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A dollar too much

Students cannot solve MSA's BPC crisis

While the Michigan Student Assembly and its Budget Priorities Committee face financial shortage this year -- the committee is expected to run out of money before all student groups get a chance to ask for financial support -- they have taken steps to attempt to prevent a similar predicament next year. On Tuesday night, BPC Chair Matt Curin proposed that students decide how to solve the problem. He suggested MSA add a proposal to the ballot in this March's election that would raise student tuition fees by $1. The proposal, amended to 50 cents, designates the money to BPC. Asking students for a larger allocation for next year would be one matter. Begging students to bail MSA out of its hole is wholly unacceptable.

BPC holds seven hearings throughout the year to determine how much money to allocate to various student groups. The committee already has held five, but it is expected to run out of money before the last two hearings are conducted later this year. BPC gave away too much money too early.

Before Tuesday night's meeting, BPC members met to decide whether to introduce the ballot proposal. Two-thirds of the committee voted against the idea, but Curin brought it before the entire assembly anyway. And after the assembly rejected it, Curin vowed to bring it up again. Currently, he is working to collect 1,000 student signatures, which would put the proposal on the ballot in this winter's MSA elections.

Now that the entire assembly has rejected the proposal, Curin should give up his crusade to get it on the ballot -- both BPC's and MSA's rejection indicate that members have little confidence in the proposal.

Students should not be forced to sacrifice because of BPC's lack of foresight . Not only is this proposal unfair to students -- it's arrogant. As School of Public Policy Rep. John Roman said, "This body is unbelievably self-serving." Even if the money were "earmarked" for BPC, there is no guarantee it would go to the committee. Furthermore, more money will not guarantee that BPC will budget better in the future. Its credibility is damaged; students will not trust a committee that has betrayed them. Instead, the entire proposal appears to be a political ploy that various MSA members have concocted in order to cover their tracks, especially with the looming election season.

Like other organizations going through financial difficulty, MSA must make internal budget changes. Each committee is currently reviewing its budget in an attempt to contribute to the BPC -- this is a good way to repair a broken trust. If other committees can give BPC money this year, it will demonstrate to students that they are willing to make sacrifices, and not simply pose the choice to the students. Plus, this budget reevaluation might reveal that MSA's funds could be better budgeted in the future, without asking students to contribute further.