A second discussion of next year’s salaries for Student Association executives and staff members provoked a two-hour argument at an SA Finance Committee meeting Tuesday.

The disagreement partially stems from an accusation by several SA members that Diana Turowski, committee chairman, did not consult with SA staff members about the number of hours they work each week before designing the SA budget, Turowski said.

Near the end of the meeting, Turowski said, “I’m tired of bickering. I’m tired of backstabbing.

“I’m really tired of people saying I didn’t bring it (salary recommendations) to the staff before the finance committee,” she said.

Turowski requested hours from staff members before figuring the salaries and making recommendations to the finance committee for the first time about two months ago.

She then reduced executive and staff salaries for next year to ensure that the budget remains within the 7.5 percent guidelines the committee set for other organizations.

The guideline is the maximum increase for organizations’ fiscal year 1990 budgets and is designed to ensure that the SA does not run into a deficit situation, committee member Jim Ruzicka said.

Turowski said another reason SA salaries were reduced is “we’re paying ourselves too much,” She said other student organizations have unpaid executives, and questioned whether the SA should ignore its own guidelines because it allocates money.

Committee member Tom Link said the SA is not comparable to organizations such as the Campus Activities Board, because people join CAB to have input in programming events for students. CAB executives are “limited in responsibility compared to SA executives,” he said.

The finance committee was able to review the SA budget and will make its recommendations to the senate Sunday for final approval.

The senate discussed the SA budget April 2, but failed to approve it because of concern over low salaries. The SA budget then was returned to the finance committee.

Near midnight Tuesday, the finance committee approved a new proposal which increased staff salaries. Executive salaries will remain at $2,550 each annually.

The salaries of the Mass Transit Board and Public Relations advisers were increased $208 to $2,448 each; the Minority Relations and Welfare advisers’ salaries were increased $510 to $2,366.40 each; the Academic and Recreation advisers’ salaries were increased $408 to $1,876.80 each and the Research and Tenant Union advisers’ salaries were increased $714 to $1,795.20.

SA Vice President Gregg Bliss said executive and staff salaries were previously “done indiscriminately in which advisers’ hours were tampered with.” He said advisers’ hours should not have been lowered, because advisers should not receive lower salaries than executives.

Dave Emerick, SA Mass Transit Board adviser, said, “If you do not have a strong person as Mass Transit Board adviser, you will lose its greatest asset—the (Huskie) bus system.”