Issues

The USG has a $2.34 million budget. This is an extraordinary amount of funding provided by nobody but you. Every student pays in a $30 student fee each semester to fund the USG and every student has a right to know where their money is being spent.

I will move to create a monthy expense report that is easily accessible and easy to read which outlines where every last cent of your money has been spent. Currently, the USG provides a spreadsheet giving a brief overview of where money has been allocated by department. This is not enough and this is not what accountability looks like with millions of dollars.

Senators have had over $33,000 earmarked for their salaries this year. I do not believe student government senators require a salary, therefore I pledge to donate my salary to a charity, until your student fees no longer end up in the pockets of USG senators. I will introduce and pass legislation to appropriate that funding for programs that benefit our community and student body.

I'm of the belief that most people, including those I disagree with, are fundamentally good people who are doing what they believe is best for others. Our best ideas are only born when we include all in the discussion and listen to each other with respect. I don't think it takes much humility to admit that nobody can be correct 100% of the time and those whom we may disagree with might have some of the right solutions to the problems which face us.

In this year's legislature, we've seen bills requiring the university to divest from the companies producing the weapons that our military uses to defend our nation, an affront to the thousands of students who plan on entering the defense industry, are currently enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and plan to serve our country, or are veterans who have proudly served our country.

We've also seen bills requiring the university to divest from any organization with ties to Israel, throwing into question whether Jewish student organizations can continue to receive support and funding from the university. This is no way to support our Jewish community.

By pledging to be a senator and advocate for all Sun Devils of every background, I pledge to keep politics and student government seperate.

Our veterans have proudly and selflessly served our country and many of them continue their education here at Arizona State. As an advocate for veteran students, I will create for a fund for veterans to access reimbursments for DSST exams. DSST exams are similar to CLEP and AP exams and offer veterans the ability to gain course credit for the knowledge they gained while serving.

As your senator, I will schedule time each week for you to bring up your concerns and ideas with me. Not only will it be my job to pass the initives I am running on and bring them to fruition--but to understand what is impacting you and how the USG can assist you.

I will bring up your concerns with the USG and with the university where needed, being an effective tool for you to improve your ASU experience.

The USG is plagued by bureaucracy and bureaucracy kills any organization. Want to apply for club funding? Currently, an officer from your club must attend an in-person appropriations training, with great uncertainty over whether your club will receive funds and how much you will recieve. Want to apply for travel funding? You must labor through hours of expense reports, and unnecessary forms. This is your money and I fundamentally believe that you have a right to easy access to the programs you have funded.

I will introduce legislation to streamline the process of applying for funding, and ensuring that you have ready access to the millions of dollars we have all contributed.

Additionally, the USG has not been accountable nor transparent this year. Emails routinely go unanswered, and it often takes weeks to get responses. The USG often times doesn't even follow its own rules. I will introduce legislation to impose penalties for salaried USG employees who do not perform their job with transparenty or a sense of timeliness. We will create a government that works for you!