This week, students will be given an opportunity to vote on whether to self-impose a new student fee for facility upgrades to Aztec Center. For some students, this may sound like déjà vu 8212; in 2006, students voted on a similar measure to increase student fees by $56 throughout the course of four years; the last portion of that fee increase went into effect this semester.

The 2006 referendum promised additional facilities, such as a 24 / 7 “state of the art” study space with lounges, theater-style performance space, healthy food offerings for the Aztec Center Food Court, a day spa, new fitness and recreational facilities, more meeting rooms for students, and more bowling allies and electronic games, not to mention more job opportunities for students to staff these outlets. This semester was set as the ” the anticipated opening of the new facilities,” according to the student voter pamphlet distributed at the time.

Obviously, things didn’t go as planned.

We are now in 2010, and students are being asked to vote again to increase student fees to fund a building we should already have 8212; and have already been paying for.

Since 2006, new items have been added to the list of far-reaching promises of the new ModernSpace 8212; or “may” have been added, according to the confusing wording of the 2010 Voting Pamphlet. These items include striving for LEED Platinum certification of the building, a costly green energy and sustainability certification issued by the U.S. Green Buildings Council. Vegetative roofs, solar panels, ground heat exchangers, pervious paving and underground storm water storage are also part of this new proposal.

Maybe. The “may” language in the proposal means those newer plans may not actually occur. Even more difficult to decipher from the pamphlet is whether Associated Students can be held accountable for anything that isn’t included in the new building. The far-reaching proposal is supposed to be completed by Fall 2013, and the $94 proposed fee increase would not go into effect until then.

Essentially, this referendum is running on the hope that students will not worry about a roughly 65 percent increase to their student facilities fee, because the students who are actually paying for it are currently freshmen in high school who enroll here after graduating in Spring 2013. Asking students to vote for such a significant fee increase 8212; when most of the current students voting on the fee may not be here to actually pay the fee when it goes into effect 8212; is troublesome, bordering on the reviled “taxation without representation.”

Students also need to understand that some of the current hazardous issues with the building 8212; lead paint, asbestos and seismic retrofits required for earthquake safety compliance 8212; will occur even if the majority of us vote no on this referendum. Those changes must take place, whether we approve the ModernSpace project or not.

We have already taxed students enough for the funds necessary to upgrade the building and eliminate the compliance and safety issues; we don’t need yet another gross fee increase for already cash-strapped students to fund an unnecessary project. Yes, many of the proposals sound nice and would be pleasant to have, but add the current state of the economy to the fact that most students voting on the referendum probably won’t be here to pay it. It’s just irresponsible to approve this.

The alternative is clear. Let’s use the millions of dollars already collected and paid for by students to fix the building itself, rather than make yet more changes to a project that should have already been completed. The economy is in bad shape. Individual students are already struggling with financial constraints. The university’s persistent budget problems hampers our ability to predict how much enrollment will be cut in the future 8212; if there are fewer students admitted in 2013, the fee may have to be increased more to make up the difference. We have more immediate concerns that must be addressed first 8212; such as reducing our enormous class sizes and increasing the number of courses offered.

We don’t need a brand new Aztec Center right now, and we don’t need any more fees than we’re already paying. The responsible thing to do 8212; not just for us, but for the students to come 8212; is to vote no.