Editor,
This is in response to Matthew Martinez's letter in the Daily Lobo on Friday asserting the need for free parking passes from UNM.
UNM didn't appropriate millions for students who are too lazy to get a license to drive a car; it did so because with rising gas prices, many people can't afford the commute to school. The University also wanted to encourage others to forfeit driving so that you can have that spot you've been scouring the parking lot for.
With increased attendance, even those massive plots we use for parking fill up quickly. Secondly, for people like myself who don't mind opting for 15-minute waits between bus transfers, it's not about the ride being free but about trying to avoid killing our planet faster than I have to.
Lastly, I find it funny that with all the talk of admissions standards going on, you would prove that they indeed should be raised. You whine about your $112 fee that you pay per year - not per semester as you claim - and then go on to say that a $12-a-month bus pass is nothing compared to the outrageous fees. And yet, if I'm correct, $12 a month multiplied by the nine months we are in school is $108. Perhaps the University really should review the standards in place regarding mathematics - or overall competency for that matter. In the meantime, those of us who aren't afraid to brave the elements, save some gas, and help the planet will continue to pester "driving society" with our subsidized privileges.
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Ross Brockman
UNM student
