The INDsider -> Leslie Turk FRI, MAY 29 6:21AM by Leslie Turk

Jindal's higher ed cuts could set state back decades

UL President Joe Savoie and Blueprint Louisiana member Jimmy Maurin are making one of the strongest arguments for killing the proposed cuts to higher education. If Gov. Bobby Jindal gets his way, his higher ed cuts could set Louisiana’s education system back 20 years.

Maurin, who chairs Stirling Properties, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee yesterday as part of a group of business leaders asking the Legislature to explore all options outside of cutting higher eduction.

Savoie has been effectively arguing that the Jindal position will only return us to the disastrous days of the 1980s where the cuts were so severe it took 15 years for institutions to recover.

Maurin and other business leaders like him are not likely to get their wish. Even higher ed officials like Savoie recognize that some cuts are likely; there is just no way Louisiana can afford to slash $219 million from its colleges and universities.

Savoie and Maurin's appeal to save higher education from such massive cuts is the most important of this Legislative session. Economic development depends on it.

Many education, business and legislative leaders believe that if Jindal continues down this path of unwillingness to negotiate on these cuts, he will leave little doubt about his priorities — and will make crystal clear his posturing for higher office at a time when Louisiana desperately needs his leadership. We’re in unprecedented, difficult times and sacrifices must be made in higher education, but if we can throw $50 million out to save a chicken plant in north Louisiana, aren't we in a position to protect our colleges and universities?

We should all join together to urge the governor to push rainy day monies into higher education to cushion the blow and give higher education officials more time to make additional adjustments. The colleges and universities have already promised to do their part, increasing tuition and slashing programs. The governor needs to step up and do his.



Comments (10)add
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written by All things considered , May 29, 2009 - 06:21 pm
More money, less money, education says about the same but chicken, that's another matter.
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written by PlumpyBoy , May 29, 2009 - 07:26 pm
Cut higher ed ! Its a huge money pit ! I haven't seen anything good come from higher education yet ! CUT EM ! CUT EM to the BONE !
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written by claude , May 29, 2009 - 08:12 pm
UL Lafayette is the biggest employer in Lafayette. University towns are weathering the recession better than just about any other settlements. UL Lafayette, perhaps more than anything else, is keeping Lafayette afloat, as it was intended to do when it was founded--be an engine for economic growth.
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written by Myrick6 , May 30, 2009 - 12:56 pm
This state has several too many "universities" anyway. I absolutely want my tax break. I say cut and close if necessary. The real issue is the pay checks for those employed by the universities and the fat retirement that goes with employment by the state education system. In all this talk about taking my tax benefit, I don't hear the universities saying "If you give this to us, we won't have to increase tuition. We will give that back to the student." That's the ONLY way this would get my support. NO, the schools were VERY quick to pass this on to the students and their families. I have no sympathy for these spoiled, greedy, self serving institutions or politicians. I want what was promised to me.
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written by CRBushnell , May 30, 2009 - 10:44 pm
Now is not the time to be cutting funding to higher education in Louisiana. Almost every other state has better graded programs than those in Louisiana. Louisiana made the mistake of having too many universities for it's size. Duplicated programs in the State University System need to be cut and those cost saving passed onto other State Universities. The state should strongly consider closing two underpreforming universities and transferring those students to LA Tech, UL-Monroe, and UL - Lafayette. NO point in carrying on a poor tradition for the sake of tradition. The state should also consider increasing tutition. My oldest son attends Baylor in do nothing Waco, TX to the tune of $40,000. If UL - Lafayette had higher attendance standards (grade point average, SAT/AT scores, etc) he certainly would have been happy in Lafayette for the better cultural experience. So here comes my second son and he's looking at Virginia, Michigan, Duke, Wisconsin. Tutition cost is not the driving factor folks, it the very best education one can find to fit the students interest. Louisisana needs to look at what other near by schools are doing - University of Houston wants to move into tier one status, University of Texas A & M has a plan to move into the the top 20 universities in the country. Start making education #1 priority - that will improve business climate - maybe use Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida or North Carolina a model.
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written by Elizabeth Deerman , June 01, 2009 - 01:32 am
Investing in education instead of cutting funding for education is the wisest thing we can do for the economy of this state. I was an English teacher for 30 years. The untapped talent and brilliant minds that are in our youth is astounding. Providing more educational opportunities to develop these minds would bring progress to our state and to our people. What is the matter with Jindal?
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written by Educate yourself , June 01, 2009 - 04:20 pm
Anyone who wants a editable tax break instead of preventing something that will cripple the state in the future has SURELY benefited from higher education, right?
I'm sure assuming that the University's ultimate goal is to steal and ruin the students and their families is correct, too.
Sarcasm intended.
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written by justwandering , June 02, 2009 - 07:50 pm
I don't think higher education funding is an issue.....per capita I'd bet La spends more in total than most of the states mentioned above. The problem is the disfunctional higher ed system.......too many 4 yr institutions, too many university systems(4),and thus too many boards(4) managing these seperate systems. Inefficiencies and redundancy has to happen under these conditions. Until higher ed is reformed, I don't support increased funding. As for Savoie's comment about setting higher ed back 20 years, that may not be a bad idea. I suspect that those graduating 20 years ago were better prepared than those today.
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written by CRBushnell , June 02, 2009 - 10:49 pm
I think the state needs to hold a series of brainstorming events to get the publics' input as to what they expect from their University system(s). Here are a couple of suggestions.

1) Get ride of most of the sports programs at the State University system. Why should UL-Monroe, UL-Lafayette, LA Tech, Southern, Southeastern, etc all have football programs when they are in fact one large university! None of these schools will ever compete against LSU (or most any other University in country) when they all fight for the same small pool of average in state football players.

2) Select and make a small number of "tier one" universities (for the sake of argument: UNO, LSU, UL-L and LA Tech) and pour money into these, keeping these "high research universities" and have all others feed into those "tier one".

3) Consider having one program that plays primarily into the arts. These could include everything from the LITE technology center in Lafayette to theater; and could be scattered across the state allowing the students to experience the cultures of N.O., Cajun & "southern".

Perhaps, Louisiana could set a new model in high education (K-12 too) by starting fresh. Do not try to break down the old systems; just put totally new ones in place. Think outside the box - including long distance learning and outsourcing programs to different countries. Think globally not locally.

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written by Jacki , June 04, 2009 - 12:38 pm
I work for a university. I struggle as a widow to put myself through school, I support my family, I don't get much money, I will probably never be able to retire on whatever small pension I can get, and if the state cuts my job, I'm going to send all my bills to the capitol and tell them to pay them. I pay taxes, I am cutting my living expenses to the bone while I watch these legislators continually whine about not making enough money and wanting a raise. Well, if they get a raise, I'm moving to another state. I have watched the fall of what used to be a fine city, New Orleans, when I was growing up, I am watching the state fall deeper in a hole led by politicians who are greedy and don't care about the taxpayers who voted them in. Half my family has already moved out of state to get better jobs and education. The last few governors and the present one are ruining what is left of Louisiana. For those of you who are so adamant about cutting university jobs, you don't realize that this will cause more people to have to move out of state to get work. It's easy for those who don't work for universities to point the finger and cry they want their tax breaks, but realize this....some of us hard working, elderly people need their jobs----afterall, nobody whined about saving the chicken plant, nobody whined about saving the New Orleans Saints, so exactly where is our priority-----saving sports has always been more important than education in this state----same for universities---nobody would ever think about cutting football, but are readily available to increase unemployment by cutting jobs........let's start taking care of one another taxpayers and save education so our kids don't have to travel out of state to go to school, so we can help each other keep what few jobs are available in Louisiana so we don't have to move, and support one another to hang on to what is left of a slowly deteriorating situation in this state.........work together for the sake of all of us!
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