Comments on: We Don’t Need No Education http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958 A Citizen's Guide to Indiana Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jason http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974387 Jason Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:12:27 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974387 Ok, then even accepting stAllio!'s point, when does a school say "Thanks, but we can afford your 'gift'"? Ok, then even accepting stAllio!’s point, when does a school say “Thanks, but we can afford your ‘gift’”?

]]> By: paddy http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974385 paddy Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:39:57 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974385 There are named chairs and endowed scholarships/positions so you could get your name on a salary, but you're right in no one wants their name on an electric bill. There are named chairs and endowed scholarships/positions so you could get your name on a salary, but you’re right in no one wants their name on an electric bill.

]]> By: stAllio! http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974382 stAllio! Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:03:58 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974382 <i>If the university said “Sorry, we don’t need a $50,000,000 building, but we could use a more modest $25,000,000 building and $25,000,000 for more staff”, do you really think that the donors would tell them to get lost?</i> yes, yes they would. big donors like that don't want their names on some small, modest building... at least not for a huge donation like $50 million. and they certainly don't get naming rights on salaries or heating bills. If the university said “Sorry, we don’t need a $50,000,000 building, but we could use a more modest $25,000,000 building and $25,000,000 for more staff”, do you really think that the donors would tell them to get lost?

yes, yes they would.

big donors like that don’t want their names on some small, modest building… at least not for a huge donation like $50 million. and they certainly don’t get naming rights on salaries or heating bills.

]]> By: Jason http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974373 Jason Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:30:24 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974373 I do want to call a little BS on the whole flashing building thing, though. If the university said "Sorry, we don't need a $50,000,000 building, but we could use a more modest $25,000,000 building and $25,000,000 for more staff", do you really think that the donors would tell them to get lost? From a more practical standpoint, Mr. Rich Donor pays for a huge building, with 20-foot high ceilings and glass everywhere. He does NOT pay for the heating, cooling, and repair for the next 20 years. This is also a problem with local schools and hospitals, so I'm not picking on secondary education alone. I just can't stand the amount of waste that goes on in this area while all of these places say they need more money. I do want to call a little BS on the whole flashing building thing, though.

If the university said “Sorry, we don’t need a $50,000,000 building, but we could use a more modest $25,000,000 building and $25,000,000 for more staff”, do you really think that the donors would tell them to get lost?

From a more practical standpoint, Mr. Rich Donor pays for a huge building, with 20-foot high ceilings and glass everywhere. He does NOT pay for the heating, cooling, and repair for the next 20 years.

This is also a problem with local schools and hospitals, so I’m not picking on secondary education alone. I just can’t stand the amount of waste that goes on in this area while all of these places say they need more money.

]]> By: Reuben http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974372 Reuben Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:21:35 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974372 Nice, Jason! canoefun, if I didn't know better I would have mistaken your post for something I would have written. Concerning Purdue's (or other's) buildings. I imagine you all know this...but so few do. They use the same method many public facilities do and, unfortunately, the general public doesn't understand and the media won't explain. Bonds backed by donations or revenue. Sure they take out bonds for the construction. But the bonds are paid for, at least partially, by donations (or future income in the case a certain Indianapolis hospital). Why can't the media explain the process rather than just reprint press releases? Anyhow, Mitch is killing local government and schools and the media can't get enough of his BS. I didn't read the article (my dad told me about it), but it mentioned our most recent revenue shortfall ~ $150M for the month. Mitch has decided that all state employees must pay for their own business cards if they want them. Somewhere in the same paper there's a mention of the state buying a new Toyota Sequoia for Mitch to cruise around in. Every bell and whistle - something like $53k. Maybe the business cards can offset his new Toyota. Didn't the Indy city council get raped over buying Toyotas for the police force? Nice, Jason!

canoefun, if I didn’t know better I would have mistaken your post for something I would have written.

Concerning Purdue’s (or other’s) buildings. I imagine you all know this…but so few do.
They use the same method many public facilities do and, unfortunately, the general public doesn’t understand and the media won’t explain. Bonds backed by donations or revenue.

Sure they take out bonds for the construction. But the bonds are paid for, at least partially, by donations (or future income in the case a certain Indianapolis hospital).

Why can’t the media explain the process rather than just reprint press releases?

Anyhow, Mitch is killing local government and schools and the media can’t get enough of his BS.

I didn’t read the article (my dad told me about it), but it mentioned our most recent revenue shortfall ~ $150M for the month. Mitch has decided that all state employees must pay for their own business cards if they want them. Somewhere in the same paper there’s a mention of the state buying a new Toyota Sequoia for Mitch to cruise around in. Every bell and whistle – something like $53k. Maybe the business cards can offset his new Toyota.

Didn’t the Indy city council get raped over buying Toyotas for the police force?

]]> By: Jason http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974364 Jason Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:08:57 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974364 I always assume you do it because deep down, you want some anonymous windbag to explain to you how wrong you are. :) I always assume you do it because deep down, you want some anonymous windbag to explain to you how wrong you are. :)

]]> By: Pila http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974326 Pila Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:55:26 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974326 Thanks! :) Still, I wonder why I do it. Thanks! :) Still, I wonder why I do it.

]]> By: Doug http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974274 Doug Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:27:14 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974274 Commenting is fun and educational for the rest of us. Thanks Pila! Commenting is fun and educational for the rest of us. Thanks Pila!

]]> By: Pila http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974273 Pila Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:25:17 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974273 Still not sure why I'm bothering to comment, but Reuben and canoefun are right on target. It would be nice if the Indianapolis Star would do its job and actually report on the consequences of the changes that Mitch Daniels and his accomplices have rammed through. All we get are the announcements with no follow up on what actually happened. Other than IVY Tech, it is apparent that Mitch Daniels does not believe in public education at any level. Still not sure why I’m bothering to comment, but Reuben and canoefun are right on target. It would be nice if the Indianapolis Star would do its job and actually report on the consequences of the changes that Mitch Daniels and his accomplices have rammed through. All we get are the announcements with no follow up on what actually happened.

Other than IVY Tech, it is apparent that Mitch Daniels does not believe in public education at any level.

]]> By: canoefun http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958&cpage=1#comment-974238 canoefun Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:08:07 +0000 http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=5958#comment-974238 Reuben: you are exactly right. When I tried to explain to school board members and superintendents what mitch was up to, they just could not grasp the concept that somehow he was shifting the costs to the locals while taking the money at the state level. But that is what they are doing and then, when the locals have to raise local taxes to cover the shortfall, mitch yells about local govt being the problem and cites the need to take over the local systems. They set up the schools when they shifted the cost of transportation to the local tax roles and general fund distribution after ending the transportation fund distributions from the state. Claimed this was increasing money to the locals. All it did was provide a small amount towards transportation, then the locals had to either charge fees or raise local taxes to cover the shortfalls. When they did, the gop and mitch cried foul. mitch sure has a bad track record in budget analysis and predictions. How much did he say the war on terror would cost? Maybe if the blade had led those troops, you know, got his boots on the ground, it would have cost taxpayers far less than anyone would have predicted. When Michigan went to sales taxes and away from property tax, they suffered the same budget shortfalls. Critics pointed this out, but the Star only covered the press releases and mitch and his "we" knew all the answers, even if they ignored the questions. Michigan is still trying to dig out of the hole the move to a sales tax/income tax only created. Reuben: you are exactly right. When I tried to explain to school board members and superintendents what mitch was up to, they just could not grasp the concept that somehow he was shifting the costs to the locals while taking the money at the state level. But that is what they are doing and then, when the locals have to raise local taxes to cover the shortfall, mitch yells about local govt being the problem and cites the need to take over the local systems. They set up the schools when they shifted the cost of transportation to the local tax roles and general fund distribution after ending the transportation fund distributions from the state. Claimed this was increasing money to the locals. All it did was provide a small amount towards transportation, then the locals had to either charge fees or raise local taxes to cover the shortfalls. When they did, the gop and mitch cried foul.

mitch sure has a bad track record in budget analysis and predictions. How much did he say the war on terror would cost? Maybe if the blade had led those troops, you know, got his boots on the ground, it would have cost taxpayers far less than anyone would have predicted.

When Michigan went to sales taxes and away from property tax, they suffered the same budget shortfalls. Critics pointed this out, but the Star only covered the press releases and mitch and his “we” knew all the answers, even if they ignored the questions. Michigan is still trying to dig out of the hole the move to a sales tax/income tax only created.

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