The sole purpose of the Open People's Party is to accurately and effectively represent the entire UCSB Student Body. We believe that Associated Students was created in order to give students control over their educational experience and participate in the shared governance of our community. We will work to provide services that help students navigate the often confusing and bureaucratic University system. We are here to serve students: no matter what your opinion or desires, we will listen.
O.P.P. is committed to addressing student concerns first. A.S. money is student money, and must be spent on student issues. Our community is UCSB, and our community is our priority. We are tired of a University system that continues to balance its finances on the backs of students, and we will continue to push for lower textbook prices and an end to constant increases of our student fees.
There are also many issues that we need to address in our own backyard. In our own community, Landlords overcharge us for substandard housing that teeters over the edge of a rapidly eroding cliff. In our own community, the foot patrol routinely oversteps the boundaries of its authority. In our own community, permanent residents are attempting to charge us for parking in front of our own homes. In our own community, oil companies continue to push for offshore drilling in the Santa Barbara Channel. In our own community, the many groups and organizations that advocate and program for students do not receive the support necessary to effectively serve the UCSB student body. Our motto is as follows: O.P.P. will ensure that every dime of your money is spent on you.
We are the Open People's Party, and our door is always open.
The CC is a movement based on pragmatism. Our goal is to represent the students who support positive changes within our campus, community and state.
Tuition fees were $1,800 for in-state residents just 3 years ago. Now the fees have risen to $2,300 per quarter. Like most students, we comprehend that this trend is not acceptable. However, the State of California is in a major deficit. To combat this problem, the CC believes that lobbying the state to tax and regulate cannabis is of the highest priority. UCSB Economics finds benefits from taxing the drug outweigh the problems associated with keeping cannabis illicit.
Currently, our State spends roughly $150 million annually to police cannabis. Taxing cannabis in the State of California will raise an estimated $1.5 - $2.5 billion annually. We are a coalition of students that believe taxing and regulating cannabis is a key to getting our State out of debt.
The Cannabis Coalition supports:
S.P. - Student's PartyStudents' Party is committed to being a catalyst for positive, effective and lasting change. We believe that student government should provide information and tools to help each individual have the greatest possible impact in their endeavors. We are committed to being an advocate for student rights and needs, the shared governance of the University, and accessibility, accountability and sustainability on internal, local, statewide, and national levels. Student government should be accessible to all students and Students' Party is the only party with a publicized, structured, and transparent selection process. To promote a fun, safe learning environment that amplifies student empowerment we advocate for the integration of social and political aspects that make UCSB so unique.
Students' Party recognizes the diverse opinions and backgrounds of our University and the need for accurate representation of many voices. Our student government tackles a myriad of student issues that must be respected and addressed by people who have knowledge of these matters; as such we recognize the importance of broad-based experience.
We recognize that constant change is the only consistency to be found in today's dynamic environment, and therefore we promote appreciation of the current campus culture and recognize the value of adaptation to the challenges it poses. It is our duty to insure fiscal transparency and intelligent fiscal management of all student monies, to be dedicated to our belief that education and accessibility to all resources is a right for all students, to be devoted to environmental issues, and to promote a more sustainable future. More Progress, More Involvement, More Integrity, and More Good Times
The mission of the ChillaVista party is to empower students, and ensure the existence of a healthy and progressive environment in which students can fulfill their goals and aspirations. As the ChillaVista party is only running a presidential candidate this term, we are committed to working with members of both party's slates in order to accomplish our task. We are a party of progressive politics, and will continue to engage existing campaigns for lower textbook prices, against tuition fee increases, and fighting for environmental and social justice concerns. Furthermore the ChillaVista party will seek to improve the quality of life and image of UCSB, instituting new initiatives on campus, in Isla Vista, and globally.
On campus, the ChillaVista Party is already working with two programs on campus that sponsor academically accredited student led group studies projects, which enable students to fuse their individual goals and passions with legitimate academic inquiry. Our presidential candidate is currently co-chair of both of these programs, and will continue to expand them, empowering more and more students to lead courses in areas their own interest. In addition to this progressive model of education, the ChillaVista party is committed to improving the environmental sustainability of our campus; we adamantly support TGIF (The Green Initiative Fund), and will continue to push for green initiatives that will continue to make UCSB one of the world's most environmentally conscious campuses.
In Isla Vista, the plans are already underway for the first annual ChillaVista street festival, which will occur June 4, 2006 on the 6700 block of DP. This festival will utilize sustainable methods to the celebrate music, arts, and food of the Isla Vista culture. The winter quarter group studies project, Soc 194: ChillaVista, has already outlined the festival, which will be run entirely off renewable energy sources, and will be using the zero-waste model, as we recycle, compost, and re-use nearly 100% of our materials. We will also be hosting a farmers market, a skate competition, and various other educational, recreational, and artistic endeavors at the festival. In addition to the ChillaVista festival, the ChillaVista party is already fighting to extend the 12 am noise ordinance in Isla Vista for live music, and contesting the unreasonable fines that are levied upon students as a result of violating this unjust zero tolerance policy.
Globally, the ChillaVista party is committed to showcasing UCSB's progressive achievements across the world. We are already in discussions with universities in China to help them set up a sustainable campus program based on the progressive visioning of UCSB's students. This partnership is extremely important, as China becomes a powerful force in global affairs. We will also continue to spread the progressive leadership of UCSB across the state as well as the country.
Please join us in creating the ChillaVista experience; we embrace diversity and would love to hear further ideas from the student body. Email ChillaVista@gmail.com, and together we can make UCSB the global leader in progressive visioning, and student empowerment!