The student government’s executive branch on Thursday vetoed the budget for OSPIRG because it created a new staff position that spends University students’ money to recruit and create chapters on other campuses, ASUO President Adam Walsh said.
The stage is set for a debate Monday between the ASUO Executive and OSPIRG during the group’s hearing with the student government’s Programs Finance Committee, a group that allocates incidental fees to student groups.
President Walsh said Friday that if the PFC grants OSPIRG’s budget request he will veto the entire budget for all 140 student-funded groups and programs.
The Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group received $120,074 in student incidental fees last year for student activism and political campaigning. Each University student pays
$191 per term into student incidental fees, which are used to pay for sports tickets, bus passes and student groups and programs.
OSPIRG was defunded four years ago when the PFC found that it was indirectly using student funds to open a new chapter on the Oregon State University campus. The PFC said then that OSPIRG’s spending wasn’t benefiting University students at all.
Funds from the OSPIRG chapters around the state are pooled, and a statewide board decides the budget and how to redistribute the funds to the individual groups.
Walsh wrote in a veto memo to the PFC Thursday that “OSPIRG has no control over where the funds go.” Walsh also wrote that the proposed new campus field organizer position already approved by the PFC represents an attack on the incidental fee because its primary responsibility is to recruit support for campaigns from other campuses.
OSPIRG Organization Director Sara Grimes said Thursday “we respect the opinion of the Executive, but it is an opinion.”
“The service that OSPIRG provides is real-world political experience in off-campus forums,” Grimes said. “Everything we do is off campus.”
The position would both interact with and benefit University students, Grimes said. To be effective and give political successes to University student members, the campaigns need to be statewide, she said.
“People don’t see that we get back all of the money,” OSPIRG board member and University student Martini Morris said. “We do have control of our funds. PFC did vote for us the first round; I’m hoping they will remember why.”
“We’re targeted every year,” OSPIRG member Megan DeBates said.
If the PFC passes OSPIRG’s budget, it will be added to the budget for all student groups and sent to the Student Senate for approval. Both Walsh and the PFC agree that the senate will probably pass the budget, after which Walsh has the option to veto again, sending it back to the PFC.
“If he’s pretty set on something, he’s pretty set,” PFC Chair Jared Axelrod said of Walsh.
Axelrod said that several programs operate off campus, such as the Oregon Daily Emerald distributing papers off campus, and there are groups that send membership dues to national organizations, such as Amnesty International.
The PFC has six voting members, with PFC chairman Axelrod voting only in case of a tie. Members Richard Malena and Kristen Kato both said Friday that they support OSPIRG. PFC Member Jacob Daniels voted against the budget earlier, and he said Friday “I don’t see enough benefits for students.” PFC member Erica Anderson, a key vote for the opponents of the position, will be absent on Monday.
So the budget is hinging on PFC members Scott Lu and Adam Turcott. Lu said on Friday he was undecided, but during the PFC meeting Thursday, Lu said “the campus field organizer position is necessary to bring back victories to students here.”
Turcott, who was absent during OSPIRG’s original hearing, said Friday that he “could go either way.”