It didn't take long for USG president Matt Margolin to hedge his campaign promises. His campaign posters boldly promised "Free Pequods" leading up to the December elections, but Margolin now says that any price reduction will be slow if it ever happens at all.
Successful USG candidates typically do not run on anything controversial. Instead, they campaign on goodies that they know all students want — from weekend late-meals to affordable course packets to expanded and improved gym facilities. When students see their wish lists plastered onto USG campaign posters, our first reaction is and ought to be skepticism. But when candidates say their proposals are within USG's power, many students are eager to believe them. Candidates, however, have a bad record on fulfilling campaign promises, suggesting they been unwilling during campaigns to be honest with themselves and students about what they can accomplish.
We are not trying to characterize Margolin's campaign as disingenuous. We can hardly presume that he knew he was making a promise he could not keep. Sincere or not, Margolin now must work to fix the deteriorating USG-student body relationship. If USG officers don't start getting more "realistic" about their goals and fulfilling more of their promises, the student body will start believing that it is only realistic to view the USG as an irrelevant organization.
It is tempting to dismiss this latest disappointment as further evidence that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. But to allow broken promises to pass without comment is to take a big step toward complete apathy. We hope Margolin succeeds in reducing packets' prices, and if he does we will be the first to give him the praise he deserves. Our aim is not to sandbag the young Margolin administration by belaboring one early setback, but we refuse to go along with the idea that only the naive should expect a campaign promise to be fulfilled.
If there is any hope for a productive student government at Princeton, we must resist the temptations of cynical disengagement and resolve to hold the USG accountable. We trust that Margolin will welcome this important challenge.
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