• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

A committee is subsidiary to a legislative body, not independent of it. Legislative bodies retain jurisdiction over the proceedings of a committee, not vice versa. Adam Pearlman, the rookie facilities commissioner, was wrong when he voted against the proposed increases in groups’ budgets Tuesday on the basis that the budget proceedings went too fast and Council’s role in the budget should be one of mostly oversight only.

At the end of last quarter, students voted to increase student fees so Undergraduate Students Association Council offices and student groups who received drastic cuts in funding last year still had enough resources to function.

The Budget Review Committee and the Finance Committee set a cap at how much money will be available for new groups: a cap which Council doubled from $2,000 to $4,000. Justin Levi, BRC chairman, protested, saying it set a bad precedent. What bad precedent? Levi’s committee will still get to decide which groups don’t get money and which do – and how much of it they get.

All voting councilmembers should be thoroughly informed about agenda items before they come to Council meeting so they can be prepared to tackle issues which require attention in a short time period quickly. Furthermore, elected council members should have more of a say in budget matters than non-elected committee chairs, rather than just functioning as rubber stamp.

USAC has given groups a large financial opportunity to do good for the campus; hopefully they will not disappoint.