Every so often, it seems, some member of the Troy city government takes it into his head that RPI costs the city a great deal of money and that the Institute is some sort of cash cow that can be milked for all its worth. When RPI received the $360 million gift, City Council members were quick to suggest that one percent should go to the city for road maintenance.
Now Robert Armet, chairman of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, wants to charge every college student in town a fee for “emergency services.” The argument he uses is that the schools generate more than their share of calls and contribute no tax revenue, so they should help cover expenses.
RPI students should take two points away from this proposal. First, false fire alarms are a serious problem that not only divert important resources from real emergencies, but now may end up directly costing you money.
Second, this is the perfect chance for student government to get to work–and the students should make sure they do. The Student Senate has a Community Relations Committee that has been more or less spinning its wheels for the past couple of years. Issues like this are exactly why it was created in the first place.
Members of this committee should approach Armet and other members of the Council. They should hear the Council members’ side of things, but they should explain (once again) that students already bring a large amount of money into Troy. Furthermore, the quality of service that students receive is not always up to snuff—the point should be made that any surcharge should be met with a corresponding improvement.
Ideally, this effort would be coordinated with the administration—student government should confirm that the Institute’s Office of Government and Community Relations is on the case, and work with that office to present a unified front.
All of this starts, though, from student input—if no one knows your opinion, no one will act on your behalf.
