Comments on: AMS Budget 2010/11 In Depth: Executive Cash Grab

By: Jeremy McElroy

Jeremy McElroy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:35:32 +0000

Neal, the idea is to axe Lobby Days if the group goes forward, but keeping with the tradition of good budgeting, I’m including it.

Plus the money is from the External Lobbying Fund, and can’t be used for anything else, so it wouldn’t help us balancing/giving more money to other areas.

By: Dan Pagan

Dan Pagan — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:35:16 +0000

Has the AMS considered using zero-based budgeting?

By: Alex Lougheed

Alex Lougheed — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:34:59 +0000

A Budget Committee allocating a certain amount of money to itself for future allocation. It’s budgetary procrastination.

Axe it. If you need extra money, use the contingency. That’s why it’s there.

By: Neal Yonson

Neal Yonson — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:34:41 +0000

Since this post, and my speaking in council probably contributed to the original failing of this budget, I want to be clear that I’m not criticizing without suggestions. Here’s what I came up with last night:

Exec Committee

- Exec Retreat back down to $1000, or less. (Savings: $1000 or more)
- Raise Exec Comm “Conferences & Official Business” to $10,000-$12,000 and eliminate all of the “Conferences & Official Business” lines in individual exec budgets. The execs can decide amongst themselves which execs can go to what conferences while staying within the overall pool. (Savings: $6,500-$8,500)
- Exec Special Projects back down to $10,000 (Savings: $11,000)

President

- Elilminate/Reduce CPG Special Projects (Savings: $500-$1000)

VP Academic

- $1,000 each for Research & Community Projects, Disabilities Students Projects, International Students Projects (Savings: $6,700)

VP External

- Cut Lobby Days. If the provincial lobbying group gets off the ground, they should have that covered. If it doesn’t get off the ground, then take a chunk of the $22,500 devoted to that to hold Lobby Days. (Savings: $9,000)

Other

- I actually think BudCom’s discretionary allocation is a good idea. But set it at $10k, and don’t add to it. (Savings: $4,000)

Those are the ones I identified while looking at the budget during council. Another look might reveal more. Overall, there’s about $40,000 of cuts in here which I don’t feel would have any severe negative impact on the AMS execs’ ability to realize their vision, or operate the society, and could be re-allocated to other areas of the AMS or heck, put in savings.

The budget isn’t as stretched as people would have you believe and execs should stop acting like expenses that didn’t exist before this year are suddenly absolutely necessary and untouchable.

By: Niels

Niels — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:34:20 +0000

I agree Ricardo. I read the budget as no event at the end of the year and in exchange we have a new ‘casting’ couch in the office and a bunch of slush funds. Boo.

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:34:01 +0000

I agree with Blake. I feel my student fees would be best spent by placing the exec into leather bondage gear and parading them around campus. New clothes for the execs!

By: Neal Yonson

Neal Yonson — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:33:44 +0000

The calculations I did to reach +28,000 for the execs excluded CASA expenses, SAC, and the FOI budget. You’ll notice those are not contained in the list of new exec expenses either.

By: Jeremy McElroy

Jeremy McElroy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:33:28 +0000

Committee Chairs were not budgeted for last year – they came about near the end of the fiscal year, so the new spending in based on last year’s Council.

The increase in the Exec Offices (its more accurate to say portfolios) is due mainly to the creation of a provincial lobby group (which would require financial viability) and the movement of CASA fees from the Student Council account to the VP External account. This caused a $45,000 increase to the Exec Offices from the preliminary budget because the decision to do this was made after some accounting reform.

Lobby Days was budgeted because of precedent more than intent. The UERC hasn’t decided whether or not it will hold Lobby Days, and not wanting to make the same mistake that Tim Chu made, I budgeted for it anyway, so I wouldn’t have to look dumb and come before Council months later.

Just thought I’d elaborate on a few unclear points.

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:33:08 +0000

If Neal really wanted to show his thanks he could link to my fancy charts… https://www.swivel.com/pages/878-AMS-2010-2011-Budget

By: Blake

Blake — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:32:48 +0000

Neal, I am surprised at your complete lack of appreciation for the hard work that the AMS executives do. Students can only be best served when their student government executives live in comfort. How can we expect the AMS executives to make positive changes to student life if they’re not happy and healthy? Students don’t need parties and services, they need their representatives to have the best cell phones, furniture, and discretionary budgets money can buy. If anything, this budget does not go far enough. We should be renovating their offices and buying them new wardrobes. If my student government executives had better benefits and salaries when I was a student, I can confidently say that I would have had a much better experience at UBC.