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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1983)
opinion On the IFC The Incidental Fee Committee is in the process of their annual budget hearings to decide the fate of next year’s ASUO programs. The Incidental Fee Committee is also in the middle of a series of resignations and management turmoil. Friday Bart Hill resigned as chairer; he will remain as a member on the committee. Today, Rick Braun resigned from the committee. This leaves six members without a leader to determine funding for more than 80 student groups. Hill’s resignation is a statement on the problems that fraught the IFC — some personnel and other structural. To outline the structure: The Incidental Fee Committee is in charge of the more than $2 million that students pay each year as fees. The members are elected each year by the student body. They are responsible for reviewing and deter mining the budget for various student groups, including the EMU and the Athletic Department. Incidental fees were set up to be spent on “activities that develop physical or cultural aspects of student life,” ac cording to written IFC guidelines. The committee determines allocations after receiving budget recommendations from the ASUO president (who submits an entire balanced budget) and from recommenda tions by individual IFC members or "tag persons” based on their knowledge of each group. With more than $2 million of the students’ money and the responsiblility for most of the EMU, the athletic depart ment, student government and entertainment of the student body, the IFC needs to be a representative and well organized group. Though it appears that most members of the IFC have worked hard to fulfill their duties, the group is racked by in ternal conflicts. The seven members are elected by the 10 percent of the student body that vote. This translates to a committee of special interest representatives — not necessarily a bad thing if they keep in mind that ASUO programs are for the “associated" student body. However, this does not seem to be what is happening. The group has split into two groups: Greeks and Students for a Progressive Agenda (SPA). Rick Braun, endorsed by the Greek-law student ticket, finally stepped down after surviving a vote to dismiss him. According to Hill, Braun had not kept office hours or fulfilled his duties for the last three weeks. Personnel problems have kept the group from working together — a necessary thing for compromise votes. With the growth of the number of groups sponsored and the size of the budget, the committee also has become over extended. Braun’s resignation, though good for the cohesion of the committee, puts that much more burden on the remain ing six members. The hearings, restarted today, will be under the temporary direction of Betzy Fry and won’t include member Jeff Nudelman who is on vacation. ASUO Pres. C.J. Balfe and the Student University Affairs Board need to quickly replace Braun for a smooth transition for the committee and the ability of the group to vote for a new chairer (contingent upon having seven members). If the number of funded student groups continues to grow (four new groups this year), the IFC should increase its size to nine members. Some members have suggested this themselves. A larger committee would decrease the power of individual members, lessen the workload and Increase the representativeness of the group. To further increase the stability of the group, the com mittee should look into the feasibility of a professional auditor or independent financial whiz to draw up a balanced budget. This would decrease their dependence on the ASUO recommendations and increase their diversity of opinion. Last, but not least, the IFC, needs to adhere to their original intention of funding groups that are "physical,” such as the EMU building, and "cultural,” such as University theatre. These organizations aid the most students. r Oregon daily m . emerald Tha Oregon Daily fm«nid is publishad Monday through Friday nucapf during <*»*m «mIi and vacations by fh« Dragon Daily E mar aid Publishing Co at tha Uoivarstty at Dragon Sugana OB 97403 Tha E mar aid oparatas mdapandaniiy of «ha univatsrty with officas on tha third floor of tha Erb Mamonat Union and » a mamtoar of tha Aasooatad Brass Nasvt and Cdnorlai SMSS11 Display Adaartflwg and Buabiasa 9M-3713 MuAftwi 4ailisw litl• i«a« lafW^WWaWWa WWWWBWJ JrBs si Production MMMI CtresdaHoo Will! Editor Managing Editor Nows Editor Assistant Nows Editor Editorial Paga Editor Photo Editor Sports Editoi Associate Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Higher Education departments and Schools Studant Government Features Pontic* Politics 'Education Reporter denar si Matt Advertising Manager Classified Advertising Production Manager Controller Harry Esteve John Meaty Marian Green Cort Fernatd Joan Nytand Bob Balter Mike Riplmger Paul Oenrer Jonathan Siegte Cort Fernatd Sandy Johnstone Frank Shaw Richard Burr Sean Meyers Michele Matassa A lets Zak Oariene Gore Sally Oljar Victoria Koch Jean Ownbey ln.01 m out insurance OMM? the 6oop a' us, of a.( of course - m po you ask ?' Deserving I must respond to a letter to the editor published in the Feb. 1 Emerald. The group that submitted the letter is ob viously misinformed and deserves a rebuttal. The letter first states the the Emerald employs a "mostly non-student administration.” The Emerald Board of Direc tors hires all department heads. These positions are open to the entire community. However, the editor's position must be filled by a student. Regarding employees, I work for the Emerald, and I'm a student. Over 80 percent of the Emerald's staff are students. I believe that fact can maintain our campus-orientated definition. I encourage any member of the group that submitted this letter to apply for one of the administrative positions that is occupied by a non-student (the positions are open to students). After you find the amount of time that the posi tion requires, I believe that you will discover the reason that they are filled primarily by non students. Secondly, the letter states that the Emerald overprints 2,000 issues daily. I think that just about any student on cam pus can testify that the only places you can find Emeralds after about two o’clock in the afternoon is on the floor in various restrooms and classrooms about campus. Let me add that your cries shout advertising rate in creases are those of a spoiled brat. All sanctioned ASUO and EMU organizations are entitl ed to a blanket advertising rate that is lower than the rates the Emerald offers its most con sistent commercial advertisers. Next, the Emerald's budget was cut from $92,000 to $80,000 this year. That’s an 11.6 percent hack. Two organizations that cosigned this letter were the ASUO, MECHa and the Asian American Student Union. These two organizations received only 3.4 and 1.4 per cent budget slashes respectively. We’re in this recession together; so let's share some discomfort. Vinca Brown senior, Journalism, English Resigned An open letter to C.J. Balfe Last week the Constitution Committee of the ASUO ruled Bart Hill's attempt to remove me from the Incidental Fee Committee was illegal. The Constitution Committee directed the Incidental Fee Committee to follow its own procedure for removal of a member. Mr. Hill convened the IFC and moved the committee to remove me. The committee declined to do so. At this writing I am a full member of the Incidental Fee Committee. However, it is my understanding that the deci sion of the IFC and the Con stitution Committee aside, you intend to reopen this en tire affair personally by in stituting yet another appeal to the Constitution Committee to remove me from office. Although I am flattered that the President of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon is witling to devote this much time to me, I must decline your invitation. I talked to Bart Hill a couple of days after the IFC vote and we agreed that fences could be mended and that I would continue to serve. But I can't serve very effectively with a president who says. “If I could do something about Braun I would." You might slam a car door on my hand. I resign my position on the IFC effective immediately. I resign confident that you will not choose as my replacement a foreign student, graduate student, a minority student, a handicapped student, or a woman. I have been wrong before, but you are a pretty predictable fellow. Prove me wrong C.J.. Act in good faith. Rick Braun Column I love your new column. It’s different; it's new; it’s printed often, and it contains hard cold facts — I hope. Your “correction column" underscores the need for your reporters to pay attention to what is going on. Aside from completely destroying your credibility as a newspaper that reports accurately, they are giving you a bad name. Dava Lund Junior, education letters policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing fair comment on topics of interest to the University Community Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned into the Emerald Office The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or content. "Your turn" is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by members of the University community. "Your turn" columns must be limited to 500 words and typed This editorial will not be edited by the staff, but selection will be based on appro priateness Letters to the editor and 'Your turn" columns should be turned into the Emerald office, Suite 300 EMU Unsigned editorials apearing in the Eemrald are based upon the majority opinion of the editorial board
