The Associated Students of Madison has drawn no shortage of ire from this board in the past and will likely continue to do as much in the future. But the current session’s chronic inability to establish itself as even marginally relevant to the student body is a feat not seen in recent years.

ASM’s Coordinating Council, comprised of committee leadership and Chair Allie Gardner, has put together an internal budget dangerously out of touch with student interests and wasteful of student dollars. This is embodied clearly in a request for $100,000 for training from ASM alumni.

Proposed changes to the budget include: Gutting all but a dollar from a $75,000 commencement speaker fund, withdrawing a combined $40,000 sponsorship of the All Campus Party and Homecoming, slashing funds for the Textbook Swap – one of the few programs visible to students – and sinking $25,000 into travel and membership in the United States Student Association, an organization of dubious efficacy.

Perhaps one of the most face-palmingly frustrating items is the proposed “training from alumni.” Total training and orientation appropriations approved for the current session of ASM total $7,250. The Coordinating Council’s proposed budget maintains current funding for ASM’s various bodies, but tacks on the aforementioned alumni item to the tune of $100,000 – a 1,379 percent increase.

While more direction and guidance for ASM leadership would be more than welcome given the currently proposed budget, throwing $100,000 in student dollars at the problem is not going to fix it. ASM already pays 11 professional staff, over half of whom are dedicated to training and advising.

The students in ASM leadership positions ostensibly have an interest in improving this campus institution and the wider campus. To incentivize former campus leaders to perform a job they should already be doing is a disservice to University of Wisconsin students and those leaders with a vested interest in seeing student governments after them succeed.

It’s no secret political grudges and personal animosities arise between sessions of ASM. These differences must be put aside. Outgoing leaders instructing their predecessors in procedure and protocol is an effective and cost-free method to ensure stability from session to session. Training, or lack thereof, should not be defined or directed by perceived differences in leadership style.

If training by alumni is deemed truly necessary, ASM needs to ensure that those currently in leadership positions cannot use this generous allowance to facilitate cronyism from session to session between political allies or current members.

Student Council should take a critical look at their responsibility to students as they debate the Coordinating Council’s recommendations tonight, just as students should take a critical look at the priorities of those who represent them.