The debate in the Student Association Mass Transit Board concerning the purchase of a used van which is accessible to the handicapped was a pleasant reminder that not everyone at NIU operates in a perpetual spending spree.

SAMTB member Matt Kouzes and Transportation Director Bill Finucane expressed several extremely valid points about the money involved in purchasing, refurbishing and operating the vehicle. Where many campus debates center on how much to spend on a given project, this debate was flavored by concern for the fiscal considerations of the project. Both student and administration groups should note that responsibility and common sense regarding the use of other people’s money still exists.

More care should be taken by both students and administration in assessing the needs (versus the desires and fantasies) of the students and the university. The SAMTB took a step in that direction. The vote in favor of the purchase was a recognition that transportation for the handicapped is one of the few projects undertaken on this campus which has a legitimate claim to both the moral and financial support of the university community.

Carl H. Witt, Jr.

Post-Grad

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