Friday, March 24, 1995
Paying the Piper
He who calls the tune, pays the piper, there's no free lunch, and you must put your money where your mouth is. Unfortunately, often in public life it is someone else who pays the piper, etcetera.
These thoughts crossed my mind while reading some recent news items. These remarks are not very focused, but they have to do with my general thesis of responsibility. Irresponsible criticism must pay for its mistakes. Responsible criticism must include potential solutions. The key to my attitude is formed on what Winston Churchill said about democracy (loosely paraphrased): it is ineffective, but it is the best form of government that we have, and don't attack it it until we have something better.
First item, the one about Yale University having to refund $10 Million to a donor.
Four years after giving $20 Million to Yale, to expand its Western civilization curriculum, and after extensive negotiations about its implementation to satisfy the requirements of the faculty multiculturalists, the donor, Lee M Bass, got tired of the runaraound and has requested a refund. Yale has agreed, even though it has spent some of the money, and has a $12 Million deficit. A Prof. of comparative lit, Michael Holquist, states that: "I think Mr. Bass made a great mistake. I think that the possibility for a creative and innovative program...for new ways to negotiate Western heritage has been lost." He reminds me of the statements of the negotiators of the baseball strike. Nothing was said about whether the multiculturalists made a mistake. Holquist further states that he had always held out hope that a compromise curriculum could have been designed. Nothing in the article shows whether his people contributed to the working out in the four years, or essentially contributed to protest. Nothing in the article indicates that the protesters are raising a fund, or taking a cut in pay, to help defray the loss.
On the same page, John L. Loeb is giving Harvard $70.5 Million in directed funds, for population issues, preventive medicine, advanced environmentl studies, and a "humanist chaplaincy" at the Memorial Church, as well as general teaching and financial aid support. No funds to expand the Western civilization curriculun, hence no protest.
Next story. SUNY trustees have announced that they will close eight of the SUNY 34 campuses and raise tuition by $1,600 a year, to $6,250, to meet the Governor Georce E. Pataki's proposed 31.5 percent budget cuts of $290 Million, out of a total budget of $1.5 Billion. The Chair of SUNY, Frederic V. Salerno, forecasts that this action would cause a drop of 20,000 in the 159,000 student body.The Gov and Speaker Bruno have reponded by offering to get rid of the trustees, for using scare tactics. This is an issue that would hurt the Governor politially, since most of the SUNY campuses are in upstate Republican areas, and provide employment.
Speaking from personal albeit anecdotal knowledge, the SUNY campuses, which were expanded to accomodate the baby boom, have been underutilized for years. This is a classic case of duplication of facilities and administrative overheads. To justify their existence, some community colleges have been recruiting prisoners in local jails and welfare recipients, offering them free tuition and transportation to attend classes, without having to meet performance requirements. The courses offered to this group of students have not been specifically geared to teaching trades and skills that would facilitate the students' return to mainstream. Thus, much waste. Consolidation of SUNY facilities is indicated. As to the Governor's disingenuous reaction, it would be inconceivable that he expected the 31.5 percent budget cut to go through without some closings.
Another story. The Congressional axe aimed at the National Endowment for the Arts has its origin in such NEA-sponsored shows as the Richard Serrano sculpture, featuring Christ in urine, Karen Finley's image-mutilating self-exhibit, and Maplethorpe's homosexual/sadistic photographic fantasies. These anarchistic shows in themselves are part of our 1st Amendment rights; were we to abrogate them, God knows what next would fall.
And so we go on, throwing out the baby with the bathwater and shooting ourselves in the foot.
These thoughts crossed my mind while reading some recent news items. These remarks are not very focused, but they have to do with my general thesis of responsibility. Irresponsible criticism must pay for its mistakes. Responsible criticism must include potential solutions. The key to my attitude is formed on what Winston Churchill said about democracy (loosely paraphrased): it is ineffective, but it is the best form of government that we have, and don't attack it it until we have something better.
First item, the one about Yale University having to refund $10 Million to a donor.
Four years after giving $20 Million to Yale, to expand its Western civilization curriculum, and after extensive negotiations about its implementation to satisfy the requirements of the faculty multiculturalists, the donor, Lee M Bass, got tired of the runaraound and has requested a refund. Yale has agreed, even though it has spent some of the money, and has a $12 Million deficit. A Prof. of comparative lit, Michael Holquist, states that: "I think Mr. Bass made a great mistake. I think that the possibility for a creative and innovative program...for new ways to negotiate Western heritage has been lost." He reminds me of the statements of the negotiators of the baseball strike. Nothing was said about whether the multiculturalists made a mistake. Holquist further states that he had always held out hope that a compromise curriculum could have been designed. Nothing in the article shows whether his people contributed to the working out in the four years, or essentially contributed to protest. Nothing in the article indicates that the protesters are raising a fund, or taking a cut in pay, to help defray the loss.
On the same page, John L. Loeb is giving Harvard $70.5 Million in directed funds, for population issues, preventive medicine, advanced environmentl studies, and a "humanist chaplaincy" at the Memorial Church, as well as general teaching and financial aid support. No funds to expand the Western civilization curriculun, hence no protest.
Next story. SUNY trustees have announced that they will close eight of the SUNY 34 campuses and raise tuition by $1,600 a year, to $6,250, to meet the Governor Georce E. Pataki's proposed 31.5 percent budget cuts of $290 Million, out of a total budget of $1.5 Billion. The Chair of SUNY, Frederic V. Salerno, forecasts that this action would cause a drop of 20,000 in the 159,000 student body.The Gov and Speaker Bruno have reponded by offering to get rid of the trustees, for using scare tactics. This is an issue that would hurt the Governor politially, since most of the SUNY campuses are in upstate Republican areas, and provide employment.
Speaking from personal albeit anecdotal knowledge, the SUNY campuses, which were expanded to accomodate the baby boom, have been underutilized for years. This is a classic case of duplication of facilities and administrative overheads. To justify their existence, some community colleges have been recruiting prisoners in local jails and welfare recipients, offering them free tuition and transportation to attend classes, without having to meet performance requirements. The courses offered to this group of students have not been specifically geared to teaching trades and skills that would facilitate the students' return to mainstream. Thus, much waste. Consolidation of SUNY facilities is indicated. As to the Governor's disingenuous reaction, it would be inconceivable that he expected the 31.5 percent budget cut to go through without some closings.
Another story. The Congressional axe aimed at the National Endowment for the Arts has its origin in such NEA-sponsored shows as the Richard Serrano sculpture, featuring Christ in urine, Karen Finley's image-mutilating self-exhibit, and Maplethorpe's homosexual/sadistic photographic fantasies. These anarchistic shows in themselves are part of our 1st Amendment rights; were we to abrogate them, God knows what next would fall.
And so we go on, throwing out the baby with the bathwater and shooting ourselves in the foot.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 2:29 PM 
