Each year, as Special Fee petitions circulate through e-mail lists with increasing intensity in the run-up to the petition deadline, the issue of ASSU funding and its impact on the student body becomes a major topic of discussion. The operation of the special fees system is straightforward: if a sufficient number of students approve of a group’s budget request, that amount will be divided up among the population and charged as a fee. Some believe that ASSU political operations are supported by the student body, just as special fees groups are, but that notion is incorrect. As election season approaches, voters must understand how and why the ASSU compensates some of its leadership.

The Daily reported on this issue on February 28, with a particular focus on those positions receiving the largest stipends. Before discussing whether the stipends are justified, it is important first to clarify the funding process. The ASSU does not impose any sort of levy on students to sustain its operations. Instead, the ASSU maintains an endowment, separate from that of the University and managed by SSE, and it is the payout from this endowment that funds the ASSU political budget — including the Executive, Undergraduate Senate, Graduate Student Council, Nominations Commission, Elections Commission and more. The budget is set each year by the outgoing legislative bodies, with input from the Executive; they are free to adjust line items and even the proportion of funds going to the different branches, but must work within the amount provided by the endowment.

While some may still argue that ASSU stipends are too large or altogether unnecessary, it is the view of this Editorial Board that they are entirely appropriate for the level of commitment and responsibility required by these elected and non-elected positions. The Executive, in particular, has been transformed in recent years into a much more intensive and time-consuming role. The bar was raised initially by the Dorsey-Harris administration in 2008-2009, which expanded the Cabinet and made the Executive position a full-time job. Subsequent Executives followed their example: all have devoted far more than 40 hours per week to their work, and most forego summer jobs in order to remain on campus and pursue their agendas. Calculated at an hourly rate, the yearly Executive stipend is far below minimum wage. The other paid positions, including those for Senate, GSC and NomCom leadership as well as the Elections Commission, are also justified by the time and energy required — not to mention the fact that all are solid year-long commitments.

But these stipends serve a purpose beyond simply rewarding dedication: they encourage and facilitate participation in student government by students with financial constraints. Those who hold ASSU leadership positions often give up outside jobs and other commitments in order to fulfill their responsibilities, and the current system allows those who wish to serve to do so regardless of their financial situation.

Not every dollar of the ASSU budget is used wisely, however, and some of the Graduate Student Council spending presents a cause for concern. The current budget allocates $1,000 for a “Food Czar” (to bring food to the weekly meetings) and another $8,500 for “Meeting Food.” It also includes a $6,500 line item for “Training — Orientation.” This stands in stark contrast to the budget of the Undergraduate Senate, which was trimmed last year and contains just $1,000 for orientation and no funding for food. Overall, the GSC budget is nearly $10,000 higher than that of the Senate.

As ASSU leaders begin work on next year’s budget, they should be aware of overspending in areas such as food and retreats. Such funds could be used in much more effective ways, as the legislative bodies did last year by dramatically increasing the allocation for Executive Action Grants. But any push to reduce ASSU stipends must be met with skepticism. These stipends have no negative financial impact on the student body, and their existence ensures that participation in student government is open and accessible to everyone.