The blame is simply a diversion. A refusal to take responsibility, while insisting that everyone else take responsibility. We see it in Washington every single day.
Getting tired of this trick yet? Bruce Patterson isn't. You can listen to Bruce lay the blame at the feet of universities here, or you can read it here.
Your Senate Republican SOD for 8/2-
I venture to say that the problem isn't in the amount of appropriations; it's in the failure of the governing boards of these universities to contain costs. That's why students are suffering tuition hikes of inordinate amounts--a failure to contain costs.
Pay no mind to the fact that since 2001 the state has "reduced higher education spending dollars to universities more than any other state in the country", a drop of nearly 20% in the past six years. That has nothing to do with it.
It's those faculty members that want compensation on a par with their peers. That's it. Now Patterson wants faculty members to join the race to the bottom, too.
and we're at the jump...
As it stands right now, we are about even with other Great Lakes states as far as faculty salaries. From Gongwer-
However, looking at a database operated by the American Association of University Professors and the Chronicle of Higher Education, faculty salaries are relatively in line with other schools, especially with Great Lakes states.
The average salary of full professors at the University of Michigan at $130,000 in 2005-06 was larger than most the other Big Ten schools, but full professors at Penn State University earned $120,000 at the same time. Ohio State University professors earned $117,000 and at Indiana University it stood at $109,000. At Michigan State University, full professors earned an average of $110,000.
The same was true of smaller schools, according to the database.
Mike Bishop was in on this too. He was the one who had the list of salaries all ready to go for Bruce.
Bishop also didn't mention the drop in state funding, instead saying that, "We feel state universities and colleges should not first turn to 'easy' solutions like tuition hikes when they find themselves with budget difficulties."
The budget difficulties the Republicans created. As if hiking tuition was easy for these people. Sure they loved getting all those phone calls from angry students and parents.
Mike also failed to point out that universities have made cuts to their costs. They have had to due to the drop in state funding coupled with the rising cost of living. Duh.
In the meantime, universities are reducing costs -- nearly $120 million at U-M and $70 million at MSU in five years, and $28 million at Oakland in 10 years.
Wayne State needs to cut $9.1 million this year alone, despite the tuition increase, to balance its budget. That means bigger class sizes and shorter library hours.
Cut, cut, cut. Cut everything, and then turn around and blame the people who got cut.
Whatever you do, never, ever, address your role in the situation. So much easier to create a diversion by blaming others. It's the Republican way.