New Endangered Species – Public Universities

Destroying the Future for Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

The decline in public support for public education has been growing, and now at the university level it is reaching an epidemic level.  This is primarily because Republicans have taken control of many states.  As states reduce funding of their universities and colleges more of the burden of financing education falls to a debt-burdened student generation and to foreign students. 

Public Universities Become Prime Targets for State Budget Cuts

State legislatures reduce midyear funding and schools brace for more trims . . .

 

The University of Nebraska is considering tuition increases, as well as
 cuts to spending on technology, travel and facilities, to deal
with declining funding. PHOTO:NATI HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

“Facing declining revenue, legislators in Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa recently have reduced state appropriations for public universities and community colleges—more than seven months into those states’ fiscal years.

The University of Nebraska is digesting a likely $13.3 million funding cut for the remainder of the current fiscal year, and staring down a proposal to slash nearly $18 million more over the next two years.

“We want to do everything we can to protect the academic enterprise, and we want to continue to be as affordable as possible,” said President Hank Bounds, who oversees campuses of 51,000 students. “Unfortunately, we are going to violate both of those fundamental principles.”

Now in the short term taxpayers, mainly the highest income taxpayers will see their tax bills either remain constant or even decline.  The future generations, well they will see their future remain constant or even decline.  But conservatives don’t really give a damn.