonna have some cabinet's with 5, 10, 15, maybe 20 Assistant Directors and then when internal senate elections take place, the newly elected senators will have to sit on the floor as there will be about ten different families there to root on their son or daughter, each family engaging in the "psst...my ___ (son/daughter) is going to get elected Senate President tonight...." and only one will and the other nine families will have to comfort their child. I don't know...maybe I'm bein to hard on UNITE, I mean afterall it is possible to have the athletes, the Greeks, the GDI's, the Hispanics, and many, many more by being honest, professional, and sincere....yeah right!

Adam Roberts, President of the UNITE Party, in bold.

P.S.
Sorry to Nikki Grant, Michelle Lightbourne, & Gavin Baker, cuz of you three I started lookin at Unite in a different light and granted that light was pretty dim to begin with, these Greek turnovers and the immediate, almost-prepared-in-advance demeanor of your party president to what would otherwise call for meetings and somewhat of a gradual response has left me thinking UNITE is not the underdog GDI party here.

The Misc. Post

I'll go over a few things in the Alligator....

http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060223independents.php
SG candidates to run solo, without party limitations
This is the one article the independents get from the Alligator. it' s rather depressing, but kudos to all the kids running on their own. I promise to compile a list for both Voice list-serves and get y'all some votes! I'll also be emailing these kids to offer any advice or answers to any questions. James...make sure to sign their walls and cover your bases, so that if they win by some miracle you can say you discovered them. *LOL*

http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060223letter2.php
Siler not an appropriate choice for VP
Horrible letter, it implies that athletes are not capable of holding office and maintaining their skills for the sport. The letter sounds excessively harsh on athletes and makes them out to be second class students in my book. But, Suzy is a very nice girl and is probably just wanting to let everyone know how hardcore Swamp she is. Blah

http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060223letter1.php
Siler will have plenty of time to do both
A very good letter by a former vice president I've never heard of. I'm sure James Argento has already run a few online searches and is currently emailing fmr. VP Jackson. Ken Kerns I'm sure will be writing an e-book about Jackson & Siler available no-where. (LMAO) j/k

A second Jackson letter will appear at odds of 4:1, asking James Argento to leave him and his family alone.


http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060223swamp.php
Depths of the Swamp
(A) "Beneath stained glass windows and a towering organ, Boyles betrays his otherwise reserved demeanor each Sunday afternoon to sing before the congregation at the Gainesville Christian Church. "
(B)"Bryson Ridgway is my big brother," Moseley says, referring to a former Student Senate president who is also a Sig Ep member. "He pretty much taught me that you can do anything you want to in life."


(A)Loving Jesus is great, but towering over an organ and membership in a cult are two things John might want to keep under wraps.
(B) Bryson also should have taught this kid to wait his turn. It's sad that FBK went with Joe over Jared last year and that this year Jared's own fraternity is the one shafting him. I feel bad for Jared, real bad, but politics are dirty and taking the word of FBK and large houses (even if you're a member of one of the large houses) is pretty crazy.

=========Duque's Election Result-Predictions===============
As of right now, I'll post two more set-ups for fun:

Student Body President/VP: 55/45 in Boyles/Washington's favor.
Treasurer: Moseley/_____ Runoff
The first round: Moseley 40-49%, Bovell 25-35%, Henriques 15-25% *

Here's where it can get very messy....I believe that fmr. Progress members still see Mackenzie Moritz as their leader....Adam Roberts may be cool to some, cute to others, or even a great leader to a few others but in the long run to true Progress hardliners, Roberts will always be Mackenzie's bitch, excuse me, Roberts will always be #2 (as in the Veep not the bowel movement) and they will go Mackenzie's way. Mackenzie is Susan's Andre (campaing manager) and Susan was always Progress, hell she lost her job, her livelihood for the Party...hardline Progress members will not vote for Lola, Lola will not reap the on-campus housing votes...those I also give to Susan & Ryan (I would venture to say that HUME will go hugely to the independent candidate's pool).

Here's where it could get real bad --- Susan goes to runoff with Ryan, Lola feels the sting and endorses Moseley, hence returning to the Gator Party fold via SWAMP. But who knows....perhaps the results of this election will make up for the boring centrism of the campaign trail. Also Jared/Siler in my book are down but they're hardly on their knees, they could come out of the rut if they consider a minor PR makeover.


Senate:
Accounting SWAMP (1)
Agriculture: UNITE (2)
Architecture: SWAMP (1) (unopposed)
Business Admin: SWAMP (3)
Education: SWAMP (1)
Engineering: UNITE/SWAMP (1:1)
Forestry: SWAMP (unopposed)
Graduate: SWAMP sweep
Health & Human Perf: don't know
Health Related Performance: Independent (1)
Journalism: SWAMP (2)
Law: UNITE (1)
LS: UNITE (5)
Nat Resources: UNITE (1)
Nursing SWAMP (1)
Pharmacy: SWAMP (1)
Freshman: SWAMP (5)
Sophomore: SWAMP (5)
Vet Med: SWAMP (1)

Comments, Predictions?
No not a type-o, I give all of LS to UNITE and all of the Grad votes (even if they do usually vote 50/50 all to Swamp). Betcha I'm right.

P.S.
I don't like this particular dish (I'm eating my own words over here, I need some salt and some garlic powder, this is just unbearable).....Gavin Baker...you're ok...I joined your facebook group, hopefully you won't get grilled too badly for having my full support!

Confusion & Malaise

What must the average student be thinking right now? I was at the post office the other day and I saw this gorgeous blonde (prolly sorority girl) wearing a Swamp t-shirt and I felt so strange inside...because this is the party I'm leaning towards (even if by a hair) it made me feel awkward, but I guess an independent that plays only one side of the field isn't much of a free-thinker to say the least.

I've sent out a few letters, though I'm pressed for time, to Gavin Baker, Nikki Grant, & Michelle Lightbourne making a point that UNITE needs to address certain PR blunders. Much of what I've said about the traditionalists came true, my suggestion that they remove online voting and the reasons why from their platform a few days ago....is now today's news in the Alligator...I also suggested they change that horrid party photo with Lola holding the football because it sent too much of an athletic-based emphasis and sure enough a couple days later they changed it...Swamp has yet to change their photo so I would be disinclined to call it mere coincidence.

Here's what I think UNITE needs to do to get back in this election:

1. Jared needs to address his real track record w/ online voting. He needs to stand by what really happened in the past and why he supports the measure today. Independents are very familiar with the bandwagon-concept and right now Jared could really present a HUMAN image by perhaps not whitewashing his past and appearing REAL by saying that in the past his judgement may have been clouded by the ills of single party rule, but that today he sees the greater value of online voting to the student body. Continuing to ride the current tide will cause many would-be UNITE voters to simply stay home as they feel their intelligence is being insulted.....UNITE can either take my advice or learn the hard way, it's all the same to me.

2. UNITE needs to address the Siler acquisition. This one issue is the single most detrimental factor facing UNITE's campaign. I have spoken to nearly a dozen formerly hardcore UNITE supporters that I would consider at the 'organizer-level' that remain furious at how UNITE effectively absorbed MVP. Even a minor clarification would really give the party the HUMAN image that its frontrunner and the organization seem to be lacking.

I would also remove the ridiculous East Gainesville initiative....SWAMP may have a bs initiative like keeping towing rates low (which SG can't do), but having an initiative where students are led to believe that an SG party will improve (even over a long-term) the living conditions of a historically downtrodden sector of the off-campus community is just beyond ridiculous. I'm sure the number of website views received will be no where near proportional to the number of votes you'll receive, but on principle, I really think that initiative should be removed.
------------------------------
Article time:

...From Tuesday
Electoral platforms are diverse
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060221platforms.php

If rival Unite Party is triumphant, students may have the option of voting for the next generation of SG leaders from their home computers.
(((RIIIGHT))) What about the referendum...this is cutting edge journalism raht here!

Hernandez said he hopes to change the culture of SG by fighting the elitist stereotypes associated with the organization.

For someone that's had more titles in SG than Imelda Marcos had pairs of expensive shoes, Jared should really shut his pie-hole when it comes to bureaucracy.

He said a Unite administration would not promise Cabinet and other leadership positions to members of predetermined student groups.
Great answer. "I like what we're saying here"....(anyone watched Almost Famous...this is what the Rolling Stone editor tells William on the phone...I won't elaborate)

"The Unite Party stresses that students live and act responsibly," Hernandez said, adding that an AA chapter would not use many SG resources.
What about drugs? It's a good thing Jared said AA and not NA...might have lost NORML support on that one! Either way, I think it's great Jared was a prohibitionist in his past life and that he wants to make editorial love to Bernie Machen or milk his hardass IFC Pres days, but this is a college campus and with excellent counseling programs already in place. SG cannot take the brunt of following through with substance-abuse-related-therapies, I think this is a good idea at heart but not in practice. Speaking of heart over mind....

...From Today's Alligator:
SG candidates speak up
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060222forum.php


Boyles, referring to the questioning process,"I'm really glad we went second because that way we knew what was going on."
This quote is horrible (replying with the heart [emotion over thought]). The students already remember SWAMP being the party that took longer to release a PLATFORM, now Boyles further makes SWAMP look unprepared. This quote reads like he needed to feed off UNITE to be able to get past the debate. Very bad quote, horrible!

"Jared, last-minute changes happen all the time, sir," Goldberg told him.
Well, Joe's already SBP but that seemed to have been as cold as when he addressed me as "Mr. Duque" a few months back when I was trying to pressure his office into co-sponsoring the upcoming Howard Zinn speech. Will Joe endorse ala Jamal Sowell, but really, who cares.

The audience of about 70, comprised mostly of rival Swamp and Unite Party supporters, was enthusiastic as executive candidates stressed the attainability of their ideals.
This will hopefully put down the radical-UNITE idea that their party is sooo revolutionary. We all thought it, yes..even w/Access! These debates, if anything, are truly a humbling experience, because only the most loyal of the most loyal party supporters appear. When the day comes (if it ever will) that the party supporters in the party shirts are the minority amongst throngs of average, everyday concerned and interested students in the audience...then and only then will SG live through revolutionary times. As for right now, save the drama for your mama and just realize this is a boring election.


Old School
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060222eddy.php

We think online voting is a noble goal. But independent candidate for treasurer Susan Henriques already got the online voting measure approved as a ballot initiative. That means that the issue will go to a student vote in the next election, so we don't really need Unite's help anymore. But it does sound suspiciously like Unite is trying to take credit for Henriques's work.

If I were a UF history professor and whoever wrote this was my student...I'd politely ask why this line (clearly paraphrasing someone else's THOUGHT) did not include with it a footnote to the RADIKAL? But this isn't a history class, I mean the Alligator sat on this for a week and a half and I made the comment two days ago and now it's on their paper and sure the editors have seen my blog but they would never steal someone else's idea, I don't believe that for a minute!
Nonetheless, the quote is very familiar to what I wrote. Later on, the quote is also wrong in that Susan Henriques is not online voting, online voting has been something that a long list of folks have been fighting for, a list that includes Diane Kassim, Andrew Hoffman, the Impact, Progress, & Voice Parties and many more if we were to go further back in time. Susan definitely fought hard but she is not the issue, this is just typical Alligator crap....just endorse the girl already and shut up!

Both want lower textbook prices.
This SWAMP/UNITE comparison is misleading. Not once has the Alligator addressed SWAMP's strategy at lowering the textbook prices. Making textbook purchases tax-exempt is both feasible and realistic....it goes a lot farther than merely saying "oh yeah let's keep the prices down." Excuse me folks, I need to write the editors of the Alligator a little side note....

"HEY STUPID....CAN YOU GO INDEPTH ABOUT HOW THE PARTIES WANT TO KEEP TEXTBOOK PRICES DOWN?"

--Ok I'm back, well that's it. Keep on fighting the good fight everyone!--

2/21/05

#1, I received this today...

---
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 05:03:19 -0500
From: "Gavin Baker" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
To: Chris@ChristianDuque.com
Subject: Chalk another one up

Today the Alligator prints a letter to the editor by my girlfriend, so
therefore yet another Gavin Baker supporter... the conspiracy spreads!
---

Needless to say I've never formally spoken to Gavin Baker that I can recall, however I have mentioned him in my blog. I also mentioned an old rival, Michael Schuster and when he wrote me to clarify an innocent assumption I'd made, it was very professional and even cordial, apparently I shouldn't have come to expect this level of professionalism from Mr. Baker. As I told Mr. Baker in reply, I don't have any issues with his candidacy, my only reservations arise in whether or not the Alligator can still be impartial at this point...will the candidate interviews, the party platforms, and the candidate debates still be the primary factors in determining the paper's endorsement or is the paper already so biased that's judgment is too clouded to choose anyone but UNITE? To recap, my issues rest with the Alligator's ability to still make a decision based on merit, not Gavin Baker. BUT...since he did email me I should agree with him that it does add one more person directly connected to him and his private campaign being added to the paper, lol, so far we're at two letters and one editorial and counting.

As far as my blog goes, I've removed the approval thing for posts because I figure if Ken Kerns is going to make hateful comments or others will do to get me to stop writing then let write whatever, the end result won't change. However, it bothers me because I thought people like Ken would see where I was coming from. I'm not the only person that initially was ecstatic behind Unite...but that has been drifting more and more towards SWAMP, even amongst Mr. Baker's own supporters; perhaps I am not so far off when it comes to UNITE, perhaps if they improved and realized there's still time before the election to change a lot of people's minds and perceptions about them, that they could, but I digress.

#2

Also...

a). I for one think it's time to seriously address this "Change The System" rhetoric b/c I think it's been recycled so much over the years that people spout it out of their ass a little much. For starters not much can change...the budget is divided three ways and no responsible SG can change that (and the administration wouldn't let it happen either). With roughly 1/3 of the budget to work with, most of the money will go to Student Orgs and from the fiscal end, it's just a question of saving and being frugal, but there aren't any politically-rooted discrepancies in budget allocations to student orgs, if I'm mistaken please correct me. My final point on the budget is: there's nothing to be changed from a political perspective, each party elected to office (that's responsible) will essentially be doing the same thing.

b). Parties don't have a say on who gets into senate, that's something decided in the ballot box. Down the road the parties do get involved insofar as filling replacement seats, but the vast majority of senate is filled by the will of the student body. This having been said, we look to the SBP's 400+ appointments and the Veeps' cabinet as places where parties could have the way of the land.

c). Now....if UNITE were to win, we're told to expect the 'end of politics' and others intimate to expect a return to independent politics. I think both principles would be great for SG, but with UNITE's extremely diverse support bases ranging from clusters of Greeks to clusters of Blue Keys to clusters of Impact politicos to clusters of athletes, to numerous clusters of others spanning all over campus...will SBP Jared Hernandez deny any of these folks appointments, would VP Siler deny any of the losing UNITE senate candidates directorships on his cabinet? My only point here as in point (a) is that very little will change, with the only difference that point "a" cannot change and point "c" won't change.

Even with Jamal (whom is the goldstandard here...not UNITE, Impact, or anything even remotely recent at UF), the traditional lines of appointments and cabinet hires were maintained. While I applaud UNITE for their slogans of doing away with how things are done, I can tell you that that's all it boils down to: slogans. What makes the original Access senators different from the Impact senators elected Fall '05 is that the Access senators were a minority that enjoyed having their party fully in command at the Executive level. If the Access Party of 2004 with full control of exec and a third of senate couldn't change the way things were done at SGP, for example, then how on Earth is UNITE going to re-write the gameplan across the boards (neither party will sweep this election...don't even think about it)? And after the Siler acquisition are the students really to believe that if elected UNITE will deliver on all these promises, is this something the students should invest their trust in?

As a realist I'm willing to accept certain ills of government as part of the process, so long as the good far, far outweighs the bad. With Swamp we'll probably expect another Gator'esque (though slightly modified) administration but with Lydia in place and Boyles at the top of his game, some of that old yellow & blue might surface again, though I doubt it. Either way, Boyles could be the start of something very cool, if Greeks started to open up to the idea of running non-Greeks every so often, even once every four years, then the independent community could truly expand to unchartered waters by leaps and bounds without selling itself out in the process. I'm thinkin about the future of the independent community, there's a good deal at stake here.

Finally, please no more emails on why I endorsed SWAMP. I have not endorsed ANYONE, if you read what I wrote, I said "if today" I would lean their way, that's not an endorsement, its hardly even an example of strong support. I'm not lookin to screw anyone over but if I'm writing in this blog and I happen to like their platform and feel their party has not harassed me for dishing them their share of rhetoric and for these things I lean their way for the moment, just what's the big deal?

Eveyone, always make sure to VOICE yourselves without fear of retribution. I would also like to thank Michelle Lightbourne and Nikki Grant for very nice letters and would like to say how much I respect both of them and the great work they do.

From The Heart

It seems that according to UF's new breed of 'independents' you can only be a member of the club if you follow them, thus (in my book) defeating the purpose of free-thought. Let me say that in the last couple of days I've received some rather harsh emails for not trashing the SWAMP Party. Initially I wanted nothing more than to spend my last few months in Gainesville helping out my friend Ansell Fernandez, even helping him re-register the Access name. As time passed and Jared began making the party more in his image, Ansell would call to inform me, I didn't place the calls, and I didn't like what I was hearing, so I started to write. By the time of the Siler thing I was done, no longer was I anti-Swamp I became anti-no one and neutral.


When the platforms came out I read them in the Alligator and on the party sites. Overall the Swamp package sounds more practical and beneficial to the general student body. As much as I wanted to trash Boyles & Co. going into this, I have myself to live with and I have never been a puppet....not when I was in FIJI, not when I was in Access, and not now. If the people that 'loved me' for being me and have called me their friend for all these years are willing to cut it all off and think of me as the enemy for VOICING a different opinion, well all I can say is I'll have to make new friends. Everyone here knows me, I write with my own name, my address is public, my phone number is public, I work out three hours a day at Gainesville Gym and now I got a job, I'm here only waiting on lsat scores and where my future will take me. My life revolves around civic duty and a strong commitment to social change, I don't and will never measure my success by the title before my name, the car I drive, or how fancy my job sounds. I will be happy in my life as long as I can look myself in the mirror every night before going to bed and not feel ashamed for anything I did during the course of my day. I'm successful and happy.
As for these elections, once again I'm voicing an opinon and as of right now if I was a student and I had to vote, I would vote for the Swamp Party. I wouldn't shoot off fireworks or pee in my pants out of excitement to vote for them over UNITE but I probably would. To think that I've written a fair share of negative stuff their way as part of the rhetoric and not one of them has written me hateful emails, de-friended me on facebook, left me stupid voice mails on my phone, or talked shit to my friends. When I see an organization that retains its support bases the way it SEEMS that many folks in UNITE do, I would never want to vote for such a group.


Maybe things will change by election time and maybe they won't, but because of people like Ken Kerns repeating the same old bullshit that I didn't enjoy SG and I'm doing this cuz I"m bitter and having to write the same tired but sincere defense is over. Now I must approve comments, as long as you don't accuse me of the same tired thing and I don't have to defend that position I"ll approve w/e else. I still remember having to look at my whole fraternity, all of my brothers in my formal room when the Innovate/Access vote was counted..out of 40 brothers only 5 went Access. I stood there making a really heartfelt presentation and I stood there defeated but I still ran, I still did my thing. I got heart and I'll be fine in life. My only question to the people threatening to stop being my friends cuz I happen to like SWAMP a friggin hair more than UNITE is...if my whole fraternity voted me down and I still went out and took care of business just what the hell do you think I'll be w/o your friendship?

I'll be just fine is what I'll be, cuz I'll be able to look myself in the mirror and not feel ashamed of anything I did during the course of my day. =c)

GIANT ENTRY TIME

Let's start out with....

UNITE @ La Casita & XS.......
I don't have found memories of that particular club...I remember Yagermeister & Red Bull, being dressed in drag, drunk, and then having to dance ballet for the Sigma Kappas. A good philanthropy chair does what has to be done. I had to clear that up b/c everyone always asks what's my beef with XS....I was traumatized....but really, what do you care, you're here for the RADIKAL's twisted, uncensored view of SG and by the LORD ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS you're gonna get it.

So....let me clarify...I'm not Pro-SWAMP believe me, but the UNITE people are the only ones getting in the newspaper and that noticeably-extra-amount of publicity is actually working against them in my book, because it makes me write more critiques on what they're doing. Wow, excessive press can actually be detrimental..who woulda figured that!

(((1))) So...UNITE holds its first volunteer meeting not at the home of independent parties (the REITZ UNION) but at the Hispanic-Latino Institute aka LA CASITA....can anyone say RACIAL WAR? "But Christian how can you say RACIAL WAR when both candidates have at least one African American and plus one Hispanic American?" Well, let's not forget that ACCESS ran an African American presidential candidate and well known Hispanics like David Ruiz made comments on Jamal to the effect of calling him an 'Uncle Tom;' while others did the same without being caught at it, their opinions were publicly known. You see....it doesn't have to be a racially-heated campaign only if one party has one type of ethnic bloc and the opposing party has another, in an election like this one, we could actually, conceivably see ethnic blocs implode.

Let me be elaborate. I'm a type of guy that loves the House, I find Senate to be stuffy and I find its tone to be very formal and full of hollow pleasantries. The House reminds me of the House of Commons with all the yelling and belligerence. One group I especially love in the House is the 30'Something Group...if you guys do your hw you'll find out that one member of this righteously liberal group was a fmr. UF SG PRO TEM! Where am I going w/ this....well....the former paragraph may seem awfully scientific, most people would quickly dismiss anything beyond Greek or NonGreek.....Preppy or Freak.....when it comes to SG elections, but the people involved go onto the professional political circuit, the stakes are high, and the strategies are complex, so while my theories may border on the fringes of lunacy to you @ first inspection...I'm telling you that a lot of thought goes into these campaigns and every little intricate detail is their for a reason. I firmly believe there are some pretty serious implications w/ Boyles' first meeting being at a Greek house and UNITE's being at LA CASITA. I believe it sends out a very desperate message and if I'm correct on my presumption, this campaign will be a very, very dirty one.

(((2))) Campaign Photos - View The Report Card
http://www.ChristianDuque.com/ReportCard


(((3))) Progress Coup - I guess I've found out something that's been news for a month now, but Thomas Jardon (fmr. Impact President) is officially out of UNITE Exec! Question....how is it that the larger half of a coalition, so large that it retained its name for the merger, finds itself completely under the hand of the V.P. candidate of the smaller party? Why is the leader of the larger party abandoning ship due to difficult working conditions and the 2nd in command of the smaller party usurps him and the others? I have to be honest here, I knew of Allison Cullin, I knew of that Meyrowitz person (apparently out of UNITE Exec. as well), but I happen to have worked with Thomas Jardon and while the kid's a Republican (that's really sad), he's a good guy and a strong leader, I respect him ya know....but I mention this only b/c my friends in UNITE kept and continue saying "there's good people involved with UNITE?" Well if that's true, who are they? (And if it's not understood, that same "who are they?" is for SWAMP as well).

(((4))) Platform Review Time:

SWAMP goes first:

Ya think you could have used a smaller text?..SHEESH! I can hardly see the words on this page.

Create a 24-hour café on campus
That's cute. No study center, just a nice corporate shop to charge $5 for coffee all night long.
No Thank You.

Increase campus field lighting to aid student recreation
Recycled Issue

Install medicinal (Tylenol, Advil) dispensers in Reitz Union restrooms
Not Free I'm sure. Don't put Triple C's or Sudafed or you might have some stoned senators.

Improve safety on campus through increased coverage of emergency Blue Lights, better lighting and courtesy phones in Residence Hall Areas

GOOD GRIEF! Really Recycled Issue

Advocate to temporarily suspend open container laws on campus for Football Game Days

FUCKIN A!!! =o)

Increase the capacity and services available through WebMail
sounds pretty damn vague but sounds promising


Provide funding for extended Baby Gator hours and satellite child-care centers
BABY GATORS is the magic word. UNITE says help for the children, SWAMP knows the name of help for the children. IDK, =o)


Proactively increasing diversity of involvement in SG within cabinets and agencies such as Accent and SGP
HAHAHAH...AEPi & Theta Chi...change it...and they'll make you die.


Establish liasons between the Career Resource Center and Academic Departments
Sounds good...students do need jobs after college...


Work with the Gainesville community to bring discounted rates to student rates for cable, internet and professional exam review prices
IDK if that's do-able, but hey, that sounds pretty good.

Stop city attempts at raising towing rates
You have no authority there....who's the assbag that put this here?

Support state legislative initiatives to make textbook purchases tax free
Was UNITE trying to say this? Well..they didn't, so, I guess good job again for SWAMP.

Create an Asian American Center and an Asian American Affairs Director
YOU MORONS....this is a good issue...why didn't UNITE include this?!


Make necessary structural repairs to La Casita and the Institute of Black Culture
Boring, Old, Dusty Minority-Milking Issue

Demand more female and minority faculty members at UF
Good Issue, make sure to put in for blonde ex-cheerleaders too.

--------NOW FOR UNITE----------

End promised positions. Unite will create a culture change of inclusiveness for all students.
You are so full of it right now that I'm not even going to comment. MVP...

Reduce Cabinet's size to promote efficiency and accountability within the Executive Branch.
Blah. Did Joyce Medina get this done? I think it was mighty gutsy of her to even try, good work, even if I didn't vote for you. Good work. but um back to UNITE....every party promises something like this, look at Access, Jennifer Pucket decreased Cabinet by 2 spots then increased it by four...cabinet is what a winning president gives his losing senate candidates it's the way it works...you can't try to change it and even if you do, you'll fail. Welcome to real world politics.

Establish organizational diplomats whose sole purpose is to facilitate organizations' programs.
Boring, additionally it sounds like more bureaucracy.


Create a student-friendly Reitz Union. Fully automate meeting room, banner, and table reservations via the Reitz Union web site
This sounds like it should have been re-worded to "create a more sg political party-friendly-Reitz. Which scenario sounds better:

(A) "Hey Susie, hey Jim let's not go clubbing tonight, let's go to the reitz, rent a room, get a table, and play with each others banners!!" LOL

or

(B)"Hey Susie, hey Jim let's skip the clubbing for tonight and go over to the Reitz. They've got free movies and thanks to those cool SG Kids, the GAMEROOM is now free for students too!

Think about it. Answer B was the correct answer by the way and it's got a good idea in there, can you find it?

Improve student childcare facilities
Is Sally Struthers workin with you guys? I like SWAMP more on this one.


Ensure 24-hour access to the new Library West Study Center

I don't like SWAMP's cafe idea, but this Library option vaguely resembles a 24hr study center...
in which case that's an old-ass recylced issue. Is James Argento workin with you guys? J/k I love ya James.


Lobby for friendlier textbook policies to save students money. With cooperation of Faculty Senate, limit new textbook editions to every two years.
You must be on crack...did the Faculty Senate ever get back to us on limited grade forgiveness?We should contact poor Heather Cumming on that, she worked like crazy on that bill, it finally passed Student Senate but I doubt anything ever happened with it in FS.

Lobbying for the protection of private studying resources such as TutoringZone's SmokinNotes and Einstein's Notes
Ummm..let me go to my workout gym clothes bin.....I have a hunch about something...
Riiiiight...ya know...I can't tell you how much CLASS radiates from y'all right now. Tutoring Zone appears on the back of the Spring '05 Impact t-shirt...I really hope this company doesn't appear on the UNITE shirts as well. Either way this minor coincidence sounds kinda sketch...an SG party fighting for the survival of a formerly-named sponsor.....I know there's a lot of Republicans in UNITE but did any of them work for Team Abramoff, just curious. LOL


Reduce SG administrative budget by eliminating promotional items
Like the awesome planners students get? What so you can usethe money to televise yourselves online, sounds a little vain to me. For some students all they see out of their $600 A&S Fees are those planners and you're going to take them away? FUCK THAT! (Ya like that word don'tcha Jared, lol).


Improve training and clarify roles of Assistant Treasurers
This sounds like....strip them of power and do away with post.I like the AT position, I think it adds something more to the Treasurer'sOffice and I think it makes for better productivity from that particular office.

Before SG officials look to reduce organizational budgets, SG will reduce its own budget wherever possible.
This sounds odd to me. SG's budget is A&S Fees, split in roughly thirds to Reitz,SW Rec,& student orgs...this is kinda like the lsat preps...so if you're going to reduce the budget but not from orgs then you must be talking about reducing funding to either the Reitz or SW Rec? Otherwise just what are you talking about?


Proactively address poverty in East Gainesville utilizing the combined resources of the Cabinet, service student organizations, and the City of Gainesville.
What?! How can you put this into your platform, I mean how could a cabinet or even a college SG address the socio-economic shortcomings of a historicallydowntrodden community? This has got to be the cheapest platform initiative I've seen in years, I only hope it's at least well-intentioned, because it's absolutely absurd. It's a great way to milk African American votes, but it's cheap and it's absurd as well.


Extend availability of free printing to all CIRCA labs
Nice thought, but too expensive given all of your other promises. (Same goes for SWAMP)
Also heavily prone to abuse, in my humble opinion.


Establish Internet Online Voting. Students will save approximately $20,000 per election while maintaining voter privacy with a minimum number of on-campus polling locations.

It's a referendum issue, kinda redundant to still have it on a platform. What if the students vote no on the referendum, but vote for UNITE.....does that mean you'll go against their wishes and still implement O.V.? Credit will be given where due, I'm sure most students can deduce that UNITE's people were OG's of Online Voting, but take it off your platform, it seriously looks redundant. Key word here: REDUNDANT.

Grades:

SWAMP: B/B+
Good job, a few spots you could have done better and there's a piecemeal bullcrap factor. LOL

UNITE: C/C+
Your platform leaves much to be desired, you've forced me Mr. Anti-System to give the goldfish crackers and the yellow star stickers to SWAMP.

Gettin Down To Business

Alright...let's do this! Now I'm just going to write what I think, no order, just like throwing colors on a canvas...get ready, go:


1. I was soooo tempted to reproducing the facebook message that Swamp Party VP Candidate Lydia Washington wrote me, on facebook, but I've decided to show some self-control. Lydia wrote me the sweetest, most real message I've received this entire election season and while I still think that in a political sense John Boyles isn't right for UF, I do have to say this particular post may at least appear to sway more towards Mainstream Party A than Mainstream Party B.

2. Fernando Nin, Adam Roberts, Thomas Jardon, all you others....you stiil smiling, still thinking Christian Duque talks out of his ass all the time and knows nothing. Did ya read yesterday's Alligator, did you read today's, hold tight, better yet, did you read the letter of William Foster? Your presidential candidate was mentioned three times in articles today and in one letter....why?.... because of his potty mouth. But its not just Jared, your VP candidate put the potty-mouth-ball in motion. You people need to understand that when an old SG expert like myself (not like James Argento writing cheesy messages on candidates walls or better established BLOGGERS coming out of the woodwork merely to compliment someone's hair) gives you advice, you should really shut your pie hole and take it. There are TRADITIONALISTS in SG, these people don't cater to any specific party but they expect some class out of their leadership, they expect polished quotes, they may be living in a bubble but they vote and anyone that votes is someone you should keep happy, real happy. The traditionalists at this moment will vote for Boyles and you can keep ignoring me or bury that ego of yours, that two-elections-and-counting-losing-ego of yours and CHANGE B4 YOUR LITTLE RED BOAT SINKS! William Foster is not Christian Duque, he's not SWAMP, he's a kid I've never met, but whom is a member of two UNITE candidate groups, he's the kind of person I'd consider hardcore-UNITE and he not only doesn't support Jared, he wrote to the friggin paper to tell everyone about it. Your party is a joke, at least clean up your mess and give the fascade that you got things goin right.

WHewww....I'm nearly spent.....nope I'm good to go.

3. Now let me lash out at the Alligator. Ok...let me break this down into points:

a. We have a front page article accusing Ryan Moseley of being cuplable for the budget errors, all the while the SB Treasurer and SG Finance Office officials have accepted the full blame. The Chair of a committee is one member of a committee, with one vote, and even though the budget may have been presented at the last minute and approved quickly, that's how it's usually done. Is it possible the Impact people saw errors and sat tight until it was more convenient to protest?...I don't know.

b. Why did the Alligator run a photo of Moseley on the front cover when two higher officials claimed responsiblity

c. Why did the Alligator print "and while we're at it we'll blast Lola Bovell," then quoted her, but never blasted her? That made no sense. They did say Moseley didn't accept guilt, establishing that he was the committee chair, but they never went in depth with Sen. Bovell. In my humble opinion there was no 'blasting' of the UNITE treasurer candidate to be had.

d. Why did the Alligator print two-UNITE based letters in the Opinons section (Michael Schuster, whom I've heard nothing about would probably be w/SWAMP [I'd presume] but his letter was totally unrelated to SG)? "But Christian, how's William Foster on level field with Allison Cullin," you might ask. Well it seems that Mr. Foster is a supporter of a certain Gavin Baker, a certain former Alligator writer, a certain fellow that just a couple days ago had an editorial printed. This week we've an editorial from fmr. Alligator editior Mike Gimignani with the topic being SG, an editorial from Gavin Baker (a former Alligator writer) with the topic being SG, and now a third piece from a supporter of the writer.

e. Impact Party leader Allison Cullin states in her leter that "Tuesday's Student Senate meeting reinforced the lack of leadership that has plagued Senate's legislative branch the past few months."

I. OMG---How in the hell does a Senator make a comment like that...Senate can't have a legislative branch....dear....SENATE IS THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH! Someone get this girl a martini...put it on the Voice Party tab.

II. 'Lack of leadership'.....you are equally to blame for that. Your 45 minute senate meetings and you drunken stupors at the swamp restaurant are equally the fault of Gator's bullying tactics as Impact's head-bowing and silence. You can't honestly think that after me writing to your Impact friends on how to sabotage GATOR's majority and on how to use Quorum calls, roll call votes, the amendment process, no-votes, and the press to give your minority some edge and your party doing NOTHING that you can come on here and become Joan of Arc in the months preceeding the election. You may be a republican, but that's still no excuse, you can't go along for the ride, drink Gator's beer, and eat Gator's french fries and then try to piss on their parade....not when Impact had its on float. NO ONE FROM IMPACT CAN MAKE LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENTS AFTER THEIR PITIFUL RESISTANCE FROM '05-06.

"They should have taken reponsibility for their mistake."
Sweetie..they DID, you just didn't like who took the responsibility.

"It's time to expect more from our leaders."
Have you seen who your party is running?

"It's time to change our leadership."
AGREED! Go tell your party to disband and I'll tell SWAMP to do the same.

My message to the Alligator: We all know you're going to endorse UNITE and that's fine. I mean you do seem to have a vested interest in UNITE winning (but that is just MY OPINION), perhaps you want that GSun insert removed or perhaps you don't want SG to look into its own campus newspaper, maybe you fear the Gator Times might come back...I don't know, but what I do know is that your editors and writers are hogging the medium with their own views and some of your fmr. staff members are running for positions...all I'm saying is...don't write pieces and use your third grade psychology to subliminally screw the SWAMP Party...I know that many of you may hail from trailor parks littered deep in the sticks of Alachua County but I'm from Miami and I love politics and quite frankly I find your attempts at discretion to be insulting. Be fair, that's all I'm saying, please be fair.

f. Lastly...I'm really not behind SWAMP but this student paper is annoying me playing favorites this early on. UNITE announces its platform and they get a front page article. SWAMP does the same but you bury their spot in the middle of the paper. Again...between the lines.....that's the kind of bias I'm talking about....it's the little things that to us SG experts start adding up...quit nodding Fernando...you're not an SG expert....but that's what I mean. The SWAMP Party should know they won't get the endorsement, so why are they not losing their cool? Perhaps its the traditionalist in them, perhaps its the kind of formula that will get them elected, or perhaps it just hasn't dawned on them that they're being screwed.

Well that's it for now. I never thought I'd be sticking up for SWAMP but these parties are mainstream groups, they're centrists, so it really annoys me that the Alligator would be playing favorites like this. UNITE is not ACCESS please do not insult the 12,000 kids that lined up under cold drizzly rain to vote for change, UNITE is a party with a fmr. IFC/FBK President with a bought of VP and a treasurer candidate that's prolly kickin herself for not having run for senate and never boarded the UNITE ship. SWAMP is the system party but they make no bones about it, so what the hell, at least you know what you're getting.

Well, that's it for now really, I really feel crappy but I'm honest, if anything, I'm BRUTALLY honest. And I didn't proofread, my apologies, but I'm SPENT!

2/14 & 2/15

New Library West Starbucks Stirs Dispute
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060214starbucks.php

**Touchy...Starbucks was in fact started by a FIJI (Phi Gamma Delta), however, they are a corporate giant that will likely tack on high prices for their goods and totally destroy the atmosphere of a serious research library. L-West was my home away from home, when I had had enough of pledging and being a nobody...I'd tell my pledge masters I had to study and break away for a couple of hours and read. Other times, after pledging, I'd spend hours in the microphish (shit....how do you spell that) room going through 30, 40, even 100yr old newspapers, not for a class or anything, but just to see how the old political masters did their thing in the old days. And there were also times I could hit the abandoned - some even say haunted- fifth floor and just do research on various topics. L-West had all the vestiges of a true blue library powerhouse, now Bernie Machen & his capitalist cohorts (I heard Machen's wife was a real liberal...is that's so, "Ms. Machen get in your hubby's ear and tell him to stop this and if it takes work, just ask him what the capital of Thailand is) because L-West should be a learning institution...I mean its bad enough students don't even own their own union at UF, let's not start selling space in the library to corporate giants.

Emily Yehle -----> Sweetie, kindly shut that hole under your nose and let the students use the opinions section. I know of many good lettes bcc'ed to me from Voice kids that you people have totally ignored. Between Gavin Baker, Mike Gimignani, and all the party leaders you have effectively cut the students out from their own section.

====== 2/15 ==========
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060215swamp.php
Swamp Announces Platform

SWAMP Platform comes out, hammering:

#1 Fiscal Responsibility simultaneously the budget created by the Gator Party majority is full of flaws and in recent weeks President Goldberg has been preparing the students for masssive cuts into student orgs.

#2 Increased accountability within SG - Boyles did nothing during the Cosimi scandal or the FBK allegations raised by Charlie Grapski and Patricia Telles-Irvin.

#3 Representation in both the community and the UF administration - at least John is honest here...a Boyles administration will have no backbone and will fold to Machen's cronies every single time, bar none, in the name of REPRESENTATION and/or "GOOD RELATIONS."

Classic Boyles quote: "In an interview after the rally, Boyles said he was especially passionate about Swamp's goal to increase diversity within SG, listing himself as an example of a senator who defies SG stereotypes."

John Boyles is soo into diversity he made sure the lucky minority on the Swamp exec ticket was his veep and not the treasurer...he wanted to be sure (like Hernandez) that Black voters wouldn't get cute like on the first Access victory of Spring 2004 when Jamal/Jennifer won and Dennis came short by a thousand votes to Sheema ( don't forget John got elected with that Party, that great Party during tha election)....John and Jared both want those African American votes...question is...do either of them actually care about African Americans?

--------------------------------------------------
Proposed budget for student organizations flawed
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060215senate.php

Who's running UNITE! this week? Mr. Roberts? Ms. Cullin? Ms. Guttag? Mr. Jardon?
Did any of you wise party experts read what I wrote about Siler? SILER, you know the guy pictured next to Jared, no not that guy, the football guy you bought off a couple of weeks ago, c'mon Adam...jog that memory, you know who I'm talking about. Anyway, I pointed out your veep candidate shouldn't use the word "ass" because it sounded vulgar, now I see Hernandez using the word "FUCK" in senate, do you think that looks good? What kind of a law student would sink that low.....shameful.

I worked dozens of hours with Jamal on the campaign, I never heard that man use any kind of vulgar term, much less the word FUCK, much less in senate. I've said far worse that FUCK in a senate murmur, but the point is Jared is running for President and you people should talk to him. It may be a minor detail to you, but I guarantee you that those cookie cutter folks out there will take their vote to John Boyles rather than someone with a potty mouth. I should remind you that many of John's supporters have gotten the crazy idea in their heads that Jared is in fact the Devil, so let's work on making the UNITE candidate a little bit more refined.

Reactions To The Bullshit

Oh My...Another week of this SG bullshit.....How my heart goes out to the students....

First - Kudos to UNITE for coming out with their platform first!
Sadly, it seems that Jared Hernandez has never heard of a Big 8 agency named AAREST b/c it seems he considers work against sexual battery a cause all his own. Forums, special councils, special committees...that's just a load of hot air....what's one more council with a chair like Fernando Nin going to do except come out the results you tell him you want before the start of the meeting. Been in SG too long to buy that crap, just admit you stand for nothing.

#2 Swamp & Josh Weiss you're full of shit! There's a word for you in the Spanish language "come-mierda." No party FBK/Greek party has ever cared about the villages, the Mayor's Council, or anything related therein. I make the following points with historical support...which side of the aisle reduced funding for the Baby Gators program, which side of the aisle let the playgrounds in the villages rust away, which side of the aisle has traditionally opposed the idea of graduate decals (parking) and against efforts at removing the international students fee? Answer: the FBK/Greek backed parties (i.e. Ignite & Innovate). Swamp promising to look out for Family Housing leaves me speechless.

Also, Swamp gets a big thumbs down for taking longer than UNITE to come out with their platform. They're only going to copy each other, but it makes Boyles and his crew look somewhat unprepared...hell with a shitload of busty blonde sorority girls all over the place who can blame ya, but get it together! John remember this valuable lesson, good looking women are like buses, there's one every ten minutes, so focus on beating Jared!

#3 http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060213letter1.php
Great letter by Mike Gimignani and way to go to the Alligator editors, publishing only their former employees works and crapping on everyone else. How ya been Mike...can't thank you enough for all those letters I wrote that you never printed.

#4 There was one student that got a guest column....Mackenzie Moritz, the one man that no matter what he does or where he goes, will always have the Alligator kissin his ass. Mackenzie's article was intense, well-written, and 110% believable (if your name is Warren and you've got a sister named Mary).

Full article:
SG parties shouldn't defend mediocrity
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060213column2.php

"In fact, the Unite Party in particular is trying to co-opt the online voting issue Henriques is responsible for getting on this Spring's ballot -"

Duque's Response: Welllllllllll Mackenzie makes an interesting argument. The issue of online voting is an old one, but whom should get the credit for its last wave of popularity. I would have to say that Onlinve Voting Milker #1 was Diane Kassim whom formed the committe to investigate online voting (chaired by then-Gator-lapdog- Jared Hernandez). Susan may have had the idea first, but Diane's committee pushed the card for intranet voting which set the scene for the possibility of online voting (which the courts had been flatly opposed to). If Mackenzie wants to argue that Diane cannot be credited then we could go one year back to the Executive Committee created SB President Jamal Sowell and headed by R&E Chairman Andrew Hoffman, but I don't believe giving credit soley to Susan (or Progress) is plausible.

Also was Susan solely responsible or was it an Impact/Progress joint effort. I just find it hard to believe that just one person did so much, but it's possible, I mean look at Jams Argento.

On the other hand, Henriques' ideas are realistic and innovative - addressing real problems students have with the office she is running for.

Innovative....Innovative....Mackenzie must be getting nostalgic over his old party...wait a minute, he only voted for Innovate's initiatives, he was Access all the way, what am I thinking? And what ideas does Susan have that our so great? I mean is she going to re-organize the bookshelf or send Glenda out to Lowe's to buy a new doorstopper....I mean sell her for being an independent and for having experience in SG FInance...don't make her out to be the second coming of christ...sheesh!

"Students deserve a better choice than the lesser of two mediocre campaigns."
Kudos to the former Pro-Boyles ENGAGE Party president...the rhetoric is purely rooted in bullshit that now it all makes sense to me why the Alligator would print. The new slogan of the Alligator should change from "We Inform. You Decide," to ...."Lining Bird Cages All Around Gainesville."

And so tomorrow I'll get about two dozen emails, ranging from the one-liners to the novels, 90%% blasting me for personal attacks and a 2-3 applauding my efforts. I have to say that I don't attack people just to attack them, it doesn't make me feel good and I ceratinly don't dislike anyone I've mentioned, but friend or no friend, you can't get away with writing a column or holding a view that's purely hypocritical up and down. This blog is the only blog that NO ONE lists, no one links me, I don't kiss ass from D.C. or stick in a joke amidst every other sentence, I tell it like it is and the people that read my stuff want a dose of Christian Duque b/c whether you love me or hate me, I don't water down the facts.

And once again I'll say it...Jared and John are nice guys but politically speaking their a couple of assbags and neither deserves your vote. If you must and only if you absolutely must vote, again, I would say, consider Susan or Lola and that's it. Thank You.

Friday 2/10/2006

On The Campaign Trail

"Basically, I think that I am the most qualified person at this university to be Student Body treasurer," she said. "I think my chances (of winning) are actually very good." -- Susan Henriques

So Susan releases her platform first... she also sounds pretty damn confident regarding her chances of emerging victorious...and she claims to be the most experienced. If Susan was really a threat, then I would surmize that UNITE might have asked her to be its treasurer but they didn't, it's sad that merit plays so little a role in Student Government, but I truly believe Susan is without a doubt the most qualified followed by Lola. I also think Susan's website is very well done and documents all press related to Susan, except of course a letter of support I wrote to the Alligator b/c of course it was written by yours truly, read it if you'd like:

http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060113letter1.php

I haven't heard much from the Boyles camp except for a certain bump in the road they'll be having with a certain sorority president...but I won't say a word except maybe for....don't push people around too much. On the UNITE camp I've been speaking to a few people and I'm proud to say more and more people seem dissatisfied with what Ms. Cullin, Mr. Jardon, & Mr. Roberts are doing, how low they've sunk even if it's the lesser of two evils, b/c that's never really been a viable excuse and further proving I'm not crazy.

I've also been trying to contact my good friend Ansell Fernandez whom I hope isn't mad at me b/c I'm not supporting Jared. I know that when needed me I was there, so if anyone here knows him, kindly let him know I'd like to hear from him. Alrighty then....that's it for now.

Thursday 02/09/2006

First I'd like to tackle today's article on yesterday's UNITE rally.

If I had to guess today on who would win the election, I'd say UNITE easily, but this article reveals a great deal. For starters we can deduce that the Alligator has their heads farther up UNITE's than John Boyles was up Mike Provenzale's in 2004. Another sad point is when the student paper starts sentences with Brandon Siler and Jared rather than Jared and his veep...Jared may win the presidency but like MILTON in OFFICE SPACE he may need to relocate his office to STORAGE B so that Brandon can have his office and use the traditional Veep's office to store his trophies, NFL offers, and jock straps.

"HI JARED.... WHAT'S HAPPENING?........
JARED WE"RE GONNA NEED TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE YOU DOWN TO STORAGE B, SO IF YOU COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND PACK UP YOUR STUFF AND MOVE IT DOWN THERE....THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC." HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH
(For the audio click here: www.ChristianDuque.com/RelocatingJared

Another blooper from today's Alligator is this classic quote:

'However, party officials said Unite is not based on athletic celebrity. "I want to make the Cabinet open to everybody, you know what I'm saying?" Siler said.'

No Mr. Siler we don't know what you're saying because you've been a real Vice Presidential candidate for less than an hour, could you kindly elaborate? Also, Adam Roberts, Tommy Jardon, and Allison Cullin should step up and groom their veep candidate:

The word "ass" is pretty much harmless, but it's kinda like bordering on obscenity. 'Let's kick ass' is great on the football field but in SG as silly as it may sound, it might upset some of the more traditionalist dispositions to see an exec candidate of a 'major party' being quoted w/ a potty mouth. (((Adam, Tommy, Allison, this is your moment to pat yourself on the...back...I just called you ragtag group of sellouts a 'major party' :o) ))))

Also, here are a few phrases to keep your candidate from saying:

Do you know what I'm sayin?
Can you dig it?
We gonna take it to the hole,
UNITE finnah win dis shit,

Basically, I'm pushing for good English and a distancing away from street slangs and phrases. But why am I even addressing this at the snooty ex-Impact/Progress kids, they're not in control, hell they couldn't even order themselves a pizza at this point. Andrea you were right and I should have believed you when you told me that 40% of UNITE's candidates were MVP and that w/o you guys these people couldn't win, but still, I have to ask why did y'all join them?
I look at Brandon Siler, don't know the guy, he looks tough, probably intelligent (3.8 GPA right?) so why did this guy bow down and take scraps for dinner...why didn't he run? Oh well.

I'm also pleased to see Lola standing for equality for all students and fighting against the 'priviledged few.' Lola Bovell was originally with the Fall 2004 VOICE PARTY...bet you SG experts or Gatorpedia addicts didn't know that. Voice threatened to run against Access and little group called Accion UF led by myself and Fernando Nin forced Andre to slate Ansell Fernandez, Lola Bovell, and Analiz Velasquez. Ansell was Kathy Valle's pick, Danny Martinez had picked someone else, Fernando picked Analiz, and I am proud to say picked LOLA! When we registered VOICE and got a line in the paper Andre started calling our three lead candidates trying to bribe them, but they stayed loyal VOICE, finally Andre took the deal and we got what we believed (rightly so in hindsight) to have been a knotch up of Hispanic leaders. Roberts & Jardon may ignore VOICE, but HISTORY speaks louder....even today 1.5yrs later UNITE has VOICE to thank for one of its three exec. candidates. Good luck Lola =o)...and let's all be sure to save every email and make sure to invest in discrete recording devices =o) HAHAH j/k of course.

Well that's it for today. I'm glad to see the Rev. Boyles and his drunken Greek vikings headed over to Hillel to try and capitalize on the Jewish vote. In this heated racial election, where minorities are used for leverage (I don't consider Jared Hispanic and that's my own opinion), then I think its great John is trying to rack up on ethnic blocs.

Anyone want to challenge me? Please do, but please don't accuse me of being insensitive or politically incorrect, because I'm not used to that kind of verbal abuse and it really hurts my feelings.....Vote For No One! But if you must check out either Lola or Susan (if she's even still running), but only if you absolutely must. bye bye

Updated Information

Why is it that people only contact me when I'm either about to blow the whistle or have blown it too loudly? Since last May I've formed a series of facebook groups, logged plenty of hours at my cellphone, and emailed dozens of letters expressing how important UNITY was with opposition groups but do you think Mr. Adam Roberts ever called me? Do you think he ever answered any of my emails? NO! But when I started making noise about how slimey the UNITE campaign was and how I wasn't going to tuck tail and support them, he offered me his # and 'wanted to talk.'

Last year when Impact was down two thousand votes, it was VOICE that endorsed, it was VOICE that shot itself in the face to help out Dennis & Impact, but those MOTHERFUCKERS... do you think they showed any kind of appreciation or respect to VOICE?...to me, Peter, Vida, Niraj, Eric, Kevin, to any of us?! We weren't invited to their dirty marriage, hell the IRON FIST people were there, but no one from VOICE, they thought we were a threat then and they think the same of me today. This year I told Ansell Fernandez I wanted in, I told him I just wanted to listen, I told Jared the same but they made sure not to invite me to ANYTHING, they never once looked at anything I wrote, they never once cared that I existed and not just me, but the other dozen or so members of their OWN parties that they were casting aside. How do you think I found out about Mackenzie? How do I know what Jardon and Cullin are doing before anyone in the party does? I was in SG before any of these people. I've heard some people call Tommy Jardon sneaky, I WROTE THE BOOK...point is, I get a good dozen emails a day...half of the people demand I stop this and back UNITE and the other half say they're with me.

If I'm so friggin out there and MVP joined UNITE and the Alligator loves UNITE soo much and it's a two party election...why was UNITE hurting so badly for slate #'s? I am so mad right now, I'm beside myself, to think that all I wanted to do was be able to raise a point to offer an opinion and these fuckin UNITE kids ADAM ROBERTS, FERNANDO NIN, ALLISON CULLIN, DAVID WHATEVERHISLASTNAMEIS, TOMMY JARDON....not one of them called me, not one of them let me know about anything....when I worked for Access no one can deny I put my heart into it, but when leaders start picking and choosing who gets to be heard then you've got despots. Even at our worst hour, Andre Samuels at least never told me to shut up or be someone I wasn't, these people are going to kill the independent movement, let me not forget Kevin Bacon and let me say it again, these people are going to kill the independent movement.

And let's not even talk about SWAMP, they're all jerks ...they're system trash and I never came to expect anything from that side. Ever since John Boyles buried his head up Mike Provenzale's ass I knew he was a political traitor, he's a nice guy, but politically he's a spineless turd. As far as that email Mackenzie....I read it, but you've changed your political affiliations more times than Metallica has changed musical directions. I'll keep what you said to myself but you need to know that I've been in the game enough years to see a shady situation a mile away, naive I am not and whatever may be the situation now, my Progress Coup theory was in fact not as far-fetched as most people thought....I mean the coincidences do tend to add up but maybe there just coincidences....who knows.

Lastly, I think it's time we all dropped to our knees and prayed...so with your permission Mackenzie, let's chill with Johnny Boy: http://www.ChristianDuque.com/JohnBoyles
p.s. these pages are tagged up the WAHZOO and I'll be battling it out with SWAMP & UNITE for search engine placings ;c)

Awww....How Cute

I still remember back to the days when a party actually had to win the Alligator's support, now it seems the paper whose impartiality in previous election was deemed by the Greeks as biased favoritism has turned into exactly that.

"So Brandon Siler thinks he'd make a good candidate for Student Body vice president.

We agree. "
(Siler Selected, http://www.alligator.org/pt2/060208eddy.php )

Based on what Mr. Alligator editor? I like Brandon Siler and I tried to help MVP as best as I could. I spoke to Andrea Guttag by email and on the phone about ways for her party to run independent, on ways to appeal the late party decision, and on reasons why a third option were great for the democratic process. MVP decided to cave in and take a handout instead of go get theirs like they should have, I personally think that shows a tremendous lack of heart and the fact that Ms. Guttag told the Alligator that MVP shares so much with UNITE ideologically after what I was told in conversations only reinforces my view that Andrea & Co. will do just fine in SG.

Like I told Andrea, I don't know Brandon from a hole in the hole, but a third (or fourth) party is just what the doctor needed for a healthy electoral process. Now it's back to two parties, but I find it highly inapropriate for the Alligator to be singing UNITE praises before any talk of platform initiatives and also blindly trusting in anyone that's a politician for a living. Brandon Siler cannot be called a former candidate with a former party because MVP didn't get to do anything, the Alligator makes it sound like he left a long stretch of shaking hands, doing interviews, kissing babies, giving speeches, and jetsetting from one student org. to the next....when in reality Brandon Siler's candidacy with MVP could be summed up like this: he woke up one day, Andrea Guttag told me him he was running, and Brandon gave the double peace sign like Dick Nixon and that was that. I don't know, I mean you can't be credited with being a candidate with a party if neither truly existed. Give me a break!! And what kind of a party is so insecure or so desperate for power that gives up a seat on its exec ticket to avoid competition?

There's a huge diff between Jared Hernandez and the man with the impeccable integrity of Dennis Ngin. Dennis would never have taken a rival candidate as a running mate to cover his bets at the polls. People ask me what happened to me, why don't I just pick a side and shut up, but I ask, what the hell happened to you, where is it written that human beings must choose anything, what the fuck ever happened to being a G*d Damn Independent?

SWAMP & UNITE!: Two Mainstream Parties Vy In Boring Election

What can I say? 2006 is the year of Sig Ep it seems and...the year or, no, actually just another year of Florida Blue Key. We've got Swamp's treasurer candidate, UNITE's presidential candidate, and the leadership of MVP all coming out of one house. Next, we have the two announced executive candidates coming out of Joe Goldberg's GATOR Party (and the two other possible candidates in Lindsay Cosimi and Diane Kassim also from the GATOR organization). Next, after almost a year of bowing down and voting with GATOR, the leaders of Impact/Progress have the nerve or will have the nerve to campaign this upcoming election and try to sell the notion that they are radically different from GATOR all the while running that party's law school senator as their presidential candidate. Next, we have what I've dubbed the Progress' Coup de Etat, let me break the coup down into points:

-----------------------------------------------
The Progress Coup
Mackenzie Moritz, Adam Roberts, & Susan Vaz Henriques made up the '05 Progress exec. ticket
Mackenzie was president of Boyles' party Engage and remains working w/Boyles in SWAMP
Adam Roberts is currently the leader of the UNITE! Party
Susan Vaz Henriques (current President of the Progress Party) announces an "independent" bid for treasurer, with Mackenzie Moritz at the helm.

Scenario #1: SWAMP WINS! Mackenzie reaps the fat of the land for Adam, Susan, and Progress cronies. Mackenzie takes over Reitz Union Board of Managers.
Scenario #2: UNITE WINS! Adam & Co. reap the fat of the land for Mackenzie and his people over in SWAMP. Mackenzie takes over Reitz Union Board of Managers.
------------------------------------------------

I should stress that the 'Progress Coup' is opinion-based, I have no proof that any inproprieties have taken place or will take place, but I'm also quite skeptical in regards to all of these coincidences. While I believe Progress was a dramatically better and more individualistic party last year than IMPACT, I don't believe they outdid VOICE either. I believe that this setup could have its roots in the '05 campaign when Progress stayed out. I don't think Mackenzie is the kind of person the Greeks fear, nor is John Boyles, and I think this kind of charm is what's allowed them to penetrate a social elite that their letterless shirts would never have been able to break into only a year ago.

Many of us in the original ACCESS had our differences with then party boss Andre Samuels, both Mackenzie and I eluded to this gentlemen when we split (both in our own ways). However, I believe that my esteemed colleague inherited the political reins of SG Godfather from Andre Samuels. There's no doubt that these allegations sound silly, but if you study SG and you study the people I'm talking about, if you know anything about egos and anything about the intricacies of Student Government and just how much power and prestige really are at stake, then my theories hold water, at least enough water to merit consideration.

If I am correct in that the respective leaders of SWAMP and UNITE! are in bed together and that both parties will pretty much play off each other, then political abstentionism would be the only way for students to send SG a clear message. Do not fall victim to the bureaucrats selling you the keys to the kingdom in exchange for your votes. As of right now it seems the mainstream cookie-cutter parties will be the only groups involved, so why should you go and vote for either of them? This election should be the decisive moment when the next generation of independent students realize that for 2007 a party like VOICE, Student Alliance, or KEG needs to return to the forefront. This will be without a doubt one of the most boring elections to date at UF. I only hope that we all learn from this experience.