Cuts to state higher ed funding

[GermDawg]

A good investment compared to what?

I do think education (primary and higher) is one of the best investments Louisiana can make. Investing in education is investing in our future. At the current funding levels, our universities cannot compete with institutions in other states.

But like I've posted many times, Louisiana has too many universities per capita. As a result, our FTEs are tiny compared to other states. Several colleges should be reduced in scope and mission, and some institutions should be shuttered. I believe in consolidation of primary and higher education in Louisiana. I also believe that technology is changing and will significantly change the way education is delivered in primary and higher ed into the future. How quickly will those changes occur? I don't know. Maybe quicker than we think. Eventually, I believe institutions that do not have a strong traditional undergraduate body, a graduate school with a backbone of American students, and major research initiatives will struggle to survive. The only question is if and when the state will cut bait. It will be a political nightmare if and when they cut bait. If they don't, our schools may be starved to death, and it's survival of the fittest.

So my point stands, Jindal is not unfriendly to higher ed in Louisiana, but is trying to cull out the weak, as you said to just cut them out would be political suicide, not to mention nearly impossible. Instead you slowly wean them off the state teat and the ones who can survive are better off.

[Dawg06]

So my point stands, Jindal is not unfriendly to higher ed in Louisiana, but is trying to cull out the weak, as you said to just cut them out would be political suicide, not to mention nearly impossible. Instead you slowly wean them off the state teat and the ones who can survive are better off.

I still don't agree with your point. Jindal has been unfriendly to higher ed and healthcare. And Jindal won't be able to kill any schools by 2016, and I don't think that's his motive. He had the opportunity to speak up during the Tech-LSUS merger talks, and he chose to be silent. I think his primary motive is his personal political ambition. I think he's simply trying to cut, cut, cut so he can point to budget cuts when he launches his presidential campaign next year. I think we are a long way off from schools starving to death, and I don't think the state will just let them die, at least not initially.

[RougeDawg]

Irony: When the State Higher Education Executive Officers can't spell Louisiana.

[RhythmDawg]

I still don't agree with your point. Jindal has been unfriendly to higher ed and healthcare. And Jindal won't be able to kill any schools by 2016, and I don't think that's his motive. He had the opportunity to speak up during the Tech-LSUS merger talks, and he chose to be silent. I think his primary motive is his personal political ambition. I think he's simply trying to cut, cut, cut so he can point to budget cuts when he launches his presidential campaign next year. I think we are a long way off from schools starving to death, and I don't think the state will just let them die, at least initially.

We are very close to seeing Louisiana hospitals start closing. We have already seen some consolidation and mergers. I can list 10 that are way into 7 figures in the red as I type this. They are hovering in the neighborhood of ~15 days cash on hand. Attrition in louisiana hospitals was on its way to being catastrophic but got a "bailout." Instead of catastrophic, it's just bad.

[dawg80]

Why does Louisiana, or any state, need "state" hospitals? They should all be in the private sector.

Yes, we have too many universities in Louisiana. Grambling and Southern should both be closed. Have had this discussion many times on this forum. And by "closed" I mean phased out. Current upperclassman, Jrs and Srs, should be allowed to graduate with a GSU and SU diploma. At the same time, both universities should be immediately folded into a nearby school.....GSU into Tech, SU into LSU. And etc....

Also, duplication of programs should be phased out, where practical. Lesser schools should have their mission changed to focus on undergraduate programs, on two tracks: 1) student development, for those seeking to achieve Master's degrees and beyond, and 2) workforce development, for those wishing to enter the workforce with a bachelor's in hand.

Then the better universities in the state.... no need to name 'em .... will have more resources to develop advanced programs of study, at both the undergrad and graduate levels.

[GermDawg]

I still don't agree with your point. Jindal has been unfriendly to higher ed and healthcare. And Jindal won't be able to kill any schools by 2016, and I don't think that's his motive. He had the opportunity to speak up during the Tech-LSUS merger talks, and he chose to be silent. I think his primary motive is his personal political ambition. I think he's simply trying to cut, cut, cut so he can point to budget cuts when he launches his presidential campaign next year. I think we are a long way off from schools starving to death, and I don't think the state will just let them die, at least not initially.

So this is basically just your opinion/view of Jindal, you assume he wouldn't think about a long-term plan for Louisiana (outside his own time in office) and his motives are all self-serving. He didn't have to speak up during the Tech-LSUS merger, without the NW LA delegation 100% behind it and the last minute Budget office sinking the money saving aspect their was nothing he could have done to save it.

[Dawg06]

So this is basically just your opinion/view of Jindal, you assume he wouldn't think about a long-term plan for Louisiana (outside his own time in office) and his motives are all self-serving. He didn't have to speak up during the Tech-LSUS merger, without the NW LA delegation 100% behind it and the last minute Budget office sinking the money saving aspect their was nothing he could have done to save it.

No. That's not what I said. I said I think his top priority is his personal political ambition. That doesn't mean I think that he has no long-term plan for Louisiana. I just think he puts Louisiana as his No. 2 priority behind his own political ambition. I don't know what you are talking about with the budget office, but the merger was never about saving money. It was about creating an economic engine for the future prosperity of Northwest Louisiana. Just because three NWLA politicians opposed the merger, doesn't mean Jindal couldn't endorse the merger. He hasn't cared what the opposition thought on other issues. Jindal, like Obama, has forced things down our throats even though the majority did not approve of it. How many people has Jindal disposed of because they didn't support his agenda? He now has either appointed his people or gotten his people elected so he can get whatever he wants. I believe if Jindal supported the merger, guys like Peacock would've gotten in line, and it would have been railroaded through the legislature.

[The Historian]

I believe if Jindal supported the merger, guys like Peacock would've gotten in line, and it would have been railroaded through the legislature.

Very True.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Like Middle Eastern wars?

Or welfare for banks?

Yes to both and much more! Except keep killing true muslim terrorist.

[GermDawg]

No. That's not what I said. I said I think his top priority is his personal political ambition. That doesn't mean I think that he has no long-term plan for Louisiana. I just think he puts Louisiana as his No. 2 priority behind his own political ambition. I don't know what you are talking about with the budget office, but the merger was never about saving money. It was about creating an economic engine for the future prosperity of Northwest Louisiana. Just because three NWLA politicians opposed the merger, doesn't mean Jindal couldn't endorse the merger. He hasn't cared what the opposition thought on other issues. Jindal, like Obama, has forced things down our throats even though the majority did not approve of it. How many people has Jindal disposed of because they didn't support his agenda? He now has either appointed his people or gotten his people elected so he can get whatever he wants. I believe if Jindal supported the merger, guys like Peacock would've gotten in line, and it would have been railroaded through the legislature.

Then that's on the guys that were proposing it for not getting Jindal behind it. I watched the legislature session, the opposition brought up the Budget Offices report on the cost of the merger and the proponents had no clue, I was dismayed at how much of a half-assed job the proponents had done. Also, could the reason be that Jindal purposefully avoided showing support because some people have painted him as a unfriendly to higher ed, and anything he touches regarding that automatically gets a knee-jerk response that he's killing higher ed.

As far as healthcare, he was the Secretary of LaDHH, and took them from bankruptcy and 400MM deficit to surplus in 3 years, in 1999 he was the president of the ULS and began implementing the higher admissions standards with Tech leading the way and setting us up for success with the GRAD Act. I think Bobby has made a lot of hard calls and had to be forceful because otherwise things don't get done in this state. And for his work his opposition call him ambitious and skew his actions as unfriendly to Health/Education.

But again this is all conjecture and opinions, you have yours and I have mine and together they amount to a hill of beans...

[domangue]

Then that's on the guys that were proposing it for not getting Jindal behind it. I watched the legislature session, the opposition brought up the Budget Offices report on the cost of the merger and the proponents had no clue, I was dismayed at how much of a half-assed job the proponents had done. Also, could the reason be that Jindal purposefully avoided showing support because some people have painted him as a unfriendly to higher ed, and anything he touches regarding that automatically gets a knee-jerk response that he's killing higher ed.

As far as healthcare, he was the Secretary of LaDHH, and took them from bankruptcy and 400MM deficit to surplus in 3 years, in 1999 he was the president of the ULS and began implementing the higher admissions standards with Tech leading the way and setting us up for success with the GRAD Act. I think Bobby has made a lot of hard calls and had to be forceful because otherwise things don't get done in this state. And for his work his opposition call him ambitious and skew his actions as unfriendly to Health/Education.

But again this is all conjecture and opinions, you have yours and I have mine and together they amount to a hill of beans...

The bolded part of your post sort of illustrates the "ambitiousness" of Jindal. To *properly* get DHH on solid footing this should have been a transition that took more like 5-7 years rather than 3. Don't get me wrong: there were problems that needed solving, but Jindal took the hatchet. I believe he wanted to make sure it got done specifically under his watch so he could get credit for it. A little over a decade plus later, look where healthcare is at in this state.

[GermDawg]

The bolded part of your post sort of illustrates the "ambitiousness" of Jindal. To *properly* get DHH on solid footing this should have been a transition that took more like 5-7 years rather than 3. Don't get me wrong: there were problems that needed solving, but Jindal took the hatchet. I believe he wanted to make sure it got done specifically under his watch so he could get credit for it. A little over a decade plus later, look where healthcare is at in this state.

Only in Louisiana, "You fixed it too quick!"

[domangue]

Only in Louisiana, "You fixed it too quick!"

Except "fixed" is a subjective term here. He "fixed" the budget numbers. He did the opposite of "fix" quality of care and integrity of the system.

[THEarmada]

Why does Louisiana, or any state, need "state" hospitals? They should all be in the private sector.

I would imagine that state hospitals are needed to educate future health care professionals. It is my understanding that having "resident physicians" is no longer profitable for a hospital (even though most residency spots are paid for by medicare).

[dawg80]

I would imagine that state hospitals are needed to educate future health care professionals. It is my understanding that having "resident physicians" is no longer profitable for a hospital (even though most residency spots are paid for by medicare).

Oh, "teaching" hospitals. Well, okay, except they should be part of the university that has the medical school. And, they should be profit centers too.*


*which doesn't mean they necessarily end each fiscal year in the black, just that they TRY to.