By Wendy J. Allyn

Members of the Undergraduate Student Government Internal Affairs Committee say examining USG President Duane Sherman’s summer expenditures is the committee’s top priority.

IAC monitors USG spending according to USG constitutional rules. USG Senator Toby Trimmer, who is on the IAC, said, We are going to request those receipts from Duane. That is going to be our top priority.

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Senator Robert Irby, also an IAC member, said the committee will discuss the possibility of revising the USG constitution to limit executive spending without senate approval.

The senate tabled a mandate Wednesday which would have required a full disclosure of expenditures during the summer from the Student Organization Activity Fund.

Irby, who wrote the mandate, said since Sherman provided the senate with some information, it was best to table the issue, so senators had time to look it over.

Duane did provide some information, Irby said. I thought it was best to table it and look at that information and take it from there.

Although Sherman’s spending has been in accordance with current constitutional rules, Trimmer said some of it has been unnecessary.

Over the summer, Sherman spent $61 on a paper shredder, $130 on posters and frames, $25 on a wall clock and more on office supplies and decorations.

I can’t figure out, for the first time in years, why USG needs a paper shredder, Trimmer said. I’ve never even seen it.

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Trimmer described the posters Sherman purchased as bearing inspirational pictures and motivational messages.

I don’t know if those are the kinds of things USG needs to spend money on to motivate students, Trimmer said.

Sherman has said to senators that if they want to see spending receipts, they must come to his office personally. He said making copies of spending ledgers for senators would be inefficient.

Why do we have to go to Duane and look at it with him looking over our shoulder? Trimmer said. There’s obviously some questionable stuff there.

Sherman has received criticism that the money he spent on office materials at the end of the 1995 fiscal year could have gone to Registered Student Organizations. Sherman said sending the money back to RSO’s was unnecessary because the account for RSO’s has more money now than it did last year.

This year, the RSO’s are starting out with much more money than they had last year, Sherman said. The RSO’s are by no means hurting.

Sherman said his summer expenditures were appropriate because he said he felt the USG office contained nothing needed for this year. He said summer was the best time to order supplies because he had more time, not because the senate was absent.

I spent the money the way I felt was appropriate and in a way I felt was efficient for our office, Sherman said.

Sherman also said his expenditures are not out of line in comparison to past USG presidents.

Edwin Sawyer, former USG president, said Sherman has not done anything past presidents have not done.

We probably spent as much or more than Duane has, Sawyer said. It’s in line with past spending over the summer.