OSPIRG responds to recent allegations

 Last year, students at Southern Oregon University voted in favor of raising their incidental fee and keeping the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group on campus, but students at University of Oregon did not.

UO, once holder of the largest OSPIRG chapter in the state voted to defund the program after 38 years of history at the public research group.

According to the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee at UO, the program was cut because they were not convinced that students were getting their money’s worth.

“Principally they [OSPIRG] are not transparent,” Alex McCafferty, ACFC chairman, said.
McCafferty, who voted to cut OSPIRG added, “In some cases, they just plugged in numbers to various line items to fulfill some required budget items.”

T. Dane Carbaugh, publisher of the Oregon Commentator at UO wrote a letter to The Siskiyou last week claiming that SOU student fees were contributing money to an existing OSPIRG program at UO.

“That is completely incorrect,” Sara Westover, SOU-OSPIRG chapter chair said.
“It’s simply not true.

According to Westover, SOU student fee money is not going towards funding the OSPIRG program at UO.

The student fee money from SOU is allocated into the Student OSPIRG fund and it is a total of $2.75 per student, Westover said. “We hire professional staff to research issues students care about on their behalf,” she added.

Each month the all-student board of OSPIRG, made up of representatives from SOU and Lane Community College, meet to discuss funding, campaigns and issues that matter to students, Westover said.

No SOU or LCC funds are allocated to UO, she said.

After OSPIRG funding was cut from UO last year the OSPIRG board has made promoting the refunding towards their UO chaptr a priority. However, “Citizen PIRG pays for the recruiting office at UO,” Charles Denson, OSPIRG board chairman, said
In spring of 2009, the SOU Educational Advisory Committee denied OSPIRG funding.

“Last year, the student body responded overwhelmingly to the proposed cut,” Westover said. After the proposed cut was announced a referendum was developed; a student petition with over 700 signatures was composed to place OSPIRG on the ballot for a renewal of funds.

According to Westover, this was an example of what OSPIRG is about.
“One of our main premises is that we want students to take action,” Westover said. Of the 670 students that voted in the spring elections 411 voted in favor of funding OSPIRG. “Students overwhelmingly voted ‘yes.’”

As a student organization, OSPIRG is completely transparent, Westover claimed. OSPIRG submits an itemized budget for the year and encourages all concerned individuals to come to a core, board or EAAC meeting to understand the inner workings of the organization.

Both weekly core meetings on SOU campus and the monthly board meetings are completely open to students, Westover explained.

“We encourage students to come to the meetings.”

“We encourage people to come, bring their ideas and their concerns,” she said.

“This is the proper venue to address them.

Core meetings are every Monday at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Stevenson Union. The next board meeting will be Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Hannon Library, exact time and location to be announced Westover said.

In addition to working on multiple campaigns this year, the student chapters have two advocates, said Westover.

Jen Lavelle is a transit advocate. Lavelle petitions small business owners for support of clean, affordable transit. “That will show our politicians that Oregonians do care about environmental issues and are ready to make a change,” said Westover.

Dave Rosenfeld, OSPIRG executive director, advocates on nearly all campaigns, said Westover. Campaigns include fighting for affordable textbooks and healthcare, promoting global warming awareness and fighting hunger and homelessness, she said.

OSPIRG is open with their funding and want students to be involved in the process, said Westover. “OSPIRG is a group for the students and by the students,” she said.

“I think that it is unfortunate that a small group of individuals in espousing false claims.”