samedi 1 septembre 2012

Opt-out guide




Dear Concordians,

This is a guide to help you opt-out some fees that you may not want to pay.  You will be surprised to know where your money to pay for your students’ association goes.  This guide is meant for undergraduates, which are members of the Concordia Student Union (CSU).  A similar guide for graduate students, which are members of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) is under preparation.

Health & Dental Plan
If your one of your parents has a health care insurance, have a discussion about your coverage.  If you are a full-time student under the age of 25, you are covered by your parents’ health care insurance.  If one of your parents is an employee of a government or a large corporation, you should seriously consider opting-out of this health care insurance because their insurance usually offers more than this plan.  It is a supplement to your parents’ health care insurance or the Régie de l’assurance-maladie du Québec (RAMQ) plan, which means you must claim to the other insurance before this one.  If you are an international student, you cannot opt-out of your health care insurance and I would not recommend doing so if you could.
When to opt-out: The deadline to opt-out for the year 2012-2013 is September 17th.
Where to opt-out: Go to www.ihaveaplan.ca . Choose the CSU, which is the second-to-last one.  On the right side of your screen, you will see a green bar.  Under the “coverage” section, click on “Opt-out”.  After the article, you will see “Opt-out now” button.  Follow the instructions on your screen.
How much you save: $189,22 for the year 2012-2013

Frigo Vert
The “Frigo Vert” is a cooperative that sells organic and vegetarian food, including so called “fair trade” coffee.  They are self-described “anti-capitalists” and describe Canada as “a nation born of colonialism, patriarchy and white-supremacy”.
When to opt-out: September 17th to September 21st for the fall semester and January 21st to January 25th for the winter semester
Where to opt-out: Go at the Frigo Vert (2130 Mackay Street, between Sherbrooke and Maisonneuve). Bring your Concordia I.D. and your student account record stating that your tuition is paid
How much you save: $0,25 per credit, which is $7,50 for the year (based on a 30 credit course load)

2110 Center for Gender Advocacy
The center is an organisation that fights “gender oppression” of women, gays, lesbians, transsexuals, queer people, intersex people, bisexuals, low income people and people with disabilities.  If you are under one of these situations and seek the help of a social worker or a psychologist, please note that the Concordia Health Services Center offer such services.  The 2110 Center for Gender Advocacy is a left-wing political organisation.
When to opt-out: October 1st to October 13th for the fall semester and February 1st to February 14th for the winter semester
Where to opt-out: Go to 2110 Mackay Street (between Sherbrooke and Maisonneuve) with Concordia I.D. and proof of payment for the current semester
How much you save: $0,29 per credit, which is $8,70 for the year (based on a 30 credit course-load)

People’s Potato
People’s Potato offers vegetarian meal to students.  Do not forget your Tupperware if you want to get their meals!
When to opt-out: September 18th to October 2nd for the fall semester and January 21st to February 4th for the winter semester
Where to opt-out: Go to People’s Potato Office (7th floor of the Hall Building) with Concordia I.D. and proof of payment for the current semester
How much you save: $0,25 per credit, which is $7,50 for a year (based on a 30 credit course-load)

QPIRG (Quebec Public Interest Research Group)
Under its serious title, QPIRG Concordia is a friend of extreme-left radical groups, such as the Convergeance des luttes anti-capitalistes (CLAC), which Camille Robert (the new CLASSE spokesperson) is from.  With your money, they fund anarchists and communists.  If you are not an anarchist or a communist, this group has no interest for you.  They are the ones who helped shutdown Concordia University on March 22nd
When to opt-out: This was definitely the most complicated one to figure out.  The op-out week is from September 18th to September 25th. For the winter semester, the opt-out week is January 21st to January 28th
Where to opt-out: Go to 1500 De Maisonneuve West, suite 204 (Corner of Maisonneuve and Mackay) with Concordia I.D. and proof of payment for the current semester
How much you save: $0,30 per credit, which is $9 for a year (based on a 30 credit course-load).  As a taxpayer, you can save your share of the thousands of dollars they cost us by their annual anti-police protest and other similar events.

Sustainable Concordia Project
The Sustainable Concordia Project is a group made to promote man-made global warming, art projects and “green” behaviours. 
When to opt-out: September 18th to October 17th for the fall semester and January 21st to February 20th for the winter semester
Where to opt-out: Go to 2090 Mackay Street, suite 204 (Between Sherbrooke and Maisonneuve) with your Concordia I.D. and proof of payment for the current semester.
How much you save: $0,05 per credit or $1,50 per year (based on a 30 credit course-load).

If you opt-out of everything mentioned above, you will save $223,42!  Because we believe in economical freedom, what you do with your money is your choice. 
If you are a fashionista, you can have a nice pair of shoes from Michael Kors.
If you love fancy dates and fancy gastronomy, you can dine at the Europea or Toqué.
If you are a tech-savy person, you can have a Netbook.
As you can see, you have so many options!

Have a nice day!
Vicky Rodgers
VP Finance at Conservative Concordia

Let's introduce ourselves!

Hello Concordia!

We are Conservative Concordia, a student club regrouping members of the Conservative Party of Canada.

If you love the ideas of small government and low taxes, the Conservative Party is your political home! Here are our values:
  • Limited, constitutional government.
  • Free markets and free enterprise, private ownership and personal responsibility.
  • Equality before the law and a justice system that holds everyone equally accountable, that punishes criminal offenders and that protects the law-abiding.
  • Foreign policy that advances and supports freedom and democracy around the world.
  • Responsible, fact-based stewardship of the environment.
  • Intrinsic value of all human life.
  • Institutions of marriage and the family as the essential building blocks of a free, prosperous and democratic society.

What do we do in our spare time? Informing students about their right to opt-out of some organisations they automatically fund, working to get our ideas getting into policies, having some pubnights and watching James Moore's favorite movie (Braveheart)!

As a Conservative Concordia member, you will get the opportunity to network with many Conservatives from around the country, including fellow students!  If you enjoy classy events in business suits, you might meet ministers, senators and Members of Parliament in an event!

If this sounds as awesome for you as it is for us, join our club!

Want more information? Stay tuned for future announcements or contact us directly at conservativeconu@gmail.com

Want to meet us in person? Come at the Concordia Club Fair on September 12 from 9:30 AM to 6 PM!