You’re probably tired of reading about student fees. We’re certainly tired of writing about it.

Fortunately, the end is near: This evening, the Associated Students of Madison student council will vote on the student organization budgets approved by the Student Services Finance Committee. Unless the Board of Regents or chancellor take unprecedented action (and we hope they do), tonight’s vote will be the last best hope for students to stop an unprecedented student fee hike next year.

We’ve already registered our qualms with the student organization budgets. So, rather than directly comment on the budget increase, we thought the facts about the student organization budget should speak for themselves:

- In 1997-98, student organizations received $526,471 worth of general student service funds. The proposed 2002-03 budget is over five times as large.

- Seventeen groups received budget increases. Only four groups received budget cuts.

- The average budget cut is 11.2 percent. The average budget increase is 81.8 percent.

- Four groups received over 100 percent increases (three over 300 percent).

- As a whole, the GSSF budget for student organizations increases 84 percent over this year.

Enough said.