Senate passes fall budget unanimously

The ASUNM Senate unanimously passed its fall budget Wednesday, approving $51,576 that will be distributed to 49 student groups.

"We're really happy with the work we've done," Sen. Tim Serna said. "We came out about $2,300 lower than what we first projected."

This year's budget marks an increase of about 123 percent over last year's Associated Students of UNM budget. Last year, ASUNM provided $23,170 to 52 student groups.

Groups that were awarded the most funding this year were the ASUNM Senate, $5,000; Ice Wolves Hockey $4,490; the Capoeria Club, $3,540; the ASA Gallery, $3,252 and the American Society of Civil Engineers, $1,690. Groups applying for first time funding were given the new student group maximum of $750.

However, there was one exception to the new limit. Appropriation bill 9A, regarding the new student group and executive agency Community Experience which addresses community service on campus, had its limit waived by the Senate.

The group received an allocation of $8,567, which some senators questioned.

"Why are we justifying that ASUNM is better than any other student group?" Sen. Paul Campbell said.

Sen. Serna explained that the executive agency needed the money to get up and running efficiently.

"It was the only way to get the executive agency off the ground," he explained. "When a student group presents something as important as this, we felt it was necessary because we would hate to see the committee fall flat on its face because of a lack of funds."

The Senate also passed three joint resolutions regarding UNM funds.

It followed suit with the Graduate and Professional Student Association, the Student Bar Association, UNM Staff Council, Faculty Senate and the UNM Alumni Association by adopting a resolution concerning University investments in World Bank bonds and a socially responsible investment policy. The resolution recommended UNM adopt policy not to "purchase and invest directly or indirectly in World Bank Bonds until such time that the World Bank engages in genuine reform of its substantive policies and decision making procedures."

The Senate passed two other resolutions, one endorsing the $93.4 million bond on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. If passed by voters, UNM would receive about $47 million from the bond for various uses.

The final resolution passed by the Senate addressed the aggressive marketing practices credit card companies use to target students.

Susan Corban, assistant director of the Student Activities Office and member of the credit issues committee, said credit is a legitimate service and rather than take a prohibitive approach, the committee should take an educational one.

According to the resolution, marketers would be restricted to one central location on campus and would be charged an increased fee of possibly $100 per day. They would also be required to display a copy of The Fair Credit Act at registration tables.

"Credit and debt is a problem for college students throughout the country," Corban said.