Rainbow Alliance and SGB clash over funding

Members of Rainbow Alliance expressed concern Tuesday night that they were miscommunicating… Members of Rainbow Alliance expressed concern Tuesday night that they were miscommunicating with Student Government Board over budget requests.

SGB members responded by saying that they’d like to see the group’s members meet with them more consistently.

Members of Rainbow Alliance approached SGB at the board’s meeting Tuesday night, because they were confused as to why some of their requests for funding had been deferred, meaning that they wouldn’t receive all of the money they requested at the moment but could reapply for it later.

Joseph Yarsky, president of Rainbow Alliance, said he felt the board had ‘failed to properly support’ the group and its purpose by deferring the funding for two speakers.

‘I just want to better understand the rationale behind these cuts,’ said Yarsky. ‘I just want answers to my questions.’

Rainbow Alliance was deferred funding twice for two of three speakers they hoped to host at events later in the year. In the past, the group has received funding for three speakers per semester.

Multiple Rainbow Alliance members said they are confused as to why funding has been deferred at this point. Now, because of the recent deferments, Rainbow Alliance cannot resubmit the appeal until July 1.

Board member Lance Bonner explained that the money had been deferred this particular time because there were no set dates and reservations for the events being held.

Board President Kevin Morrison, who was the allocations chair for last year’s SGB, agreed and said the board needed proof to approve the funding immediately.

‘As a former allocations chair, I know that every time we see TBA in a budget, we automatically think about deferring,’ said Morrison.

‘We can’t approve everything,’ he said. ‘We have to defer and deny. It’s the nature of our role.’

Nikolai Condee-Padunov, political action chair for Rainbow Alliance, said that the group would have to be guaranteed the funding before July 1 if it wanted to secure the speaker.

‘We’ve provided you with 50 to 60 pages of information,’ said Condee-Padunov. ‘This is four to five months of planning here. If you have questions, rather than defer the money, you should call us and ask us questions when there’s a misunderstanding.’

The discussion heated up when board member Max Greenwald said the group’s attendance depended only on the dissatisfaction with allocations requests and said it was unfair for groups to accuse the board of cutting funds based on lack of support.

‘Everything comes down to money,’ said Greenwald. ‘Money’s a big deal. If we don’t get it, we’re upset.’

Aaron Arnold, the former president for Rainbow Alliance, strongly disagreed with Greenwald’s comment and said the issue was much deeper than money for the organization.

‘This group gives so many people a sense of identity, a sense of history, a sense of self, a sense of belonging,’ said Arnold.

Arnold said the group had been denied funding for books, movies and condoms given out during World Aids week, all of which are vital to the group’s purpose.

Bonner then said the board has consistently denied funding for ‘personal gifts.’ Arnold responded by saying the condoms are not gifts, but are important to Pitt’s community.

Morrison declined to release to The Pitt News the allocations requests for Rainbow Alliance and other students groups. He’ said he was concerned that the paper’s readers would pass ‘undo judgment’ on student organizations based on their funding.