On Tuesday The Spectrum's editorial board met with Student Association representatives to discuss the upcoming referendum on the mandatory student fee. Next week students will go to the polls to decide on three separate issues: whether to make the mandatory fee voluntary; whether to allow for a $10 increase on the current $69.75 fee; and whether to continue allocating $1 per student to The Spectrum. After a lot of discussion and analysis, we have decided to support the increase, which would maintain current service levels provided by SA.
The first question on the ballot, separate from the issue of the increase, is whether to continue the fee's mandatory status. This vote occurs every four years, per SUNY guidelines, and has never been a significant point of contention in the past. SA, through the mandatory fee, provides the students with a variety of worthwhile services. Club funding, free concerts, movies and events are just the most visible sources of SA's work. They also partially fund Sub-Board, which in turn provides for the student health center, pharmacy and medical insurance. Without a mandatory fee SA would almost certainly cease to exist and these services would mostly disappear. The Spectrum supports keeping the fee mandatory.
The more controversial question on the ballot is that of the proposed $10 increase. The budget for SA has remained at the same level since 2000. As is the nature of business, SA's costs have risen, and with a fixed budget SA was financially constrained. SA provided figures to indicate that, for example, their insurance costs rose 96 percent in the last four years. The $10 fee increase has been determined by the SA executives to be the lowest amount necessary to maintain current service levels, with a minimal additional amount included to explore new programs.
In part, we are supportive of the increase because it is not frivolous. It will not flood SA with excess funds that they could spend wildly. The extra funds will mostly be used to maintain current levels of service, which have been scaled back and made more reasonable after the over-spending of last year.
SA has made significant efforts to tighten their belts instead of passing the buck to the students. The E-board's stipends were reduced, and staff development costs were cut. In addition, outside advertising will for the first time appear in the SA publications Reach and Visions, certain SA-sponsored events will now charge admission, and SA is working to get corporate sponsorship for major events like Fall Fest. This shows SA is making responsible efforts to follow a reasonable budget.
As far as where the money will go, the E-board does not have the final say. Allocations will be debated in the SA Senate. However, the E-board has released their recommendations, which the Senate will probably strongly consider. Of the approximately $300,000 more in funding SA will receive with the increase, SA proposes that 45 percent go to entertainment, 35 percent to clubs and 20 percent to SA office costs such as staff salaries and budgets.
Students have a choice not only on this ballot but afterward. If the increase passes, an open Senate meeting will be held where students can voice their opinions on where funding should go. A blank check should not be given to SA, however - if you vote 'yes' on the increase, it automatically becomes your responsibility to follow how the money is spent. Go to Senate meetings, talk to representatives, or even run for office.
While a $10 hike at first seems like a lot, SA maintains that without this increase now, next semester services will be subject to across the board cuts. Therefore it is imperative that the increase passes at this time to avoid any delay in funding.
The Spectrum feels that a higher fee is necessary to continue SA programs uninterrupted. SA should be commended for making an effort to eliminate peripheral budget drains. It is a sign that this increase is necessary.
Students must turn out to the polls on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week to decide this question for themselves. Of all of the fee increases that students have been subject to this year, this is the only one for which students have the power to vote on.
