[182] in UA Senate
Re: 41UAS2.3: Bill to Authorize the Treasurer to Reallocate Money
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alex Dehnert)
Tue Oct 20 17:50:45 2009
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:50:09 -0400
From: Alex Dehnert <adehnert@MIT.EDU>
To: Paul Youchak <youchakp@mit.edu>
CC: Sammi Wyman <swyman@mit.edu>, Alexandra Jordan <amjordan@mit.edu>,
UA Senate <ua-senate@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <4ADE2A34.5020900@mit.edu>
Paul Youchak wrote:
> To statement 2.
>
> This happens anyways, money doesn't get spent and the budget is not
> always accurate to what occurs. Furthermore, any changes will need to
> be accounted for in FinBoard's budget for the next semester. FinBoard
> will not be spending more than what they were allocated in for the
> current semester, they simply will be able to allocate more in the next
> semester (which we will be able to see on their budget).
Uh... Finboard sort of will be... However, the allocations proposal as
presented to Senate should be able to include the allocations max they
were working under (ie, after reallocation).
Remember that Fall budget includes the amount that Finboard provides
recommendations for spending in the Spring semester.
>
> Question, does the budget get updated throughout the semester? At the
> end do we publish what we actually spent?
Not historically, to my knowledge. I intend to provide an
end-of-semester report, and possibly updates during the semester.
~~Alex
>
> Paul
>
> Sammi Wyman wrote:
>> 1. Alex (jordan), that's not true- senate must be informed, but they
>> don't need to approve it. Do you mean that they should have approval?
>>
>> 2. I think we SHOULD be changing the budget if this reallocation is
>> happening. I don't like the idea of having a published budget with
>> different amounts in it than have been spent. If the budget says
>> FinBoard can allocate 100,000 dollars, they shouldn't allocate more
>> than that. If we move this unused money to a FinBoard allocation
>> pool, it needs to be a change in the budget. I know that these changes
>> aren't really sneaky or malicious but it seems wrong to do something
>> different than what the budget says.
>>
>>
>> On Oct 20, 2009, at 12:14 PM, Alexandra Jordan wrote:
>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
