Machine politics unacceptable in USAC

Andrew Jones Jones is a third-year political
science student. E-mail him at ajones@media.ucla.edu. Click
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Machine politics” is a precise description of how Student
Empowerment! has run undergraduate student politics over the past
few years. Whoever takes power this year must end the abusive
spending of the $2.2 million in our mandatory student fees.

In a perfect world, our money would be distributed in an
equitable, impartial manner, providing maximum benefit to all
students. The reality is what some students have already noticed
““ the Student Empowerment! slate falls well short of this
goal.

The Student Empowerment! formula is very simple ““ form a
political slate for USAC composed of high-ranking officers from
ethnic organizations on campus. Each component organization ensures
a turnout from members of the group. In return for their electoral
support, the Student Empowerment! majority on council funnels back
tens of thousands of dollars for programming, contingency, base
budgets and office space.

Samahang Pilipino was represented on this year’s council
by general representative Theo Apostol. Next year, they could be
represented by IVP candidate, current Finance Committee chairman
and Samahang member, T.J. Cordero. Apostol’s membership on
the slate this year generated a financial reward of $11,530 for
Samahang, including $1,128.27 for retreats.

Samahang also received money for questionable honorariums. These
included $500 to Merrick Pascual, the former president of Samahang
Pilipino; $300 to Nicholas Nyemah, a UCLA graduate and member of
the Society of Black Engineers; $143 to Richard Bis, a former USAC
Finance Committee chairman; $150 to former Samahang member Anton
Panelo; and $75 to Katherine Carrido, former Samahang member and
USAC Cultural Affairs commissioner. It’s troubling that
Samahang would have to pay their alumni to speak at group
events.

The Vietnamese Student Union has been another pivotal group in
deciding elections. Student Empowerment! rewarded VSU for their
unwavering support by allocating them $18,188.05 this year. By
comparison, the Disabled Student Union, another student advocacy
group, received only $560 in funding. VSU’S $2400 payroll
alone was more than DSU’s total budget. Moreover, VSU
received $8,727.38 for the VSU Culture Night, $1,061.61 for the VSU
Tet Festival, $241 for a “Hate Crimes” program, and
$340.99 for “storage.” The $2,400 in payroll is perhaps
an egregious example of wasted student fees ““ there is no
reason that any group should receive payroll money for their
members. But apparently, it isn’t enough that we students
pick up their bill to run all manners of hugely expensive cultural
nights ($9,788.99 for the two that VSU ran this year). VSU
illustrates the machine perfectly ““ it receives tens of
thousands of dollars to run programs, and in return, sends members
out to volunteer and vote for the Student Empowerment! slate. To
keep the group’s loyalty this year, Student Empowerment!
accepted VSU member Jenny Lam as a general representative
candidate. Lam may be a meek and uninspiring candidate, but her
importance is not her ideas, only the votes she’ll guarantee
for the slate.

However, Samahang and VSU were not the only student groups to
benefit. Members of MEChA were treated to plush retreats, with a
total bill of $1,549.23. MEChA’s programming was similarly
bloated: $832.13 in phone bills, a $352.43 van cost for a Feb. 17
retreat, and $664.68 to reimburse Fabian Renteria for lodging at a
Nov. 16 conference. As excessive as these costs may seem, they pale
in comparison to their Raza Youth Conference that cost $8,612.13,
including a $2,322 cost for printed programs purchased at The
Pulse.

This year’s MEChA representation on the Student
Empowerment! slate was general representative Cindy Mosqueda, who
previously served as Chicano studies coordinator for the group.
Should MEChA member Allende Palma Saracho win a general
representative spot this year, MEChA will continue to spend student
fees with merry abandon ““ as they did this year to the tune
of $20,804.32. With this much money at stake, you can be sure that
MEChA will be out in full force on behalf of the Student
Empowerment! slate.

The larger point to bring up about so much wanton spending is
that this year’s spending behavior is no different from every
year previous to Student Entrapment! (and its predecessors Praxis
and Students First!). The evidence is clear that there has been a
yearly chance for renewal by Student Empowerment! that has gone
untried. The only way to reform a corrupt system is to level it and
begin again with new ideas and new faces.

The competing SURE slate has pledged to form an equitable
funding system employing tiers based on clear, established
standards like membership, campus impact and program strength. Such
a plan is the fresh thinking this campus needs and deserves.

But whoever wins a USAC majority next year must be aware that
students are watching now. They will not tolerate the machine
politics of the past ““ reform and equitable funding
distribution is the only acceptable solution.

CORRECTION: “¢bull; The $2,322 spent by MEChA on student
programs that was mentioned in the column “Machine politics
unacceptable in USAC” (Viewpoint, April 29) did not come from
student fees. The money was awarded to MEChA in a grant.

Correction posted 5/3/2002

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