ASG funding sees increased scrutiny

Student body president candidate Tom Jensen’s plan to take money away from the UNC system’s student governing body faces criticism from fellow candidates and other student leaders.

The $1 fee each UNC-system student gives to the Association of Student Governments totals about $170,000 — money Jensen said is wasted. UNC-CH’s share is about $26,000.

“Across the board, the money is squandered,” Jensen said. “The $1 we’re spending on the ASG, we could get more out of it if we used it to buy a Coke.”

Much of the money pays stipends for ASG officials. The association has about $63,500 budgeted toward wages and salaries for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

It’s not just system officeholders who suck money from student organizations, Jensen said. The University’s elected student officials wouldn’t get paid under his watch either.

Jensen’s controversial proposals come after recent tension between student government at UNC-CH and its umbrella organization.

Student Body President Matt Calabria and his predecessor, Matt Tepper, each expressed major concerns about ASG spending.

But some ASG members have charged the last two student administrations with a lack of involvement, said Matt Liles, a UNC-CH senior and ASG vice president for legislative affairs.

“Calabria came in with reservations, and since then we’ve revamped the situation to a working relationship instead of an adversarial one,” he said.

“We’ve worked quite a bit to heal the rift.”

Liles said withdrawal of University funding would be detrimental to the ASG’s ability to advocate for Chapel Hill’s interests.

“The ASG gives us a lot,” he said. “The $1 we save would be lost many times over in tuition increases.”

Some have questioned the chances of making the change, but Jensen said a referendum vote on the issue would probably garner 70 percent to 80 percent of student support. Such a statement would force the University’s Board of Trustees and the UNC-system Board of Governors to heed the voice of the student body.

“With our tuition going up and up and up, I’m sure students want as little money wasted as possible,” Jensen said.

His opponents agree that the funds are misspent, but they believe UNC-CH leadership could encourage fiscal restraint.

SBP candidate Seth Dearmin said that the flagship university has a responsibility to other campuses and that abandoning the ASG would set a bad example.

“Cutting and running is not the best option,” he said.

Candidate Seke Ballard said he thinks UNC-CH is a powerful institution with the ability to influence where ASG funds go.

He compared the relationship to that of the United States and the United Nations, saying that the University should reallocate the funds instead of removing them altogether.

“I think it’s hypocritical asking the ASG to work (in UNC-CH’s interest) with the budget that UNC (wouldn’t be) a part of,” he said.

Dearmin and Ballard both want to use much of the association’s funds for lobbying, encouraging legislators to act on behalf of students.

Leigha Blackwell, who also is running for SBP, said she too supports looking critically at ASG spending.

“I agree with (Jensen) … that it’s time for a re-evaluation of where the money is going,” she said.

“I’m sure the ASG could have a more effective use of the funds given.”

Jensen said it’s doubtful such a use exists. He claims that the ASG’s performance hasn’t improved since the fees were first gathered during the 2002-03 school year.

“The ASG has failed to accomplish anything for UNC in the past three years.”

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