NEWS
SSFC makes slight changes to budgets
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Also by Andrew Hurley:
- SSFC passes radio station's budget with no modifications (October 26, 2004)
- No changes made to 2 budgets (October 15, 2004)
- SSFC makes slight changes to budgets (October 1, 2004)
- Diversity focus of forum (September 28, 2004)
- UWPD: No increased security for game (September 24, 2004)
Related Stories:
- SSFC hears MEChA, CALS budgets (November 8, 2005)
- MCSC wait for decision by SSFC (September 28, 2004)
- SSFC gives MEChA and ALPs the amount they asked for (October 14, 2003)
- SSFC approves amended budgets (October 16, 2003)
- SSFC hears MCSC proposal (November 4, 2005)
by Andrew Hurley
Friday, October 1, 2004
The Student Service Finance Committee met Thursday night and approved the 2005-2006 budgets for the Adventure Learning Program (ALPS) and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA).
After more than two hours of open forum, mostly discussing concerns from Multi-Cultural Student Coalition (MCSC) representatives and supporters, SSFC quickly approved the ALPS budget after a clerical error was amended by $37.52 in salary, bringing their total annual budget to $113,294. The decision was unanimous at 13-0.
“The ALPS students presented a strong presentation and the committee listened to our concerns,” Steve Crosby, ALPS advisor, said. “I was happy with the outcome.”
The committee justified the salary increases and included a wage exemption in the budget, which will allow ALPS employees to work more than 20 hours a week, an extenuating circumstance, because most of the group’s work is largely seasonal.
Quickly following the ALPS budget approval was the approval of the new MEChA budget, which was set at $48,846. Their budget was cut $120 because of a mathematical error in the travel budget.
The most widely debated and amended issue of the evening was the MCSC budget, following the active open forum. Most representatives felt very strongly about the issue, and felt any cuts in the budget would severely negatively affect their organization.
“It’s the relationships I’ve made on campus that makes me want to come back, and the MCSC has helped a lot with that,” said MCSC member Lauren Woods.
The committee and MCSC representatives respectively volleyed arguments back and forth.
“You’re seeing the numbers, not the faces, not the people,” Lorenzo Edwards, MCSC member, said.
The MCSC proposed a $482,322 budget, and into the wee hours of the morning it had been tentatively cut by $51,869 dollars, $14,000 of which consisted of salary expenses for summer employees.
MCSC listed salaries high on their list of things that should not be cut, and the committee tried to respect that even though similar amendments passed and failed and members tried to re-pass comparable cuts.
“Obviously salaries are a problem and a compromise needs to be made,” said ASM Finance Chair Barbara Kiernoziak.
The committee debated this particular issue at length, some members arguing 600 hours a week was more than sufficient for the organization.
SSFC amended travel expenses totaling $873.98, mostly because state law limits the amount organizations can spend on hotels in different states.
The committee re-amended an advertising budget issue from a previous meeting because of what one of the representatives in open forum mentioned.
The committee re-granted $1,053 for an advertisement in The Madison Times after dialogue between SSFC and MCSC members. MCSC representatives claim the periodical appeals to people of color more so than other local periodicals, and even though the advertisements in the Times cost twice as much as other local periodicals, the committee decided MCSC’s explicit choice of newspaper was a good reason to grant the organization the funding for the ad.
The committee debated the office supplies budget at length and in detail and passed an amendment to cut the budget by $3,747.48.
Debate went into the early hours of the morning and SSFC’s final budget decision for MCSC still had not been made as of press time, and no amendments are final until concluding approval of the entire budget.
Anonymous (October 1, 2004 @ 10:29am):
"You're seeing the numbers, not the faces, not the people," Lorenzo Edwards, MCSC member, said.
They're not supposed to consider faces and people - that's why viewpoint neutrality is in place. MCSC intimidates and race cards its way to power once again...
Anonymous (October 1, 2004 @ 12:44pm):
Mr. Edwards, we'll never know the faces of the people you've just priced out of an education. Congrats - you guys figured out how to steal even more hardware at the expense of hard-working students.
I don't know what turns me off more about MCSC - the holier than thou attitude or the crocodile tears.
Anonymous (October 1, 2004 @ 5:24pm):
Apply for your own funding in an equal amount. They will have a hard time turning you down, while claiming viewpoint neutrality.
Anonymous (October 3, 2004 @ 6:34pm):
The $50 a year that student government collects is not enough to price people out of a UW education, especially considering the way that the state legislature and governor have been treating the UW system over the last few years. Maybe instead of passing more corporate tax breaks, the state should be funding the UW system instead. THAT is the real issue at hand, but the campus right-wing is so intent on distracting us from this important matter that they get worked up over $50 a year which help fund the extra-ciricular activites that actually make our college experience worthwhile and truly enriching. It is very sad.
You should have been at the forum on tution hikes on Wednsday. I found it very informative, and now those of us who were at it now know what action needs to be taken to prevent another round of tuition hikes and funding cuts for the UW. Those constantly whining about SSFC and MCSC need to get their priorities straight.
Bill Anderson
