SA Senate Makes Senators Pay for Autographed Copies of Dean and Rove Biographies

March 25, 2010, Albany- At last night’s weekly Student Association Senate Meeting, Senators were in disagreement about Bill 0910-171. Said bill proposed that $1,040 be transferred from the Supplemental Allocation Budget (traditionally used as supplemental funding for Recognized Student Organizations) to pay for copies of the Dean and Rove biographies.

Dean and Rove will be taking part in a debate on April 8th in the SEFCU Arena for the second installment of the World Within Reach Speaker Series.

The amount of $1,040 was determined by multiplying the cost of Rove’s book by the number of Senators, assuming that not all senators would want to receive a book. Dean’s book is significantly less expensive.

SA Comptroller Steven Berkowitz argued, “Student Activity Fee money is not allowed to be used to buy gifts, and if they wanted to receive a book, they should buy them themselves or volunteer at the event like all other SA employees (who receive books).”

Autographed copies of the speaker’s biographies have been given to volunteers that work at the event, to compensate them for their time.

The bill passed with 16 votes, 2 abstentions and 7 nays.

Due to student backlash, Senate Chairman Paul McCarthy and President Joshua Sussman decided to use the funds from Appropriations to simply front the cost of the books, and Senators and Justices will pay for the cost of a book, should they want one.

Senate Chairman Paul McCarthy stated, “On behalf of the Student Association Senate, given the response of some Senators and the public, I have resolved that it is our duty to our constituents to ensure that all Student Association Senators and Justices, for whom the appropriation was made, should pay in full for the book materials. The line will be appropriated to purchase books so that they arrive on time, and then the line will be reimbursed upon Senators’ and Justices’ purchases.”

The bill also included provision to add a $200 stipend for a Senate Communication’s Aide, and a new equipment line for this position.

For more information about the World Within Reach Speaker Series, visit http://www.albany.edu/speakerseries.

Contact: Jessica Wah, Marketing and Outreach Director
jwah@uamail.albany.edu, (518)442‐5640