The Student Association has shown once again that it has mastered the art of bad public relations.

At one point during Sunday’s meeting, the SA gave WKDI $10,000 to pay for legal fees needed to put the station on the air. The station is currently offered only on cable systems.

However, after WKDI’s representatives had left the meeting, the SA changed its mind and took away all but $3,000 which is needed to pay outstanding legal bills.

The SA’s reasoning, according to Vice President Gregg Bliss, is that the senate “was being negligent by not reviewing things fully.” If things were not reviewed fully, then why was a final vote taken?

Representatives from WKDI left the meeting thinking they were given $10,000. WKDI’s faculty adviser was informed of the reconsideration late Sunday, but the station’s general manager did not learn of the decision until reading The Northern Star the next day.

SA officials say a referendum might be held in late October to see if students are willing to pay a one-time fee to pay for equipment and installation needed to go on the air. But even if a referendum passes, WKDI will still need funds to pay for the legal fees needed to get an FCC license.

The SA should not take a final action on something only to change its mind and repeal the action after the people affected have left.

If the SA considers granting $10,000 to WKDI negligent, perhaps it should reconsider some of its allocations to itself.

Earlier this summer, a spontaneously formed SA committee gave itself $8,500 for a new computer system. The proposal was railroaded through the summer finance committee because the senate had no quorum during the summer meeting.

The SA summer finance committee can allocate supplemental funds to organizations for contractual obligations. But the use of the committee to buy a new computer for the SA is at best negligent.

The SA needs to learn that railroading funds for itself does not look good when it becomes an Indian giver with other organizations.