Student government denies Black Caucus executive pay

Although the Black Caucus organization received 85 percent less money than it requested from the Student Government Association, Tiffany Townsend, the Black Caucus president, said her major complaint stems from the SGA not providing executive pay.

“We probably won’t have to deal too much with appeals other than the fact that we didn’t get any executive pay,” Townsend said. “I still haven’t gotten a formal decision as to why we aren’t receiving executive pay.”

But Edward O’Leary, SGA president, doesn’t agree with the Black Caucus asking for executive pay.

“Right now I am opposed to any organization getting salaries,” O’Leary said. “If Black Caucus directors get paid, then every other club has the right-governing or not-to ask for their directors to receive pay.”

In September, the Black Caucus submitted a request to the SGA for $11,195, which Townsend said was an addition to last year’s allocation of $33,292.

“Pretty much what we asked for was additional fees for our political committee salaries for all executive members, our programming committee and Hispanic Heritage Month,” she said.

The organization did not receive additional funds for Hispanic Heritage Month, but it supported the program anyway.

“We will find a way to get funding one way or another,” said Jahnissi Tirado, Black Caucus treasurer.

Although O’Leary opposes the SGA allocating funds for executive pay to Black Caucus or any other organization, he doesn’t disagree with everything the organization wants funded.

This summer for instance, O’Leary called a special Senate meeting to ensure that organizations like Black Caucus obtained their funding on time.

When the issue arose concerning the 2006 Spring Ball, O’Leary stood in front of the student senators to ask them to approve the funds for the Black Caucus.

“After attending the Spring Ball last year, I had a very good time and I became a big supporter of the ball eventually,” O’Leary said.

The result?

Black Caucus received the $12,000 that it wanted for the ball.

“My main goal is to increase the communication between SGA and Black Caucus,” Townsend said. “I don’t think that the communication has been there in the past.”