by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
ASUNM's finance committee has cut the budgets of its service agencies significantly less than other groups' budgets during the first round of reductions.
For example, Community Experience requested $23,972, and did not have its proposal cut at all. Student Special Events had their $90,271 budget increased by about $4.
In contrast, the Fair Trade Initiative got their budget cut from $1,609 to $999, about 27 percent. The Black Student Union's budget proposal was cut from $7,353 to $3,674, about 50 percent.
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However, the finance committee will cut the agencies' budgets during deliberations on March 4, said Andrea Roussell, chairwoman of the finance committee. Since the agencies' budgets are so large, it is not feasible to go over each line item during the 15 minutes each group gets during budget hearings, she said.
The committee does not give special treatment to ASUNM agencies, she said.
"We are fair across the board, or we try to be," Roussell said. "We take each organization, including the agencies, into consideration, and try to consider what they do for the student body."
ASUNM service agencies were formerly known as executive agencies. They include Lobo Spirit, the Crafts Studio, the ASUNM Lobby Committee and the Southwest Film Center. ASUNM is directly involved in running the service agencies, and several ASUNM senators are also active members of the agencies.
One of the biggest factors committee members look at when considering how much to cut a group's budget is how many students the organization benefits, she said.
"It's hard to compare because, for example, Lobo Spirit touches everybody," she said. "Whereas a typical student organization might have 15 members."
Lobo Spirit is a group that aims at increasing school spirit. For example, they organize Red Rally, an annual Homecoming event.
Jenna Hall, member of the Fair Trade Initiative, said ASUNM's priorities for funding are bad for students.
"I feel like they're encouraging societal norms by giving money to groups they say service a broad range of students," she said. "They're not allowing students to make a comprehensive choice among a lot of different activities."
She said the committee's priorities make it impossible for small student groups to reach a large number of students.
"By them cutting our budget, it's kind of handicapping us in a sense," she said. "Maybe more students would be interested if we had enough money to put on big events like the executive agencies. Imagine what we could do if we had a $12,000 budget."
Last spring ASUNM cut Community Experience's proposed budget from $25,888 to $21,087, about an 18 percent cut. Lobo Spirit's proposed $14,037 budget was cut by about 14 percent.
Becky Arguelles, marketing director of Student Special Events, said it is fair that the agencies receive a relatively large budgets.
"Since we do reach out to a larger portion of undergraduate students, we need more money to help a larger number of students," she said.
For example, about 1,400 people went to a Jason Mraz concert that Student Special Events organized, she said.
Student Special Events also helps other student groups by co-sponsoring events and providing sound equipment, she said.
Student Special Events co-sponsored Lobo Spirit and the Black Student Union's Apollo Night.
ASUNM's budget comes from a $20 fee that UNM undergraduates pay each semester.
Student Jessica Kunkle had mixed feelings about paying for the agencies, she said.
"I think it's ridiculous, because I'm paying for things that I don't use," she said. "But I guess if a lot of other people are benefiting from it, I don't mind paying for it - even if I don't participate myself."
Student Elizabeth GurulÇ said it does not matter to her where that money goes.
"I'm really indifferent," she said. "It's their money, and it's up to them where to spend it."
The ASUNM Senate will vote on the budget March 28.
