Dear Editor,

I believe it is my duty and obligation to provide information pertinent to the impeachment and removal of Vice President for Public Relations Andy Hixson.

I spend many hours in the SGA office working for the students of this university. Though I am neither paid nor mandated by the SGA constitution to post and serve office hours, I take pride in making myself available to the officers and senators of SGA as well as the student body.

Due to this, I consider myself to be knowledgeable of activities in the SGA office.

Since late October of 2003, I have noticed Mr. Hixson’s lack of involvement in both serving his office hours and fulfilling his duties. I brought this to the attention of the other members of the Executive Board.

Executive Vice President Eric Fegan stated that Andy was his friend and that he should be given the opportunity to correct his actions.

At the time, I believed this too. As the fall semester came to a close, I saw less of Mr. Hixson in the SGA office and more neglect of his duties.

At the start of the spring 2004 semester, I took it upon myself to record Mr. Hixson’s office hours.

According to the SGA constitution, officers are to post and serve 10 office hours a week. Mr. Hixson has averaged less than one office hour this semester.

Hixson has also failed to attend Executive Board meetings, which should constitute instant removal if attendance policies of the SGA Senate were followed in Executive Board meetings.

Some Hixson supporters have claimed that these allegations are unwarranted. They believe that SGA President Chris Pace and Executive Vice President Eric Fegan have conspired to discredit Hixson because of his recent actions against student empowerment legislation.

No such conspiracy exists except in the minds of Hixson and his supporters. I know first hand that both Pace and Fegan post and serve their office hours and I respect that they demand the same of all officers.

No matter what spin Mr. Hixson puts on it, it doesn’t put him in the office. I am totally disgusted that he has been cashing checks from student funds for hours he has not worked!

I was unaware of Mr. Hixson’s candidacy until after reading the online article about his pending impeachment. Hixson’s views on the proposed SGA constitutional amendments were never considered in the charges against him nor am I, personally, against him speaking out against the amendments. His opinions, though not in league with my own, are needed to offer an additional and diverse voice in SGA.

I have considered Andy Hixson a friend of mine since I became involved in the College Republicans in 2002.

I believe that Andy would never intentionally try to hurt anyone, but I believe he is abusing the office he was elected to serve and stealing money from the students of NKU by not making himself available to students.

Michael D. Tobergta Sophomore, political science