Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

Matthew Dulin        Ray Hafner       Geronimo Rodriguez
         Shaun Salnave          Cara Sarelli

Join the fight for UH

There are about 10 billion reasons for you to start paying attention to politics in the next few months. A Texas budget deficit pegged at $10 billion is forcing across-the-board spending cuts in most of the state's agencies.

While Gov. Rick Perry says the focus will be on cutting administrative costs, it will be nearly impossible to save that much by switching to one-ply toilet paper. Cuts are going to be made.

The big goal for UH this legislative session will be to restructure the state's research funding so UH will be eligible for a bigger slice of the pie. But while that's the focus, UH's advocates may find themselves fending off cuts to higher education programs if it turns out, as usual, that students are a politically inert group of non-voters.

To join in the fight for more funding, a road trip is planned that will bring thousands of Coog supporters to Austin and into direct contact with state lawmakers. On Feb. 18, busloads of UH boosters, of which you can be a part, will set off to meet the legislators. 

The target is not 6th Street, but Capitol Hill, so if you're "good in a room" and able to hold your ground while talking with some of Texas' most powerful people, the UH administration wants you. They're even offering free coffee and doughnuts.

To sign up for the biannual event, head to <I> www.uh.edu/alumni/involved/catscalendar.html<P>.

To prime yourself, you should get in the mood for good ol' politicking by watching tonight's State of the Union address. The U.S. economy is slumping, meaning that jobs are scarce all over, so those of you graduating this semester especially should see if you buy Bush's rhetoric on tax cuts. 

The economy and the possible impending action against Iraq will dominate what is expected to be a short State of the Union address. Bush is facing increasing pressure to produce a solid reason for war as the economy continues to sputter and his once sky-high approval ratings plummet back to earth.

This is one of the most historically important addresses in history, according to an article in Monday's New York Times. It'd be a shame to miss it.

Money, war and more money are making these some of the most interesting political times ever and, thanks to the Bush poll machine, public opinion has never counted for more. Stay informed and don't let your opinion get missed in the administration's war rhetoric.

Something here should be worth fighting for (c'mon folks -- $10 billion!). If not, you can always just go to Austin and get drunk. It'll be fun until the war starts.
 Send comments to dccampus@mail.uh.edu