Despite significant budget cuts, the Associated Students recently gave a large portion of its club funding budget to a group that helps put on Homecoming, raising questions about who should get student government money and why.

By a 2-1 vote in an Oct. 16 meeting, the Central Coordinating Council approved funding for Bobcats Senior Honorary, a group of 13 seniors chosen every year to work with the Alumni Association in organizing Homecoming festivities.

"Homecoming is a great event, but I think spending all of that money on one club is not the best way to use ASUA funds," said Sen. Ryan Anderson, a member of the CCC.

Anderson was the only CCC member to vote against a funding measure last month that appropriated $5,555.95 to the Bobcats.

All requests for ASUA club funding must be approved by a seven-member Appropriations Board and pass through the CCC, a body made up of representatives from ASUA's executive and legislative branches.

Although funding for Bobcats seemed like a routine appropriation to a group that annually organizes significant campus-wide events, the Bobcats received nearly double what they were given last year and one-eighth of the total club funding budget, while other clubs are losing funding because of ASUA budget cuts.

This year, after a budget cut of $23,800 in club funding, ASUA allocated $74,200 for clubs. Less money to work with means the Associated Students are giving less funding to certain clubs.

Amidst rumors that $10,000 will be cut from club sports, Erin Russell, vice president for clubs and organizations, said the Associated Students have made no final decisions about where budget cuts will occur.

"It won't necessarily affect every club in the same way," Russell said. "We really don't know what will happen yet."

Russell, who is also a member of Bobcats, said clubs are funded on a case-by-case basis, considering the size of the club's membership and their overall service to the campus community.

She said Bobcats was granted its full request for funding because of the benefits they provide each year to the campus community.

However, under the same set of criteria, many clubs this year have been given far less than they requested.

KAMP Student Radio, which provides year-round programming, numerous community service events and free concerts, was recently given only 28 percent of its total funding request to put on a free concert open to the campus and Tucson community.

Marc Gurstel, general manager for KAMP, said he is upset that ASUA could give so much to Bobcats while giving so little to other groups.

He said Homecoming is a great event, but KAMP also provides great benefits to the entire campus community.

"For them to give that kind of money to Bobcats is kind of disappointing," Gurstel said.

Some ASUA officials said they feel that Bobcats was given the full amount because of sneaky tactics in their presentation to the Appropriations Board.

In the CCC meeting, Sen. Anderson said he was concerned that some of the Appropriations Board mem-bers had been swayed by their desires to become Bobcats members in the future.

Shamini Oza, a member of the Appropriations Board, said she does not have any desire to become a Bobcat, but said she could not speak for the other members of the board. Oza abstained from voting on the matter because she said she did not know enough about Homecoming or the Bobcats.

Samuel Ng, vice chairman of the Appropriations Board, refused to comment.

Senate Chairman Gilbert Davidson, also a Bobcat member, was among three club representatives who met with the Appropriations Board Oct. 14 to request funding.

Davidson said his status as a high-ranking ASUA official should not have affected the amount of money that was appropriated to Bobcats.

"If they are influenced by my position, they are not doing their job," he said.

Also, in past years, Bobcats requests for ASUA funding have gone to cover the costs of advertising and the Department of Facilities Management's services for Homecoming. The request for advertising has traditionally been cut, while the Bobcats are usually granted their full request for the fixed costs of Facilities Management.

This year, Bobcats entire funding request was designated for Facilities Management.

Sen. Anderson said the Bobcats were wise to transfer the entire request to Facilities Management. He said it is more difficult for the Appropriations Board to shave money from fixed costs.

"You can't really fund half a stage or half a carpenter," he explained.

Russell disagreed, saying the Bobcats requested funding for Facilities Management because they felt that was the aspect of Homecoming that has the most direct effect on the students. She said this change in their traditional request was not a ploy to get more money.

Russell said the way a club breaks down its funding request has nothing to do with the amount of money it is given.

"Bobcats wasn't trying to pull one over on the Appro-priations Board," she said.

Anderson said the Alumni Association should have made a larger contribution because of ASUA's current financial problems.

"That was way too much money to give to a club of just 13 people," he said. "I was disappointed to see such a large chunk of our budget given away on one expenditure."

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