{Housing} Dispute Fuels Texas Tech {Political} Activism {in Lubbock}

Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 12-23-03 | Kitchen, Sebastian

[Theodore R.]

Dispute fuels Tech activism By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Molding a student voting bloc to take on City Hall over a housing issue may have ramifications that go beyond purple houses and numbers of roommates, organizers say.

Will students registered to vote in Lubbock begin to take more interest in local issues? Will they become a factor in local elections?

That's entirely possible, says Colton Batchelor, Texas Tech Student Government Association external vice president.

Historically, college students here show little inclination to vote in local elections, Batchelor says, noting that he, too, has been guilty of apathy.

"I think, in general, people who are registered to vote pay more attention to what is going on locally where they are living," Batchelor said. "It is important for Tech students to become more aware of the Lubbock community as a whole and to get Tech students more involved in Lubbock, in society and in politics in Lubbock as a whole."

Many students are registered to vote in their hometowns, he said, but they don't make the effort to register here.

"There are not too many students registered," he said. "The more students that register, the bigger impact we will have in the polls, therefore making us part of the swing voter population."

Having clout at the polls will attract attention to student issues, he believes.

"In the past, turnout for Tech students was not as good as it could be, but we are headed the right direction," Batche lor says.

A student task force has begun registering voters to mount a successful petition drive this spring. The students want to force an election over a city ordinance that bans more than two unrelated people from living in a single-family residence. They believe students are unfairly targeted by the ordinance.

Many longtime neighborhood residents, however, believe the ordinance should be left as is. They have concerns about parking, trash and the deterioration of neighborhoods and property values.

Organizers are registering students in classes, in residence halls and at events and both on and off campus, including a bar, a coffee house and the infamous purple house at Indiana and 25th Street. Organizers intend to use the Greek system to register more voters this spring, and student groups such as the Saddle Tramps have lent a hand.

The gaudy purple house recently brought the housing ordinance issue to the forefront again with its loud message.

Its landlord and residents were cited for violating the housing ordinance.

Joe Biles, who is chairing the student task force, said he is uncertain how many students have registered to vote since the drive began. Those numbers were not available recently.

He believes the number is substantial.

"We have registered a lot more people than we know," he said. "It's been very, very successful."

Another political issue that may catch students' attention is tuition deregulation, Biles said.

The state Legislature recently deregulated tuition, allowing universities to set their own rates, which have gone up across the state, including at Tech.

Mayor Marc McDougal, a former high-ranking official in the local Republican Party, said he never monitored the number of students voting during elections.

However, he said his experience with politically involved students has been good.

"I always had a lot of grassroots support from Tech students," McDougal said. "My experience has been very good with Tech students."

The mayor, who started a committee this year to bring together students and community members, said he supports the registration of students in Lubbock.

Mikel Ward, who chairs the city's ordinance review committee, cautioned that the voter registration drive could polarize both sides of the issue. In addition, once an election on the issue takes place, the ordinance becomes more difficult to modify because the people have spoken, she said.

The existence of the bright purple house — now adorned with yellow smiley faces — as well as the petition effort are driving the two sides apart instead of to a compromise, she said.

sebastian.kitchen@lubbockonline.com 766-8753

[MEG33]

I hope they aren't thinking of fighting for the right to paint a house purple and add yellow smiley faces.If you think that's acceptable,you don't have a home next door or you aren't interested in whether property values go down.

[Theodore R.]

It would seem like this kind of abuse of a house and neighborhood property values could be resolved without regard to who is living in the house -- whether an intact family or three to four college roommates.

[MEG33]

That ordinance must be new since my daughter went to school at Tech.She had 2 housemates in a home.

[farmfriend]

short list.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!