In today's economy, I understand the criticism of government spending. What I do not understand are outrageous fact errors and misconceptions of Student Government at UF that were displayed in Monday's column.
First off, all of these numbers are rounded and are for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
SG has a $4.8 million dollar budget, not $16.7 million. The $16.7 million referred to is the Activity and Service Fee Budget, which is split three ways between the operations for the Reitz Union at $6.2 million, RecSports at $5.7 million, and lastly SG. SG's portion of the Activity and Service Fee Budget is $4.8 million. Each student pays $3.93 a credit hour or $117.90 based on a 30-credit-hour year for SG, not $436.50 (as claimed by both Monday's column and the Students Party Guest Column).
Again, these next numbers are rounded. SG's budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year can be broken down between $1.6 million for the organizational budget (including academic organizations, graduate student council, new student organizations and special events), about $1 million for Accent Speakers' Bureau and Student Government Productions, about $500,000 for Student Legal Services, about $500,000 for miscellaneous services (free bike repair, free printing, the Housing Fair, CPA ticket subsidy, readership programs, welcome assemblies, Museum Nights, etc.) and the rest for staff salaries and IT that help us manage the entire operation.
As far as the SG "perks" mentioned, none of them come from students' money. Students do not pay for SG officials' BlackBerrys.
Also, a Hungry Howie's pizza for a student organization is the same for a regular person: $5. There are codes and regulations against frivolous spending (both state law and SG statutes found in the 800 codes) so organizations can't wastefully spend their money.
Organizations are not guaranteed to lose their budgeted money if they don't spend it. All registered student organizations already have access to meeting rooms; SG does not hinder this. All of this is public, so please fact check before making assumptions.
After correcting these factual errors, I would love to write a thesis on the benefits and services SG provides for students and how it reaches out to tens of thousands of students every day and how graduate students actually get more funding proportionally than undergrads. However, you can check the SG website for more information or come by the third floor of the Reitz Union and meet some SG officials.
I encourage all students to stop and talk to us when we table and hold public forums or ask us anything by email or through our office hours. We would love to hear your thoughts and explain exactly how SG works and how students benefit from SG. But first, I want you to focus on two things:
First, SG at UF is completely student-run. Talk to students from the University of Georgia, the University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State University or just about anyone else across the nation, and they will tell you they are fed up because their respective administrations control their activity fees and take any leftover money.
UF students have complete control over SG reserves and where our money should be allocated. We should be thrilled we are all Gators because we have the most say out of any Student Body and are by far the most influential within our campus. This is a student-centered campus, and I say that proudly.
Lastly, I encourage you to use your voice and vote in SG elections today. Your vote allows you to have direct say over where SG money should be allocated. Polls are open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Be proud, be smart and opinionated, but most of all, be factually correct.
Thank you, and Go Gators!
TJ Villamil
Student Body Treasurer and Proud Gator
