[Chad]

Wednesday: The HSR Referendum

The Student Representative Assembly (SRA) has initiated this referendum for the purpose of determining whether or not to renew the University Transit Pass Agreement with the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR).

The agreement includes a transit levy for all McMaster Student Union members with the following terms:

· The levy for 2008/2009 year would be equivalent to 120% of the HSR adult monthly bus pass, which is currently $79.00(Fee to students would be $94.80)

· The levy for 2009-2010 year would be equivalent to 130% of the HSR adult monthly bus pass. (Fee to students would be $102.70)

· The levy of the 2010-2011 year would be equivalent to 140% of the HSR adult monthly bus pass. (Fee to students would be $110.60).

If members vote yes to this referendum, each member of the MSU would have an unlimited number of rides on HSR transit from the beginning of September, till the end of April for the next three years.

If members vote no to this referendum, then there will be no bus passes issued to McMaster University students. Instead, persons requiring public transit would have to pay the monthly fee of $79.00 to use the HSR. That would be a total of $632.00 over the eighth month school year, or $948.00 for a full twelve months of use.

If this three year plan is accepted by the referendum, then transit passes would continue to be provided to McMaster students for the next three years at the costs indicated above. Although these prices are an increase in the amount students have paid in years past, they are still quite reasonable given the comparison to the prices students would be forced to pay otherwise.

... I think this is a pretty big no brainer, don't you?