The Student Government Association didn’t pass the budget for the first time in years last week.SGA is trying to reduce the amount of student money going to the Activities Funding Board.

The AFB provides funding for student organizations all over campus, and last year, AFB received about $76,000 in student money.

SGA is trying to steer about $16,500 of that $76,000 budget to Programming Council next year, though.

Critics of AFB’s current budget say the organizations record-keeping practices are lax.

Without diligent record-keeping, nobody knows exactly where student money is going except for those spending it.

PC’s record keeping practices are established and consistent. And, as an organization, PC is more accountable to the interests of the entire student body than any single organization.

Individual organizations certainly benefit the entire campus in many ways. However, PC’s programming is designed to benefit the entire student body.

SGA is on the right track with the decision, but it should also be commended for getting the budget in with enough time to actually make the decision.

In the past, the budget has often been submitted with just enough time to pass it before the last allowable date, and SGA has essentially been railroaded into passing the budget.

This year, the budget was submitted March 27. The last date to submit it was April 10.

Hopefully, SGA will use this extra time to better spend student money. Obviously, it’s trying and is clearly on the right track with the $16,500 shift from AFB to PC.

News editor Andrew Chavez for the editorial board.