Driskell also fears that it will be difficult to get a referendum ready for the students to vote on less than two months from now, particularly since not much has changed on the issue since last December's vote. A referendum, she feels, needs to be vigorously sold to the student body as absolutely necessary.

"I haven't heard a strong enough case for it," she says.

Barkley, who puts the chances of seeing a referendum this year at 50-50, is leery of another defeat.

"It's more likely to meet opposition this year than last year," he says, arguing that students who oppose a term bill increase might mount a more organized campaign this year.

Last year, all the presidential candidates favored the increase. This year, Barkley says, it would not be surprising to see a candidate from outside the council run on an anti-term bill increase platform.

And there's also the ever-present question of the council's credibility.

"We don't want to put this on the ballot every year until it passes," Barkley says.

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