The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Volume XVI, Number 41
Charlotte, North Carolina
Monday, February 12, 1981
BSU Budget Request Cut Drastically
By Chip Wilson
Carolina Journal Staff Writer
In the wake of a weekend Ways and
Means committee budget-slashing
session, the Student Legislature
voted Tuesday to stop paying its
members a $10 monthly stipend.
Renee High, chair of the Ways and
Means committee, sponsored the
measure which passed by a narrow
14-12 margin.
“During our weekend budget hear
ings, we chopped every budget that
came through,” High said. “We
should be setting an example for
other groups.”
Others disagreed saying the
legislature should not be the only
ones in the Student Association
sacrificing their salaries.
“The stipends give the legislature
credibility,” said Ginny Newton, .
junior class president. “Its a token of
appreciation for the work legislators
do. And we do work hard.
Rene High
“Look at all the other groups.”
Newton said,“Justices get paid, even
though I think we work harder than
they do. The media gets paid. The ex
ecutive branch gets paid. All these
other groups get paid and we should
too.”
A total amount of $3,600 or $1,800
per semester was budgeted for
stipends for legislators. The $20-a
month paid to committee chairs was
not affected by the action.
Jan Hobbs, a member of the Ways
and Means committee, said process
ing of checks is a expense for the
university payroll department and
eliminating stipends could result in
more money for campus clubs.
“Keeping up with turnover is hard
for the payroll office to do,” said Joel
Kepley, a student government trea
surer. “Every time I bring them a
payroll sheet for a new legislator, I
get dirty looks.”
Nursing representative Linda
Russell said receiving stipends was a
personal option for legislators, “If
you don’t want the stipend, don’t
take it.” she said.
Arts and Sciences representative
Leah Williams called the move very
noble, “But who does it look noble to?
Nobody else cares.
“We as a group may be trying to
set an example, but we are discount
ing what we are worth,” she said.
After rejecting an amendment pro
posed by Lee Williams to keep full
pay for legislators who miss less than
two meetings per month, the legisla
ture passed the measure by a roll-call
vote.
In discussion period following
legislative business, High commend
ed Kepley for his assistance to the
Ways and Means committee budget
hearings.
In other action, the legislatue:
•Amended the bylaws to state any
legislator who is a dues-paying or
regularly attending member of a
chartered organization cannot vote in
action affecting any such group.
•Approved a new chartering act
outlining proceedures for approving
new clubs and organizations.
Legislators Cut Back Most Stipends
By David E. Griffith
Carolina Journal Campus Affairs Editor
The Student Legislature’s Ways
and Means committee slashed
$12,890 from the Black Student
Union’s 1981-82 budget request,
recommending the organization
receive $6060, a 21 percent increase
over this year’s budget.
During the Saturday afternoon
meeting, BSU President Mike Kemp
submitted a budget request of 18,950
for the 1981-82 school year. This year
BSU received a budget of $5,100. The
1981-82 budget request called for in
creases in all line items and additional
funds for telephone expenses, com
puter printouts (used in mailing
notices to the BSU constituency),
duplicating and travel expenses.
According to Kemp, BSU currently
has 40 voting (i.e. dues paying)
members and the organization serves
a constituency of 800 students.
Committee member Jan Hobbs ask
ed about the fund raising capabilities
of BSU. Kemp told the committee
that BSU planned to raise $205 dur
ing the 1981-82 school year through
the sale of buttons, admission price to
parties and dues. If BSU had received
their full budget they would have
been obligated to raise 10 percent of
that budget by February 1, 1982, a
total of $1894. Kemp indicated that
additional funds could be raised off
campus.
“The scope and purpose of the
Black Student Union is commend
able,” Committee member Jim John
son said, “However your budget re
quest is for 25 percent of our total
budget. I think it’s totally out of
line.”
After a near 30 minute recess,
Chairperson Renee High read the
recommendation of the committee.
The recommendation had consolidat
ed the BSU line items and had cut the
budget by nearly $13,000.
Several cuts, in computer print
outs, travel expenses and the annual
awards banquet drew outbursts from
BSU supporters. As the computer
line item was read Kemp said, “We’ve
spent more this year on printouts
than that.” BSU had requested $100
per semester and the figure recom
mended by the co’.nmittee was $20
per semester. According to Kemp
each BSU printout costs $14.
In response to this Jan Hobbs told
Kemp, “I wish we could switch seats
for a moment.”
Kemp interrupted her saying, “I’ve
been in your (The Ways and Mean’s
Committee’s) chair, young lady.”
Hobbs continued, “The maximum
increase we are giving this year is 15
percent. We gave your organization
21 percent.”
“We’re not just any organization,”
said BSU member Reggie Nelson,
“We serve 800 people and the entire
university is benefited by our pro
gramming.
“We don’t have the money,” Hobbs
said.
“I’m going to be very up front and
frank,” Kemp said. “You don’t plan
for the BSU to operate at the scope it
has this year.”
“You’ve done an awful lot this year
with less money than you’ve got
here,” Mike Derby said. “We have 33
organizations telling us what they
need.”
Picking up a sheet of paper from
the table before him, Derby said,
“I’m not going to read the name of
this organization, but they have pro
posed a program for 100 people for
$800.”
Johnson broke up the exchange bet
ween Kemp and Derby saying, “We’ll
have to fight to give you this much. I
wish we could give BSU $19,000, but
we just don’t have the money. We’re
giving everybody as much of an in
crease as we can.”
“I’m disappointed,” Kemp said.
“We will have to accept this budget,
and fight for it in the legislature, but
I can guarantee you, we will not be
able to do the same kind of things to
the magnitude we have done them
this year.”
“I have no comment for the Carolna
Journal at this time.” Kemp said
following the meeting.
We Were
Wrong
In the February 9 Carolina Journal
we incorrectly reported that Clayton
Miller is a member of UNCC’s ROTC
program. Miller completed the basic
sequence, but did not continue
through his junior and senior years,
-he Carolina Journal regrets the er
ror.
Quiet House Compromise reached page 2
Calligraphy course page 3
Unsportsmanslike conduct at games page 5
Record Reviews page 7
Red, White and Blue wins beer poll page 9
New Sports Column page 10