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SSFC approves ASM budget
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by Matthew Dolbey
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
The Student Services Finance Committee approved $656,822 for the Associated Students of Madison’s internal budget at its Monday night meeting. SSFC approved the budget in a relatively quick meeting lasting not quite two and a half hours after about 50 minutes of open forum.
Debate on the ASM budget began concerning the proposed10 liaisons for different groups representing people of specific sexual orientation or ethnicity. One of the main aspects of the liaison position is to attend and have a voice within ASM, but not to vote. ASM’s budget originally proposed six liaisons, with a stipend of $3,579 each, representing minority students, LGBT students, women, female minority students, LGBT minority students and disabled students, who ASM feels are traditionally underrepresented. The proposed liaisons were just “incarnations of the words” to create the 10 new positions, according to SSFC member Peter McCabe.
The amendment providing these new positions, surprisingly passed at last Wednesday’s meeting, was introduced to show the point that some liaisons could be considered unnecessary and could snowball into more obscure liaisons in the future, according to some SSFC members.
“When we create these positions, what doors are we opening?” McCabe, usually known for his fiscal conservatism, said.
The 10 additional liaisons were unanimously withdrawn from the budget, and a motion to remove every one of the original proposed liaisons except for disabled students was struck down as well.
ASM currently uses $567,256 for its budget for the 2003-‘04 fiscal year but budgeted $661,000 for the 2002-‘03 fiscal year. Last year’s reduction of nearly $100,000 came from what student council vice-chair Sharon Lee called help from the Dean of Students office; she stressed, however, that the Dean’s office could only offer the money and services for one year.
During open forum, six individuals spoke on behalf of keeping the original six liaisons while asking to axe the 10 additional ones. Multiple council members spoke on why the 10 were introduced or why they did not vote on the issue Wednesday.
SSFC delayed the decision for the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program until next Monday’s meeting. Three people spoke on behalf of the program in open forum, with two women bringing their babies. The program offers assistance to families for childcare based on various factors.
Some speakers emphasized the importance of this program due to legislation put into effect by Gov. Doyle that lessens the assistance previously available for parents with bachelor’s degrees.
“You can never go wrong with funding the childcare,” one speaker said, adding she found childcare more expensive than rent in Madison.
SSFC also approved reallocation of funds to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council and the WSUM student radio station. CALS moved money from its student-wages line item to program supplies to pay for a leadership-building event.
WSUM moved money to pay for equipment upgrades and shelves to house compact discs. WSUM general manager Dave Black said it was just a reprioritizing of line items. Neither CALS nor WSUM’s budget received any additional student dollars.
