Purging PIRG

A Harvard senior is spearheading a drive to prevent automatic student funding of Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) on Massachusetts college campuses.

James E. Higgins '83, chairman of the Massachusetts College Republican Union and associate editor of The Harvard Salient, has been urging students on various campuses to abolish the automatic collection of PIRG fees from students when they register for classes or as part of the term bill.

The Massachusetts drive is part of a national campaign by the College Republican National Committee, which receives $250,000 a year from the Republican National Committee.

PIRGs work on issues such as environmental protection and opposing nuclear power. At some colleges, students either elect to pay PIRG fees or are required to pay but may obtain refunds. Harvard has no relationship with PIRGs.

Higgins yesterday questioned the political neutrality of PIRGs, adding, "Because PIRG is obviously a left-wing group, I find this to be an unfair advantage. All we are trying to do is to put everyone on equal footing."

But consumer advocate Ralph Nader said yesterday that the conservative groups are choosing their own set of terms. PIRG is an educational organization in favor of clean air, clean drink and water, elderly rights, and consumer safely," he said adding. "Is that left wing or just good sense."

In an anti-PIRG effort at Boston College last year, several members of Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative group, attempted to provide incentives for students to collect their $4 refunds through an agreement with two local liquor stores. The agreement allowed for the purchase of $5 worth of liquor with the $4 refund check.

Richard J. Hannigan, a MassPIRG official and one of several B.C. students who went to talk to the store owners, said yesterday. "The liquor store owners had gone along with the agreement because they were opposed to the bottle bill, which PIRG supported.

But he added that the store agreed to stop accepted the refund checks after students had pointed our various other PIRG projects to them.