To their credit, legislative leaders in both chambers last week offered some substantive — if insufficient — proposals for how to fix the $727 million maintenance backlog at the state universities. The problem will only get worse the longer it goes unaddressed, so some action is called for during the wrap-up session that starts Wednesday. But the $152 million House plan’s local sales-tax component ought to be a nonstarter, because it would off-load the Legislature’s responsibility onto locals. As Sedgwick County Commissioner Tim Norton said, “If it’s called a state university, why are we putting this burden on the six counties that have the universities?”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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7 Comments
“….because it would off-load the Legislature’s responsibility onto locals.”
and these guys / women think they deserve a pay raise for this kind of thinking —-
Those University collective endowment funds contain well over a billion dollars — those endowment funds are generally created by alumni — has the state asked them to kick in a couple sheckles to help ? Although the entire state benefits by having these Univ … seems the alumni (through the endowments) have a slightly bigger stake in helping resolve the problem ….
Probably wouldn’t be a well supposrted notion but increasing the tax on alcohol by a dollar a gallon will generate around 50-60 million dollars, and increasing the tax on cigs by a dollar a pack will bring in several million dollars and maybe help me quit smoking — but those are targeted sin taxes and
Norton is right if taxpayers have to pay the price of fixing the problem — it should be all state tax payers …………..
I seriously question the $727 million maintenance backlog price tag.
Has there been an itemize list of what needs to be repaired or upgraded?
That number is so large that you could build KU over again twice with that money. So something gives and doesn’t sound right.
We really need to question that amount. Lets make sure it isn’t full of wish list that are unnecessary. Like $100 million in lawn art, or plasma tv’s in every class room or to put a swimming pool at the Presidents’ houses.
Isn’t being a State University a choice?
Yes, its good to be represented by the Regents. The give College Presidents pay raises.
Yes, its good the buildings are owned by the State. Those costs could bankrupt all the colleges trying to do upkeep and maintenance themselves.
Locally, Wichita and Sedgwick County benefit with WSU.
How does Wichita County in western part of the state benefit?
Some counties shouldn’t be part of a tax. Local area with Universities should pay more.
If locals are going to pay.
I don’t know how the state is going to fund the University projects.
Some endowment or boosters dollars should go to building funds.
University President residences, keep an eye on those costs. Some private groups are Friends of the President, there’s one in Wichita helping upgrade Don Beggs campus house.
Dorms shouldn’t have big screen TV installed. Cable probably. Are dorms modern aged or not.
What’s the point of more dorms, they should be apartment complexes. Built and maintained by apartment companies.
“How does Wichita County in western part of the state benefit?”
Their residents can go to WSU for the same tuition I pay. We already pay a county tax to support WSU; I should get an “in-county” tuition break.
the colleges can afford to give million dollar contracts to coaches but can’t afford to fix the plumbing?
Those of you with knowledge of how these schools budgets are done….do they not have a line item on their budget EVERY year for some type of maintenance? Most businesses or entities Ive been around budget a certain % each year. This keeps you from getting into this nonsense.
Capital type things such as entire boiler systems etc, Should also be planned for, not just run it into the ground, then have an…Oh Shit moment.
But of course these are academics, so likely none of this common sense applies I would imagine.
They think the teachers union and crying will usually goad the week kneed politicians into fixing it, since it penned as “its for the kids”. Whenever you hear that phrase, run, someone is lying to your ass. Usually a politician wanting to pass some craptastic law .
How about docking all the Profs. and Coaches and Admins. pay to pay for it….tell the new coach his pay will also be docked about 1/2 to fix the leaks.
sort of an “incentive” plan.
heh.
Well, mrbill, coaches are paid by the athletic departments and not the universities directly, so that won’t have much of an effect. As to professor and administrators; one of the issues “back in the day” in keeping qualified professors at KU was the higher salaries, etc., they were being offered to move to another university; many did move, to their benefit; I’ve no issue with this.
The problem on deferred maintenance, as I have been informed, is the fact that although there are line items in the budget for maintenance, these budgets presume full funding by the legislature. With less than the amount requested being provided by the legislature, there are decisions made; unfortunately, maintenance deferral is one of the decisions normally made.