1988_12 The Daily Collegian December 1988

              Pl|e2        Thuraday. December 1, 1988
■TheDr^Ccdeotan
-Opinion
ASI should remember student body
Editorial
Jim Ireland, bound to a wheclcriair, stood up
for^the student body at Tuesday's Associated
Students, Inc. meeting and now he may have
to pay for it
The ASI, shrouded in secrecy behind the
closed doors of the ASI office, calmly discus¬
sed spending $1,000 of student money for
legal research last Tuesday. Whether or not the
student body agreed with the expenditure was
not known because the discussion was secret.
But to Ireland, student knowledge of how
and why their money is being spent was of
vital impctrtance. "We're here for the students,"
he argued before the majority of the senate vot¬
ed to close the meeting to public access..
Here, for Ireland, a man of high personal
ethics, a dilemma formed. Was he morally
bound to keep secret what the majority of the
senate wished to keep secret, or he did he be¬
lieve in lhe student body's right to know and
judge how their money was being spent.
Ireland chose the latter and informed a Col¬
legian reporter of the secret discussions, en¬
suring that justice to the student body would
be done.
It was a tough choice to make and the pos¬
sibility of retribution has already raised its ug¬
ly head. "I'm aghast, disgusted and disgraced
by his behavior and will seek his dismissal,"
said ASI president Scott Vick. Vick later said
he would have to reflect on the situation be¬
fore he came to a final decision.
There can be no disputing it, Ireland violated
a code of ethics. When he stayed in the meet¬
ing he was morally bound to respect the
wishes of the senate majority.
But what about ethical duty to the student
body Ireland serves? They have an imperative
right to judge for themselves the causes their
money will fight. Government bodies, such as
the ASI, cannot and must not secretly allocate
public funds. Such action leads to abuse and at
the very least lends itself to the suspicious ap-,,
pearance of abuse. It is also contrary to the
spirit of the opeli meeting law. The open meet¬
ing law does have its exceptions, but the ASI
must not use their right to these exceptions to
step on the rights of the student body.
The public's right to know and judge how
public officers spend their money supersedes
the ethical obligation to keep a closed-door
meeting secret. Realizing this, Ireland answer¬
ed the higher ethical call despite the personal
risks.
Ireland has done his duty for the student
body and now the student body needs to do'
their duty for him. Vick and the senate do not
have the legal right to censor anyone, retro¬
actively or otrterwise.
Attend the next senate meeting. Support the
senator who supports you.
Reader
Response
to the Dotty Ccaegian Is welcome. Plouc
send letters of sosssrl lhan 250 ssorda I
The Oaty CaBagtan. Kails Campus
Building. CaOUbrnU Slate University.
FremnD.Trcwso. CA. 93740-0042. Letter.
must be .tgned and have the author',
name, address and phone number.
Fantasies revealed as reality
To the Editor.
In response lo the letter to ihe editor
in Nov. 29lh's Daily Collegian. J feel
I should reveal some of the reality thai
is considered fantasy by Mr. Pace.
Apparently, last semester the Alli¬
ance for Gay Education had some trou¬
ble getting budgeted by the Associated
Siudenis and were given advice by a
senator to not proceed further in the
budget hearings and wail until this
year to obtain funds from the unalloca¬
ted surplus.
According to lhe A.G.E., ihey ex¬
pected alternative sources-of funding
and did not attempt to allocate funds
from the unallccalcd surplus. Well,
those sources did not come ihrough or
simply ran dry. This is the reason
given ihe senate for applying unalloca¬
ted funds so late in lhe semester.
Now, suddenly the A.G.E. applies
lo the Finance and Budget Committee
for funds ihey need in part for a
function that would lake place in two
or three weeks (lhe Thanksgiving holi¬
day included in thai lime. I am not a
member of lhc F and B commiucc
who for whatever reason did not recom¬
mend lhe allocation of the amount
requested).
So the A.G£. comes before ihe sen¬
ate on Nov. 22 and there is a question
as io the viability of lhc organization
itself. As a result, lhe senate post¬
poned the matter fora week io investi¬
gate the problem in question.
Al the Nov. 29 meeting of lhe sen-
ale, the A.G.E. sent a spokesperson
whom I personally respected for her
organization, professionalism and pa¬
tience. The A.GJE. request for funds al
ihis point did not even allow enough
lime for the Associated Students to dis¬
tribute those funds to ihem for their
upcoming event on Friday, Dec. 2.
The A.GJ3. really wanted the senate.io
avoid the normal procedures' (even '
though other organizations are subject
to those procedures) so thai they could
get iheir money from us in time for
lhe upcoming event. The debate on
Nov. 29 even tua lly ended with Ihe find¬
ing that A.G.E. had still not submit¬
ted all ihc proper paperwork lo lhe
ASI.
Now even though the A.G.E.' has
been partly al fault in obstructing
many of the foremenlioned procedures,
their president, Mr. Pace, has the gall
to denounce lhe senate in a nasty letter
10 the editor. Mr. Pace actually threat¬
ened the senate with sending ACLU lo
politically "work us over." I quote.
"Are we going to have to call Big Dad¬
dy ACLU on you again? Didn't like
being sent lo your room without your
supper did you? dm your ego down to
size didn't they? One phone call from
the ACLU and you're on your knees."
Let me tell you somclhing. Mr. Pace,
if you think you can intimidate us
into giving you money, you're dead
wrong! You have not only guaranteed
my vote against you in lhe matter, but
you have .brought my opposition.io
your cause to ihe bitter endlL'Lwoufd
highly recommend that lhe A.S.I, not
give your organization a slinking
dime!!! Even if you do gel your act to¬
gether and follow* ihe- correct pro¬
cedures.
I've said my piece,
Brian P. Godden
Senator. School of Natural
Sciences
P.S. You havcn'i heard lhe last'pt
mc yet ' M
—;—- ^r
Applications are now being accepted
for the Spring 'JB9 Editor in Chief
positions of the Daily Collegian, Hye
Sharzhoom, Uhuru, and La Voz.
Ap p lie at ions are available in the ASI
office, CU 312. Tlie deadline is
Monday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m.
BLOOM COUNTY
by Bgrfce Bi^authcd
theDaily Collegian
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