The Associated Student Government is a rather ineffective lobbying body. Senators have been known to spend up to 10 minutes debating the wording of a bill. And once they finally do pass it, the chance that it will come to fruition is almost nil.

But one element of ASG is more important than you might think: the Student Activities Finance Board.

Tomorrow night Senate will confirm the distribution of up to $190,000 — some of which comes from your pockets in the form of the Student Activities Fee — to student groups for mostly Winter and Spring Quarter programming. Senate also has almost $10,000 to dish out in additional student group funding, enough to fund many smaller events.

The real grunt work in this process was not done by the Senate, however, but by SAFB. Board members spent about 10 hours on a Saturday listening to more than 20 student groups ask for money to fund their events or offset their general operating costs. After considering factors such as the group’s programming record, fiscal responsibility and event proposals, the board made its recommendations.

SAFB controls almost $1 million in student money, after you take into account funds that it doles out during the Spring Quarter funding process.

Although SAFB makes the recommendations, the Senate can choose to give a student group more money or throw the suggestion into the dust.

For instance, even though SAFB recommended $58,000 to A&O Productions during Spring Quarter 2001 for a concert, the Senate overturned the recommendation.

Then-A&O Chairwoman Molly Allen said her group would not be able to produce a concert until Spring Quarter 2002 without that money. She was right: A&O’s only concert in the 2001-02 year was the A&O Ball.

But the money that was denied to A&O benefited other students. Many smaller groups were able to fund their speakers and meet other needs.

The SAFB used similar reasoning this year. For fall funding A&O was given about $55,000 for a Winter Quarter comedian but denied a Spring Quarter cultural speaker to the tune of $45,000.

“It would have been too large of an increase, (in line with) other student groups,” said Erica Williamson, ASG’s financial vice president, who oversees the SAFB.

It’s SAFB’s job to balance the interests of competing student groups, and it’s not an easy one. For that alone SAFB deserves kudos. It’s a shame the Senate’s ineffectiveness underscores this more productive asset of ASG.

So if you care about where your Student Activities Fee goes, try talking to your senator — if you know who he or she is. I haven’t heard from my senator all year.

There are knowledgeable, motivated senators who spend a lot of time working for their issues. Much of the credit that ASG gets belongs to SAFB.