Education priorities: California right, Virginia wrong

Too bad about budding athletes in Fairfax County, Virginia, and throughout the Washington, D.C. area. The Washington Post reports today that schools there are cutting funding for various sports programs. Where are their priorities?

We Californians know what school is for. The University of California is raising tuition by 32 percent this year to cover budget shortfalls, but we’re not letting it harm UC’s sports programs: just this week the UC Board of Regents approved a $321-million renovation of Memorial Stadium, where the Golden Bears football team plays. And this on the heels of UCLA’s $185-million upgrade of Pauley Pavillon, home of Bruin basketball.

The university explains that no state money (well, hardly any) will go to these projects—they’ll be funded mainly from Bruin and Bear sports fans.

It goes to show: California sports fans are more dedicated than California education fans—even at the University of California.

Unethics in California

Today’s LA Times headline screamed: UC ready to raise student fees by 32%. UC—the University of California—is a great university. It’s the flagship of the huge system of higher education that is widely credited with making California the envy of the world, the pace setter in agriculture, entertainment, aerospace, and information technology. It’s very low in-state tuition has opened the door to advancement to generations of Californians, rich and poor alike, but especially to those who couldn’t otherwise even dream of a quality university education.

Student fees will be over $10,000, tripling in ten years. With other costs a student will have to pay $26,000 to attend for a year. This is the result of gridlock in California politics caused by solid Republican opposition to raising any taxes to pay the costs of running a modern state.

Many, if not most, of these Republican legislators themselves attended UC when it was far cheaper than it is now. Having reaped the benefit they are selfishly denying it to today’s young Californians. By whatever measure you want to use-- refusing to “give back,” refusing to leave things as good as they found them, or refusing to give a hand up to people who need it-- this is profoundly unethical behavior.