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DC Columnists debate: UConn State Budget Cuts
Egon Donnarumma and Matt Stevens
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Commentary
In favor of budget cuts: Matt Stevens
• If UConn were to have as much money as we'd all like it to have, taxes would have to be raised to pay for it. Higher taxes will make the state less attractive for businesses; the state's economy has struggled even when the nation's economy wasn't struggling.
• The UConn 2000 program that was enacted in 1995 led to an impressive amount of private contributions to help rebuild the university. UConn has the ability to rebuild itself and it can do so with limited state funds.
• With the budget cuts, there is some incentive to get rid of professors who perform poorly or those who have low ratings on student evaluations so UConn can keep professors who are giving students the best education possible and enriching the university.
• Less money coming in forces UConn to prioritize. UConn will have fewer options and will be forced to spend the money where it really needs to be spent, on such things as the Monteith/Arjona project, while holding off on some things that can wait until later.
• UConn should focus on using limited resources and private donations. The government is in tight shape financially, so why should they be spending more money? Those industries rightly should be bailed out and the university has resources to raise money for itself.
• In tight times, with the economic and fiscal situations being what they are, UConn must be prepared to make sacrifices, conserve a lot and do what it has to do without causing further problems.
Against budget cuts: Egon Donnarumma
• But in the long run, the state will benefit from maintaining a strong public university, which will be more of a draw into the state and keep more educated taxpayers in Connecticut.
• If the university has the ability to draw from these funds, it should do so before cutting faculty and resources out of the budget.
• In order for the university to continue to grow, there will be a need for new professors - even if the old, poorly performing ones are let go - and then the university will be forced to expand and spend more money.
• If the federal government is granting bailouts to institutions it should grant them to public institutions before private industry.
• For the amount of money paid in tuition and the willingness of the federal government to dole out funds, the university should be held to a certain level of accountability. Students should be able to expect a certain quality from their university.
• If UConn were to have as much money as we'd all like it to have, taxes would have to be raised to pay for it. Higher taxes will make the state less attractive for businesses; the state's economy has struggled even when the nation's economy wasn't struggling.
• The UConn 2000 program that was enacted in 1995 led to an impressive amount of private contributions to help rebuild the university. UConn has the ability to rebuild itself and it can do so with limited state funds.
• With the budget cuts, there is some incentive to get rid of professors who perform poorly or those who have low ratings on student evaluations so UConn can keep professors who are giving students the best education possible and enriching the university.
• Less money coming in forces UConn to prioritize. UConn will have fewer options and will be forced to spend the money where it really needs to be spent, on such things as the Monteith/Arjona project, while holding off on some things that can wait until later.
• UConn should focus on using limited resources and private donations. The government is in tight shape financially, so why should they be spending more money? Those industries rightly should be bailed out and the university has resources to raise money for itself.
• In tight times, with the economic and fiscal situations being what they are, UConn must be prepared to make sacrifices, conserve a lot and do what it has to do without causing further problems.
Against budget cuts: Egon Donnarumma
• But in the long run, the state will benefit from maintaining a strong public university, which will be more of a draw into the state and keep more educated taxpayers in Connecticut.
• If the university has the ability to draw from these funds, it should do so before cutting faculty and resources out of the budget.
• In order for the university to continue to grow, there will be a need for new professors - even if the old, poorly performing ones are let go - and then the university will be forced to expand and spend more money.
• If the federal government is granting bailouts to institutions it should grant them to public institutions before private industry.
• For the amount of money paid in tuition and the willingness of the federal government to dole out funds, the university should be held to a certain level of accountability. Students should be able to expect a certain quality from their university.
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