[74] in UA Discuss
Re: UA budgeting principles
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer))
Wed Oct 28 13:06:09 2009
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:20:39 -0400
From: "Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer)" <ua-treasurer@MIT.EDU>
To: "Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer)" <ua-treasurer@mit.edu>
CC: ua-senate@mit.edu, ua-discuss@mit.edu, ua-treasurer@mit.edu
In-Reply-To: <4AD5591C.4020402@mit.edu>
Hi again,
I wanted to follow up on this thread. Spring budgeting will be starting
up shortly --- committee chairs just received the budget request, and
then I'll assemble a budget in the next week or two.
A brief (and rather incomplete) summary of the thread so far:
* SBC: Contact Paul (ua-speaker@mit.edu) (and, ideally, me ---
ua-treasurer@mit.edu) if you'd like to be especially involved in the
spring budget
* PLUS was something the UA could get started and then hand off
* Focus on student groups: "there is a natural, institutional bias
toward spending the money ourselves" that should be counteracted
* On the other hand, do special projects like the produce market
benefit more people than a BBQ on Kresge or something does?
* Move fall budgeting back to the spring?
* Move elections to the spring?
* Food
* Collection jar for Senate food?
* 14% of budget?
* Necessary incentive for committees?
* (Some?) class councils don't do it
* A lot of variety on how much committees request --- look at
spending this semester and standardize?
* Class councils... exist. (Read that thread if you want more...)
I have semi-intentionally didn't include names in the above --- if you
want more details, I encourage you to find the original messages --- as
a bonus, you may see tidbits that your didn't remember.
Anyway... if any of those discussions are worth continuing, feel free. I
encourage you to change the subject line to reflect the subtopic you're
addressing, though.
If Senate wishes to provide me with direction, please due so at the next
(Nov 2) meeting, or at the latest the Nov 9 meeting. After that, it
becomes harder for me to make major changes while still being able to
provide a quality, well-reviewed budget to Senate well in advance of the
Nov 30 non-voting budget meeting.
~~Alex
Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer) wrote:
> A few of you have emailed me off-list. While that's great, I'm much more
> likely to take action if a consensus seems to be emerging on the list or
> a bill/resolution gets passed. When all I get are private emails, I
> can't as easily tell the difference between people being mostly one way
> because the other side is apathetic (and doesn't realize that their side
> is "losing"), or because Senate genuinely prefers that way.
>
> Thanks,
> Alex
>
> Alex Dehnert (UA Treasurer) wrote:
>> As several people have pointed out, the UA spends quite a bit of money
>> on events (about a third of last semester's budget) and focused
>> projects (like PLUS --- about a tenth of last semester's UA budget).
>> As Andrew Lukmann pointed out last week, committees are spending
>> almost twice as much in Fall 2009's budget as in Spring 2007's budget.
>>
>> Unfortunately, it is now a little bit late to make major changes to
>> the Fall 2009 budget. Last week's meeting was intended to allow that,
>> and we spent a great deal of time on it then. I also solicited
>> feedback late Friday night (or really Saturday morning), and didn't
>> receive any. Of course, you are well within your rights to amend the
>> budget at this point. (Though Athletics Weekend has already happened,
>> so I'd rather you didn't amend that...)
>>
>> However, the Spring 2010 budget has not begun being compiled. In
>> preparing the the Fall 2009 budget, I (and I believe committee chairs
>> and the Special Budgetary Committee) generally followed precedent as
>> to events and amounts.
>>
>> In some sense, there are (at least) two options for guiding principles
>> to take in producing the budget:
>> (1) Many of the UA-run events are more useful than the events and
>> programming (Finboard-funded) student groups would spend the money on
>> (2) Alternatively, that events and programs such as Athletics Weekend
>> or PLUS aren't worth taking the money away from those student groups
>>
>> We've recently been defaulting to the former guiding principle.
>> However, I would encourage the Senate to seriously consider which is
>> preferable and pass appropriate legislation indicating a preference.
>>
>> I would be *thrilled* to have such guidance, and would happily
>> incorporate it into next semester's budget. (I warn you, however, that
>> committee chairs will probably be asked to begin budgeting in about
>> two weeks.)
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Alex Dehnert
>> UA Treasurer
