Spring Break
Student Union rejects proposed budget
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 2/12/08
Posted online at 4:13 AM EST on 2/12/08
/ Last updated at 10:48 AM EST on 2/12/08
The Union Senate rejected a fourth proposal for the Student Union's government operations budget last Sunday, as the Senate, Treasurer and Executive Board remained in a deadlock over many aspects of its composition.
After three hours of debate, the Senate was unable to reach an agreement. It passed a $2,000 resolution to ensure the continuing function of essential government services and tabled the discussion of the budget until the next meeting.
"I've never seen such trouble getting a budget passed," Student Union Vice President Alex Braver '09 said.
The Senate discussed a first and second version of the budget at the Feb. 3 Senate Meeting and had agreed to table discussion on it to address a number of disagreements between senators, as well as the Senate and the executive board.
Student Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 proposed a third budget last Sunday (see table.) The plan accounted for $700 and $1,000 in funding for the update of the course evaluation guide and the Novus guide for first-year students. Ha said at the meeting that that funding for the Novus guide would cover a new online version of the publication instead of a print version. A number of senators stated that they would support ceasing the publication of the Novus entirely.
In the third proposal, the Senate received a total of $12,862.23 compared to the $12,526.23 and $14,876.23 it was alloted in the first two budgets.
"I really think the budget is good as it is, and I don't know how I'm going to change that budget around anymore," Ha said. Because of the continuing resolution, "technically the government is shut down right now," he added. As of now, he said, he did not foresee any changes being made to his proposal.
Ha said that he formed the new budget because he realized that he had forgotten to account for funds for the course evaluation guide and the Novus guide.
Last week's tabling of the decision provided him with the opportunity to rethink the budget and allowed him to institute a necessary reform he had been thinking about for some time, he said.
After three hours of debate, the Senate was unable to reach an agreement. It passed a $2,000 resolution to ensure the continuing function of essential government services and tabled the discussion of the budget until the next meeting.
"I've never seen such trouble getting a budget passed," Student Union Vice President Alex Braver '09 said.
The Senate discussed a first and second version of the budget at the Feb. 3 Senate Meeting and had agreed to table discussion on it to address a number of disagreements between senators, as well as the Senate and the executive board.
Student Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha '08 proposed a third budget last Sunday (see table.) The plan accounted for $700 and $1,000 in funding for the update of the course evaluation guide and the Novus guide for first-year students. Ha said at the meeting that that funding for the Novus guide would cover a new online version of the publication instead of a print version. A number of senators stated that they would support ceasing the publication of the Novus entirely.
In the third proposal, the Senate received a total of $12,862.23 compared to the $12,526.23 and $14,876.23 it was alloted in the first two budgets.
"I really think the budget is good as it is, and I don't know how I'm going to change that budget around anymore," Ha said. Because of the continuing resolution, "technically the government is shut down right now," he added. As of now, he said, he did not foresee any changes being made to his proposal.
Ha said that he formed the new budget because he realized that he had forgotten to account for funds for the course evaluation guide and the Novus guide.
Last week's tabling of the decision provided him with the opportunity to rethink the budget and allowed him to institute a necessary reform he had been thinking about for some time, he said.
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