Monday, November 10, 1997
The Bruin should check facts prior to reporting
FINANCE: According to bylaws, Finance Committee is a
recommending body, not the final decision maker
By Robert Rhoan
The Daily Bruin, using its prerogative as an editorial board,
has recently espoused it’s opinion on a wide variety of issues.
While this form of journalism can be informational as well as
educational, at times it can degenerate into propaganda and
hearsay. In the Oct. 22 editorial, the Daily Bruin chose to use its
editorial section to write up an expose on the Finance Committee.
Yet, in the construction of this editorial The Bruin chose to
neglect one important ingredient – the facts.
This is the fundamental difference between hearsay and
responsible journalism. When writing the article it would appear
that The Bruin failed to consult the Bylaws, Financial Guidelines,
and Constitution of USAC and rather relied on rumor and gossip to
form a basis for their "reporting." This form of journalism only
serves to mislead and inflame the public in addition to advancing
private political agendas using a public medium of
communication.
In their editorial, The Bruin stated "Robert Rhoan currently has
all the financial decision-making to himself." USAC’s bylaws merely
establish the Finance Committee as a recommending body to the
Legislative Council in their decision-making capacity. In the
absence of a Finance Committee, USAC can choose to either take the
entire decision-making process upon themselves, or they can
delegate this responsibility to an individual or group of
individuals. To characterize the ability of the Finance Committee
chair as a decision-making body is akin to calling the speaker of
the House or the chair of the Academic Senate the end-all and
be-all of the legislative process. Although the Finance Committee
chair, in the absence of a Finance Committee, can propose
recommendations just as any other council member can, but USAC
holds final approval over all funding allocations.
Another function of the Finance Committee Chair that The Bruin
has chosen to grossly mischaracterize is the ability of the chair
to make discretionary allocations up to $350. If The Bruin had
checked the USAC agendas that they receive on a weekly basis, they
would have been found that USAC approved this function in a
meeting. The purpose of this function is not for the "possible
mishandling of funds," but to provide student groups and student
government with an emergency fund that may be needed on a moment’s
notice and may not wait for the weekly USAC meeting. Once again, if
The Bruin had consulted a dictionary, they would have found that
the definition of the word contingency is "emergency." Even these
allocations are subject to the approval of USAC, which is the
purpose of including these discretionary allocation reports in the
USAC agenda. In addition, it is within USAC’s ability to deny
funding to any group that has already received a Finance Committee
chair approval. Once again, the simplistic understanding of USAC
legislative processes and bylaws continues to pervade The Bruin’s
opinion. By USAC designation, I function as the chief financial
advisor for USAC and as primary impartial arbiter of funds.
Contrary to what The Bruin thinks, the Finance Committee chair is
not "allowed to take all matters into his own hands at all
times."
It is interesting that The Bruin has chosen to use a period of
illness for myself to generate this article of character
assassination. For the record, I contracted a chronic viral
infection in addition to dysentery which necessitated my absence
and even put me in the hospital. Yet, The Bruin chose to use this
time of personal misfortune to question my integrity,
accountability and trust that USAC has vested me with. All of these
innuendoes were made with absolutely no proof or evidence. In
reading the opinion, it is implied that my ethical integrity is
being questioned. When accusations and implications like these are
made, it is important to have facts to back them up. Otherwise, it
would appear to be in the best interest of everyone to simply
remain silent.
In conclusion, I would like to call on the editorial board of
The Bruin to please participate in responsible journalism and stop
the propaganda and political rhetoric. If The Bruin chooses to
continue on its course of tabloid journalism and overblown
political rhetoric, at least temper your opinions with facts and
stop relying on "gossip" for evidence. I believe all of the
students at UCLA are entitled to the facts and evidence in their
school newspaper.