[179] in UA Senate
Re: 41UAS2.3: Bill to Authorize the Treasurer to Reallocate Money to Student Groups
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alexandra Jordan)
Tue Oct 20 12:14:19 2009
Cc: UA Senate <ua-senate@mit.edu>
From: Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@MIT.EDU>
To: Alex Dehnert <adehnert@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <4ADD5F5A.6010706@mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:14:11 -0400
I sort of already addressed this with Paul's comments earlier, but my
MAIN CONCERN is that Senate approved a budget intending that SPECIFIC
PROJECTS be completed. If the committee and Chair no longer see those
projects as viable or worthwhile, then Senate should BE INFORMED in a
formal manner, in which discussion takes place. With the current bill,
the Chair and Treasurer could change the planned impact of the
committee without ever informing Senate. That is why I don't think the
Chair and Treasurer should be able to change line items without at
least presenting the changes to Senate, if no seeking the approval of
Senate.
Alex
On Oct 20, 2009, at 2:57 AM, Alex Dehnert wrote:
> Alexandra Jordan wrote:
>> Hi Senators.
>> I would like to submit two points for you to consider before we
>> discuss this bill at the next meeting:
>> 1. Approving this bill would allow Committee Chairs and the
>> Treasurer to completely eliminate certain line items from the
>> budget. If the Senate approves $800 to Committee A for a project,
>> then that means Senate has placed value in this project and expects
>> it to at least be attempted, if not completed. I believe that this
>> possibility, of eliminating line items for entire projects, is
>> distinct from simply transferring over excess funds from completed
>> projects. I do not think that two people should be able to change
>> the budget in this way without the approval of Senate.
>
> In my opinion, if the committee chair doesn't intend to complete the
> project, then they probably won't --- forcing them to hold on to the
> money seems unlikely to change anything. Between that and the
> explicitness with which overruling is now allowed, I don't really
> think any action is needed here.
>
> ~~Alex
__________________________________
Alexandra Jordan
MIT 2011
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science
Political Science
amjordan@mit.edu
916.813.7740
