The ASUO Programs Finance Committee took away some of the funds it promised student groups earlier this year, but those present while the PFC re-examined their budgets said they understood why the cuts were made.
The Singapore Students Association walked away from Tuesday’s budget hearings with $777 less than it thought it was going to get for next year, but director Lindsay Goh said she could see why the PFC cut where it did.
Last year, the SSA spent nearly $500 less than it had budgeted, money that in turn rolled over into the general surplus. It has also shown little activity in its budget so far this year.
“Their cuts were pretty severe, [but] it seemed pretty reasonable in consideration of the rollover,” Goh said.
Another budget reconsidered Tuesday was the Asian Pacific American Student Union’s. The PFC cut the group’s earlier budget by $170.
APASU Co-director Phuc Nguyen asked whether the PFC was reconsidering because the committee had allotted more money overall for next year than it had originally intended.
Mary Elizabeth Madden, PFC chairwoman, said that was not the case because action now would not make any difference. She said someone noticed a problem with the group’s budget after it was passed, so it needed to be discussed further.
Nguyen said later that the PFC’s cuts were legitimate.
One budget that was cut considerably was that of the Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The PFC wrangled for some time to find a decrease that would be just less than 25 percent, which is the largest decrease allowed without a unanimous vote.
The PFC eventually cut $300 from SETA’s budget — a 24 percent decrease.
Records of SETA’s past spending showed “really, really poor utilization” of the group’s funds, PFC member Aaron Weck said.
Lawrence Gillespie, another PFC member, said a lot of the problem lay in illegal transfers from of one part of the group’s account into its fundraising accounts.