MARCH
      28,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      BUDGET
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      °
      16
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Faiz
      Ahmed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      the
      more
      exciting
      debates
      on
     
     
      Student
      Union
      Council
      —
      at
      least
      last
      year
     
     
      —
      was
      about
      our
      union’s
      working
      bud-
     
     
      get.
      Although
      I
      would
      agree
      with
      most
     
     
      people
      that
      the
      budget
      is
      hardly
      some-
     
     
      thing
      to
      get
      worked
      up
      over;
      I
      find
      what
     
     
      makes
      the
      budget
      issue
      interesting
      is
      not
     
     
      so
      much
      the
      document
      itself,
      but
      rather
     
     
      the
      reaction
      it
      evokes
      from
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      Council
      Executive
      (that
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      the
      SU
      President,
      Vice-President,
      VP
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Finance,
      and
      VP
      Activities),
      whenever
     
     
      questions
      of
      publicizing
      the
      working
     
     
      budget
      come
      up.
      I
      am
      referring
      here
      to
      3
     
     
      the
      borderline-condescending
      justifica-
     
     
      tions
      made
      by
      the
      Executive
      explaining
     
     
      why
      they
      refuse
      to
      publish
      the
      working
     
     
      budget;
      one
      of
      the
      more
      blatant
      ex-
     
     
      amples
      of
      such
      justifications
      being
      “that
     
     
      the
      distribution
      of
      [the
      working
      budget|
     
     
      would
      make
      it
      subject
      to
      possible
      mis-
     
     
      interpretation”
      (see
      the
      SU
      Executive
     
     
      letter
      below).
      Of
      the
      many
      responses
     
     
      that
      come
      to
      mind
      when
      heating
      such
     
     
      contempt,
      the
      one
      that
      is
      probably
      most
     
     
      fit
      to
      print
      is:
      So
      what
      if
      the
      budget
      is
     
     
      misinterpreted?
      At
      worst,
      the
      SU
      Execu-
     
     
      tive
      would
      be
      inundated
      with
      questions;
     
     
      at
      best,
      questions
      may
      increase
      student
     
     
      participation
      in
      the
      decision
      making
     
     
      processes
      at
      the
      student
      union.
      After
      all,
     
     
      isn’t
      it
      the
      job
      of
      the
      SU
      Executive
      to
     
     
      serve
      its
      membership?
      Students
      should
     
     
      remember,
      that
      they
      ate
      the
      ones
      who
     
     
      pay
      the
      salaries
      of
      the
      SU
      Executive
      (see
     
     
      the
      budget
      below);
      and
      it
      is
      their
      monies
     
     
      that
      allow
      for
      a
      working
      budget
      in
      the
     
     
      first
      place.
      Thus
      I
      hope
      readers
      will
      ex-
     
     
      cuse
      those
      of
      us
      who
      think
      that
      the
      SU
     
     
      President
      or
      the
      VP
      Finance
      should
      an-
     
     
      swer
      as
      many
      questions
      as
      possible
      about
     
     
      the
      working
      finances
      of
      an
      organization
     
     
      that
      we
      ate
      legally
      bound
      to
      be
      paying
     
     
      members
      of.
      Besides,
      at
      the
      current
      rate
     
     
      of
      student
      apathy
      on
      campus,
      the
      SU
     
     
      Executive
      can
      be
      certain
      that
      they
      will
     
     
      not
      have
      too
      many
      questions
      to
      answer.
     
     
      But,
      could
      maintaining
      student
      apathy
      on
     
     
      campus
      be
      the
      point?
     
    

    
     
      By
      sitting
      on
      Council
      for
      the
      past
     
     
      two-yeats,
      I
      can
      say
      with
      some
      degree
      of
     
     
      confidence
      that:
      through
      our
      actions
      and
     
     
      in
      most
      cases,
      inaction,
      we
      are
      unwitting-
     
     
      ly
      practicing
      ‘student-management’
      as
     
     
      opposed
      to
      ‘student-governance’.
      I
      use
     
     
      the
      word
      ‘unwittingly’
      because
      I
      don’t
     
     
      think
      it
      has
      ever
      been
      our
      intention
      not
     
     
      to
      represent
      students,
      and
      many
      Council-
     
     
      ors
      actually
      believe
      they
      are
      representing
     
     
      the
      best
      interests
      of
      the
      student
      body
     
     
      on
      the
      various
      university
      committees
     
     
      (including
      the
      Board
      of
      Governors
      and
     
     
      Senate)
      they
      sit
      on.
      However,
      in
      ex-
     
     
      amining
      our
      actions,
      it
      becomes
      clearer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Letter
      to
      the
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      we
      act
      more
      as
      rubber-stamps
     
    

    
     
      than
      voices
      of
      student-advocacy.
      Some
     
     
      examples:
      Tuition
      hike?
      Sure,
      just
      as
      long
     
     
      as
      it’s
      not
      inordinately
      high
      ...
      Assaults
     
     
      and
      thefts
      on
      campus
      occurring
      more
     
     
      frequently?
      Hmm
      ...
      let’s
      hold
      a
      “safety-
     
     
      rally”
      to
      bring
      attention
      to
      the
      University
     
     
      Avenue
      crossing
      ...
      Faculty
      Strike?
      How
     
     
      about
      a
      “counter-strike”
      ...
      Rules
      govern-
     
     
      ing
      the
      re-writing
      of
      exams
      change?
      Fine
     
     
      (this
      one
      happened
      2
      years
      ago).
      We
      did
     
     
      not
      consult
      students
      about
      the
      position
     
     
      we
      took
      (on
      their
      behalf)
      on
      any
      of
      these
     
     
      issues,
      yet
      they
      are
      all
      very
      important
     
    

    
     
      to
      the
      student-body
      at
      large.
      So,
      it’s
      no
     
     
      wonder
      that
      40
      students
      showed
      up
      to
     
     
      the
      “tuition-rally,”
      or
      that
      60
      showed
      up
     
     
      to
      the
      “counter-strike,”
      or
      that
      a
      dozen
     
     
      showed
      up
      to
      the
      “safety-rally,’
      or
      that
     
     
      only
      24
      per
      cent
      of
      the
      student
      body
     
     
      decided
      to
      vote
      on
      the
      uncontested
     
     
      position
      of
      SU
      President
      (which
      re-
     
     
      sulted
      in
      one
      in
      every
      six
      students
      voting
     
     
      “yes”,
      and
      therefore
      deciding
      your
      SU
     
     
      President
      for
      the
      following
      year).
      We
     
     
      are
      tacitly
      alienating
      the
      student-body.
     
     
      Could
      this
      be
      at
      least
      one
      of
      the
      reasons
     
     
      explaining
      the
      rise
      of
      computer
      and
     
     
      equipment
      thefts
      on
      campus,
      that
      we
     
     
      don’t
      feel
      invested
      in
      this
      institution?
      As
     
     
      Councilors,
      we
      ate
      unable
      to
      interpret
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘these
      dismal
      numbers
      as
      detachment,
      in-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stead
      we
      tell
      ourselves,
      that
      “it’s
      the
      way
     
     
      of
      student
      bodies
      everywhere”
      and
      that
     
     
      “we
      try
      our
      best.”
      But
      whose
      interests
     
     
      do
      our
      actions
      serve?
      Certainly
      not
      the
     
     
      student-body,
      because
      if
      Student
      Union
     
     
      Council
      was
      to
      dissolve
      tomorrow,
      it
      is
     
     
      unlikely
      that
      the
      experiences
      of
      the
      vast
     
     
      majority
      of
      students
      would
      change,
      or
     
     
      am
      I
      being
      too
      harsh?
     
    

    
     
      This
      brings
      me
      back
      to
      the
      working-
     
     
      budget,
      and
      why
      it
      is
      being
      published
     
     
      in
      the
      Cadre
      in
      the
      first
      place.
      At
      the
     
     
      March
      11
      Student
      Union
      Council
      meet-
     
     
      ing,
      the
      VP-Finance
      (which
      is
      a
      hired
     
     
      position
      on
      the
      SU
      Executive,
      thus
      non-
     
     
      elected,
      yet
      it
      retains
      a
      voting
      position
      on
     
     
      the
      Executive)
      presented,
      as
      per
      the
      SU
     
     
      Constitution,
      and
      a
      bit
      late,
      the
      Budget
     
     
      to
      Council
      (according
      to
      the
      SU
      Con-
     
     
      stitution,
      the
      VP
      Finance
      is
      supposed
     
     
      to
      do
      so
      “at
      the
      beginning
      of
      semester
     
     
      one
      ...
      [and]
      also
      review
      the
      Budget
      and
     
     
      any
      major
      changes
      at
      the
      beginning
      of
     
     
      semester
      two
      with
      appropriate
      explana-
     
     
      tions’’).
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      the
      VP-Finance,
      copies
     
     
      of
      the
      budget
      were
      not
      being
      distributed
     
     
      to
      Councilors
      —
      and
      I’m
      quoting
      here
     
     
      —
      “in
      the
      interest
      of
      saving
      trees,”
      this
     
     
      can
      be
      verified
      in
      the
      minutes
      of
      that
     
     
      meeting.
      As
      it
      happens,
      the
      “Budget”
     
     
      was
      third
      from
      the
      last
      item
      on
      the
      agen-
     
     
      da
      (the
      other
      two
      being
      “New
      Business”
     
     
      and
      “Adjournment’”).
      So
      the
      budget
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      presented,
      without
      Councilors
      seeing
     
     
      what
      was
      read
      (if
      this
      was
      a
      class-pre-
     
     
      sentation,
      the
      VP
      Finance
      would
      have
     
     
      undoubtedly
      done
      quite
      poorly),
      and
     
     
      then
      passed
      the
      document
      around
      the
     
     
      table.
      In
      the
      mean
      time,
      there
      was
      very
     
     
      little
      in
      terms
      of
      “New
      Business”
      and
     
     
      the
      meeting
      was
      promptly
      “adjourned.”
     
     
      By
      the
      time
      the
      budget
      found
      its
      way
     
     
      over
      to
      my
      seat
      on
      Council
      more
      than
     
     
      half
      the
      Councilors
      had
      already
      left
      for
     
     
      the
      evening.
      So
      I
      asked
      our
      VP-Finance
     
     
      if
      he
      had
      another
      copy
      of
      the
      Budget,
     
     
      to
      which
      he
      replied
      yes,
      and
      then
      I
      asked
     
     
      him
      if
      I
      could
      keep
      the
      copy
      he
      brought
     
     
      to
      the
      meeting,
      to
      which
      he
      replied
      no.
      I
     
     
      won't
      go
      into
      the
      details
      of
      the
      conver-
     
     
      sation
      that
      ensued,
      but
      I
      left
      the
      meet-
     
     
      ing
      with
      that
      copy,
      photocopied
      it,
      and
     
     
      promptly
      returned
      it
      to
      the
      SU
      President.
     
     
      A
      few
      days
      later
      I
      received
      a
      letter
      from
     
     
      the
      SU
      Executive
      stating
      that:
      “distribu-
     
     
      tion
      of
      [the
      budget]
      is
      not
      permitted”
     
     
      (a
      copy
      of
      that
      letter
      is
      included
      in
      this
     
     
      edition
      of
      the
      Cadre
      as
      well).
      Says
     
     
      who?
      There
      is
      absolutely
      nothing
      in
      our
     
     
      Constitution
      or
      By-laws
      that
      states
      this,
     
     
      and
      I
      challenge
      the
      Executive
      to
      read
     
     
      these
      documents;
      and
      find
      something
      to
     
     
      the
      contrary.
      Readers
      will
      recall
      that
      in
     
     
      the
      opening
      paragraph
      of
      this
      opinion
     
     
      piece,
      I
      write
      that:
      “the
      budget
      issue
      is
     
     
      interesting
      not
      so
      much
      [because
      of]
      the
     
     
      document
      itself,
      but
      rather,
      the
      reaction
     
     
      it
      evokes
      from
      the
      Student
      Union
      Coun-
     
     
      cil
      Executive
      whenever
      the
      ‘working
     
     
      budget’
      comes
      up.”
      So
      I
      ask
      again:
      Why
     
     
      the
      guardedness
      over
      this
      document?
     
     
      In
      their
      letter,
      the
      SU
      Executive
      rightly
     
     
      claim
      that
      it
      is
      “subject
      to
      misinterpreta-
     
     
      tion
      ...
      [and]
      that
      it
      [is]
      subject
      to
      change
     
     
      at
      any
      time”
      (surely
      they
      didn’t
      need
      law-
     
     
      yers
      to
      “confirm”
      these
      points).
      Howev-
     
     
      er,
      why
      does
      this
      mean
      that
      the
      working
     
     
      budget
      should
      not
      be
      as
      transparent
      as
     
     
      possible
      to
      the
      student-body?
      Do
      we
     
     
      have
      ‘trade-secrets’
      that
      we
      are
      protect-
     
     
      ing?...
      are
      we
      competing
      with
      other
     
     
      organizations?
      We
      are
      a
      not-for-profit
     
     
      corporation
      ...
      what
      do
      we
      have
      to
      hide?
     
     
      To
      these
      questions,
      the
      SU
      Executive
      will
     
     
      restate
      their
      point
      that:
      “All
      members
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      UPEI
      student
      body
      are
      encouraged
     
     
      to
      make
      an
      appointment
      with
      the
      Vice
     
     
      President
      Finance
      to
      review
      the
      budget
     
    
   
   
    
     
      at
      any
      time”
      (see
      the
      SU
      Executive
      letter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      below).
      However,
      this
      option
      makes
     
     
      very
      little
      sense
      for
      those
      of
      us
      who
     
     
      aren’t
      trained
      in:
      Business/Finance/
      Ac-
     
     
      counting;
      i.e.
      those
      of
      who
      don’t
      know
     
     
      how
      to
      interpret
      financial
      statements.
     
     
      Why
      should
      that
      prevent
      us
      from
      exam-
     
     
      ining
      the
      document
      independently?
     
    

    
     
      Lastly,
      readers
      should
      know
      that
      there
     
     
      exists,
      on
      the
      record,
      a
      resolution
      passed
     
     
      by
      Council
      that
      specifically
      states
      that:
     
     
      “Council
      [is]
      required
      to
      publicise
      their
     
     
      working
      budget
      in
      a
      format
      appropriate
     
     
      by
      council”
      (this
      resolution
      can
      be
      found
     
     
      in
      section
      8-1
      of
      the
      November
      20,
     
     
      2005
      minutes;
      which
      should
      be
      available
     
     
      on
      line).
      Granted,
      the
      wording
      of
      the
     
     
      resolution
      needs
      some
      tweaking,
      but
      the
     
     
      message
      is
      clear:
      Council
      must
      publicise
     
     
      the
      working
      budget.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      where
      does
      that
      leave
      us?
      Well,
      by
     
     
      the
      time
      you
      read
      this,
      Council
      will
      have
     
     
      met
      again
      (on
      March
      25th),
      and
      I
      would
     
     
      have
      raised
      the
      issue
      of
      publicizing
      the
     
     
      budget
      at
      that
      meeting,
      reminding
      the
     
     
      SU
      Executive
      that
      they
      are
      bound
      by
     
     
      the
      will
      of
      Council
      (this
      is
      clearly
      stated
     
     
      in
      the
      SU
      Constitution)
      and
      reminding
     
     
      Council
      of
      their
      duty
      to
      publicise
      the
     
     
      working
      budget
      (Resolution
      8-1).
      One
     
     
      of
      the
      exciting
      things
      about
      writing
      this
     
     
      piece
      days
      before
      our
      decision,
      is
      that
     
     
      I
      can
      venture
      my
      guess
      as
      to
      what
      the
     
     
      outcome
      will
      be.
      I
      offer
      two
      scenarios.
     
     
      (1)
      Upon
      learning
      of/recalling
      motion
      8-
     
     
      1,
      the
      SU
      Council
      will
      agree
      and
      proceed
     
     
      to
      publicise
      the
      working
      budget.
      (2)
      The
     
     
      SU
      Executive
      will
      effectively
      stonewall
     
     
      any
      discussion
      or
      decision
      by
      calling
      the
     
     
      working
      budget
      a
      legal-document
      and
     
     
      asking
      Council
      that
      they
      be
      allowed
      to
     
     
      refer
      to
      their
      lawyers
      (they've
      employed
     
     
      this
      trick
      before).
      How
      will
      this
      drama
     
     
      unfolded?
      Check
      the
      minutes
      from
      April
     
     
      1
      to
      see.
      Also,
      go
      ahead
      and
      look
      over
     
     
      your
      budget
      ...
      and
      misinterpret
      at
      will.
     
    

    
     
      March
      22
      2007