THE MEETING
ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz’s proposal to charge students to keep Lane Transit District buses running to campus stirred the most debate at Wednesday’s ASUO Senate meeting. Before the contentiousness erupted, the meeting had been intermittently heated, especially when it came to tensions leftover from Dotters-Katz’s proposal last week to lower the student incidental fee, which would reduce the over-realized fund from a projected $2.4 million to as low as $25,000.
THE TENSIONS
Dotters-Katz made his LTD proposal more than three hours into the meeting to an already tense Senate. The executive’s earlier funding request and a debate over a proposed increase in the committee treasurer’s stipend sparked bitter debate, leaving many members of the body frustrated. He presented the proposal in a speech, which appeared to dissolve many of those tensions but was met with cautious optimism from much of the Senate.
The proposal would create an additional $25 fee on student bills to cover the cost of a new shuttle to and from campus, reminiscent of Oregon State University’s Beaver Bus, and other transportation services such as a new bike rental program. The fee would be distinct from the incidental one charged by the ASUO and would be administered by an independent committee composed mostly of University staff.
Dotters-Katz said the proposal is beneficial to students, who wouldn’t lose bus service to campus, University administrators, who would have a more stable model for funding the bus, and LTD officials, who would work with more experienced people at the University.
“Thank you for being creative on this, Sam,” said Sen. Sanford Weintraub, summing up the mood of many of his colleagues.
At the moment, the proposal exists only in the form of an 82-page document by Dotters-Katz and ASUO Vice President Johnny Delashaw. Sen. Nick Gower offered to personally scan and post the proposal on the ASUO web site. The Senate made plans to draft a formal resolution in its favor.
Before this strong show of unity between Senate and executive, however, the meeting intensified as Dotters-Katz disagreed with several senators about the funding of a farmer’s market. He asked for $895 of Senate surplus funds to cover the costs of the market, heightening the tensions lingering from the last meeting, when Dotters-Katz proposed to reduce the incidental fee.
“Why was it not requested from the over-realized fund before you destroyed the over-realized fund?” Weintraub asked.
Many in the body were also angry that Dotters-Katz requested money when the executive had its own funds.
“We’ve already given them enough money,” said Senate Treasurer Nathan Perley.
Despite strong support from a few senators, the motion was denied.
Many senators were also upset with Perley’s idea to increase the stipend for next year’s treasurer by $50. Several senators were skeptical about how much extra work the treasurer is required to do under ASUO operating documents. They were concerned the money to increase the stipend was not in the proper place, and moving it would fall afoul of the ASUO Constitution Court.
THE DECISIONS
The ASUO passed surplus requests from the Student Bar Association, Students for Choice and the Jewish Student Union. The body interviewed an appointee for the ASUO Elections Board and defeated the executive’s request for surplus funding of the farmer’s market. They also passed a resolution in favor of recreating the University wrestling team.
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LTD proposal sparks debate in Senate
Daily Emerald
November 6, 2008
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