Friday, April 28th, 2006...2:05 pm
Knaperek to Students: It’s All the Governor’s Fault
Lofty Donkey, a site that I am now linking so the capo of that site can stop complaining, has posted a letter from soon to be ex-Rep. Laura Knaperek to ASU student body president Cori Widmer claiming that she is merely a humble member of the legislature and has no control whatsoever over university tuitions. She is correct, but only in the most narrow sense since she votes on university budgets. When there is a shortfall, universities turn to tuition hikes to make up for it. Apparently, Knaperek has trouble seeing the connection, since, as Signore Asino helpfully documents on his blog, she has routinely voted to under fund the universities, and even voted for budget cuts. (Lofty Donkey even quoted from the Daily Wildcat, which was probably painful for an ASU man)
Knaperek claims in her letter:
Legislators are committed to fully funding every student and making sure every student graduates in a timely manner.
That’s right. The legislative leadership has been well known for its high regard for students and our state universities. Knaperek and her colleagues wouldn’t have to cut university budgets unless they were forced to. She says it’s the fault of…okay…you know what is coming, so all together now…
It is Janet Napolitano’s fault.
Knaperek’s argument is that it is all the fault of the Board of Regents, and she helpfully points out that Governor Napolitano is an ex officio member. Knaperek’s letter, available on Lofty Donkey, attempts to blame the Regents, but she also admits that the legislature provides one third of the funding for the universities. Apparently, she doesn’t realize that if someone messes with a source that provides a third of your money, you have to make it up somewhere.
Pretty slick of Knaperek to try to blame the Governor though. Does that mean that it is also ex officio regent Tom Horne’s fault too?
Of course it isn’t. The letter smacks of an argument that Knaperek probably doesn’t buy, and I doubt Widmer buys the argument either or it would not have magically appeared on the Lofty Donkey site.
This letter and these claims have more to do with election year politics than anything else. Last year’s buzzsaw that Knaperek ran into regarding the spousal rape bill was organized by ASU students, so now she realizes that she has to at least pretend that she represents student interests.
NB - Lofty Donkey features a picture of newly enthroned Senator Ed Ableser addressing a student protest. Ableser did that thing that politicians always seem to do: they feel like they need to wear a t-shirt to show support at an event, so they put the t-shirt on over the shirt and tie they are wearing. This thing always bugs the heck out of me. Geez, Ed.
5 Comments
April 28th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Excellent! Since she (and “many” other legislators) are in support of limiting tuition increases to no more than the inflationary rate, and she acknowledges that 1/3 of univ funding comes from the general fund, I’m sure she’d be happy to have it publicized that she and the rest of the legislature support increasing the university budgets by whatever % (you do the math, i’m tired) it will take to cover the remainder of the universities’ budget.
April 28th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Knaperek should have run for State Treasurer; she could have beaten Dean Martin. Looks like we are going to be stuck with the “Boy Senator” as the next State Tresurer. You think Dave Peterson is crooked….watch out for Martin!! Forgetaboutit!!!
April 29th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Man, I am sure my university’s lobbyist is listening. I hope that he gives Knaperek a nice visit and drops off a bill that would restore the funding cut to the universities over the last five years AND factor in inflationary costs as well.
It is typical. The cut us and privately celebrate Goldwater Institute arguments to privatize universities…THEN they run like screaming children when they realize that tuition would have to be raised to pay for it.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Unfortunately, until the Arizona Students Association gets a real executive director that doesn’t completely suck, no such bill will ever be delivered.
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:56 am
‘zactly…who knew they were so flush? The way we had to find out was when it turned out the Executive Director had his hand in the till.
Bring Back Patrick McWhortor!
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