Editor Marv Adams opines in “State stifles university”:
“Cut MU loose from the state university system and allow it to go it alone as an independent university or become a state-related school.
“Francine McNairy, president of the 8,700-plus-student university, and her staff are the ones looking at these ideas and options, aimed at dealing with declining state financial support.
“Bottom line (literally): She thinks her staff can run things better if freed from the many regulations and bottlenecks that cost taxpayers and students time and money…. “Every time Millersville wants to buy something that costs more than $10,000, it has to spend time and money going out for bids. What a pain. What an expense. What can you buy for $10,000 these days? At least raise the figure to reflect today’s prices.”
WATCHDOG: We would be more impressed with Adams’ logic if Millersville hadn’t recently overpaid perhaps $15 million for the former PAM building on downtown Prince Street, in a cushy deal using previously allocated funds to bail out a local bank which had leant too much and a prominent philanthropist who had foolishly guaranteed a massive mortgage and bank loans.
Given this recent campus based outlandish spending, we can only conclude that the school would become a horn of cornucopia for the local establishment.
On the other hand, many of the problems correctly pointed out by McNairy and Adams could and should be corrected on the state level. Of course the state’s reputation for running universities hasn’t been very good recently.
It would be nice if the editor of the paper either knew the workings of pa govt, or cared enough to research to subject matter he’s offer opinions on. Due to the hard work of local legislators like Lloyd Smucker and Ryan Aument, the bidding requirements for PA are going up in Jan to over 18000, with an escalator clause. Additionally, the state provides a contract service which all political subdivisions ( this includes schools and fire companies) are eligible to piggy-back upon. That list contains just about any item a school would need at discounted prices. Beyond that, I’d prefer that my government seek competitive pricing for all big ticket items. The newspaper is lazy and starting so sound like your grumpy uncle at holiday dinner.