“The university… shall be as
nearly free as possible...” — Arizona constitution Article XI, Section 6
Dear Gov. Ducey,
My name is Jimmy Arwood, I have lived in Arizona for 20 years and intend to remain here. That being said, I care about this state and the future of this state. And I know you do, too.
While I disagree with a great deal of your policies, I want you to succeed, because if you succeed, Arizona succeeds.
That is why I write to you today. After reviewing your budget, I can’t help but feel disappointed because of the minimal amount you invested in Arizona universities after the amount of praise you heaped on them in your State of the State address. You so enthusiastically declared how Barrett holds a status much like that of Ivy Leagues, you expressed your gratitude that “the template for the ‘New American University’ is in our own backyard.”
You, of all people, know that talk is cheap. You didn’t become a successful businessman because of talk, you became successful because you took action. If your budget is passed, our universities will have lost $180 million from the time that I have been in school (two years).
Your budget did not reflect your stated passion for the universities. It was disheartening to see that you are putting $32 million into prisons and jails while only dedicating $18 million for universities, only $8 million of which will be spent to directly drive down costs for students. Not to mention that while universities saw cuts of $99 million last year, prisons and jails didn't, in fact they received more money.
But I have a business deal that might intrigue you, Mr. Governor, because you want to create quality jobs, and I want an equal playing field for success.
The Arizona Board of Regents requested $82 million additionally a year, along with a one-time $75 million request that would be matched dollar for dollar, however the ABOR did not elaborate on how. Having an enormous budget surplus, there is no better time to invest in our universities.
2/3 of jobs in AZ’s future require higher ed. & knowledge-based jobs = new economic drivers. Higher ed. best bet for growth.
— Eileen Klein (@Eileen_Klein) January 6, 2016
Eileen Klein, the president of the Arizona Board of Regents tweeted out that the future of our economy will require more than two-thirds of its jobs to have some form of college education. This statistic comes out of a report from Georgetown University.
Why a statewide higher ed. goal matters by the #s - $27,120 earned for high-school diploma holder in 2014; $46,407 for bachelor’s degree.
— Eileen Klein (@Eileen_Klein) December 22, 2015
Being a businessman Mr. Governor, it shouldn’t be hard for you to sell to your constituents on building a sustainable economic future — a future which is only possible if we invest money in higher education, which then leads to better jobs. I understand that you value a balanced budget and that you don’t want to kick the can of government debt down the road, but we have cut universities by $463 million since the recession. Our universities are our investments, and if you balance a budget by cutting your investments, you are still kicking a can down the road. History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme.
Mr. Governor, I implore you on behalf of the future of Arizona, to do
more for university education. We have too many students with too many
aspirations not to invest in them. We have too many students who want to make a
difference in their communities by being business owners, nurses, lawyers, journalists and so much more, not to invest in them.
Tuition in 1989 was under $1,500 which in today’s
dollars is over $2,871. Just as people invested in your generation Mr. Governor,
we are respectfully asking you to invest in our generation to keep tuition affordable.
We have bright futures here at ASU and hey, maybe someone at this
school will be a governor too. Wouldn’t be the first one from ASU.
Your constituent,
Jimmy Arwood
Related Links:
Ducey boosts funding for state universities in budget proposal
3 things you might have missed from Gov. Ducey's State of the State Address
Correction: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this article incorrectly identified how much money ABOR was requesting from Ducey. This version has been updated with the correct figures at the time of publication. ABOR has since updated their request to be $32 million.
Reach the columnist at jarwood@asu.edu or follow @jimsthebeast on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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