2010 ASCMC Election Results

The campaigns are over, the ballots are in, and the votes have been voted. Each position — class presidents, dorm activities chair, social activities chair, social life chair, vice president, and president — was up for grabs, and there were over a dozen students running. Ladies and gentlemen of Claremont McKenna, we are pleased to announce the results from the 2010 ASCMC Elections.

ASCMC President-Runoff
Ben Kraus: 45%
* Tammy Phan: 51%

ASCMC President-First Ballot
Ben Kraus: 40%
Tammy Phan: 46%
Charles Johnson: 14%

ASCMC Vice President-RUNOFF
* Chris Jones: 59%
Harrison “Will” Kahn: 34%

ASCMC Vice President-First Ballot
Chris Jones: 48%
Andrew Cosentino: 24%
Harrison “Will” Kahn: 28%

Student Activity Chair
* Seth Winterroth: 52%
Matt Richardson: 48%

Student Life Council Chair
* Grace Cowan: 62%
Hannah Gordon: 38%

Dorm Activities Chair
* Alex Reichert: 73%
Nico Brancolini: 27%

Class of 2013 President
* Aditya Pai: 61.6%
Connor Barclay: 34%

Class of 2012 President -RUNOFF
Drew Oetting: 45%
* Taylon Johnson: 50.4%

Class of 2012 President-First Ballot
Drew Oetting: 35%
Taylon Johnson: 37%
Jason Soll: 26%
Other: 2%

Class of 2011 President
* Cara Daley: 95%
Gordon Biertsch: 5%

86%

14% of CMC is retarded.

Wunna

At least, have some balls and show your real name if you want to say something like that.
CMCer

I’ve heard it both ways. You could easily say 40% or 46% of CMC is retarded, since they only voted for a) their friends, or b) who is more popular. But hey, we’re supposed to be a classy campus, right?

Oh wait, not.

100%

100% of CMC thinks you’re an asshole
CMCer

Oh good one, 100%! I see what you did there. I don’t really care what happens either way, since ASCMC stays the same no matter what.

But see what I did? All I did was turn what 86% said around. Awww, did that hurt your poor widdle feelings?

How about you grow up, and learn how to be classy winners, or losers for that matter.

100%

chill out, i’m talking about the guy who called 14% of CMC retarded. It was a useless comment that only adds insult to injury. I actually agree with your comments CMCer

To be fair…

Ah, my apologies. It appeared under mine, I thought it was a response to me.

86%

14% of CMC is retarded.

Wunna

At least, have some balls and show your real name if you want to say something like that.
CMCer

I’ve heard it both ways. You could easily say 40% or 46% of CMC is retarded, since they only voted for a) their friends, or b) who is more popular. But hey, we’re supposed to be a classy campus, right?

Oh wait, not.

100%

100% of CMC thinks you’re an asshole
CMCer

Oh good one, 100%! I see what you did there. I don’t really care what happens either way, since ASCMC stays the same no matter what.

But see what I did? All I did was turn what 86% said around. Awww, did that hurt your poor widdle feelings?

How about you grow up, and learn how to be classy winners, or losers for that matter.

100%

chill out, i’m talking about the guy who called 14% of CMC retarded. It was a useless comment that only adds insult to injury. I actually agree with your comments CMCer

To be fair…

Ah, my apologies. It appeared under mine, I thought it was a response to me.

cMc

that was unclassy.
cMc

that was unclassy.
Actual numbers needed

Can we get actual vote totals?

Josh Siegel

We wrote them down and told the candidates but didn’t include them in this post.

Transparency

But will you be making them public?

Actual numbers needed

Can we get actual vote totals?

Josh Siegel

We wrote them down and told the candidates but didn’t include them in this post.

Transparency

But will you be making them public?

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

My statement on the race is here.

http://www.claremontconservative.com/2010/03/blessing-in-disguise.html
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

My statement on the race is here.

http://www.claremontconservative.com/2010/03/blessing-in-disguise.html
wb

congrats on the win pg, told you it was in the bag
wb

congrats on the win pg, told you it was in the bag
To be fair…

How many of you actually voted based on what the candidate supported, or would try to do, or just voted for your close friends? (In one case or so, I did, not that I’m proud of it). Kind of hypocritical of me to ask, but at such a big government/leadership school, shouldn’t we be bigger than that?

Just throwing that out there.

Kimberly M.

I voted for the candidates I thought would be most effective for student government. Let’s face it, someone who publicly slanders others and has NO ASCMC experience isn’t a good pick for running student government. Just because someone has a platform online doesn’t mean he can execute it.

I’m really happy with the way the elections turned out. Tammy Phan and Chris Jones know how ASCMC works and when I graduate I know the school is in good hands.

Not quite, Kim

Slander is a legal term, and I don’t think that even all you Charles-haters can say that he did anything up to that level.

Have you seen the way ASCMC’s been run lately? I think no ASCMC experience is a GOOD thing. Does nobody else forget that Tammy ran unopposed for Junior Class president?

Finally, CJ made two promises: that he would give people back their money (because he wouldn’t take room and board) and that he would negotiate bringing parking through Scripps. He was halfway through the negotiations with that and has given it to Aditya Pai to finish off. So basically, without being a candidate or even working in ASCMC, he gave us more than either candidate has ever.

Tammy made three promises: a kitchen in Claremont Hall, a network (which is probably illegal), and well, loving everything.

Sorry, I’d take a Robert Day scholar (probably successful company owner) and a guy who say what you want about him is obsessed with CMC, over someone who is a Lit major who just loves the school without knowing anything about it.
@ not quite kim

First off, Kim states that
“Just because someone has a platform online doesn’t mean he can execute it. ”

Your argument doesn’t even address this. There are proper channels and procedures one has to go through at ASCMC to get things done. Few decisions are unilateral and you need to get support from others. Nothing Charles has said indicates to me that he knows how to do this, or is even willing to work with others. His little tantrum after losing only solidified this viewpoint in my mind.

As for Scripps parking. We’ll see. From what I’ve gathered, he hasn’t negotiated anything and has only barely been in contact with one person. But since he lacks transparency and won’t say what he did and who he talked to, I’m going to have to go with what I’ve gathered over trusting him. But so far, he hasn’t done anything substantial so your point is moot.

And as for Tammy’s promises, a kitchen is easy, a network can be done and isn’t illegal, and I and many others prefer a candidate who loves the school unconditionally.

And as for the Lit major bias, unless you are an engineering major or a physics or chem major, or a really stupendous econ major, please get off of your high horse. We go to a liberal arts school for a reason, and this is to get broad knowledge. Any humanities major is qualified for the same types of jobs post grad as any other. We aren’t a finishing school, and your major really doesn’t matter as far as your career is concerned. If anything, I’d prefer someone with the creative skills they teach in Lit to the cut and dry analysis of a Robert Day Scholar, at least for student government. ASCMC’s main prerogative is not figuring out which datapoint gives the most utility. It is about balance, reaching out, and talking to other people and sharing in their ideas and making friendly criticisms. Does that sound more like an econ major or a lit major to you?
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@@not quite kim,

This is the last thing I’m going to say about the election unless someone completely misrepresents what I’ve written or said, in which case I will correct them.

I won’t bother dealing with the Lit major criticism because I don’t share it, but I would only say that I’m sorry to Ben Kraus because I think he is much smarter than I am and that I, at least put him as my number two, even if a large chunk of my voters did not. (They apparently declined to rank anyone after me.)

On the point about executing the office, we’ll never know, but yes, I met with both the Scripps treasurer and several members of the Dean of Students office. I handed off all that I had done to the re-elected freshman class president, who is going to run with it. Moreover, wouldn’t meeting with CFOs and former ASCMC presidents indicate a willingness to know how to get an agenda through? I’m aware that this isn’t a dictatorship, which was why I was trying to bring in more democracy through elections of ASCMC positions, rather than appointment. Hard to square that with whatever is being discussed before.

As for the unilateral point, I offered several candidates to come with me to those meetings, which they declined to do, citing time constraints. I’m perfectly willing and able to work well with others, which my record shows pretty well as a member of various clubs and a former editor of a major campus newspaper.

A kitchen is not easy. I’ve redone three of them in my day as part of summer or part time jobs. The estimated cost to redo a kitchen, fully furnished, is something on the order of $25,000, assuming low cost labor. Do you really think that CMC will let us have a kitchen in a dorm in a common area which is a wet dorm?Yeah, I don’t think so either. Moreover, would ASCMC really spend that much of a budget on a kitchen? Where would it go anyways in Claremont Hall? I have a hard time imagining it.

As for the network stuff, Pomona and Mudd have networks that are not run at all by their student governments. It seems likely that the attorney of ASCMC will likely put the hold on it because creating an ASCMC network exposes all of ASCMC to the potential lawsuit sure to follow. (Remember some CMCers have connections with the RIAA, anyways, so it’s not hard to imagine.) So it seems that if a network were to be built, it would be done by a CS major on his own initiative with his own cash. (And start up costs, ain’t cheap, hovering around $5,000.)

To be fair…

How many of you actually voted based on what the candidate supported, or would try to do, or just voted for your close friends? (In one case or so, I did, not that I’m proud of it). Kind of hypocritical of me to ask, but at such a big government/leadership school, shouldn’t we be bigger than that?

Just throwing that out there.

Kimberly M.

I voted for the candidates I thought would be most effective for student government. Let’s face it, someone who publicly slanders others and has NO ASCMC experience isn’t a good pick for running student government. Just because someone has a platform online doesn’t mean he can execute it.

I’m really happy with the way the elections turned out. Tammy Phan and Chris Jones know how ASCMC works and when I graduate I know the school is in good hands.

Not quite, Kim

Slander is a legal term, and I don’t think that even all you Charles-haters can say that he did anything up to that level.

Have you seen the way ASCMC’s been run lately? I think no ASCMC experience is a GOOD thing. Does nobody else forget that Tammy ran unopposed for Junior Class president?

Finally, CJ made two promises: that he would give people back their money (because he wouldn’t take room and board) and that he would negotiate bringing parking through Scripps. He was halfway through the negotiations with that and has given it to Aditya Pai to finish off. So basically, without being a candidate or even working in ASCMC, he gave us more than either candidate has ever.

Tammy made three promises: a kitchen in Claremont Hall, a network (which is probably illegal), and well, loving everything.

Sorry, I’d take a Robert Day scholar (probably successful company owner) and a guy who say what you want about him is obsessed with CMC, over someone who is a Lit major who just loves the school without knowing anything about it.
@ not quite kim

First off, Kim states that
“Just because someone has a platform online doesn’t mean he can execute it. ”

Your argument doesn’t even address this. There are proper channels and procedures one has to go through at ASCMC to get things done. Few decisions are unilateral and you need to get support from others. Nothing Charles has said indicates to me that he knows how to do this, or is even willing to work with others. His little tantrum after losing only solidified this viewpoint in my mind.

As for Scripps parking. We’ll see. From what I’ve gathered, he hasn’t negotiated anything and has only barely been in contact with one person. But since he lacks transparency and won’t say what he did and who he talked to, I’m going to have to go with what I’ve gathered over trusting him. But so far, he hasn’t done anything substantial so your point is moot.

And as for Tammy’s promises, a kitchen is easy, a network can be done and isn’t illegal, and I and many others prefer a candidate who loves the school unconditionally.

And as for the Lit major bias, unless you are an engineering major or a physics or chem major, or a really stupendous econ major, please get off of your high horse. We go to a liberal arts school for a reason, and this is to get broad knowledge. Any humanities major is qualified for the same types of jobs post grad as any other. We aren’t a finishing school, and your major really doesn’t matter as far as your career is concerned. If anything, I’d prefer someone with the creative skills they teach in Lit to the cut and dry analysis of a Robert Day Scholar, at least for student government. ASCMC’s main prerogative is not figuring out which datapoint gives the most utility. It is about balance, reaching out, and talking to other people and sharing in their ideas and making friendly criticisms. Does that sound more like an econ major or a lit major to you?
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@@not quite kim,

This is the last thing I’m going to say about the election unless someone completely misrepresents what I’ve written or said, in which case I will correct them.

I won’t bother dealing with the Lit major criticism because I don’t share it, but I would only say that I’m sorry to Ben Kraus because I think he is much smarter than I am and that I, at least put him as my number two, even if a large chunk of my voters did not. (They apparently declined to rank anyone after me.)

On the point about executing the office, we’ll never know, but yes, I met with both the Scripps treasurer and several members of the Dean of Students office. I handed off all that I had done to the re-elected freshman class president, who is going to run with it. Moreover, wouldn’t meeting with CFOs and former ASCMC presidents indicate a willingness to know how to get an agenda through? I’m aware that this isn’t a dictatorship, which was why I was trying to bring in more democracy through elections of ASCMC positions, rather than appointment. Hard to square that with whatever is being discussed before.

As for the unilateral point, I offered several candidates to come with me to those meetings, which they declined to do, citing time constraints. I’m perfectly willing and able to work well with others, which my record shows pretty well as a member of various clubs and a former editor of a major campus newspaper.

A kitchen is not easy. I’ve redone three of them in my day as part of summer or part time jobs. The estimated cost to redo a kitchen, fully furnished, is something on the order of $25,000, assuming low cost labor. Do you really think that CMC will let us have a kitchen in a dorm in a common area which is a wet dorm?Yeah, I don’t think so either. Moreover, would ASCMC really spend that much of a budget on a kitchen? Where would it go anyways in Claremont Hall? I have a hard time imagining it.

As for the network stuff, Pomona and Mudd have networks that are not run at all by their student governments. It seems likely that the attorney of ASCMC will likely put the hold on it because creating an ASCMC network exposes all of ASCMC to the potential lawsuit sure to follow. (Remember some CMCers have connections with the RIAA, anyways, so it’s not hard to imagine.) So it seems that if a network were to be built, it would be done by a CS major on his own initiative with his own cash. (And start up costs, ain’t cheap, hovering around $5,000.)

bigchris1313

I tend to shy away from the word “classy.” It too often connotes that the speaker–however paradoxically–lacks class. He at best comes off as ironic and at worst appears an arriviste.
bigchris1313

I tend to shy away from the word “classy.” It too often connotes that the speaker–however paradoxically–lacks class. He at best comes off as ironic and at worst appears an arriviste.
concerned speller

it’s actually spelled Gordon Biersch. jeeze, ASCMC. way to be on top of your game. not.

julie hailue

i made a not joke!
To be fair…

Zing!

concerned speller

it’s actually spelled Gordon Biersch. jeeze, ASCMC. way to be on top of your game. not.

julie hailue

i made a not joke!
To be fair…

Zing!

Concerned

I would just like to point out that many overlook a few key parts of Charles’ campaign. Firstly many of his campaign goals are not possible. Firstly, on the note of giving back $20,000, he would not have that money to give back. Lets break the sources of that money:
1) Room and board: half of this is provided by the school (through DOS) so he would not have access to that money, even if he chose not to accept it.
2) Presidents fund: while higher some years this fund has not been can run as low as a couple hundred dollars and DOES NOT run into the thousands
I don’t know how Charles got the $20,000 number, but IT IS WRONG

In addition, Charles overstates the powers of the president with many of his campaign promises: The ASCMC president is not a dictator, and can make no unilateral spending decisions besides the allocation of the President’s fund. For example Charles’ rebates are legally dubious. Did he check with a lawyer and properly read over the ASCMC constitution? Obviously NOT.

Overall, Charles made many poorly researched campaign promises which should be taken into account as a part of this discussion.

To be fair…

LAWL. You just got pwned by Charles.

Concerned

I would just like to point out that many overlook a few key parts of Charles’ campaign. Firstly many of his campaign goals are not possible. Firstly, on the note of giving back $20,000, he would not have that money to give back. Lets break the sources of that money:
1) Room and board: half of this is provided by the school (through DOS) so he would not have access to that money, even if he chose not to accept it.
2) Presidents fund: while higher some years this fund has not been can run as low as a couple hundred dollars and DOES NOT run into the thousands
I don’t know how Charles got the $20,000 number, but IT IS WRONG

In addition, Charles overstates the powers of the president with many of his campaign promises: The ASCMC president is not a dictator, and can make no unilateral spending decisions besides the allocation of the President’s fund. For example Charles’ rebates are legally dubious. Did he check with a lawyer and properly read over the ASCMC constitution? Obviously NOT.

Overall, Charles made many poorly researched campaign promises which should be taken into account as a part of this discussion.

To be fair…

LAWL. You just got pwned by Charles.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

Hard to know where to begin there, with the misinformation. At the very least, I was a candidate that offered to take no ASCMC money, which I’m very proud of. As to your more substantive points,

1. I actually spoke with someone in the DOS office about my campaign promise to refund my own money. They said it was entirely possible and that it has been done before.

2. It was 8000 dollars two or threes ago and has gone up to that before in the late 1990s. It may be lower now, but I wanted to push for an amendment that would bar it. (It’s much easier to secure a constitutional amendment than I initially thought.)

3. I didn’t say that it was a unilateral decision, only that I would fight for cutting things back like the Yearbook. I never said that I had that power.

4. I actually did both. The lawyer said that I could even get a taxable deduction if I offered to donate my room and board allotment to ASCMC, which I also considered doing. I also consulted with three former CFOs and two former ASCMC presidents.
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

Hard to know where to begin there, with the misinformation. At the very least, I was a candidate that offered to take no ASCMC money, which I’m very proud of. As to your more substantive points,

1. I actually spoke with someone in the DOS office about my campaign promise to refund my own money. They said it was entirely possible and that it has been done before.

2. It was 8000 dollars two or threes ago and has gone up to that before in the late 1990s. It may be lower now, but I wanted to push for an amendment that would bar it. (It’s much easier to secure a constitutional amendment than I initially thought.)

3. I didn’t say that it was a unilateral decision, only that I would fight for cutting things back like the Yearbook. I never said that I had that power.

4. I actually did both. The lawyer said that I could even get a taxable deduction if I offered to donate my room and board allotment to ASCMC, which I also considered doing. I also consulted with three former CFOs and two former ASCMC presidents.
For the record

I suppose it helps to be able to turn down room and board when you are already on a full scholarship from Questbridge.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

I’m not on a full scholarship through Questbridge. In fact, I pay $26,000 a year. I received Questbridge finalist status, meaning I was poor enough to qualify for the program, but I did not “match” with any school. My, oh my, there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

For the record

I suppose it helps to be able to turn down room and board when you are already on a full scholarship from Questbridge.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

I’m not on a full scholarship through Questbridge. In fact, I pay $26,000 a year. I received Questbridge finalist status, meaning I was poor enough to qualify for the program, but I did not “match” with any school. My, oh my, there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

Concerned

I’ll respond to your points in order:

1) What you are basically doing then is donating money to CMC not refunding money that already belonged to ASCMC, (aka $ from student fees). My point here is that you are not refunding money that originated as student fees. Kudos to you though for wanting to donate your own money to ASCMC/your fellow students!

2) Just checked, and this number is $5500, not $8000. (All you had to do was ask Chris Jones instead of presidents from the past whose ASCMC knowledge is, at best, somewhat dated.)

3) You publicly denounced the viability of the the other candidates’ proposals yet when you make a proposal, you say that it is just something that you would support, without commenting on how realistic your ideas are. (Do you really think that nobody has tried in the past to secure parking spots in scripps’ new garage for CMC students?)

4) I also spoke with a lawyer who believes that direct refunds to students from ASCMC would be complicated, if possible at all because of the way that ASCMC receives its funding (ie-one deposit from CMC, not 1200 deposits directly from the students). This money could then, theoretically be taxed (which sucks)

Unlike many people, I am not arguing that you ran a bad campaign, just that you had some parts of your campaign platform which are not plausible nor realistic. (Much in the same way that you attacked some of Tammy’s campaign proposals for being unrealistic). I hope that you will try to work with ASCMC officers, rather than attacking them, so that we can continue to improve our school!
Concerned

I’ll respond to your points in order:

1) What you are basically doing then is donating money to CMC not refunding money that already belonged to ASCMC, (aka $ from student fees). My point here is that you are not refunding money that originated as student fees. Kudos to you though for wanting to donate your own money to ASCMC/your fellow students!

2) Just checked, and this number is $5500, not $8000. (All you had to do was ask Chris Jones instead of presidents from the past whose ASCMC knowledge is, at best, somewhat dated.)

3) You publicly denounced the viability of the the other candidates’ proposals yet when you make a proposal, you say that it is just something that you would support, without commenting on how realistic your ideas are. (Do you really think that nobody has tried in the past to secure parking spots in scripps’ new garage for CMC students?)

4) I also spoke with a lawyer who believes that direct refunds to students from ASCMC would be complicated, if possible at all because of the way that ASCMC receives its funding (ie-one deposit from CMC, not 1200 deposits directly from the students). This money could then, theoretically be taxed (which sucks)

Unlike many people, I am not arguing that you ran a bad campaign, just that you had some parts of your campaign platform which are not plausible nor realistic. (Much in the same way that you attacked some of Tammy’s campaign proposals for being unrealistic). I hope that you will try to work with ASCMC officers, rather than attacking them, so that we can continue to improve our school!
@Concerned

Right. So you just checked with a lawyer and Chris Jones (Who?!!)

Charles spoke to a lawyer, and former CFO’s and presidents even before he began his campaign.

I want to know who else took the time and effort to do that.

On one hand, the other two candidates didn’t go to negotiate parking on invitation. Heck, they didn’t even answer questionnaires sent by campus bloggers.

And on the other hand, we have a candidate who consulted everyone from the DOS, to real lawyers even before he began his campaign. He had something real to offer. He didn’t get a chance…
@Concerned

Right. So you just checked with a lawyer and Chris Jones (Who?!!)

Charles spoke to a lawyer, and former CFO’s and presidents even before he began his campaign.

I want to know who else took the time and effort to do that.

On one hand, the other two candidates didn’t go to negotiate parking on invitation. Heck, they didn’t even answer questionnaires sent by campus bloggers.

And on the other hand, we have a candidate who consulted everyone from the DOS, to real lawyers even before he began his campaign. He had something real to offer. He didn’t get a chance…
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@Concerned,

I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but I can’t resist.

Actually, no one is under any obligation to accept a reward for their work. (What do you think an unpaid internship is?) You can technically work for free, which past ASCMC presidents have done. (At one point the school abolished room and board for presidents and then reestablished it because of the opportunity cost of being an RA. Seeing as I thought it would unlikely I would ever be giving RA, I didn’t think it would be much of well, err… an opportunity.)

In the past, ASCMC has actually cut checks to students when it had retained earnings. (It did just that under the administration of Ryder Todd Smith, but I should be clear ASCMC presidents did not receive room and board at the time.)

The money is actually supposed to be taxed — which is why it is listed as a form of compensation on the tax forms of ASCMC — and well, now that the campaign is over with, I guess I can tell you that I didn’t want to take the money for tax reasons. (It would have pushed me into another bracket, which I didn’t want.) I also liked the image of a rebate because it would likely be used for booze and ASCMC would stop itself from being legally funding booze itself. I wouldn’t have bought crappy keg beer, but given that money back to students to spend as they saw fit. And as a few friends can attest — they drove me — I went to a few local liquor stores to obtain a ASCMC discount so that we could have a preferred buyer, which would have meant more booze available to ASCMC members who choose to drink.

On the point about receiving the money, it is possible to actually transfer it directly or, rather, just to stop the transfer from occurring in the first place, earmarking that entire budget as a president’s special fund and then disbursing it as I saw fit. (Which would have meant a rebate.)

As for the money in the special fund, I’m pretty sure when Brad Walters was president it was at 8000. I’m sorry if it was 5500. Regardless, that money is now going to be spent, instead of returned to the students.

Anyone wondering about a kitchen, I’m checking with several contractors on Monday for bids a kitchen in Claremont Hall. The current value is estimated at around $50,000 + or – 5k, so I was wrong when I said it could be done for 25k. Seems hard to imagine ASCMC appropriating that kind of an expenditure, when it would constitute nearly a fourth of the not already promised budget for next year.

I’m already working with ASCMC officers to currently overturn the Facebook ban and I gave my work on freshmen parking over to Aditya Pai. I’d love to work with ASCMC to be more efficient and more accountable, but I also have an obligation to point out when it isn’t. And yes, I do enjoy it when people comment on my site because I get a cut for that…

Brad Walters

“As for the money in the special fund, I’m pretty sure when Brad Walters was president it was at 8000. I’m sorry if it was 5500.”

My fund had $300 in it. In the several years prior to my term, presidents’ funds tended to have $500 in them. I didn’t accept this much, because I couldn’t see a use for it. I used my fund to offer small gifts to people who had volunteered their time for ASCMC and CMC more generally over the previous year.

I tend to shy away from blatantly insulting you, Charles, because I don’t genuinely know you. I hear more about you than I care to hear, because you invite ridicule, but I don’t truly know you. In the last few days, however, you’ve made clear that you have more than earned your ridicule, and that it’s only appropriate to add to it.

You’re a self-righteous, long-winded, irritating ass who rarely has as much information or knowledge as you think. In this case, as with so many others, you don’t have the requisite information to make your assertions. In the future, I ask that you keep your damn mouth shut in such cases.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@Brad Walters,

Forgive me for being misinformed about your tenure, but I seem to remember you giving a lot of money to plays that had few, if any CMC students in them. I assume that this money came from the president’s special fund. I regret the error. Maybe you can direct me to a spreadsheet or something where I can see every year’s accounted for dollar expenditure on a president’s special fund so I don’t have to take your word for it?

As for the rest of it, such eloquence in your attacks one me! I suppose it’s better than the time you compared the CC to a car wreck and called it “ridiculous.” And if I’m self-righteous, I wonder, if this might be an instance of the pot calling the kettle black? Careful there!
Brad Walters

Charles,

I’ve forwarded you the budget that shows the president’s fund line item. You’ll notice that it actually reflects a budget of $100.00. As of mid-year, I hadn’t seen a need to use any of my budget, so I asked the Budget Committee to put $200.00 of it back into the general fund. I used the $100.00 later in the year for the previously-mentioned purchases.

Your memory seems a bit flawed, Charles, as I gave no money to plays. In fact, my fund did not provide anything to any performing arts group. Perhaps you’re thinking of the time I worked with a cappella groups to provide the entertainment necessary to reinstate Madrigal. The Budget Committee created a line item from retained earnings to pay for that. Your memory with regard to ASCMC is seriously flawed, so stop making assertions based on it.

For the sake of clarity for other readers: the end of Charles’s comment references a Facebook note I posted on my private profile three years ago, in which I mocked my friends for hating Charles’s blog, but continuing to read it. Charles — ever a self-centered and reactionary guy — fired off an angry and public response. I privately emailed him to clarify the purpose of the post, emphasizing its private nature, and politely requesting that he take down his post. I was content to keep the nonexistent “spat” private. Charles, who emphasized his desire to–I quote– “put this situation behind us” has just shown how little he’s matured since his freshman year.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@Concerned,

I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but I can’t resist.

Actually, no one is under any obligation to accept a reward for their work. (What do you think an unpaid internship is?) You can technically work for free, which past ASCMC presidents have done. (At one point the school abolished room and board for presidents and then reestablished it because of the opportunity cost of being an RA. Seeing as I thought it would unlikely I would ever be giving RA, I didn’t think it would be much of well, err… an opportunity.)

In the past, ASCMC has actually cut checks to students when it had retained earnings. (It did just that under the administration of Ryder Todd Smith, but I should be clear ASCMC presidents did not receive room and board at the time.)

The money is actually supposed to be taxed — which is why it is listed as a form of compensation on the tax forms of ASCMC — and well, now that the campaign is over with, I guess I can tell you that I didn’t want to take the money for tax reasons. (It would have pushed me into another bracket, which I didn’t want.) I also liked the image of a rebate because it would likely be used for booze and ASCMC would stop itself from being legally funding booze itself. I wouldn’t have bought crappy keg beer, but given that money back to students to spend as they saw fit. And as a few friends can attest — they drove me — I went to a few local liquor stores to obtain a ASCMC discount so that we could have a preferred buyer, which would have meant more booze available to ASCMC members who choose to drink.

On the point about receiving the money, it is possible to actually transfer it directly or, rather, just to stop the transfer from occurring in the first place, earmarking that entire budget as a president’s special fund and then disbursing it as I saw fit. (Which would have meant a rebate.)

As for the money in the special fund, I’m pretty sure when Brad Walters was president it was at 8000. I’m sorry if it was 5500. Regardless, that money is now going to be spent, instead of returned to the students.

Anyone wondering about a kitchen, I’m checking with several contractors on Monday for bids a kitchen in Claremont Hall. The current value is estimated at around $50,000 + or – 5k, so I was wrong when I said it could be done for 25k. Seems hard to imagine ASCMC appropriating that kind of an expenditure, when it would constitute nearly a fourth of the not already promised budget for next year.

I’m already working with ASCMC officers to currently overturn the Facebook ban and I gave my work on freshmen parking over to Aditya Pai. I’d love to work with ASCMC to be more efficient and more accountable, but I also have an obligation to point out when it isn’t. And yes, I do enjoy it when people comment on my site because I get a cut for that…

Brad Walters

“As for the money in the special fund, I’m pretty sure when Brad Walters was president it was at 8000. I’m sorry if it was 5500.”

My fund had $300 in it. In the several years prior to my term, presidents’ funds tended to have $500 in them. I didn’t accept this much, because I couldn’t see a use for it. I used my fund to offer small gifts to people who had volunteered their time for ASCMC and CMC more generally over the previous year.

I tend to shy away from blatantly insulting you, Charles, because I don’t genuinely know you. I hear more about you than I care to hear, because you invite ridicule, but I don’t truly know you. In the last few days, however, you’ve made clear that you have more than earned your ridicule, and that it’s only appropriate to add to it.

You’re a self-righteous, long-winded, irritating ass who rarely has as much information or knowledge as you think. In this case, as with so many others, you don’t have the requisite information to make your assertions. In the future, I ask that you keep your damn mouth shut in such cases.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

@Brad Walters,

Forgive me for being misinformed about your tenure, but I seem to remember you giving a lot of money to plays that had few, if any CMC students in them. I assume that this money came from the president’s special fund. I regret the error. Maybe you can direct me to a spreadsheet or something where I can see every year’s accounted for dollar expenditure on a president’s special fund so I don’t have to take your word for it?

As for the rest of it, such eloquence in your attacks one me! I suppose it’s better than the time you compared the CC to a car wreck and called it “ridiculous.” And if I’m self-righteous, I wonder, if this might be an instance of the pot calling the kettle black? Careful there!
Brad Walters

Charles,

I’ve forwarded you the budget that shows the president’s fund line item. You’ll notice that it actually reflects a budget of $100.00. As of mid-year, I hadn’t seen a need to use any of my budget, so I asked the Budget Committee to put $200.00 of it back into the general fund. I used the $100.00 later in the year for the previously-mentioned purchases.

Your memory seems a bit flawed, Charles, as I gave no money to plays. In fact, my fund did not provide anything to any performing arts group. Perhaps you’re thinking of the time I worked with a cappella groups to provide the entertainment necessary to reinstate Madrigal. The Budget Committee created a line item from retained earnings to pay for that. Your memory with regard to ASCMC is seriously flawed, so stop making assertions based on it.

For the sake of clarity for other readers: the end of Charles’s comment references a Facebook note I posted on my private profile three years ago, in which I mocked my friends for hating Charles’s blog, but continuing to read it. Charles — ever a self-centered and reactionary guy — fired off an angry and public response. I privately emailed him to clarify the purpose of the post, emphasizing its private nature, and politely requesting that he take down his post. I was content to keep the nonexistent “spat” private. Charles, who emphasized his desire to–I quote– “put this situation behind us” has just shown how little he’s matured since his freshman year.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

Thank you for your email, Brad, but it is you that is seriously mistaken, for reasons I lay out in my response to you. Part of which I have copied it here:

I will stop mentioning the statement about $8000 for the president’s fund, even though I think we both know that this budget isn’t “real” in the sense that it doesn’t reflect real values in proper sealed off budgets. You know as well as I do that there was gross political patronage for several play groups, including On The Loose and Under the Lights. I was told, perhaps erroneously, that a lot of those funds were provided and encouraged by you through Senate and that explained why the president’s special fund wasn’t as large. That budget, is, as I notice down below, horrifically over budget — or alternatively, if I am reading it incorrectly, has retained earnings in excess of $78,000. Either way, it reflects a lack of prudence on your part. And that’s not even mentioning the money that went unaccounted for at Monte Carlo under your watch.

dumb

“gross political patronage for several play groups, including On The Loose …”

I stopped reading at that point. God you are stupid.
Brad Walters

Charles,

On the Loose is a group that supports and plans outdoor activities.

The budget for Under the Lights was, during my term, precisely what it had been for at least the previous two years. This was exactly enough to put on the two major productions they do each year. As president of the club, I requested a budget increase, to account for increased costs from our staging vendors, but the budgeting committee denied my request (yes, the same committee of which I was chairman). Does this qualify as “gross political patronage” in your mind?

I don’t know which budget you’re referencing with regard to being over-budget or with retained earnings (as I hope you know, these are in fact, opposite situations, so I’m not sure how you have them confused). We did, in fact, have approximately $78,000 in retained earnings from the previous administration. We analyzed previous years’ budgets to learn where money was used most effectively, and redistributed the $78,000 to those funds. We also slashed 5-C club budgets by 35%, because we had plenty of evidence that they did not sufficiently support activities for CMC students.

You pretend to know quite a bit about ASCMC, but your facts are often wrong, largely because they’re based on rumors and grumblings in the community with which you choose to surround yourself. You can continue to make unfounded assertions about ASCMC budgets, but I will continue to refute them with facts. I mean, come on… it’s difficult to take you seriously when you accuse my budget of being 27 times what it was and refer to gross political patronage for arts clubs that aren’t even arts clubs.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

Thank you for your email, Brad, but it is you that is seriously mistaken, for reasons I lay out in my response to you. Part of which I have copied it here:

I will stop mentioning the statement about $8000 for the president’s fund, even though I think we both know that this budget isn’t “real” in the sense that it doesn’t reflect real values in proper sealed off budgets. You know as well as I do that there was gross political patronage for several play groups, including On The Loose and Under the Lights. I was told, perhaps erroneously, that a lot of those funds were provided and encouraged by you through Senate and that explained why the president’s special fund wasn’t as large. That budget, is, as I notice down below, horrifically over budget — or alternatively, if I am reading it incorrectly, has retained earnings in excess of $78,000. Either way, it reflects a lack of prudence on your part. And that’s not even mentioning the money that went unaccounted for at Monte Carlo under your watch.

dumb

“gross political patronage for several play groups, including On The Loose …”

I stopped reading at that point. God you are stupid.
Brad Walters

Charles,

On the Loose is a group that supports and plans outdoor activities.

The budget for Under the Lights was, during my term, precisely what it had been for at least the previous two years. This was exactly enough to put on the two major productions they do each year. As president of the club, I requested a budget increase, to account for increased costs from our staging vendors, but the budgeting committee denied my request (yes, the same committee of which I was chairman). Does this qualify as “gross political patronage” in your mind?

I don’t know which budget you’re referencing with regard to being over-budget or with retained earnings (as I hope you know, these are in fact, opposite situations, so I’m not sure how you have them confused). We did, in fact, have approximately $78,000 in retained earnings from the previous administration. We analyzed previous years’ budgets to learn where money was used most effectively, and redistributed the $78,000 to those funds. We also slashed 5-C club budgets by 35%, because we had plenty of evidence that they did not sufficiently support activities for CMC students.

You pretend to know quite a bit about ASCMC, but your facts are often wrong, largely because they’re based on rumors and grumblings in the community with which you choose to surround yourself. You can continue to make unfounded assertions about ASCMC budgets, but I will continue to refute them with facts. I mean, come on… it’s difficult to take you seriously when you accuse my budget of being 27 times what it was and refer to gross political patronage for arts clubs that aren’t even arts clubs.

http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

You’re also selectively copying from the email: here it is in its entirety. You’ll notice that it wasn’t my post that argued against you, but Dan O’Toole’s:

Brad,

I appreciate your response.

I understand your frustration that we would respond to a rant you did on Facebook, but I think it’s fair game.

After all, you are President of ASCMC, a position which confers upon you a great deal of respect. When the President of an organization says what can be perceived as mean-spirited things about another organization, it carries that much more weight than if an everyday citizen did it. Many of the people who are your friends are also my friends and so it makes it that much more difficult. How “private” is Facebook really?

I don’t mind you having an opinion on something you admittedly have not read, but I think you could have worded everything much more carefully. I also think it’s odd that you take the phrase “friend” literally on Facebook, but then dismiss some of the more colorful language you use as nothing more than gentle mocking. I don’t exactly buy it.

That said, I appreciate your decision to take the rant down and think it was for the best that Dan took down his post.

I hope we can all put this situation behind us.

Be well,
http://claremontconservative.com Charles C. Johnson

You’re also selectively copying from the email: here it is in its entirety. You’ll notice that it wasn’t my post that argued against you, but Dan O’Toole’s:

Brad,

I appreciate your response.

I understand your frustration that we would respond to a rant you did on Facebook, but I think it’s fair game.

After all, you are President of ASCMC, a position which confers upon you a great deal of respect. When the President of an organization says what can be perceived as mean-spirited things about another organization, it carries that much more weight than if an everyday citizen did it. Many of the people who are your friends are also my friends and so it makes it that much more difficult. How “private” is Facebook really?

I don’t mind you having an opinion on something you admittedly have not read, but I think you could have worded everything much more carefully. I also think it’s odd that you take the phrase “friend” literally on Facebook, but then dismiss some of the more colorful language you use as nothing more than gentle mocking. I don’t exactly buy it.

That said, I appreciate your decision to take the rant down and think it was for the best that Dan took down his post.

I hope we can all put this situation behind us.

Be well,
Poo-Poo Muchacha

Brad,

It’s futile.

From a Claremont Conservative post date 3/5 in regard to Delahunt’s retirement:

“it gives me a lot of pleasure to say that I was right”

Something is deeply wrong with this kid and it seems that the best we can do is pat him on the head and keep him away from sharp objects.

He’s kind of like the the infant in the backseat with the plastic toy steering wheel who insists that he is in control of the vehicle — you just kind of have to let him think he’s right so he’ll be quiet.

Brad Walters

Probably good advice.
Josh Siegel

Hahahhaha. I hope this was time well spent for you, Brad.

Poo-Poo Muchacha

Brad,

It’s futile.

From a Claremont Conservative post date 3/5 in regard to Delahunt’s retirement:

“it gives me a lot of pleasure to say that I was right”

Something is deeply wrong with this kid and it seems that the best we can do is pat him on the head and keep him away from sharp objects.

He’s kind of like the the infant in the backseat with the plastic toy steering wheel who insists that he is in control of the vehicle — you just kind of have to let him think he’s right so he’ll be quiet.

Brad Walters

Probably good advice.
Josh Siegel

Hahahhaha. I hope this was time well spent for you, Brad.

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