Iowa State clubs wanting funds from the Government of the Student Body have one cry: “Show me the money.”

One problem: The GSB Senate Discretionary Fund is tapped out.

The Educational Computing Club (TECC) found that out the hard way when GSB President Adam Gold vetoed a bill which would pay for airline tickets for four students to Orlando, Fla., on April 1-5. The students will attend the SITE ’97 conference, a technology, software and educational leadership conference.

This is the first time Gold has vetoed a funding bill. There are two other funding bills which were passed by the Senate and are awaiting Gold’s approval.

The bill, which asked for $826, was passed by the Senate at the Feb. 26 meeting by a vote of 24-2. That was when GSB still had money to allocate. Gold waited until March 6 to veto the bill. By then, the Senate was out of money.

The group plans to make a presentation at SITE ’97 on the success of TECC. SITE stands for Society for Information and Teacher Education. Keith Lyles, president of the two-year-old club, said he doesn’t understand the reason for a veto.

“They fund money for people to go to conferences and watch them, and we’re presenting at a national conference, and we can’t get funding. It doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Gold said he vetoed the bill based on what he heard from club members at the Feb. 26 Senate meeting. He said he decided the small amount of money left in the discretionary fund at the time could be better spent.

He said the group planned to make a two-hour presentation and stay four days. Gold also recalled that during the meeting club members said they planned to go to Disney World while in Orlando.

“I don’t think there’s any reason at all that students’ money should be used to send people to Disney World,” Gold said.

Lyles said group members went ahead and purchased their tickets after the Senate vote, on the assumption that the club would receive the funds.

“We decided we couldn’t wait any longer for buying tickets. We were running out of time. We had to make a decision, and we did,” he said.

Gold said the group members made a hasty decision.

“They should’ve never, ever, spent the money before it was given to them. They shouldn’t have been spending money before the check was released. Groups should never assume that the president is going to sign the bill,” he said.

The TECC members are trying to find alternative sources for funding. Lyles said they are going to ask John Kozak, ISU provost, and Dan Robinson, interim vice president for student affairs, for funds.

GSB Senator Jamey Hansen, who represents the College of Education, wrote the bill. He said he was upset that Gold did not talk to any TECC members or himself before deciding to veto the bill.

“I have no problem with him vetoing it. He had that right and I’ll defend that right. The way he did it, I believe, was very wrong. He never talked to me, and he never talked to members of TECC,” he said.

Hansen said Gold vetoed the bill on March 6, the day after the final GSB meeting before spring break, so the Senate would not be able to override his veto until two weeks later when GSB would be out of money.

“We’ll be moving to override the veto Wednesday, but it might not make a difference,” he said. “This is the only funding bill I put forth this year, and this is the only funding bill he vetoed this year,” he said.

Lyles said Gold most likely vetoed the bill because it was Hansen’s.

“I don’t know the whole story behind those two, but I do know there is a history behind them,” he said.

Gold said his relationship with Hansen did not impact his decision.

Regardless, club members now say they now have a major financial problem on their hands.

Lyles said he wishes Gold would have told group members about his decision sooner, so they would have been able to make other arrangements.

Gold said he didn’t have the responsibility to speak with anyone before vetoing a bill, and he made his decision based on what he heard at the Feb. 26 meeting.