UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

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By edhat staff

A UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) student group is demanding $900 checks from the university's federal funding.

The UCSB chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) is promoting a "COVID Justice Campaign" and is demanding the university disperse its remaining federal funds to students as direct relief checks valuing $900 each.

"Chancellor Yang’s UCSB administration is sitting on approximately $22 Million in federal relief funding that he refuses to share his plans to spend. The UCSB student body and our allies believe that the money should go directly to students who have paid exorbitant prices for subpar Zoom classes," said YDSA Secretary Patrick Fairbanks in a press release.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act distributed $25,204,196 to UCSB at the end of March 2020 and the same amount in December 2020 due to the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. In total, the university received $50,408,392 in aid. 

"By law half of these funds were mandated to be paid directly to students – UCSB did this, providing stimulus to a measly 56% of the student body. They spent $2 million on sanitation of a mostly empty campus last year, leaving $22 million remaining. We have asked repeatedly for documentation of how those funds will be spent, but the university refuses to respond to us," said Fairbanks.

Fairbanks argued that students have not had their tuition lowered or on-campus fees waived for services there weren't allowed to access.

The group plans to hold a rally on Saturday, May 8th at 2:00 p.m. They'll gather at Storke Plaza on UCSB's campus and around 2:30 will march through campus towards Chancellor Yang's on-campus home located next to the dormitories. From there they plan to protest with speeches from the group's leadership and fellow organizations.

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SBLetsGetAlong
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May 07, 2021 08:15 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

And yet the public schools continue to complain they can’t afford Covid protocols as a reason for the prolonged closures.
We’re the teachers getting any of that money?
Or just the administration?
Whose picket did the money go into?

Bob From Ventura
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May 07, 2021 10:16 AM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

Progressives ruin everything they touch. UCSB and universities all over this country are laughingstocks. Intolerant totalitarian Progressives who've never done anything, never gone anywhere, never worked for anything. Spoiled little brats.

jak
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May 07, 2021 05:59 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

Rypert, you brought up so many popular points in this response. So many people I know who risked their lives to escape the clutches of communism. The suffering inflicted by socialism/communism is unspeakable.

Rypert Johnson
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May 07, 2021 12:58 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

BOB FROM VENTURA, all you have to do is look at the facebook and instagram pages for the following organizations and your point is pretty spot on:

Food Not Bombs Isla Vista

Bonfire Collective

Eco-Vista

Post-Capitalism Conference

Young Democratic Socialists of America

Take a look, you'll see that what you said in terms of intolerance and totalitarianism hits the nail on the head. The ONLY disagreement I have is the use of the term "progressives" to classify this ilk. Let's use the real terms they're trying to hide to gain support: Communist, anarchist, socialists.
The saddest part of this is there's folks who escaped from places such as North Korea, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaraugua and the former Soviet Union and its satellite states to come to the United States and live a life away from the type of system that oppressed them.
Then you have this bunch, wanting to implement the same exact many ran from. But the big difference between those that endured those regimes and these "useful idiots" is that these modern day supporters of a failed policy (communism) have NEVER lived in a communist society.
Most of them also come from six digit income households. They also use their credit cards and iPhones and every other tool that capitalism has to offer to... complain about capitalism.
Capitalism isn't perfect, never has been, but communism is a proven failure and these folks refuse to accept that reality.

JB86
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May 06, 2021 08:11 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

So, UCSB got $50,000,000 bucks from the feds (eg, taxpayers), to do what, exactly? Multiply this by the number of large universities in the US and I guess we're talking serious money. I'm not sure of the merits of the student's protest, but it does beg the question of where the spent money went when the school was essentially shut down for a year, as well as where the remaining $22,000,000 will go. I have a hunch UCSB won't be sending it back to the tax payers.

Rypert Johnson
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May 07, 2021 10:17 AM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

JB86, all that moolah aside, which IS a LOT of cash, is the focus, but it's only a select group of individuals focused on it. The question here is "why?"
The answer to that lies in the strategy used to gain acceptance of their agenda, socialism/communism, using means that favor capitalism-minded individuals.
These are budding politicos looking for an in with the public, which is not of their political ilk.

Ahchooo
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May 07, 2021 08:18 AM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

UCSB wasn’t shut down. Classes were held online, most staff and faculty continued to work, just in different settings. But I *would* like to know how they spent that money. Was there any requirement that recipients itemize how they used it? Should have been.

dukemunson
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May 06, 2021 08:58 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

JB86 - Goleta union school district took 12 million in federal reopening funds in may and June of 2020... and they’ve only got 3000 students. Forget the Ivan students... people paying property tax should be protesting for the shuttered schools and wasted millions!

dukemunson
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May 06, 2021 02:20 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

UCSB brought in a lot less money this year (dorms being mostly shuttered) and kept pretty much everyone on the payroll (plus added expenses such as testing in the Fall and Winter). As per the post, they provided stimulus to 56% of students and are (presumably) using much of the remaining money to configure/coordinate classrooms for in person teaching. I guess it's something different to protest then their weekly "COFFEE NOT COPS" table across from the Amazon pickup...so that's fun...

Rypert Johnson
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May 06, 2021 03:37 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

DUKEMUNSON, looks like you're onto these budding Leninists! Or they might be Stalinists? Whatever, they do have that "coffe not cops" thing and it's basically in front of Isla Vista Theatre, usually put together on a last minute basis to avoid being ID'd by "The Man" (whose station happens to be right down the street, LOL!).
Not sure if you remember, this is the crew that led that "huge" protest (20 people, maybe 25) to remove cops from the campus.
Now, remember, UCSB is patrolled by UCPD, the official law enforcement organization designed to patrol and protect UC campuses across the state.
Alright, so you'd think they'd go protest in front of the UCPD station on Mesa Road by Harder Stadium, right? No, they ended up in front of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Station, which is run by... SBSO (Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office). and guess what? SBSO has ZERO jurisdiction on UC property, that's UCPD jurisdiction. LOLOLOL! The SBSO deputies came out, just kind of chuckled and went about their business, as usual.
Typical "social justice warriors" of today, a lot of loud voices who say nothing, possess zero common sense and don't do their research.

Rypert Johnson
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May 06, 2021 02:08 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

COASTWATCH, you're welcome. If you want some amusement, go to the facebook or instagram pages for Bonfire Collective or Food Not Bombs Isla Vista and you'll see what they're about firsthand. Get ready for some laughs while you're at it!

Rypert Johnson
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May 06, 2021 01:56 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

A-1620332083, with all due respect, it's not a question of "not educating these kids" as you state. It's a classic case and example of indoctrination, brought to us compliments of the leadership in certain majors and those who instruct in such majors within the institution.
There's agendas to fill and by creating what's referred to as "useful idiots" you can satisfy those agendas easily.
They are "educated" by all means, but with an agenda in mind and it's not for the betterment of society.
These YDSA individuals, they'll grow to be budding beurocrats or politicos and attempt to pass their agenda onto communities disguised as betterment.
But the truth behind their "cause" is that it's selective and fits the "do as I say, not as I do" approach. Classic Animal Farm scenario playing itself out as we watch with popcorn in hand.

Rypert Johnson
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May 06, 2021 01:10 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

That moment of irony when avowed anti-capitalist socialists/anarchist comrades are fighting to get their "deserved" capitalist money from the very institution that groomed them to be good socialist comrades.
Leave it to the Bonfire Collective crowd to show the hypocrisy behind the cause. How many people will march, 10 or 20? Well, that'd be a hell of a lot more than participated in Bonfire Collective's "Mayday caravan" last Saturdy, May 1st.
Edhat, thank you for this story, I needed some amusement on a cloudy, dreary day, you came through with flying colors!

Rypert Johnson
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May 07, 2021 10:04 AM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

LETMEGO, I believe that practice is called "reappropriation" and was very popular with a guy named Josef Stalin, just ask anyone of Ukrainian origins.
As for UCSB being a "capitalist institution" as you say, well, not exactly. UCSB, being a public California institution and therefore supported by taxpayer money, that is not capitalist, in fact, it's the truest form of socialist policy, to have eeducation funded by the taxpayer.
Their practices "might" be "capitalist" in plain sight, but their structure in terms of financial and fiscal support, all taxpayer and attendee paid.
But back to "reappropriation" and such. That's just one of the key words to watch out for with these budding Stalinists. Other words they love to throw out there are "solidairity", "collectivism", "sustainability" and a slew of others in an attempt to gift wrap the pile of crap known as communism.
They're good words, when applied to things that work, but to use them to promote a system that only lasted a total of 72 years... Just not correct.
If you want some insights into what these folks are about, as well as some amusement, Google "Post-Capitalism Conference" and check it out, but don't laugh too hard... Well, actually, go right ahead, I did!

letmego
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May 07, 2021 08:56 AM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

I'm guessing that because they are avowed socialists, they consider this money to be already "theirs", and NOT belonging to a capitalist institution like UCSB. You know "money belongs to the people, not the corporations." But like I said, I'm just guessing.

bosco
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May 06, 2021 01:27 PM
UCSB Group Demanding $900 Student Checks from University

Thanks for clearing that up. I do know what a Yerbamate is (drank them down in South America back in the day). I didn't make the connection with College students and pizza. I guess I'm officially getting old.

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