Senate
says ‘no’ to student lobbying
group
By
Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Assistant City Editor
Associated Students Inc. President Jamie Pollock vetoed a change to the ASI
budget approved by the Senate, and the Senate subsequently overturned her veto
at Wednesday’s meeting by a two-thirds vote.
Last week, the Senate approved reallocating the voluntary membership fee to
California State Student Association (CSSA), $27,085, to other line items,
such as student scholarships.
CSSA is the main interest group for California State University students, and
is recognized in the California Education Code as the voice of CSU students.
The group advocates students’ issues such as lower textbook prices and
university fees.
With the Senate’s reallocation of the membership fees, Cal State Long
Beach forfeited its seats and automatic vote on the CSSA Board of Directors.
Pollock, who is one of two CSULB representatives in CSSA, vetoed the resolution
Friday, forcing the Senate to either overturn her veto by a two-thirds vote
or sustain it and remain a member of CSSA.
Both students and ASI members attended Wednesday’s meeting to voice their
opinions before the Senate voted.
ASI Treasurer Zaira Tinoco called the CSSA membership fee a “huge waste
of money,” and urged the Senate to overrule Pollock’s veto.
“
We have been on the inside [of CSSA], for so long and nothing has changed,” Tinoco
said, calling the lobbying group ineffective.
“
I think money talks. Giving them the financial incentive to make change is
going to really speed things up.”
Noelle Kinley, a graduate student in religious studies, thinks shifting funds
from CSSA membership to scholarships is a “noble idea,” although
the amount of money given to each student would be somewhat insignificant,
she said. Scholarships are generally $500 to $1,000.
“
I really feel that it benefits the CSU student to be a part of [CSSA],” Kinley
said. “If we don’t have that ability to vote, we give up power
[to hold them accountable].”
The Senate had proposed starting a CSULB interest group, budgeted at about
$10,000; however, with so many different political and religious interests
on campus, “how are we going to decide what we’re lobbying for?” Kinley
asked the senate.
Proponents for withdrawing from CSSA also argued while membership fees are
based on student population, each university has equal representation on the
board no matter its size.
CSU Channel Islands pays a fraction of CSULB’s fees, less than $1,000,
according to Frank Oliver, a black studies student.
“
I ain’t no math major, but I mean come on are you serious,” Oliver
told the senators. “Over $20,000, and I haven’t seen nothing help
me out. Student groups are suffering, this campus is suffering. It’s
not looking like it used to be. It’s dead.”
Ben Mendez, a comparative world literature and Chicano and Latino studies double-major,
sees value in CSSA. For him, withdrawing membership dues undermines the unified
voice CSSA tries to represent.
“
You can’t judge a failure by the times a government turns a deaf ear
to what you say,” Mendez argued to the senate regarding CSSA’s
lobbying efforts. “You can’t gauge my failure by turning a deaf
ear to me.”
CSULB’s withdrawal from the board was enough to bring both the Executive
Director of CSSA Susana Gonzalez and Cal State Fullerton ASI President and
CSSA member Mona Mohammadi to argue the lobbying group’s virtues.
“
This is bigger than just paying dues to CSSA,” Gonzalez said. “I
think as student leaders we have a huge responsibility to represent those voices
that cannot make it to come to the meetings or cannot afford to run for office.”
CSSA membership is automatic for all CSU students, regardless of any student
organization voluntarily paying for membership, according to CSSA’s constitution.
In the end, Sen. Justin Toderoff, College of Health and Human Services, summed
up the majority of arguments presented by the public and the Senate when he
asked, “What has CSSA done for us?”
Following the public voicing its opinions, the senators had their turn to debate
points on whether or not to uphold Pollock’s veto.
As nearly all senators said, voting to uphold their withdrawal of CSSA membership
did not reflect their feelings about the organization.
Rather it was a choice of what was worth more: a $27,085 membership in the
major CSU student lobbying group or increased scholarship money that directly
benefits CSULB students.
“
They will represent all 400,000 [CSU] students with or without our funding,” said
Sen.-at-large Sandra Olmedo.
After further debate among the senators, mostly highlighting the arguments
presented by the public, the body took a roll-call
style vote.
Two-thirds, or 14 of the 20 senators present, had to vote in favor of overruling
Pollock’s veto of last week’s resolution.
ASI President-elect Shefali Mistry was the final and ultimately deciding vote
on whether Pollock’s veto would be upheld.
She voted for overturning the veto. During debate she said withdrawing funding
from CSSA “may not be the best way to propose change, but it’s
a way.”
CSULB will not pay its $27,085 membership to CSSA next year.
“
I think those that voted against [the veto] don’t know or understand
what CSSA does,” Pollock said. “I think they’re going to
regret it.”
“
I’m raging pissed off,” she later said.
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