The first ASI meeting of the new semester touched on bike racks and Cal grants.
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ASI gets semester rolling
By Joel M. Ede
Sep 4, 2008
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fresno state students • Nov 24, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Breaking News: Embarrassment for CSU Fresno
Misuse of funds, Personal purchases, Extensive lies and cover-ups, Retaliation on a grand scale; These all sound like they are out of a Hollywood movie that is describing a corrupt government – but it is happening on our campus, right under our nose, to the expense of thousands of dollars of student fees.
Here is what is happening…
Yesterday, September 15, 2008, a secret Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), senate meeting was held in regards to the recent allegations against ASI President Mr. Mackee Mason and the Executive Vice President, Ms. Sandra Flores. These allegations include serving alcohol to minors, buying alcohol, and personal purchases with student funds. Even though the minutes to this meeting hasn̢۪t been revealed but our sources confirm another embarrassment for CSU Fresno.
First let us tell you who we are. We are a group of concerned students that value Fresno State and its potential. We are concerned about our student government and we do not want to tarnish its good name or give it a bad reputation. We are concerned about the misuse of student fees; fees that were earned by hard work and determination. We are all involved, to some degree, in many parts of the campus and its programs, and are very familiar with campus regulations and procedures.
For the past two years JP Moncayo, Stephen Trembley and Russel Statham did an incredible job governing our student body. They were loyal, dedicated and hard working. At the end of their term in office, Mackee Mason, Sandra Flores, and Lauren Johnson were elected into office. To this day there are still questions and suspicions surrounding Mason̢۪s campaign.
Immediately after being sworn into office on June 1st 2008 Mason and Flores began irreverently spending student funds. Included in this spending frenzy were purchases for a $431.89 and $593.85 personal cell phones, (for Mason and Flores), unnecessary and extravagant travel expenditures, (car rentals and hotel stays and unauthorized meals in restaurants – including ALCOHOL purchases), and a lavishly organized student retreat in Anaheim – including expensive passes to an Angel’s Baseball game and Disneyland – (totaling more than $8,000 just for the Anaheim trip). Mason’s purchases exceeded his $1,000 credit card spending limit per month – by $1,900 to a total of $3000- in the first month alone.
They have also been involved in illegal and highly inappropriate behavior – buying and drinking alcohol with underage CSUF students while on the Disneyland trip.
On the night of Thursday, July 24, 2008, around 10:30 PM, after celebrating Senate Secretary, Alexandra Andreotti̢۪s birthday with cake and merriment the foolishness began. A cake fight broke out and cake was strewn from one end of the hotel to the other. Soon after Briana McDonald, a Smittcamp Honor Student, and Marina (Mina) Carrillo (both ASI student assistants) gave Sandra Flores money to purchase alcohol for group. Flores and Mason bought 2 bottles of Vodka and brought it back to Mason̢۪s hotel room and consumed it with Ezra Payton, Briana McDonald, and Marina Carrillo. Both Flores and Mason were aware of the ages of the student assistants (Briana McDonald-19 and Marin Carrillo-18). The executives were also aware of the CSUF Policies and Procedures for Off Campus Events which clearly prohibits alcohol consumption at off campus events, let alone serving alcohol to underage minors. According to California law it is a criminal offense to provide any alcoholic beverage to a person under 21.
After a thorough investigation we found out that Mason and Flores seemed to really like the taste of alcohol. They bought alcohol on a number of different occasions with ASI funds and then lied about it when confronted. In fact during one of their trips, ESPN Zone, on June 13, 2008 they purchased and consumed alcohol themselves but tried to pass it off as if a CSU Fullerton student ordered the alcohol when according to the receipt, and the waitress (Nicole E.), there was only 2 guests at that table – Flores and Mason. This is only one example of many where Mason and Flores purchased alcohol with student funds.
As if this is not enough; Mason kept a rental car, unnecessarily and for personal use, for a total of 5 extra days. He also used his credit card to rent the car which is a direct violation of the ASI Corporate Credit Card Policy, (section 1). He also violated ASI CCP sections 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 numerous times.
You may be asking how this could have been going on without anyone finding out. Well, it didn̢۪t. The Executive Director of ASI, Annie Tremp, noticed the misuse of funds and immediately brought it to the attention of Debbie Astone (Executive Director of the Association), Dr. Carolyn Coon (Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students), and Rachel Viramontes (the Interim Human Resources Director of the Association). But instead of investigating the executives thoroughly and professionally Ms. Tremp was put on leave without any justifiable reason. Subsequently she was told that the executives didn̢۪t want her in the office; she was offered a severance package and if she didn̢۪t take it she would be fired.
Haven̢۪t we paid enough in wrongful termination lawsuits? Tremp̢۪s dismissal is going to be a blatant retaliation termination and we, the students, will have to pay another $10, $15, and $20 million dollars. It is just a matter of time before our student fees are increased to cover the costs of all of these legal battles. When are our administrators going to learn from their mistakes? Is this how we want our student body government executives to behave? Is that how we want our fees to be spent?
Today, Wednesday, September 17, 2008 there will be a student senate meeting at 4:00 pm in room USU 312-314. Mason, Flores and possibly Dr. Oliaro will be present at that meeting. Let̢۪s demand answers from our student government and our administrators. Since ASI is a non-profit organization, all ASI documents are public records and have to be released for inspection upon request also as a student and a member of ASI we are authorized to inspect the books.
This issue has been brought to the attention of Dr. Welty, Dr. Oliaro, Dr. Coon, Debbie Astone, and numerous others whom we thought would be in a position to deal with this. But we were repeatedly ignored and dismissed. We want our university to thrive and our student government to honestly and professionally represent students. Unfortunately a few bad apples have threatened to destroy and tarnish our good name.
Please help in any way you can.
Sincerely,
Fresno State Students
Linda Marie Balabin • Sep 17, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Very informative broadcast. Nicely presented. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more of Mr. Ede’s work.
Linda Marie Balabin • Sep 18, 2008 at 2:06 am
Very informative broadcast. Nicely presented. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more of Mr. Ede’s work.