LSPIRG biased and unaccountable

Re: LSPIRG responds to Cord editorial, Oct. 13
LSPIRG takes $10.22 from each student every year, there are roughly 15, 000 undergraduate students which puts there budget at around $153,000 each year. With a budget like this I feel that everyone should know who they are. So who are they?
This group is a group that has an extremely narrow, extremely far left view of the world and will only hand out their money to anyone if they agree with this narrow view.
So what’s the big deal if that doesn’t get to you? LSPIRG is siphoning money from students and many of them don’t know that this is occurring. Why should they? How many students actually expect ideologically motivated groups to instantly latch on to their bank accounts upon coming to university?
What is even more disturbing is the lack of financial accountability. LSPIRG doesn’t have to hand in a budget. With no budget who is keeping them accountable? Who is looking after around $153,000 of student money?
The business office even admits this. I have absolutely no problem with the Young Liberals, the Campus Greens or every other club, because the students’ money is monitored heavily by Campus Clubs, the institution that looks after the campus clubs of WLUSU.
If LSPIRG and the clubs under their protection were campus clubs tied to WLUSU I would have no problem. This is because all campus clubs have to submit budgets to ensure financial accountability and are held to their budget.
— Ian Merkley

The recent banter in The Cord on LSPIRG made me curious to find out more about this organization. It only took a visit to the main page to become very angry that I have contributed to this organization in my student fees.
There I saw a bulletin saying ‘Hiring Anti-Oppression facilitators’. For an organization that claims to be non-partisan, there is an inherent bias in the job titles of the staff LSPIRG hires.
Sorry LSPIRG, but I think Laurier Diversity Services does a great enough job of fostering a tolerant environment on campus. While this society has a long way to go in terms of mitigating institutional
discrimination, it is hardly oppressed.
Having immigrated from a country where real oppression exists, I was deeply offended that this group of naive individuals believe that this applies to Canada as well. Give your head a shake, LSPIRG.
— Hasan Siddiqui