Pre-agenda tactics, a codifying committee, and the SORC-ing of Senator Krause

These summer senate meetings are always the apex of the month for me. All the effort and planning of around thirty days goes into a hour long meeting. Usually I am left unsatiated and wanting. Today was different, I feel accomplished. I have known for a few weeks that this would be one of my most active meetings, as I had two pieces of legislation to be voted on, a committee appointment to block, and the task of referring one of my peers to SORC, the Senate Oversight and Rules Committee. I am pleased to say that 3 out of the four tasks were successfully completed.

My activity today started off during the approval of the agenda, when I objected to it outright. The ever-controversial Kyle Duerstein was up for appointment to the Chancellor's allocable fund review committee, and most of the senate was shocked to think of the Big D. becoming active in SA again. A line had be drawn. If we as an organization are serious about fixing our reputation in the eyes of the students, we must rebuff any attachment to our past demons. After I stated this belief to the senate, I moved to amend the agenda by removing Kyle's name. The amendment passed with only two or three nays.

Unfortunately, the agenda was not approved immediately after. Senator Ludwig, who had confronted me earlier about his concerns, moved to remove my legislation, The SA Employee Accountability Act, from the agenda. This ended up causing quite a lot of debate from a few senators. Secretary Stoll took an especially hard line against it, calling the piece "dishonest." According to her, "we should not even be considering..(employee infraction-based fines)..at all. It seems my attempt to force some small bit of productivity on the University Student Court had an entirely unexpected effect, and ended up terrifying certain members of the executive branch. This legislation would have deducted a $100 fine out of the budget stipend for each time a SA official failed to clock in the mandatory 10 hours per week. This would seem to be an instance in which only those who usually fail to meet the requirements would take umbrage, although I'll let SA observers be the judge of that.

Although I doubt it, this brush with budgetary consequences might push some SA officials into actually completing their hours. The alternative is ridiculous. Let's take a look at the Assistant Chief Justice's current salary. I have not seen this man one time in my half year in SA, with the exception of at the recent retreat. He makes a total of $541 a month, under an assumption he works ten office hours a week. That in itself is an outrage, because even if he did, he would be making an average of $13.50 an hour. Let us, for the point of the argument, assume he works closer to 5 hours a week. that makes his pay $27 per hour. Now, I understand the concept of salary pay, people like the SA President are basically on the clock 24/7, and an hourly pay plan wouldn't do that justice, but when the Court is allocated $30,000 a year from student fees, and they handled a total of two cases last year, one has to start looking for answers, and after that, bylaw and budget changes.

Soon after, my Strategic Planning Committee bill passed, giving Senator Campbell a chance of chairmanship. This committee will help define SA's role in campus affairs, etc. I was pleased to momentarily see a non-hostile Senator Cambpell, only to change back into the antagonistic one I have become accustomed to, when the biggest event of the night occurred.

Although the cat was somewhat out of the bag since I asked for Post presence at the meeting, the motion to refer Senator Krause to SORC was received with some initial shock. I read it as surprise that this old skeleton had been dragged out of the closet, after months had passed and a new administration had taken over. Senator Krause was in charge of collecting fundraising money last year as Public Relations Director, and under her watch, the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund was given around $150 of what was reportedly over $1500 collected. I explained to the senate that as the official in charge of the money collection, she could best answer questions on where the money went. I reminded them that they were not passing judgement by affirming the referral to SORC, just doing their part to ensure that answers are found. I have no doubt in my mind, given the evidence I've seen, that Krause absconded with some of the money, however SORC will leave no piece of evidence unturned in their search for the truth. SORC's referral to the senate will be unbiased and timely, it is scheduled to be delivered at the next senate meeting in early September. During that meeting, SORC will make their recommendation to the senate. The senate will then vote on which action to take, impeachment, or otherwise. If the senate moves for impeachment, those proceedings will take place during the next senate meeting, most likely in closed session, which I see as an unfair guard against popular knowledge.

Some may wonder why I bothered to find these battles today. Why waste time attempting to fix past wrongs when the present gives a unique chance for progress? I do this for the future of the SA, for as long as these tarnishes on our reputation are allowed to languish, we shall never escape them.

Until next time,

-Red Menace out.

And if you didn't believe me before...

Well I think now we can all admit it. UWM's Chancellor Santiago is a jerk. By this time, most every campus-active student has heard the news that Santiago has resigned his post as chancellor, apparently to become the CEO of a D.C. based nonprofit organization called The Hispanic College Fund. After serving as chancellor for a shocking six years, (it seems past chancellors haven't stuck around that long) Santiago has left for greener pastures. What really bugs me, and I believe the rest of the campus, is the suddenness of this decision. Although Santiago has publicly been vying for other jobs, no one this side of the SA administration had suspected him to leave now. That is, now that most of his controversial campus developments and business ventures are about to take off. I haven't been a supporter of Santiago's "master plan," I disliked its focus on research over traditional liberal arts, and its general lack of consideration of criticism, but at least in Santiago, our campus had a leader. What kind of man spends years battling for changes to an institution he supposedly loves, then abandons it in its most harrowing hour?

Now UWM is at a crossroads. Whoever is appointed interim-chancellor must oversee the upcoming projects, as well as continue to generate ideas and creative force to keep the campus going. Then we must go through a lengthy search and screen process, which UW Systems President Kevin P. Reilly claims will have ample student involvement. Finally around next summer, we may have a chancellor. All these changes are ultimately bad for UWM, we have lost a charismatic force on campus, and a well known face to donaters. We have lost time and effort, and the SA is left spinning, unsure how to continue with the 36.09(5) implementation plan. Santiago was open to the idea of helping to codify the student government's role on campus, we can only hope the next chancellor is equally understanding of Wisconsin state law.

This day was historic for myself in other ways, as the newly appointed Special Assistant to the President on Public Relations, I wrote the SA's official press release on Santiago's resignation, which I then emailed to pretty much every media outlet available. It was rewarding to work with the SA in a "crisis time" and I believe I performed well.

Aside from these developments, the next senate meeting is coming up on the 22nd, and it's sure to be a big one. I can't blow the surprise just yet, but some important decisions will be taking place, and two pieces of my legislation will be going before the senate. I can't wait for the next update, and I'm sure you all can't either.

Until next time,

-Red Menace out.

Rolling on through summer

I'm updating this a bit later than I wanted to, however with the Riverwest24 and the move into my new apartment, I've been quite the busy beaver..err, Panther. The July 25th senate meeting was the quickest I'd ever seen. Things got started right away, and except for a bit of a boring talk by Tom Dake, expediency was the word of the day.

On the agenda was the confirmation of several new committee spots, as well as three legislative bills, and a SAC bylaw change. Everything was packaged and approved, without so much as a peep of disagreement. Well, I actually motioned for an additional senate meeting in December, which failed. Since all of the committee appointments and bills, including The People's Bill, authored by yours truly, were approved unanimously, they don't require a second meeting to confirm. Take that dissenters! I was happy everything passed, but I also wish that most of the senators cared more. The SAC bylaw changes were important, warranting discussion and friendly debate, yet none of the senators made any motions. Perhaps that's summer, not a whole lot of enthusiasm. As per the committee appointments, I am now a member of SAC and SORC, both as RSO membership. I look forward to getting lots of work done on these committees.

After the meeting, in between moving and the bike race, I was hired as a Special Assistant to the Public Relations Department. My task is to help improve the press release process, and streamline publicity affairs. Although I'm just getting started, I already love my job, and I look forward to continuing in a similar direction with my eventual chairmanship of SLIC.

Due to my recent and continued activity with the SA over the summer, I should be updating more frequently. Less than a month to go before the next semester! Oh and Kyle, thanks for the bump, I'll enjoy all the added activity around here, and I happily await more comments and questions.

-Red Menace out.