Students will vote on senator pay

By Michelle Furnier | April 3, 2009

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While the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) senate has recently been looking into pay for its senators, after looking thoroughly through Title V of the California Code of Regulations, ASI members announced they need the student body to look at the stipend and vote on it, ASI President Graham Wahlberg said in a meeting on Wednesday.

“The senate can say it’s not a good idea right now for stipends or it’s a good idea, but it can’t be done without the student body,” Wahlberg said.

The referendum, which will appear on this year’s ballot, will establish an opportunity for the ASI senate to do two things: to approve stipends and ratify a policy on stipends.

“We have to make sure that the word gets out there to the student body and show them that there are legitimate reasons for senator compensation,” Wahlberg said.

“We want to make it clear to students.”

According to a sample ballot to approve the principle of establishing stipends for ASI senators, voting “yes” would create the opportunity for the ASI senate to approve stipends and create a policy on stipends. Voting “no” wouldn’t allow ASI to establish a stipend for senators or approving a policy on stipends.

The student body will be the ones who will make the ultimate decisions on what will happen. “The senate can’t make the final decision,” Wahlberg said.

Fresno State students can vote for the approval of stipends from April 21 at 8 a.m. through April 23 at noon. The referendum will be on the regular ASI election ballot. Voter pamphlets are also available.
All voting will be done electronically so anyone with a computer and Internet access can cast a vote.
If the referendum passes, then it will go to a legal committee and then the senate would look at it and decide whether or not to pass it.

“The only way to increase the ASI budget is to make a student fee increase. I’m not asking that by any means,” said Wahlberg.

Fundraising doesn’t seem to be much of an option because most corporate sponsorships aren’t able to give straight contributions because they usually only give it for a specific program, Wahlberg explained.

Lauren Johnson, vice president of finance, said, “It’ll be another fixed cost attached onto ASI’s budget. It would be a significant amount out of the budget.”

According to the reasoning behind the referendum, the stipend should encourage students to participate to the best of their ability without being concerned about what they’re making financially.

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Comments

  • How about?
    This is pure crap. As a former senator, I am appalled. Senators do NOT need to be paid. Vote this down!
  • Tony Montana
    maybe a $15-20/wk stipend for parking, food, to help offset travel costs----but pay? They're actually talking about paying student senators at a time like this? This is beyond bad policy.
  • Former Senator
    Having served on the ASI board before, I can tell you that on a purely political scale, this is sheer idiocy. The economy is a crunch, student fees are being raised, ASI is reviled across campus, and they have the nerve to ask the students to pay Senators. Yes, yes, it will come from existing funds. Also, I agree it might entice students who were financially prohibited before to serve. Yet, on a basic logical level, you are only feeding the beast. You have to give the students a reason to reward you, and after a year of alcohol scandal and the current ASI prez being CSSA's poodle, they haven't accomplished that at all. Good going ASI team, you've given the students another reason to respect you even less. Even I didn't think that was possible.
  • dw
    Senators DON'T need to be paid.

    Getting people willing to serve has been a problem for over 30 years, people. It will continue to be a problem even if they're paid. So why bother.

    ASI has been reviled across campus since the 1970s. Nothing new there either.
  • Fair and Balanced
    There always seems to be a huge outcry of students complaining on this website, yet it is not ever represented in the senate meetings that are open to the public. The biggest anti-asi stance that was from anonymous postings online or bitter losers was the alcohol scandal, and turns out that was only like 3 people... out of 23,000! Come to think of it, I wouldnt be suprised if it was the same three people posting all of the negativity online. I would be even less suprised if that person was running for a major ASI position under a different name.

    The issue is that a lot of students cannot balance the time it takes to be a senator with working a job, therefore you get that same type of people, people who dont have to work (scholarships, higher economic status), and students dont get a fair representation of the actual diversity of students on their representative board. Thats why you see a lot of smitty's and well-to-do people on the board. Obviously this is not all of them, and no disrespect to anybody on scholarship, but paying the senators could even the playing field.
  • Fresno State Student
    I agree completely with Fair and Balanced!
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