Drayton Lives, But Does SG Finance?

Paul Drayton, the current UF Student Body Treasurer, has spent the last few months in New York City. Frustrated by his general attitude and his refusal to temporarily step aside from the office he holds back in Gainesville, the Student Senate met Monday to consider impeachment.

By near party-line vote, Paul Drayton survived.

The funniest part in my mind is that the Senate actually voted at times to declare parts of the SG Constitution “infactual”, just to avoid having to open an impeachment investigation.

Anyway, he survives. He clearly had enough political power to twist the arms of the Gator Party’s backroom leaders – some of whom were, no doubt, privately grumbling about his political greed. He may well have enough influence to keep the FBK/System endorsement for Spring 2009, assuming the Orange & Blue party doesn’t beat them to a pulp over the ethical mistreatment of public office.

I mean, think about it. By doing what they can to protect Drayton’s political importance, the Gator Party has basically said that the office he holds is itself politically unimportant. Despite needing to be in town to hand things like bill signings and SARs (forms to use student activity fee money), he wasn’t there. He showed the Treasurer need not do the most basic part of his job; others can do it for him for long stretches of time. But without that basic power, what power does the Treasurer even have?

It’s a good question. Government accountability, ethics, and financial management are all rather non-sexy topics for campaigning, but they do go to the heart of the corruption most see in our politics today (both in SG and in Washington). The folks in the opposition O&B party will have plenty of ammunition to continue this fight, even though Paul Drayton’s hold on the apparently unnecessary Treasurership will continue.