BCT Editorial – 1/30/05

This page was last updated on January 30, 2005.

Tipping point; Editorial; Beaver County Times; January 30, 2005.

I think local colleges are a good idea, but I believe they should be private businesses. How many times do we need to see that taxpayer funding of education – whether it’s K-12 or college – causes an endless parade of funding “crises?”

By the time you reach the end of the editorial, you will realize it not once mentioned controlling costs at the community colleges. As with nearly every Times editorial written about public education welfare, this editorial focuses on throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem.

From my comments below, you may get the idea I don’t support education in general or community colleges in particular. Nothing could be further from the truth and I took advantage of the education opportunities available to me. A key to freedom is a good education.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The plight of Pennsylvania’s community colleges no longer can be ignored by Harrisburg.

“There’s no way around it. The commonwealth’s 14 community colleges have their backs up against the wall financially, in large part because of the state’s refusal to pay its share of the cost.

“From tuition assistance to capital projects, Gov. Ed Rendell and legislators have stiffed these schools. State law requires community colleges to receive $1,500 for every full-time enrolled student; the actual funding for the 2003-04 school year was $1,365 per student. The community colleges have identified $527 million in construction needs; the state has actually made it harder for these schools to access the financial resources they need to rectify the situation.

“The impact of this indifference is being felt at the local level. Tuitions are going up. Out-of-date buildings are deteriorating. Students are being charged additional and higher fees for class-related services.”

[RWC] Why should not tuition pay the full freight of the school? This should be true for all state-related colleges, not just the community colleges.

“What was once an inexpensive road for students to start on the road to a higher education has become strewn with financial potholes.”

[RWC] That’s what happens every time government subsidizes a service. Nothing good ever happens in the long run when the consumers of a service don’t pay what the service is worth. When taxpayer dollars are involved, no funding level is ever enough.

“Even local efforts to do things right are negated by the state’s backsliding.

“Beaver County provides a perfect example of this. When CCBC was started, 13 of the county’s 15 school districts were its sponsors. When that number was reduced to 11, the switch was made to county sponsorship.”

[RWC] “Local efforts to do things right?” Not exactly. The school districts simply wanted out from under financial responsibility for CCBC. At some point in the future, I would not be surprised to read an editorial claiming the Commonwealth should take over sole sponsorship of these schools.

“As a result of the change, local funding went from $1.8 million to $2.4 million. However, that was negated by the state’s reduction in funding. Beaver County took one major step forward in bringing financial stability to the school at the local level, only to have it dragged back by the state.

“Changes must be made at the state level, and not just in terms of money. Simply giving the schools an across-the-board funding increase is not enough. State lawmakers and Rendell must change their fundamental approach toward these schools. That includes making up for past neglect, modifying an out-of-date funding formula and giving the schools their own state board.”

[RWC] You’ll note none of the recommendations involved selling the schools to private owners. All of the suggestions involved giving the colleges more power over taxpayers.

“They must realize that healthy, vibrant community colleges are great assets that have a high return on investment in the areas of higher education and economic development. These schools help make Pennsylvania more competitive in the global economy.”

[RWC] The Times has no credibility on the issue of “return on investment.” Recently the Times claimed spending $255 million on the white elephant James E. Ross (D) Highway (Toll Route 60) was a good “investment.”

You’ll note the editorial provided nothing to support the claims in this paragraph. If the community colleges “are great assets that have a high return on investment in the areas of higher education and economic development” and “help make Pennsylvania more competitive in the global economy,” perhaps the Times can explain why Pennsylvania lags nearly every other state in terms of economic development and why our population is nearly static and aging. Oh wait, I know the answer; taxpayers haven’t spent enough on the schools. I don’t blame PA’s economic issues on community colleges. All I’m saying is it makes no sense to “prove” the worth of any program by citing areas in which PA does poorly.

Regarding competitiveness, does the Times really believe increasing taxes in order to spend more on community colleges will improve PA’s image in the eyes of business? Oh, that’s right, PA is not overtaxed; we’re only unfairly taxed.

“This neglect at the state level cannot continue. If the situation isn’t reversed, and soon, the community colleges will hit the tipping point and fall into a decline from which they cannot recover.”

[RWC] Remember, this cry for more taxpayer dollars is from the same source that referred to our profligate spending only a week before writing this editorial. Of course, the previous editorial was written to bash President Bush. Perhaps to the Times, spending is profligate only when a Republican can be bashed for it.

I tend to bash all government spending on programs for which government has no responsibility, and this includes education.