Sunshine Laws: Not Just For the Press

In yet another blatant disregard of Florida's Sunshine Laws, top Boca senate officials have been erasing each week's minutes after they are transcribed to paper. Boca Senate Speaker Peter Torres' response to this: "We don't have the recording because after it's transcribed there isn't enough space to hold it all."

With a budget of $6.5 million someone might think that a CD could be purchased to hold the audio recordings, or they could be transferred to a computer. But no, instead SG officials simply erase the records.

Another SG official said he wasn't responsible for keeping the recordings so it's not his fault. But doesn't each member of the senate bear some responsibility for the actions of its leaders? If no one speaks up, are they not just as guilty of allowing the abuses to continue?

Contrary to popular belief Florida's Sunshine Laws were not created for the press. They were created for the public, because the public has a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. And in the case of Student Government, the students have a right to know how their A&S fees are being spent. In order to create an atmosphere of trust all documents should be readily available for the public, especially such documents as minutes. But they're not. Many cities post these documents online, but no one will ever find updated minutes and agendas on SG's Web site.

What Happened to Today's Story?

Due to a visit to the emergency room this weekend because of a 104 fever I was unable to write a story for this blog on Monday. But I will have a post for Wednesday.

Thank You Kirk Murray

I’ve never properly given my thanks to former Student Body President Kirk Murray.

So here it goes, Kirk Murray is my favorite SG president ever.

Ok I know some of you are thinking what? He was accused of stealing gift cards, then buying books and returning them for cash. On top of that he approved himself for a $1,000 scholarship.

But wait. If SG is here to serve the students then Murray is the greatest president ever – for me at least. He’s served me so well.

He gave the UP the greatest story it’s ever published and I had the opportunity to write it (I don’t want to sound cocky but can anyone deny it?). In case anyone doesn’t remember the story here it is.

I was as excited as a school-girl with her first crush when Murray disputed the run-off election for student body president. It made my day and it would end up making my entire summer.

Because of Murray my name has been floated through the news rooms of the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel. And one of the most recognized journalists in South Florida, Bob Norman, even took notice of me and mentioned me in one of his blog posts over the summer.

So thank you Kirk Murray, I’ve missed you so much this semester.

Missing Records: What are SG leaders and administrators hiding?

Over the last eight months the University Press has grown quite fond of public requests. But some of those requests have gone unfilled, which begs the question “what are SG leaders and administrators trying to hide?”

In December, four months after some of the requests were made, Kristine McGrath, director of media relations for FAU and the person in charge of handling public requests sent a suspicious e-mail to my FAU account that said, “The university has provided you with all the documents that exist that are responsive to your requests. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.”

I call the e-mail suspicious and point out that it was sent to my FAU account because I have never corresponded with McGrath from that account.

Here are a list of those requests that the university says do not exist:


1. (submitted Aug. 11) All information related to last year's (2005) book voucher program (The university did provide me with the 2006 records).

Does the university take me for a fool? It would be very hard to convince me that not one document exists from 2005 that mentions the book voucher program. The university must have some sort of financial records of a $15,000 purchase.

2. (submitted July 29) I need the minutes for all UWC meetings held since July 1.

According to Florida State law (which trumps SG’s rules by the way) minutes have to be kept for public meetings. This clearly was not done or they were just never handed over to me. While I have to yet to find any legal cases regarding missing minutes I have spoke to lawyers that specialize in open records laws who have told me that if a public meeting is held privately, any decisions made could be invalidated in a court of law. But what happens if there are no records of the decisions made? Could all of those decisions be invalidated as well? If that were the case then the third election for student body president held over the summer would not be legitimate.

1. (submitted Aug. 10) I need all documents and records relating to Student Government's Scholarship program (not Kaplan, a $30,000 program in which students get $500 at the beginning of each semester), including a list applicants, recipients, rules and eligibility requirements, financial records and any other information that can be obtained.

As for this request no one that I have spoken even knows what I am talking about.

So I will ask the question again “what are SG leaders and administrators trying to hide?”

Where Have All the Gift Cards Gone?

Ever since former Student Body President Kirk Murray resigned after admitting to mishandling SG’s gift card program any mention of gift cards in SG’s offices will elicit a round of laughter.

It’s become an inside joke.

But what isn’t a joke is that 67 cards are still sitting in Associate Dean of Student Affairs Lisa Bardill’s office –collecting dust.

And most SG leaders have no interest in dusting them off.

Controversy ensued after it was discovered that at least 50 applications had been forged. And about $2,500 in students’ money was misused. Murray was accused of stealing the cards, buying books with them and then returning them for cash.

But there’s another $3,350 worth in Bardill’s office that isn’t being handed out or used at all. Some of those cards belong to students, but just haven’t been given out to them. Those students have a right to be contacted, and it’s up to the current SG administration to make it right. And what about those students who had their names and personal information used to illegally obtain gift cards. Was a written apology ever issued by the university or SG leaders? No. Instead it's just been swept under the rug.

During the UP's investigation it came across one student who did fill an application and was supposed to recieve one of the fabled gifts cards. However, he was never contacted by SG and the UP refered him to SG's offices. He was then told SG no longer had possession of the cards.

While many SG leaders say the burdens of their predecessors should not fall of their shoulders, that’s just not the real world. The burden of the Iraq War will eventually fall on another president’s shoulders, just as the burdens of failing companies fall on the next CEO’s shoulders.

And so the legacy of the gift card program is now sitting on the current SG administration’s shoulders. If SG is serious about cleaning up their image for the future, they need to first clear up the wreckage of their past.

Of course the UP could just start another investigation into the students who should have received their gift cards but were never contacted, which is about 52 or $2,600 worth.

Rumors Swirl Around Possible Presidential Candidates

With both Student Body President Austin Shaw and Vice President Kim Nguyen graduating in the spring, the race for next year's top spot is going to be wide open. Rumors are swirling about who's going to run. And here they are:

Jupiter Gov. Ed Fulton – Ever since this guy won office for governor he's been mentioned as a possible contender for next year's vice-president's spot. In fact, some rumors stated the only reason he ran on the Diversity ticket was because they guaranteed him the V.P's spot next year. The rumor now, however, is that he may skip V.P. and try to go straight to the top. He's already widely popular on the Jupiter campus, especially within the honor's college, Jupiter's main voting bloc. But can someone from a partner campus actually win?

Boca Gov. Rakibur "Rocky" Joarder – Behind closed doors many current and former SG officials whisper that Joarder is one of the two "real" leaders of the Diversity party. They have even called him the puppet master. Whether or not that's true, one thing is for certain – never underestimate Rocky Joarder. At the beginning of the summer semester Joarder was nothing but a lowly Boca senator. But he moved up the ranks quickly.

Former Senate Speaker Todd Ericson appointed him senate pro tempore. Once the summer term was finished Ericson suspiciously resigned from his position as senate speaker to become presidential chief of staff. Was Ericson a puppet all along? Did he run for senate speaker because Joarder at the time was ineligible? It sure seems that way. Now because Kirk Murray resigned and Nguyen had to move up to become vice president, Joarder is in the perfect position to run for president. As governor he's already third in line. Expect administrators to squirm in their seats if he actually took office. It’s no secret that there is no love lost between administrators and Joarder. However, some have said that he’s a horrible campaigner and unless he recruits some die-hard supporters he doesn’t have a chance.

Tony Teixeira – Ever since Teixeira won the election and then lost it after the election was disputed, overruled and a new one was held, he's never ruled out running again. He has said the only way he would consider it is if SG cleaned up their act. Well SG is on their way to accomplishing that and so it seems likely that Teixeira will run for president. One rumor even stated a Teixeira/Fulton ticket, but that however, seems just a little too far fetched. During Teixeira’s third campaign he gave up in the middle. If Teixeira were to run he’d only win by sticking to his guns and keeping up his momentum.

Senate Pro Tempore Chris Mack – He’s already told the UP “I do have aspirations for the presidency,” but believes he’s better suited for the Senate. So if this guy doesn’t aim for the top he will be aiming for the top of senate, as senate speaker next year or if the new constitution passes – speaker of the House. Expect him to run if he doesn’t feel any of the candidates are worthy of the top position. Mack’s biggest asset is also his biggest weakness – his mouth. If he keeps it shut long enough who knows, he may have a chance.

The Erosion of Diversity: the once solid party begins to crumble

Last year there during the elections there were two tickets – Diversity and the Student Party. Diversity swept the elections, and easily clobbered the Student Party. But since Austin Shaw, who ran on the Diversity ticket, took over the presidency the party seems to be crumbling.

Over the winter break an emergency meeting was called while Shaw was out of town. At that meeting a controversial resolution that conflicted with the wishes of FAU President Frank Brogan and administrators was unanimously passed.
The resolution called for a limited or scaled back rewrite of SG’s constitution. Administrators, however, have made it clear in the past the constitution had to be scraped and a new one started from scratch.

As soon as Shaw found out about the resolution he was adamantly opposed to it.
In fact, Shaw later vetoed it. And while SG’s top leaders chose not to override his veto, it was clear the Diversity Party was at odds with itself.

A week later, one of Shaw’s staunchest supporters, current Boca Senate Pro Tempore Chris Mack stood before his senate and openly called for Shaw’s resignation. Mack feels Shaw has become nothing more than an extension of FAU’s administration and is no longer an advocate of the students.

“He’s a yes man for President [Frank] Brogan,” Mack says.

Mack is the only SG leader to openly oppose Shaw. But others have hinted at their dissatisfaction.

“Anytime I say anything that goes against the flow of Student Affairs. I am not going to have the support of the Student Body President,” Boca Gov. Rocky Joarder says.

At the same time though Joarder says that Shaw is better president than the last two – Kirk Murray and Dan Wilson. While Mack says Shaw has “good morals.”

Could another impeachment be on the horizon? Maybe, maybe not, but the one thing that is clear is the Diversity Party is no longer as solid as it once was.

But Shaw isn’t concerned about a possible impeachment or Mack’s remarks.

“I do the best I can do,” Shaw says. He doesn’t know if there are others that share Mack’s sentiments.
But the first question that comes up in Shaw’s mind when a decision has to be made is “What is the right thing to do. Who likes it or doesn’t comes second.”

Tidbits From Thursdays Boca Senate Meeting

Meeting Starts Thirty Minutes Late

Thursday night’s senate meeting got off to a late start after the senate’s agenda ran in to “printing issues.” Student Body President Austin Shaw left the meeting annoyed and called the situation “outrageous.”

Senate Not Interested in Learning the Rules

After years of criticism that the Boca senate never follows the rules, Parliamentarian Jenna Sereni, gave a presentation at Thursday’s meeting on rules and procedures. However, after her time ran out, a five-minute extension was voted down by the senate. Gracefully, she said that she would appreciate the senate not asking her to do another workshop if they did not want to listen to the whole thing. Ironically it was former parliamentarian and current Senate Pro-Tempore Chris Mack who objected to the extension.

When Owls Collide

The senate may not want to learn about the rules, but they really should make driving lessons mandatory for the staff of Night Owls (night owls gives rides to students at night). The chief of staff for Boca Gov. Rocky Joarder stood before the senate and informed them there was a head on collision between two Night Owls’ golf carts.

Students Don't Care: Is it Apathy or Something Else?

Students don't care. Students are apathetic. That's why Student Government's constitutional conventions, town hall meetings and student task forces were a miserable disappointment. Anytime an SG event fails there's someone out there that blames it on apathy.

Apathy works for just about any situation.

But could there be another sinister force out there, lurking behind the scenes, sabotaging SG's ability to serve the students. Could it possibly be advertising or rather a lack there of?

But administrators and SG leaders are quick to point out, smile and pat themselves on the back for all the hard work they put into sending out a mass e-mail out to the students. Therefore, the students know and it's their responsibility to care.

But even Student Body President Austin Shaw admits he deletes mass e-mails from FAU. I rarely check my FAU account, and when I happen to, the first thing I do is delete those annoying "Announcement" e-mails.

If they do send out a mass e-mail, do they have to include a generic subject line that says "Announcement?" That really grabs me, seduces me, and makes me want to read that e-mail before anything else. Yeah right – delete.

Several non-SGers who attended the first convention did not get involved because of the fabulous e-mails that were sent out. No, instead they told me it was the bad publicity they had read in our very own University Press that had made them care. I guess bad advertising is better than no advertising.

SG needs to learn that if they want students to care, they have to give them a reason to care. And a generic e-mail is not going to do that.

Each semester we hold an open house. Some have been successful and some have not. But the most successful ones have been the ones we advertised and promoted.

So I am going offer several options to SG that have worked for the UP in the
past.

Talk to professors: When we were short staffed last semester, we met with several journalism professors who offered UP work as extra credit. It worked. During the Free Food Festival that the UP sponsored last semester (more than 300 students attended and several clubs) several political science professors allowed students to actually skip class to attend as long as they provided proof.

Talk to students – face to face: In addition to mass e-mails – with non-generic subject lines – we visit as many journalism classes as possible. It worked for me. That’s why I joined the UP. The presentation by the UP’s adviser made me care, made me want to get involved, even if it was for my own greedy self-interests.

Free food and lots of it: Any event the UP hosts always includes food – free food. The two town hall meetings on the Boca campus were held during lunchtime and dinnertime. No wonder they were a huge disappointment. Last year the Boca SG decided to severely restrict the percentage of money that could be spend by clubs for food. And the clubs were outraged, and rightfully so. The clubs understand that to get students to attend they need to provide food – free food. They hope that once they get the students there they can keep some of them around. Boca’s SG eventually caved to pressure and lifted some of those food restrictions.

And now I am going to tell SG something that doesn’t work. During last year’s budget hearing several students who were representing clubs actually left the building in tears. Not a good way to promote one's self. I have too often seen clubs treated like criminals or beggars. And when they are made to jump through hoops, and swing from the treetops to get a few scraps thrown at them, it leaves them with a bad impression. One dedicated student in particular comes to mind. He attended five senate meetings in a row, in addition to many sub-committee meetings last semester to get funding for his club. I am sure if he hadn’t his club wouldn’t have received anything. At FAU clubs and regular students are expected to be politicians. They’re not and they don’t want to be.

But I know it doesn’t matter what I write because SG will continue to do as they have done in the past. So I will continue to look forward to many more “Announcements” from SG.


See this post for another possible reason SG cannot get students to care.