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Students approve budgets
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by Peter Sielski
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The Student Services Finance Committee approved budget proposals for University Health Services and Memorial Union Monday.
During Monday's meeting, the committee also heard a budget proposal from the Associated Students of Madison.
However, since the three budgets draw from "non-allocable" student fees — instead of "allocable" ones — SSFC can only suggest budget changes to Chancellor John Wiley. The committee has no direct control over the outcome.
"With allocable budgets, we have specific amendment power," SSFC representative David Lapidus said in a phone interview. "With general budgets, like the MultiCultural Student Coalition, we can make specific changes."
Lapidus also said the budgets then move on to Chancellor John Wiley, who holds veto power over the committee's recommendations.
Wiley can choose to take the students' advice or ignore it before eventually forwarding the budgets to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
"He only honors [the recommendations] about 60 percent of the time," Lapidus said.
One key recommendation the committee made Monday was to add enough funding to both the UHS and Memorial Union budget proposals to comply with the living-wage amendment passed by UW students last fall.
"We have to recommend that the auxiliary budgets pay [salaries that] the people who wrote [the amendment] consider a living wage to student employees." Frey said.
However, Lapidus said he does not agree with the "living wage" being included in the budgets.
"I'm personally against living wage, and I do believe in our democratic institution," Lapidus said. "I recommended that we take it into account because we kind of have to."
Without a family to support, Lapidus said current wages already compensate student employees adequately.
"There were some things I could have made an issue of," Lapidus said. "I do think — especially with Rec Sports, the Union and UHS — many things could be privatized. But it's not worth bringing up at this point in the budget process; it wouldn't be productive."
SSFC also discussed the renegotiation of the free Madison Metro bus passes for students. Due to its bargaining situation, Frey said the committee chose to discuss the issue in closed session.
Lapidus said the closed meeting is a unique situation where SSFC can discuss certain issues privately.
"I see it as perfectly legal and appropriate considering it's a delicate money issue," Lapidus said. "If you give up that info you can give up your bargaining position."
When dealing with personal issues, contract negotiations or legal questions, the SSFC holds the right to close its doors, Frey said.
ASM representative Ben Hakke added if any person in the public were able to attend the session, it would hurt the process.
"If there is not a lot leaking of information, we can retain our bargaining position," Hakke said. "It's for the students' best interest."
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 4:30am):
Even though I think Lapidus is full of crap, he's about 100000x smarter than most of our current ASM/local officials.
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 9:46am):
This is amazing what SSFC has done! I'm sure Wiley will strike the budget for the living wages. What do you, SSFC members, plan to do when he says no?
Anonymous (February 20, 2007 @ 11:46am):
do not take away our bus passes - people have already signed leases way off campus and that extra 50.00 per month for the bus pass would add up. Also, bus passes allow students to volunteer away from downtown without cars...
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