Student Congress wasted session discussing executive branch spending
To the Editor:
In regard to Student Congress Resolution 690508, the Congress, which has continually strived to be a relevant and credible institution on this campus, no longer has any credibility as a governing body. It is tragic because so many of our representatives in Student Congress continually strive to enhance the body. But, like in any legislative body there are a number of executive branch members who manufacture false accusations for their own political gain.
The Congress wasted almost an entire session debating whether they would "Condemn" or "Disapprove" of Discretionary spending by the executive branch. Basically, the legislative branch used a session to say they disagreed with the executive branch. Later, one of the executive branch members called for a vote of no confidence in the Student Congress Chair, a supporter of UOSA President Alex Yaffe.
Obviously, disagreement is not allowed if you are the chair or a friend of the person being publicly slandered for absolutely no legitimate reason, or based on any university or Student Congress mandated rule. Currently, there are no prescribed rules on how the executive spends the money, hence the word discretionary. Congress should have used the session to pass such rules if they were so outraged. Instead, the session seemed like more of a witch-hunt than a meeting of a legislative body. It also demonstrated the lack of substantive legislation in our Student Congress and the pervasiveness of shameful politics.
-- Cliff Johns
political science senior
Resolution serves as way to clean up the current UOSA spending guidelines
To the editor:
In response to yesterday's Our View, "Student Congress Resolution 690508 is bad politics," I'd like to express my opinion as the author of that resolution, which was approved by Congress. Those of us involved decided to press this issue based on a duty we feel to students. Upon finding out that the entire balance of a contingency fund was used by the Executive Branch on questionable items, we felt a moral obligation to express disapproval of the abuse of student's money. This office spent over five times what each of the previous two offices spent in the same time period.
It was obvious to us that an inherent risk with this issue is being accused of in-fighting, yet we took that risk because the issue needed to be addressed.
Though this may look like an internal issue, waste of the student activity fee is a matter of concern for every student at OU. If looking out for the students' money and voicing their opinion is bad politics, then I am a bad politician. It shouldn't be necessary to continually write more new rules every time a loophole is found. At some point, it's our duty to stop using new rules to chase those abusing the system and state
This is wrong. We did just that Tuesday night and work has already begun on changing spending guidelines to prevent further waste. I'm pleased with Student Congress' ability to seek ways to make the university what the students want.
-- Tim Roberts
marketing and finance junior
The Daily failed in its coverage of coverage of Resolution 690508
To the Editor,
If anything, UOSA is to be congratulated for bringing the misappropriations of our Student Congress executives to the attention of students and the press. The Daily must not have thought such mishandling to be newsworthy, but as my tuition and student fees increase, I like to know that my money is bettering my education -- not buying to politicians new palm pilots.
UOSA President Alex Yaffe and Vice President Mary Millben may have been within the rules, but that doesn't put them beyond reproach. Now that Congress was brave enough to expose this, hopefully a meaningful debate will take place on how to change the spending rules, if any change is to take place. Were it not for this controversy, the rules would stay the same without debate.
I think this says something about the effectiveness of the journalists on this campus when it takes legislative action to bring this to students' attention.
--Justin Watson
zoology junior
hello there & you too