CCSG petitions for state appropriations

By MICHELE E. JOHNSTON
Collegian Staff Writer

The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments accepted a revised version of a petition last weekend opposing decreased state appropriations to the University with a standing round of applause.

The petition, submitted by Altoona Student Government Association President Ben Faulds, asserts the belief that "education is an irreplaceable investment in Pennsylvania's future," and asks elected representatives to keep a Penn State education financially accessible to citizens.

Gov. Tom Ridge proposed giving Pennsylvania schools the same appropriations as last year. The University had asked for $23 million more in state funding for the 1995-96 fiscal year and will have to reallocate money if it does not receive that amount.

Under CCSG's petition, each campus will gather signatures from registered voters in their area and send the petitions to state legislators. Copies of the petition will also be sent to the state House of Representatives and Senate State Appropriations Committee chairs and Ridge.

"We can actually affect every student at this University," Faulds said. "It is the weight of our diploma."

The petition will contain signatures of voters registered in the state. Out-of-state signatures would have little effect because the power behind a petition is that it is sent to a legislator from his or her own constituents, said Helen Caffrey, director of Commonwealth Relations.

In conjunction with increasing communication between students and legislators, Melissa Richards, Undergraduate Student Government Department of Federal Lobbying director, spoke to the council about a letter-writing campaign to state and federal legislators that was started by USG. Council voted to give the campaign its full support.

The University basically encompasses the state with all of its campuses, Richards said. For this reason it is very important for University students to be active, she said.

"It's really hard to be a student right now," she said. "A lot of us are graduating with a debt. Education shouldn't be a burden." Richards added that a government awareness week is coming up "so that this government doesn't keep students from coming to this University."