It is an oft-heard complaint from members of the student government that we, as students, do not recognize all that they do for us.

True, many actions of the Government of the Student Body go unnoticed, and that indeed is lamentable.

Take, for instance, the $306.60 that GSB allocated to the first annual crow hunt. You may not be aware that the crow population has decreased from 10,000 to 9,987 crows, but, according to one GSB senator, if the crow hunt helps one student not get pooped on, he has done his duty.

Let’s not forget all the free food that GSB gives us. (If by “free” you mean “not free,” that is.) Last fall, GSB planned to throw us a “free” student appreciation tailgate. Nothing says “I appreciate you” like our elected representatives taking our student fee money and returning it to us in the form of a hamburger.

When GSB later found $3,000 sitting in an account that no one knew about, some senators thought it ought to be used for “free” ice cream. One GSB senator commented, “We could give students ice cream every semester or we could help them, like help the travel club buy bikes.”

Clearly, because ice cream and bikes are the only two reasonable options.

Also in the “free” food category: $647.10 allocated in a bill entitled “Food for the Fasting.” Despite the self-contradictory title, the money was actually used for a fast-breaking meal.

My question: Why not use the money they saved by skipping lunch to buy dinner?

In addition to “free” food, GSB also allocates student fees to campus groups. Last fall, GSB gave the ISU Women’s Rugby Club $2,310 to buy new pads. Such a piddly amount upset one senator because the previous year, the club had been promised $3,000. She commented to the Daily, “I always hated Indian givers when I was a kid.” The GSB senator also happens to be a member of the ISU Women’s Rugby Club.

A bill that would have paid for lodging and parking for nine Big 12 Leadership Conference attendees (seven of whom were GSB members) was withdrawn. Not because it was so obviously self-serving, but because GSB does not normally pay for lodging.

Not that GSB is in danger of forgetting its own interests. GSB allocates itself the second-largest share of student fees, amounting to $137,000. As one senator points out, “GSB goes through the [allocation] process just like … the Badminton Club does.” Except the Badminton Club doesn’t get to be its own judge and jury.

Sadly, there are not many incentives for GSB to change its behavior, so please allow me to make some recommendations.

First, I do not think that it is too much to ask that those who reap the benefits of an activity be the ones who bear the costs.

It makes little sense to collect a bunch of money, hold lengthy emotional hearings and require an abundance of paperwork only to distribute the money back to student groups minus the costs of bureaucracy.

In the case that an event or service is deemed so beneficial to the student body as a whole, all advertisements should read “funded by students fees at the cost of X cents per student” instead of the usual “funded by GSB.”

Next, I propose that GSB’s by-laws be amended so that any projected budget surplus be divided evenly among all students who pay fees.

The shares — whether amounting to five cents or 10 dollars — should be deposited in the students’ checking accounts exactly one week before GSB Election Day.

Finally, we need more people to compete in GSB elections — people who are willing to hold the line on spending and voice their dissent.

Competition will do the most to foster better government.

The GSB election season begins this week. Get involved, get informed, and get student government back in shape.