Candidates cautious about donations

There are many people and organizations from whom candidates
running for the Undergraduate Students Association Council this
year seek support. But as far as monetary campaign contributions
are concerned, candidates are careful about accepting
donations.

Whether it is for ethical or political reasons, many USAC
candidates steer away from asking student groups for donations,
turning rather to friends and family for support.

“All my contributors are personal friends,” said
Allende Palma/Saracho, current USAC internal vice president and
presidential candidate for Students First!. “I have
supporters from different campus groups, but no donations from one
organization.”

Some candidates have moral qualms about accepting money from
groups funded by USAC.

Josh Lawson, general representative and presidential hopeful
under the Equal Access Coalition, said a “cycle” starts
once a slate accepts money from a USAC-funded organization.

“A student group gives money to a slate, candidates from
that slate get elected to office, and they provide more funding to
that student group,” Lawson said. “(Equal Access
Coalition) sees this as a corruption in the system.”

Matt Kaczmarek, USAC external vice president and a member of
Students First!, said many student groups are officially prohibited
from contributing to campaign funds.

Since much of the money these groups receive from USAC comes
from student fees, which cannot be used in campaigning, candidates
cannot accept any “official” donations from USAC-funded
student organizations.

“Most of the (campaign) money comes from individual
candidates,” Kaczmarek said.

Candidates, including Lawson, can vouch for this, as he has been
saving up with the knowledge that he would need to pay for much of
his own campaign.

“There are certain things, such as slate cards and
banners, that are covered by the slate,” Lawson said.
“But all personal campaigns are funded by personal
funds.”

Roy Samaan, the chairman of the election board, agreed that the
candidates should be responsible for their own funding.

“This is a campaign that you are running for yourself, so
it is expected that you put your own money in,” Samaan said.
“Groups can support you by numbers and
recommendation.”

Numbers and recommendations are exactly how some candidates plan
to garner support from student groups, leaving money out of the
picture.

“In terms of financial donations, I have not and do not
plan on accepting them,” said Peter Bautista, an independent
candidate running for financial supports commissioner. He added
that he has received a lot of support in terms of time and
labor.

Bautista aims to spend no money on his campaign, because he
plans to run one not based on mass fliers and banners, but rather
on “developing personal relationships with student
organizations.”

Candidates running unopposed are in a unique position, where
they do not need to seek out any contributions.

“I do not accept donations because if people are giving
their money away, there are much worthier causes than a campaign
that I have already, in essence, won,” said Jason Gaulton,
the only candidate running for campus events commissioner.

“It would just be foolish for me to (accept donations)
with so many others actually in need of the money,” he
added.