Instead of wising up and not sending out these emails to his buddies anymore, President McCarthy decided to stick a stock “privileged” notice at the bottom of his emails.  In two emails sent to Hatin’ SGA since McCarthy’s last email to the Honors students, McCarthy has added the following notice:

This message is intended exclusively for the individual(s) or entity to which it is addressed. It may contain information that is proprietary, privileged, or confidential or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

That is all cool and everything. Except for the fact that President McCarthy is a public servant who receives a paycheck from the University of Georgia (look in the budgets here under “Personnel Services”).

Thus, the emails of our esteemed SGA President are an open record (for more information see here).  This means that any record McCarty makes during the fulfillment of his job and office is subject to public viewing and copying.

President McCarthy, despite your threat that I am not authorized to read or disseminate your email, I am going to put them on the world wide intertubes for students to see what you are doing as our SGA president.  If you have any problems with this, I am always available.

— Connor McCarthy wrote:

To: tatesociety@listserv.uga.edu, fellowsonly@REDACTED.com, ramsey-scholars@listserv.uga.edu, beta@listserv.uga.edu
From: “Connor McCarthy”
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:31:31 -0400
Subject: [fellowsonly] Spanish Minor

Dear All,

Last week, the University Curriculum Committee voted to deactivate the Spanish minor despite opposition from Student Government Association, several faculty members, and Vice President for Instruction Jere Morehead. The final vote will be taken on April 22. We fully intend to work as a
student body to keep the Spanish minor at UGA.

But we need your help. Many of you are Spanish minors or know Spanish minors, and we are asking you to write letters in support of keeping the minor at the University of Georgia. SGA will present your letters to University Council to make sure that your voice is heard. The letters can be as short as your name, age, and a statement of support for keeping the Spanish minor at UGA or as long as you would like. Feel free to view the letter we wrote to President Michael Adams regarding the issue at www.uga.edu/sga for any ideas. Your letters can be emailed to Amrita Veliyath, the student representative on Curriculum Committee, at veliyath@uga.edu. Please continue to spread the word about this important issue! Together we can be a cohesive voice.

Thank you,
Connor McCarthy, Nicki Batelli, & Amrita Veliyath

SGA President, SGA Vice President, & SGA Curriculum Committe Representative

This message is intended exclusively for the individual(s) or entity to which it is addressed. It may contain information that is proprietary, privileged, or confidential or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

And here is his second email:

— Connor McCarthy wrote:

To: fellowsonly@REDACTED.com, ramsey-scholars@listserv.uga.edu, tatesociety@listserv.uga.edu
From: “Connor McCarthy”
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:49:12 -0400
Subject: [fellowsonly] Survey and a Story

Hey guys,

Please take a survey (http://vpsa4.vpsa.uga.edu/surveys/sgapollapril2008/sgapollapril2008.htm) concerning three of the issues we’re working on.

I know you get a lot of emails from me but I try to make them as enjoyable as possible. Therefore, I have included a story (below) that will probably make you chuckle like an old man and will potentially help you in the upcoming national elections.

Love,
Conman

An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession.

Like many young men, the boy didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he didn’t seem too concerned about it.

One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment.

He went into the boy’s room and placed on his study table four objects:
a Bible,
a silver dollar,
a bottle of whisky
and a Playboy magazine

“I’ll just hide behind the door,” the old preacher said to himself, “when he comes home from school this afternoon, I’ll see which object he picks up.

If it’s the Bible, he’s going to be a preacher like me and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he’s going to be a businessman, and that would be okay, too.

But if he picks up the bottle, he’s going to be a no-good drunkard, and, Lord, what a shame that would be, and worst of all, if he picks up that magazine he’s gonna be a skirt-chasin’ bum.

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son’s footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.

The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.

Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket.

He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink while he admired this month’s Centerfold.

“Lord have mercy,” the old preacher disgustedly whispered,

“He’s gonna run for Congress.”

–
This message is intended exclusively for the individual(s) or entity to which it is addressed. It may contain information that is proprietary, privileged, or confidential or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message.

The University Council webpage lists Vice President, Student Government Association as “Pending Replacement” (image above) and Ms. Gibbons’ name tag has been removed from outside the SGA office.

Hatin’ SGA will have further coverage on this breaking news.

After further review and a hearing on the complaint filed by Paul Ruddle, the Elections Committee of the Student Government Association in a majority decision decided that the Proposed Constitution of the Student Government Association did not meet the requirements of 10% for ratification. Therefore, the decision stands that the proposed constitution has failed and will not take effect.

For the backstory, see here.

As surprising as this is, maybe this is a positive step forward for the new SGA administration. By having some sort of accountability, some in SGA (read: not President Peper or VP Suber) have shown they want to make SGA a stronger, more student-friendly organization.

But, I think we should all be disappointed in the representation of a few. Outgoing SGA President Peper and VP Suber tried to cover up this matter, deceive students, and were extremely upset that their opinions weren’t final. If they had had their way, the students’ opinions would have been foregone, in the name of what is best for students.

PS – You heard it first at Hatin’ SGA.

The question here is that the SGA Constitution requires 10% of the students to vote in a “special election” for the SGA Constitution, before the Constitution can be approved.

So, how many students voted in the election? Well, it depends what the definition of “special election” is, Mr. Clinton.
Here are the official results of the SGA Election (referendums only):

To me, the SGA Constitution did not pass. Only 2,888 students voted, below the needed 10%. This is more like 8%.
But SGA officials contend that 3,662 students total voted ANYWHERE on the ballot, and thus, the Constitution was approved (and 3,662 is just barely 10%). Some students, it seems, voted only for candidates (probably their friends, brothers, or sisters) and didn’t bother to vote on any of the referendums.

Who knows if this is true? Only the SGA and the UGA administration, it seems. Both are refusing to supply the election results and final vote tallies to anyone who asks. The SGA website says the following:

***More accurate statistical information will soon be available. [see here]

I think this is completely wrong, and I encourage students to act. Do not let narrow-minded SGA officials try and squeeze through approval of their precious Constitution.

Click here to send an email to all members of the Elections Committee, and tell them you disagree with the new SGA Constitution being approved.

“Basically, it’s a real big circle jerk of people padding each others’ resumes.”

HA! I would challenge the R&B to print that as their quote of the week!

PS – In case you didn’t understand the term circle jerk, Wikipedia has this to say:

“The terms ‘mutual masturbation’ and ‘circle jerk’ are sometimes used as vulgar metaphors. They can refer to a situation, often in the workplace, politics or academia, where people are stroking each other’s ego without producing anything of value.”

What a fitting definition.  SGA, not producing anything of value???  No…

Open Mic with Mike is going to be next Friday at 3:30pm. That’s right, on a Friday afternoon.

If you wanted to actually get students to attend and have them actually “spend an hour or two with the Prez”, you probably wouldn’t plan your event for a Friday afternoon.

Another oddity: Open Mic with Mike is a Facebook event, but it is not yet on the UGA Master Calendar (see for yourself). In case you are wondering, Matt Winston, Mike Adams’ personal assistant, set up the event on Facebook.

See it? Right there beneath the ‘amendment or issue’ box, there is a link to ugasga.org with the text “To view the SGA Constitution or other SGA information, click here to visit ugasga.org.”

Curious students click on the link, and it takes them to SGA’s homepage. And on SGA’s homepage… a desperate plea for you to vote to continue SGA.

This one is simple. We want you to make sure you vote “YES” to keep SGA working for you.

This is rather improper. Someone decided to add this link to the ballot, and it links to an SGA homepage where the SGA Prex and VP beg you to vote in their favor.

It is completely unethical that while you are voting, someone (SGA) tells you how to vote.

That, and there isn’t even a link to the new SGA Constitution on the page. It is buried in the news section, where you have to click 3 additional links to get to it and download it (in Word format, which students might not have access to).

This is a serious problem for the SGA Election, and it completely compromises the election’s integrity.

Obviously this is no joy to the $GA administration. Now there is proof and a paper trail of everything they spent money on for the past, oh, well, forever.

As further information breaks, we here at Hatin’ SGA will continue to give the student body the truth about their failing student government.

And if anyone has any more insider information about SGA, feel free to tip us at hatemail AT ugasga DOT com.

It appear$ that thi$ i$ related to the earlier report of the Red and Black’$ Open Record$ reque$t of $GA’$ budgeting document$. While thi$ may be the re$ult of a territory war between the competing (and of, well, opo$ing opinion) new$paper$, the information being provided i$ all correct and critical of $GA.

The crux of the GuardDawg $tory i$ that $tudent$ Gambling Activity fee$ cannot account for $9,000 of expenditure$ over the la$t year. Part of the problem i$ that the previou$ $GA admini$tration keep little or no record$ of it$ expen$e$, and only two page$ of record$ can be found now.

The article cite$ another problem for the previou$ admini$tration wa$ that it $pent $5,000 of it$ $45,000 budget for the year on a tent rental for $tate Relation$ Day (a failed program that had few non-$GA $tudent$ attending, even with the free dinner for the $GA $leazebag$). It $hould al$o be remembered that current Vice Pre$ident of $GA Matthew ‘Bowtie’ $noody wa$ in charge of the co$tly $tate Relation$ Day, while current $GA Pre$ident Jamie Peppered wa$ Chief of $taff (and con$equently $hould have kept up with the budget).

Now $tudent$ Gambling our Activity fee$ i$ operating with $9,000 le$$ in it$ coffer$, but $till trying to advocate for the $tudent$. In fact, thi$ Thur$day, $GA will be ho$ting a few $tate repre$entative$ in the hope$ of coordinating with $tate official$. But thi$ $tate Relation$ Day will be $een a$ another failure, $ince $GA (and $enator Benjamin ‘Croakie$’ $ermon$) were unable to procure more than four $tate official$ (a tie with la$t year), none of which of higher rank than $tate repre$entative.

We will be following thi$ $GA debacle up $oon.

P$- $orry about what look$ like random letter$, they are indeed dollar $ign$ u$ed in a comedic attempt.

The Red and Black is (rightly) worried that their ad revenue is going to go down with more CRaP newspapers around campus. So the R&B is in the current war with SGA, as seen on their opinions page.

What about a cover-up?

The Red and Black has recently filed their second open records act (yeah I know, what the hell is this, I can’t even tell you) request of SGA, says someone close to the Red and Black. The first was on President Jamie Pepper and VP Matt Snoody (jointly known as “Shake” and “Bake”), where the R&B requested their correspondence with others relating to CRaP work (which is about everything they have done since getting elected). UGA and the Socialist Governing Authority did comply with the request, and now the R&B has served “Shake” and “Bake” with a second open records request (possibly occured on Tuesday).

Here is where the CRaP hits the newspaper bin. The R&B wants to know about SGA’s budget over the past couple of years.

Why?

Who knows what the big bad Red and Black wants out of this. Could be because SGA is using their money to fund the CRaP (does anybody actually know where that money came from, or did USA Today pay for all of those god awful looking bins). Or it could be the Students Gambling Association used their budget improperly.

But again, this is speculation. Hopefully someone knows where the Suckers Gambling Anonymously has spent our student activity fees. Has anyone seen an SGA budget recently?