The Oregon Commentator was hit with an 11 percent budget decrease at the Programs Finance Committee meeting last Thursday night.
Despite The Commentator’s plea to get funding to produce more color issues, the PFC chastised the group for not spending its entire budget last year.
Ian Spencer, last year’s editor, and ASUO Controller Will Richard testified that the group could have ordered extra copies of the final issue last year and spent the last of their money, but chose not to because they considered the move wasteful.
PFC Sen. Micah Kosasa said he was comfortable with the ASUO Executive recommendation for a decrease.
“I understand the value of having color copies,” he said. “Maybe you’ll have to have less issues, I don’t know.”
The Commentator has a fundraising account with about $4,000 in it that the PFC said the publication could dip into to pay for color editions.
“The long-term goal is so the Oregon Commentator can become independent from the PFC,” current publisher Andy Dolberg said of the fundraising account.
PFC Chairman Oscar Guerra said The Commentator is currently a program and is expected to spend its funds like a program.
“We expect you to use your fundraising for programming,” Guerra said.
Only one PFC member, Annie Blomberg, voted against the cut, supporting The Commentator.
“I think their goal of printing in color is commendable,” she said. “To some extent, I think 11 percent is too much. I think publications like this are essential to campus.”
Student Sen. Jonathan Rosenberg also supported The Commentator saying it was essential to balance news coverage with the Emerald.
The Commentator ended up with a budget of $14,512, a $1,864 decrease.
The PFC also heard from other groups, including the Student Senate, the Student Insurgent, the PFC, the Public Relations Society Student Association and the Survival Center.
Sen. Kyle McKenzie represented Senate at the PFC. The Senate received a $328 decrease (1.17 percent) because it had failed to spend line items for administration, outreach and food. The Senate has a budget of $27,724, most of which goes to student pay and stipends.
The Student Insurgent spent 99 percent of its budget, but did not fundraise enough to qualify for an increase in anything except printing costs. The publication’s budget is $20,385, which represents a .44 percent or $89 increase. The PFC voted to level fund itself for next year. The PFC budget is $8,799, most of which goes to stipends.
The PRSSA asked for a large increase but was grilled by PFC members about a surplus from last year. The group had spent all of its funds, but a delay in the time the account was charged by Campus Copy caused some of the funds to rollover.
ASUO Controller Kevin Teel said the group would have qualified for a 5 percent increase if it had not been for the $77 rollover.
PFC member Matt Rose said as he motioned to level fund the group, “It seems like it’s one of those freak situations that is out of a group’s control.”
The PRSSA’s final budget was $740, the same as last year.
The PFC also haggled with the Survival Center over a line item to fund a community garden plot and some money which rolled over from last year.
“There’s some big dollar amounts that weren’t spent,” said Sen. Kosasa.
ASUO Controller Carie Henderson said the size of the Survival Center’s budget explained the amount of rollover.
“There’s going to be some change,” Henderson said. “They are being really fiscally responsible.”
The Survival Center was granted a .03 percent or $6 increase. Their final budget was $18,477.
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