The student government's proposal was UA's first glance at the group's official stance on tuition. It also was the first time ever our student body president, Doug Hartz, came clean with his views on tuition.

Hartz was elected last March. He took office in May. It's now February 2003, nearly a year after he was elected, and he's just now saying what he thinks about tuition?

Granted, Hartz shouldn't have been expected to release an exact dollar amount last semester, or even last month. But Hartz and his lobbyists should have been vocal months ago about their general stance on tuition, and not waited until two weeks before the Arizona Board of Regents tuition-setting process to comment on the matter.

This stalling is part of a bigger issue — a huge lack of leadership in our student government.

The lobbyists prepared a press release last week, but it gathered dust as Hartz interviewed in Washington, D.C. for graduate school.

Now, he's entitled to go interviewing, but couldn't someone have let the student body out of the dark?

This stalling is evidence of a bigger problem ÷ a tremendous lack of leadership in our student government.

But why should Hartz's constituents suddenly start expecting strong leadership now? After all, Hartz wasn't forthcoming during his bid for president; even back then he dodged the questions and skirted both sides.

Pitted against rugby brat Aaron Black, whose big issue was misters at the student union food court, there was no question Hartz would snag the seat.

Hartz is intelligent, well spoken and good-natured. Although he may have devoted a great deal of time and effort to the tuition debate, it was all behind tightly closed doors.

Students should demand candid leaders who are confident in their decisions and embrace open government. But Hartz has not exemplified any of these qualities on the issue of tuition, and instead, has sprung on students a proposal that is even more unfair and illogical than President Pete Likins'.

His lack of candid leadership on tuition ÷ the single biggest issue the student body president deals with all year ÷ has been a miserable disappointment. Hartz will graduate in May, but students will be left to pay more and get less.

Editorials are determined by the Wildcat opinions board and are written by one of its members. They are Daniel Scarpinato, Jessica Lee, Jose Ceja, Jennifer Duffy, Brett Fera, Erik Flesch, Caitlin Hall, Jessica Suarez and Kendrick Wilson.