Bostonist: Taking a Stand Against MassPirg?

sushiesque

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:53:44 -0500

they added MassPIRG dues to our student activities fees at Hampshire College as well. last Halloween, I made a fake MassPIRG shirt and carried a clipboard. nobody had five minutes for the environment.

Ezra

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:03:13 -0500

Actually, it would be hilarious if the proceeds from the shirts were donated back to MassPIRG. That said, I think the PIRGs are a scam; if they're not, they do a bad job of articulating why not. The pitch goes like this. (imagine this as a flowchart) 1) "hey, do you know about this really bad thing?" if no, inform them about really bad thing. back to 1. if yes, on to 2. 2) "are you sympathetic to our side?" if no, argue about why they should be. back to 2. if yes, on to 3. 3) "ok, give us some money." if yes, cha-ching. if no, back to 1, or 2, or 3. But they never explain why giving them money actually *does* anything. And the reason I suspect they can't articulate that, is because the PIRGs exist not to actually *do things*. But to make money, and make people feel virtuous. That phoenix article summed it up well.

Chris

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:25:17 -0500

Mr. Lebowski's latest moneymaking scheme (presumably doomed to failure)? Is there a shirt that says: "The bums lost?"

Chris

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:22:38 -0500

Mr. Lebowski's latest moneymaking scheme (presumably doomed to failure)? Is there a shirt that says: "The bums lost?"

Chris

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:18:14 -0500

Mr. Lebowski's latest moneymaking scheme? Is there a shirt that says: "The bums lost?"

Ed

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:32:16 -0500

Think that's bad? At U-Mass Lowell where I received my bachelors, we had a student group remove the $4 MASSPIRG 'bill' from the tuition statement. MassPIRG UML got its donations by adding a $4 line item cost to the tuition bill, which was 'optional' in a sense that you had to check a box to prevent them from collecting it. We petitioned and had it removed. Since the UML chapter was no longer funded by the students who were duped, the state MASSPIRG chapter revoked the UML chapter's funding, so the PIRG at UML folded.

Ed

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:26:29 -0500