Dear Editor,

I read your “Council Sidesteps Allegations of
Double-Dipping, Senator Snuggling” article and wanted to make a few comments as
a former vice president.

The council has no place in accusing an organization of
“double-dipping” in A.S. Council line items.
Let me explain:

The A.S. Council routinely forgets that it allocates money
toward student organization events, and not student organizations.

The weekly/quarterly funding process is merely a tool that
allows the vice president of finance and resources to best gauge the percentage
of cuts necessary to ensure a fair financing structure. If there’s leftover
money, then it should go back to a student organization event rather than be a
contribution to next year’s council, or, worse yet, be reallocated to fund more
A.S. Council pet projects (and usually, funded to the full, while student orgs
are encouraged to fundraise).

The A.S. Council made the right decision to fund the
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan and Muslim Student Association
event. The rules workaround was
unnecessary. In fact, the organizations should be reimbursed any amount that
they were cut, if they were.

And orgs hitting up senators for more money? Why not?
It’s their money. I think they have the right to request it for however
they’d like to see it spent.

The VP of finance and resources will give sound financial
reasoning to invest or not invest in an event made outside the regular funding
deadlines. This year you guys have the best one yet, so ask!

Money questions need money answers, not a trip to Robert’s
Rules of Order.

Just my two cents.

— Conrad Ohashi

former Vice President of Finance and Resources, A.S. Council