Budget blunders

By Emily Nash, On-line Forty-Niner

April 27,1998

A.S.I. Senate may have to dip into reserve funds

 

 

In order for the Associated Students Inc. to balance its budget it may have to take $27,000 out of a special reserve account, according to Senate discussions last week.

 

The account, which contains 41 years of savings of $200,000, is intended to use for emergencies, so the A.S.I. will not have to go to outside resources such as bank loans for help, according to Richard Haller, director of administrative services.

 

"We are living beyond our means," A.S.I. President Naomi Rodriguez said. "We need to eliminate a service or increase a fee. The last time we had a fee increase it was in 1991 for $2.50," Rodriguez said.

 

According to Haller, using money from reserves for expenses the A.S.I. will have to pay again next year could mean a bigger problem down the road.

 

"Every time a Senate has tried to go into reserves I've fought it," Haller said.

 

Originally A.S.I. was going to take $37,000 from reserve, but according to A.S.I. Treasurer Noemi Hernandez the Senate will now require college councils to give back any requested money it didn't use at the end of the year. This will reduce the amount that was to be taken from reserves.

 

"If the councils don't use it they should give it to other colleges who need it," Haller said.

 

According to the Hernandez, nobody who requested A.S.I. funds will receive exactly the amount requested.

 

Student Christy Peckham, who is on Cal State Long Beach's water ski team, asked the senate to reconsider funding the insurance for the team's Master Craft ski boat, which is owned by CSULB.

 

"On the application [to request A.S.I. funds] I was told to list the insurance under 'facilities rental,' " Peckham said. However, the A.S.I. does not fund any off-campus facility rentals, according to a report by the Board of Control, a subsidiary of the A.S.I.

 

"We probably won't be able to come up with the $1,500 insurance fee," Peckham said. "If that happens we could lose the boat and equipment maintenance."

 

A.S.I. Vice-President Davian Freeman said he would research the legalities a little more.

 

Johanna Johnson, who runs a drug and alcohol abuse prevention organization at CSULB, requested $900 from the A.S.I. for a stress prevention festival held during finals week. The Board of Control recommended giving only $360.

 

"According to our surveys the Stress Festival reached over 300 students last year," Johnson said. "The program total costs $2,320 to run. Students are already asking us about the program."

 

The senate will continue to take recommendations until next week, Freeman said.

 

"We will discuss and review recommendations next week and try to pass the budget," Freeman explained. "We need 14 votes from the senators to pass the budget. It is really important that all the senators be here."

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