Council to Hold Referendum on Finance Reform

The Undergraduate Council's executive board voted yesterday morning to hold a referendum on financial reforms at the same time as the campus-wide elections for president and vice president.

While some candidates said increasing the amount of money the council grants to student groups is an important campaign issue, others said they fear the issues surrounding grants allocations will be overshadowed by election period politicking.

"I do feel that it's being forced into a campaign issue," said vice presidential candidate Joseph A. Sena '99.

"It is an issue that needs to be brought out but brought out in an informed fashion. I'm afraid that with the election, [the information] will be very slanted," said Sena, who is a Crimson editor.

Lamelle D. Rawlins '99 and Michael A. O'Mary '99, who are running for president and vice-president as a ticket, submitted a petition for a referendum on the council's grant allocations at Sunday's council meeting.

The referendum asks for a five percent increase in the minimum amount of money the council sets aside for grants to student groups. The council's constitution currently sets the minimum amount at 60 percent, but the council awarded 63 percent of its budget to student groups this year.

The referendum would also set aside an additional five percent of the council's revenue to be given as unrestricted block grants to House Committees.

The referendum questions will become part of the council's constitution if 50 percent of voters are in favor of the changes and the turnout is greater than 25 percent of the student body.

Although the petition efforts were organized by Rawlins and O'Mary, Rawlins said the referendum was motivated more by the issue than by their campaign.

"It's very much an issue, regardless of who brought it up," said Rawlins, the current vice-president. "I don't think it matters where the referendum came from."

They also timed it with the election because of concern that the referendum would not achieve the required turnout otherwise, O'Mary said.

Other candidates, however, said they fear the referendum battle will be used merely to boost Rawlins and O'Mary's campaign.

"If people are going to see it as being part and parcel of the Rawlins/O'Mary campaign, then logistically, that's a problem," said Mark A. Price '98, a vice presidential candidate.

One council member who is not running in the election also accused Rawlins of using the issue as a campaign tactic.

"I think it's unfortunate that instead of running on her record, that she feels it's necessary to put out this politically motivated position," said Sam Spital '00, a council member.

Spital said the council's first-year caucus opposes the referendum and plans to campaign against it.

But others said the grants issue is something that all candidates should address in the elections.

"I think it's an issue, and I think the candidates who address the issue are the ones who should win," said president Robert M. Hyman '98, who has already given his endorsement to Rawlins and O'Mary.

"People who are separating it from the campaign are afraid of [the issue]," he said at the executive board meeting.

The budget issue has been a controversial one on the council this fall. Many see the increase specified in the referendum as cutting into an already meager council fund. Both the council's campus life (CLC) and student affairs committees draw funds for their events and programs from this supply.

"Students don't understand that events cost as much as they do," said Sena, co-chair of the CLC. "I don't think many students know that this money is being used to do things and is not just sitting there useless in our coffers."

He pointed to the recent success of the Harvard-Yale Weekend events put on by the council as examples of what the council does with the money not given to student groups.

Rawlins disputed her opponents' argument that students would not be able to make an informed decision on the issues.

"I think there's going to be a big effort to obfuscate the issue, saying it's too complex," Rawlins said. "But I think [the provisions] are very simple and well laid-out."

Treasurer Troubles

John J. Appelbaum '97, the council's treasurer, was expelled at Sunday's council meeting for excessive absences.

The council's constitution requires that members who have five or more absences be expelled from the council.

Expelled members may apply at the next meeting of the executive board for reinstatement and can be voted back in with a two-thirds vote of the board.

However, if Appelbaum does not appear before the executive board at the next meeting, his expulsion will be permanent.

Appelbaum has not yet contacted Rawlins, who is in charge of keeping track of council attendance, about reinstatement, according to Rawlins.

Appelbaum could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The executive board decided to allow him to remain as acting treasurer and to retain his check-signing power because its next meeting will not be until Dec. 6

Rawlins disputed her opponents' argument that students would not be able to make an informed decision on the issues.

"I think there's going to be a big effort to obfuscate the issue, saying it's too complex," Rawlins said. "But I think [the provisions] are very simple and well laid-out."

Treasurer Troubles

John J. Appelbaum '97, the council's treasurer, was expelled at Sunday's council meeting for excessive absences.

The council's constitution requires that members who have five or more absences be expelled from the council.

Expelled members may apply at the next meeting of the executive board for reinstatement and can be voted back in with a two-thirds vote of the board.

However, if Appelbaum does not appear before the executive board at the next meeting, his expulsion will be permanent.

Appelbaum has not yet contacted Rawlins, who is in charge of keeping track of council attendance, about reinstatement, according to Rawlins.

Appelbaum could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The executive board decided to allow him to remain as acting treasurer and to retain his check-signing power because its next meeting will not be until Dec. 6